I love these kinds of accessible science tomes and The Milky Way Smells of Rum and Raspberry didn’t disappoint. The universe came alive in quirky and very relatable fashion. Short chapters, simple prose. Perfectly put together by someone who clearly knows her stuff.

A really interesting and different type of book that explains how perspectives of space can be changed by weird and wonderful facts of the universe. I really enjoyed this book and absolutely devoured it, I really didn't want to finish it because I actually enjoyed it so much.


There is always so much knowledge out there about space sometimes it can feel overwhelming on where a person should start if they want to learn more about it. This book is the one you need, with a very unique book title and very drawing cover art you almost want to be on the rum and raspberries and in a bath for the relaxation it brings.

Scudder really knows her stuff and she knows how to put technical words and meanings into more of a generalized language that all people can understand and that gives it a really nice and fresh take for those of us who are super interested but sometimes disheartened by lack of understanding and attention span when reading extremely complex and scientific explanations. I believe it is this that makes me want to read more and literally "get into bed" with this book, it makes me feel like the person who wrote it wants people to be more explorative and invested in their topic and this shows passion to me, which I love.

Not only that, the writing style is very humorous - almost as if you're reading the works of a friend and sure there were times where I was read some of it and it completely just dove over my head and that's the way I like it for some of the more scientific and mathematical side of it. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it and the writing style makes it so much more easy to love it.

With thanks to Netgalley for the free ARC in return for a honest review.

I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review

It does? I know it’s scientific non-fiction but…read the book. Astrophysicist Dr. Jillian Scudder shares facts you may not know about space beyond astronauts and rovers. Decent to read on a long bus ride though there are many terms and discussions that can be difficult to understand. But hey, learning experiences are good, and finding out how Io has lava lakes is definitely among them.

A charming collection of chapters on the weird and wonderful facts of the universe. This book breezes along, not stopping long enough to get bogged down in the weeds of pedantry and too-much information. Accessible for those without backgrounds in the sciences, in other words!

I have to admit, the cover of this book caught my eye. I am a science nerd, so this was right up my street. Early on, it was clear that the tone of this book is one that is easy to understand and sprinkled with humour: “Space is weird…and it can kill you in many ways” (and it really can!). It is a fascinating read that helps us to appreciate that there is so much we know, yet so much we don’t know about space.

Every chapter is a bitesize chunk of mesmerising facts, clearly explained. You will find out which gas molecules smell of raspberries. Not only does Dr Jillian explain how this occurs, but also why it is useful for humanity to know this – spoiler alert –it is linked to our DNA! Other highlights for me were the jellyfish galaxies; the connection between Neptune, diamonds and polystyrene; and the future of Triton, Neptune’s moon.

I loved how I’m now equipped with more understanding about our universe after reading this. Some elements I had to read over twice, especially the numbers, mainly because occasionally the book deals with numbers that are much bigger than anything we ordinary folk would come across in our day to day lives. Try imagining the size of a bath required to put the planet Saturn in for example! Every chapter will leave you in awe of our solar system, galaxy and universe.

Thank you to the publisher Icon Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover of this book and title imply (well, at least to me!) That this is a "fun" book about science including weird and wonderful facts that might seem a bit silly but are true. I can see the potential and can visualise there is a market for this book.

For me, however, it was too space heavy. Written by a astronomer I would expect it to be. But frankly because of this I found a lot of the explanations a bit dry and thought the writing was too technical. Physics and astronomy students will love it!

Thinking about space has always filled me with wonder, fascination, and, after watching a video about what you'd experience falling into a blackhole, an understandable amount of anxiety and dread. I suppose reading about things like the big splat, our sun dying, or the Andromeda galaxy crashing into the Milky Way and sending us whirling across the universe didn't really help much either.

So, in an attempt to read something a bit lower stakes and lighter in tone about the universe, I chose to pick up Jillian Scudder's 'The Milky Way Smells of Rum and Raspberries...And Other Amazing Cosmic Facts'.

Not going to lie, the title and cover art did hook me in completely and I stayed because Scudder does a fantastic job of taking really technical terms and concepts about our universe and relaying them back to us in a light-hearted and easy to swallow way. Granted, there is a lot of math and astrophysics talk which flew over my head, but Scudder was usually able to summarise each chapter to make it all more understandable, which made me feel a bit better when the numbers were all getting a bit much. Her writing style and footnotes were entertaining, humorous, and informative.

So, did this book solve my existential crisis about how weird and crazy the universe is - no. But does it give me all sorts of fun and interesting facts that I can bring up during dinner parties - absolutely!

Like an amiably delivered introductory lecture, this book is full of interesting information and titbits, but you’re very much there to learn. To Scudder’s credit, she makes it clear both that the universe is full of wild and crazy things (jellyfish galaxies, Hyper Velocity Stars, volcanoes that could hit the International Space Station) and that is takes a lot of maths to understand that. Well-pitched and interesting, but drier than you might hope.

I love Science books that take complex ideas and make them slightly easier to understand, this book is also written in quite small chapters that make things even easier to digest

I love space ✨

Fun, light, enthusiastic tone. Very welcoming, like listening to a good friend. One with knowledge beyond yours. And even if you don't really understand half of what they're saying, you're happy to listen because their enthusiasm and passion is catching.

And your friend is lovely and tries to "dumb it down" to a level they think you'll be able to follow, but you still don't. So you just smile and nod while wishing you could comprehend on the same level, appreciating all the tidbits you actually can.

The chapters I could follow were absolutely fascinating.

Totally lost me with the numbers and equations though. The analogies didn't help 😂 But the author is so charming I still thoroughly enjoyed it!

Loved the references to figure skating - my two favourite things combined! What more could I want.

First off this book has a very eye catching cover and an equally catchy title. That cocktail looks delicious, although after reading the book I figure it probably would have some kind of chemical that is no good the human body in any way, shape or form.

One thing I did love about this book is that it was peppered with humour, funny one liners and quips that gave the book a great tone. Overall though I didn’t love this as much as I had hoped I would. I don’t think it’s anything to do with the book generally being less enjoyable - but there was a lot of number talk. And for me personally, numbers are something I struggle to wrap my head around, always have and probably always will do. There were some chapters I found more interesting than others (I really like the one about growing turnips on mars) whilst some chapters I found myself skimming.

I think that if you have a special interest in all things space, you’ll certainly enjoy this read. Again the writing style and the humour within some interesting topics was a real highlight for me.

Some black holes can sing, why Triton orbits backwards, and the Milky Way smells like raspberries are just some of the amazing facts we learn about in this book.
I often find nonfiction takes me longer to read than fiction and this can sometimes lead me to not finish a book but this book was just the right mix of informative and fun with engaging, witty footnotes from author. This book does not require full understand of the concepts being presented which makes the content accessible and easy to understand even thought it is talking about outer space. Each chapter gives a brief overview of the fun fact and keeps it light and breezy while giving you just the right amount of information.

A great, interesting read that easily understandable even for someone who new to the topic of space.

I loved this! I'm a big fan of easily digestible popular science, and have always enjoyed books that shed some light on the amazing universe we live in. This book was no exception - if you enjoy the New Scientist, you'll love this.

I particularly liked the way each chapter was different, providing variety and ensuring it wasn't too repetitive. It wasn't ridiculously simple either - the concepts were all stimulating and the writing didn't feel patronising at all. A good one for picking up and down when you feel like it as well.

Thank you for the eARC!

This book attempted to explain the unexplainable using things we see every day. It did a great job of it. A very informative book that I read in one sitting, and would definitely recommend to people who want to know a little more about the galaxy, whether they are experienced astrophysicists or not!

A short, sweet and captivating read, I’ll definitely be buying this when it arrives at the shop!

Thank you to the Icon Books and NetGalley for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I will update the review with a link to our blog closer to publication date.
I'd like to thank the publisher Icon Books and Netgalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review

If you like space and nerdy facts, chances are you will like a book that’s all about nerdy facts about space, generously sprinkled with humour. It offers easy explanations to complex things; and just as easily admits that about some other things, science has no idea. I enjoyed reading it in small segments, because there isn’t one overarching narrative of the sort — you can pause and pick it up anytime.
Thanks to #NetGalley for an advanced copy of #TheMilkyWaySmellsofRumandRaspberries.

This book was really fascinating, it took really complex information and made it easy to read.
I loved reading all the different facts.

A very interesting and informative book. Tries and mostly succeeds to explain the planets that surround our little planet. Their eco system and how they have evolved.
Not a book for someone just starting out but an excellent follow up from initial research

This book was so entertaining to read and incredibly informative and compelling. The chapters are small and easily digestible, and the writing style appeals to every kind of reader, whether you’re a scientist, a non scientist, an enthusiast or someone who just wants to know cool facts about the universe. This book is for everyone.

I love a book that can take complex notions and information and make them understandable and interesting. I also love a book that uses footnotes for humour which adds an extra x1000 stars for me, as it adds to the entertainment factor and had me regularly chuckling.

It balances information with an easy writing style, fun and humour. What could be better for a nonfiction book?