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Third book in a series (and for nearly 20 years, the last book of the series), this large cast story can be hard to follow and has more caricature than character. Technology was also starting to leave this description of a future world behind. That said, it brought the series to a nice conclusion.

In the world described, Dream Park has been a going venture for a number of years. This game represents a cast-only break from normal activities, and also five teams of five in competition. The plot describes both a mystery outside the game and a race within the game. When you add in the staff and major NPCs, the character total becomes quite unwieldy - though more than a few are killed off in the virtual world competition.

That's also part of the problem - the virtual world described in the first book (1981) consisted of holograms, props and makeup. This book (1992) adds visors - heads up displays with added character information and many of the injuries and death. VR headsets, already available at the time of writing, were not even considered. Another focus of this book is the media presentation of the game, with characters playing to the camera. How similar this would be to reality television...

It will be interesting to see how the 4th book (2011) connects our world with Dream Park. I plan to tackle it later this year, finishing off yet another series.

Crystal Singers are infected with a symbiotic life form that heals them and gives them longer life - but eventually they lose their memories. This story is told from the perspective of a much older Killishandra who has this poignant problem.

The story is one familiar to anyone who knows aging friends or relatives with Alzheimers or other degenerative conditions. Irritating, irascible, and yet loved and supported by her partner Lars Dahl, this novel can be at times painful to read. Stepping back, this is also a story about the growth of the crystal singers guild, and builds this interesting universe further. It also ties in with The Ship Who Sang, another McCaffrey book.

Unlike real life, the situation does get better here, and McCaffrey was sometimes criticized for these happy endings. Another criticism is a dual standard - characters misbehaving before or after criticizing others for the same behavior. Killishandra does this a lot, and though one could argue her seniority in the guild gives her the right, it is still irritating. This novel is a good conclusion to the series, but not as good a book as the second or first.

The story of a scientist who made himself invisible and wanted to terrorize the world, told through the stories of those he encountered. It is an open question whether he was a sociopath before he was invisible, but lean towards yes.

Wells was a scientist first, and wrote his fiction with the thought of ordinary people encountering the science. His invisible man ends up giving a reasonable explanation of the physics behind the trick to a doctor and former compatriot. This doctor also gives the voice of reason in the story, urging the invisible man to work with scientists, to figure things out from a lab perspective, to use this discovery for good. Not for our man the sociopath, however.

More than a few films and television plots have been made from this story, and I've seen many. I don't remember any of them trying to capture the pathos. Most of the focus was on the trick - unwinding the bandages, escaping the chase, etc. Modern technology raises questions, like would he be visible in infrared, and how could he see with an invisible eye and lens? Those bits aside, this a good story, and encourages one to think.

The first three chapters were five stars, to the point of immediately recommending my friends read this. Then the novel bogged down a little, though it finally finished strong. I liked it, and will read the second in the series.

Reviews on this seem pretty strongly divided, kind of like this magical world the author has described. It is very complete, with a lot of history between magical peoples (the Daeva, or djinn, primary among them). Speaking of those peoples, there is a glossary at the back to help with defining them. I like the main character, a strong and intelligent young woman. The story dives right into action with a running battle against ghouls in Cairo, and her protector Dava, the djinn she accidentally summoned, is there to help.

Those ghouls were well described. Then the desert, the other magical beings she encounters, and her interactions with Dava. What threw me for a little loop was the shift in focus to Ali, and the descriptions of his life, his surroundings, and his interactions with humans in the City of Brass. Yes, eventually these two characters meet, but first more descriptions. The author had a lot of world to portray, and a good fifth of this book is describing it - people and places.

The story does keep coming back to action, right up to the end, and I will check out the second in the series. This is the author's first book, and was nominated for two awards. It is also the 24th book I have read this year by a new (to me) female science fiction/fantasy/horror writer. I would put this in the top five in that group, and better than another with a very similar focus - [b:Alif the Unseen|13239822|Alif the Unseen|G. Willow Wilson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1325543155l/13239822.SY75.jpg|18330291]. 4 stars (out of 5).

This small book gives a very thorough reckoning of the first intentional exploration of the Green, Grand and Colorado rivers. The author, a professional river guide and adventure writer, also covers the controversies and notes subsequent expeditions. This is a both readable and balanced narrative.

For sources, Kuhne was able to draw on Powell's own (and very embellished) report, along with diaries and reported interviews. Apologists and attackers are weighed on both sides to help determine the truth in the extensive Aftermath and Epilogue sections. The majority of the book before that is a well constructed timeline of the expedition travels, including some notations on current locations. With reservoirs and Powell's namesake lake in the way, this expedition cannot be recreated today. Powell went on to co-found the National Geographic society.

There is one good map at the beginning of the book, and a nice section of photographs in the middle. The second (and rarely discussed - even by Powell) expedition had cameras, and some of those photos are amazing. It would have been nice to have maps of the canyon sections to accompany the appropriate chapters, though online search provides an excellent supplement. I believe I added this book to my reading list on spotting it in a Montana bookstore, and I am quite glad I did - recommended!

Covers the reasons behind and the actions in the Winter War, a mismatched conflict between Finland (population 4 million) and Soviet Russia (population 150 million), raging 80 years ago today. If you don't know your history, this book will show you the strength of Finnish resistance, and Sisu.

First published in 1991, the history of this 105 day war gains much from released Soviet documents. The analysis of the starting phases, the continuation and the final peace treaty are excellent. Some of the battle descriptions bog down a little in details of troops. I supplemented the functional maps with wikipedia research and a hex map from a wargame I own on the subject. Contains excellent explanations of the reasons and personalities of the combatants - especially Baron Mannerheim.

This one hasn't been on my reading list, but I've been eyeing it over the years, and now was a perfect time to dive in. I'm glad I did! The author has also published a few American Civil War books, and while that isn't my favorite genre, I will definitely consider them. I'd also like to read about Finnish sniper Simo Häyhä, nicknamed Белая смерть or "White Death". This book rates a solid 4 stars out of 5.

This slim volume gives a narrative history of the WELL (an early dial-up forum), focusing on aspects of community and personalities. The medium - text base and occasionally arcane - also plays a part. Invites comparison to other forums and conferences.

This is one of two books I started on the same day that start with the announcement of a death. Both were on my reading list - this one since 2014 - and both are quick reads. This is non-fiction, and I would guess will be re-released and/or expanded in a few years for a 20th anniversary. The WELL still exists, and wikipedia can give you a lot more information.

I enjoyed this history and the technical aspects; I ran a free BBS in this same time frame. I see some interesting comparisons to PLATO, and [b:The Friendly Orange Glow: The Untold Story of the PLATO System and the Dawn of Cyberculture|34373814|The Friendly Orange Glow The Untold Story of the PLATO System and the Dawn of Cyberculture|Brian Dear|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1492187905l/34373814.SX50.jpg|55458316] (which was a better book).

I first read Thrawn in Heir to the Empire, the first trilogy to follow the movie trilogy. He was a bad ass villain and worthy military leader to succeed the emperor. This is a series of episodes in his discovery and extremely rapid rise to the rank of Grand Admiral, and also details the rise of Governor Pryce.

That second character is from Star Wars Rebels, which I haven't seen, and I understand Thrawn has made an appearance there also. These are all part of the new Disney canon, though Heir to the Empire is not. This novel is written with Thrawn as Sherlock Holmes, even to the point of his aide as Watson and the main antagonist as Moriarty. That would make the governor... Mycroft? Holmes is the hero, and to make this work you have to view the Imperials as the good guys.

Doyle wrote the mysteries well; with Zahn they are squeezed in with military description, which is also quite good. Unfortunately, that doesn't leave as much room for a plot - this really does feel like a series of episodes instead of a cohesive whole. Part of that might be the ending. This is clearly the first book in a series.

It worked for me, with only older Thrawn knowledge - though I was left with the curiosity of why we were spending so much time on Pryce. It would probably work as well for someone who has no knowledge of Thrawn. I can't say how it would work for the fan of the Rebels and Clone Wars cartoons. For me, this was 3½ stars - a better ending and stronger plot would drive that much higher.