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This was a good story with many well-written perspectives. Set in historical Spokane (circa 1909), it gives both history and corruption with compelling narrative.

The IWW and itinerant workers provide an excellent backdrop for this orphan story. Chapters bounced
around various characters and even a bit in time, some with cliffhangers. It refers to War and Peace in a few ways, but knowledge of that epic isn't required to enjoy this. The Cold Millions wasn't an easy book to set down, and I'm glad I got it from the library when I did. Made for a great weekend of reading.

I love history. I've read one other Jess Walter, his collection of short stories, which wasn't great. This is much better, and of course historical fiction. The author did his homework, and I've seen pictures of the buildings (and read capsule histories of the principle events - and Taft Montana). I've heard the audiobook is spectacular, and plan to re-read this in that form soon. Recommended!

Published 38 years after the first book, this is a good sequel to a fun space opera. The characters carry over from the first book, written by a new team of writers. Indeed, there are two more sequels, both highly rated and the last published in 2020.

I discovered and enjoyed the first book a few years ago; I'm still searching for other books by [a:James H. Schmitz|723256|James H. Schmitz|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1236436862p2/723256.jpg]. Some knowledge of the first book helps, but probably isn't necessary. The story is solid, though there is an aspect of Star Trek's "Q" towards the end. Schmitz wrote the witches as strong and distinct female characters, and that comes through in this book also.

Well known authors Eric Flint and Dave Freer co-authored this book with Mercedes Lackey; they went on to write the 3rd and 4th books without her. I haven't read anything else by them, though I've had an interest in Flint's 1632 universe books. Looking forward to finishing this series soon.

This blueprint is provided in triplicate; a good thing for blueprints, but it can detract from readability. The author is quite right (if repetitive) and provides some excellent suggestions for reaching educators, students, testing agencies and especially those who need the results - effective math problem solvers.

Existing curricula focus on (and test) calculation ability - the one thing that is least informative. Wolfram's strategy is to educate a 4 step process - define the the question, abstract the provided information (to better choose which tools can be used to find the answer) calculate the result, then interpret (and validate) the calculated answer. Assuming the problem is defined properly and the answer is interpreted correctly, the calculation is the obvious step. One that can be taken over by a computer with no fear. This process is used in the real world, why not teach it in schools?

I've been reading this for more than a month, which is longer than any other book in the last two years. Sometimes that was because I was thinking about the text and ideas, but more often it was a lack of compelling text. I appreciated the chapters that examine the objections and look at implementation details. The author's plan for getting governments, colleges and hiring companies on board looks pretty good. Unfortunately, as glimpsed in the intro, the text is repetitive at times. The same anecdote of Latin is mentioned four times - it's a good fit, but even after adding a reference to Yes, Minister, Latin gets a bit overwhelming.

The author is right in conclusion - not enough people are talking about this topic. A great book or article could be written with reference to this text, and I hope one is soon. I suspect the testing companies will be the hardest to get on board. I am grateful that Wolfram Publishing provided me with a copy of The Math(s) Fix to review - overall rating, 3 of 5 stars.

A story focused on a fan-favorite Jedi character introduced in Clone Wars and continued in Star Wars Rebels. Some solid characters, knowledge of Star Wars canon required - this feels like the middle book in a trilogy.

I've seen a handful of Clone Wars episodes, out of order, and none of Rebels. I don't know Ahsoka Tano very well, and this book didn't do enough to introduce her. The internal dialog did open a window into her motivation and some scenes from earlier life, but some of those require a solid knowledge of the canon - especially around Star Wars III and Order 66.

The story itself started well, Ahsoka going to ground (literally) on an outer-rim farming moon. The farmers are interesting characters, and their story is interesting when the Empire shows up. The story then takes a turn to Ahsoka's recent past, then a hunter, and named characters I don't recognize. From there to the end, it feels like the book is in order to match the next story - a very middle-book kind of feel, for a book that is supposed to stand on its own.

I'd like to check out another book from this author; this doesn't feel like a representative work.

Published 5 years later, this follows from the first novel in this universe. It continues the story of Aral and Cordelia, and gives an explanation for the challenges of Miles life.

The first part of the novel establishes life in a foreign country (for Cordelia) and includes many foreign (and borderline barbaric) customs. This is important for the series, and somewhat important for this story - but it is also a bit slow. The action really gets rolling halfway through with a coup, and Cordelia's personal adventure adds to that excitement. My copy of the book ends with an author interview.

I read the first published book in the series 7 years ago, and three more in the last few years. I've stuck to neither chronological nor publishing order, and probably won't moving forward. While none of the books have floored me for a 5 star rating, each so far has rated 4 stars - this is a pretty solid series. I've read both this and [b:Ethan of Athos|990093|Ethan of Athos (Vorkosigan Saga, #3)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1365244555l/990093.SY75.jpg|2030693] this year as part of a challenge to read three from Lois McMaster Bujold. My plan is to read a book of short stories next - perhaps Dreamweavers Dilemma, published five years after this novel.

On goodreads, 320 people listed this as "fiction" and 96 as "Irish literature", which tells you something. Roddy Doyle's first book is a pretty quick read, telling of the rise (and fall) of the "World's Hardest Working Band" in Dublin.

Total time to read: 1.4 hours. Length of the film: 1.98 hours. Then again, Ted Chiang's short "The Story of Your Life" is definitely shorter than 2016's "Arrival". For a first novel, this is awesome, and two more were written in the "Barrytown Trilogy" - the other two also made into films. If language bothers you, I understand he also wrote eight books for children. I haven't read 'em, so no guarantees.

Back to this book, I think it's worth reading. The film is excellent, with actual music instead of text describing the music - a major plus. I'm fairly sure I read the book before seeing the film, but I don't recall much of it - a strike against. With this (re?)read, I note that the ending is slightly different - but now I need to rewatch the film to confirm. Both subsequent books - The Snapper and The Van - are also excellent. I'll go with 4 stars out of 5 for now.

Light fantasy or early LitRPG, this is much better than the first book in the series. Decent female lead character, but the story is a little rushed at times. A very quick read.

For the majority of the book there is only one person; the rest are computer driven characters. Playing a one hour session (a birthday present) she is trapped in the game when anti-gamer terrorists attack the game center, breaking the immersion device somehow. She can only exit the game by winning, and if she fails to do that soon, she will probably die in real-life.

Okay, hokey setup, but it works. When she dies in-game, she restarts from the very beginning, though that doesn't happen too often. She must live by her wits. This is good for her and enjoyable to read. The computer characters have an excuse to be 2D, but they do have differing individual motivations. Working out the permutations is another part of the challenge.

So yeah, I liked it. The strongest reviews seem to be mostly people fondly remembering this from their youth. The first book in this universe was in 1990 (and only average), this book 2002. Another was written in 2012 - perhaps we are due for a fourth. I plan to read the third book regardless.

Mythic fiction, this is the story of a group of outcasts (damnificados translates to victims in Spanish) who move into an abandoned tower block. It uses flashbacks to tell the history, conflicts and miracles around this community.

The writing is concise and the characters are richly told. Many languages are involved in this rag tag community. It is based on a real-life event, the occupation of the Torre de David, and tells the story of bakers, beauty shops and unlicensed electricity and water. The myths include a two-headed wolf, ghosts, miracles and true divinations. My favorite are the giant stone heads that remain after flood waters recede.

I don't remember why I put this on my reading list a few years back, but I really enjoyed the book. Chapters are mostly short and to the point. In mythic terms, this is a journey - but one mostly taken within the tower. A solid 4 of 5 stars.

Engineer and biologist Steven Vogel writes about the various rotational inventions through history, from water, pottery and spinning wheels to cranks, handspikes and pedal power. Meanders a little, but a lot of solid information to discover.

Chapters focus on specific technologies, covering both history and impact. Quite a few drawings help visualize the description, which isn't always as simple as a hub and axle. Notes and references follow an appendix full of models that can be made to demonstrate the concepts - the author made these while writing the book. His observations about how effective these are is also wonderful.

The topic can be daunting, and the author dives in deep. As mentioned, the timeline meanders a little, focusing on the technology instead. The subtitle is really the focus of the book; the title alone can be misleading. Minor quibbles, though - this is a pretty good book. I plan to refer back to it in the future, perhaps tackling some of the models.

The Picture Wall portrays a mothers devotion to her child, which can be a wild ride. This is a fairly short read with emotional depth, and I would recommend it for mothers everywhere.

This starts as a memoir, then really comes into its own describing the challenges of raising a child. Between gender dysphoria and brain chemistry, the raw emotions here would overwhelm many. Strategies are tried, then modified, with love the primary focus. The Picture Wall of the title reflects the authors inner self.

While told from her perspective, her empathy gives glimpses of the other stories here. Family, friends, and community are all involved, though the latter mostly fails. It takes a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to bully and demean. Both are present here. The last chapters show how our very language complicates the situation.

I enjoyed this book and have lived a little of the narrative. It can be read quickly, but the emotional impact is likely to stay with the reader. I am grateful that Ingenium Books provided me with a copy of The Picture Wall to review - 5 of 5 stars.