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Two strong female characters, much of the story told through flashbacks, and ghosts as characters. On the downside, feels long for a tale of one day - the reader could spend more hours reading than actually experienced by the protagonists.

This was set in a bloody era of history, and pulls no punches - the second scene has a LOT of blood. The characters feel very fleshed out, with motivations and interests - even some ghosts. Walking tours of this neighborhood tie in nicely with the novel.

In addition to the story seeming too long, the ending is abrupt and not exactly satisfying. I liked the ghosts (and their rules), and the author used them to tell some of the story and give reason for a "feral" kid to have learned her letters. I wouldn't consider this a "ghost story" though - the supernatural act as more of a chorus than characters. This book is marketed as "young adult", but the themes are probably more to the older side.

Liked it, but didn't love it.

Rain Storm / Choke Point / Winner Take All is set in a time just after 9/11, with a late 40's main character connected to Vietnam and Afghanistan conflicts. I've enjoyed the series so far, though the reading has been very spread out.

The author's expertise in martial arts comes out clearly in the realistic and accurate fight descriptions. Locale descriptions are also lovingly done; the reader gets a real feel for the place. My favorite character in this book was Dox, and I'll be as interested in what happens to him in future books as for the main character, John Rain.

One of the strong points of emphasis in the first book were Rain's three rules. These are mentioned here, but otherwise ignored. While working for the CIA, can Rain stay independent enough? I thought his detour towards the end of the book was problematic, but it may be important for future plots. Hard to remember the previous book, but I didn't like this as much as the first one. 3½ stars, rounded down.

May tackle book 4 a bit sooner :)

I'm not sure how this ended up on my "to-read" pile in 2016, but it is likely it was referenced in another book. Some of the ideas are sound, but no work of science or history should revert to name calling and bluster to make a point.

The author starts the book by showing old predictions by Malthus and the Ehrlichs about overpopulation. He correctly points out that the latter authors stuck to their predictions afterwards, and that both were proven false. What I dislike is the lack of evidence for the author's conclusion that other predictions of the future are also false. What is even worse is the terminology he uses - "neo-Malthusian doomsters", describing those who work with them as "acolytes", and downplaying an author as an "eco feminist" and an "activist-charlatan".

Would the book have been valuable with better language and references? Yes. This book focuses mostly on the economic measurement of choices, which does get buried behind headlines and excitement. It is also true that subsidies, mandates and price controls have frequently caused more problems than they have solved. The author's partial acceptance of climate change is interesting, but instead of focusing on the economics and alternate ideas (see Lomborg and others), he focuses on a "pause" in the increase and predicts that the impact will be lower because of it.

Unfortunately this book was published in 2015, and the global average temperature has continued to rise.



In the end, I abandoned my attempt to read more of this book.

A business history of TSR during the tenure of Gary Gygax - from founding to takeover. Chapters as years played out in turns like a major game of Diplomacy, which is both humorous and a connection to the earliest forms of D&D (see [b:Playing at the World: A History of Simulating Wars, People, and Fantastic Adventure from Chess to Role-Playing Games|15784870|Playing at the World A History of Simulating Wars, People, and Fantastic Adventure from Chess to Role-Playing Games|Jon Peterson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1350579412l/15784870.SX50.jpg|21502915] ).

This book is more accessible than that weighty tome, with less specifics of early D&D and more focus on the business of TSR and Gencon. It is apparent that a huge amount of research went into this - all well detailed in the end notes and index. Jon Peterson has provided an unbiased accounting of this epic battle. Unfortunately, neither of the principle characters is around to comment on this work.

It does have dry moments, whether business and banking or legalities and lawsuits (neither published by TSR). I wanted to know more about acquisition by Wizards of the Coast, or how Dragon and Dungeon eventually ended up with Paizo - but I suspect that is more of a book than a chapter, and it didn't involve Gygax or Arneson.

This was a fairly quick read, from the local library. Unlike Playing at the World, I've read this and enjoyed it, but have no desire to own it. Factor that into your own ratings as you will - I would say this is a solid 4 stars.

I was excited to receive this book from the library, and the audiobook is read by the author - always a plus.

The author provides a lot of detail, and this includes and excellent index and references. The chapter on bison, Bone Mining, and the follow up chapter Intended Consequences are in the author's field, and both well done. I listened to the audiobook and followed references from the physical book, both from the local library. I thought the author's conclusions in the final chapter - what would it take for humans to accept genetic modifications - were spot on.

While the information is nicely collected, the storytelling is not as well done in the other chapters - which also lacked the anecdotes and humor from the bison and mammoth stories. I believe some pictures and graphics would have helped. Whether more information or a better connected story - I just wanted more.

Maybe that's the pop-science aspect of the book. Malcolm Gladwell tells several stories, not really connected. Beth Shapiro is trying to connect her stories and draw conclusions - and maybe that's the failing. I liked the book - I just didn't love it.

Completes the trilogy of the first three books, with even more action and cliffhangers. Returns characters from the earlier books in one massive conclusion.

Like the first two books, this story was originally published as a 4 part serial in 1913-1914. The collected serial of book 3 was first published together in 1919. The next book in the series ([b:Thuvia, Maid of Mars|40387|Thuvia, Maid of Mars|Edgar Rice Burroughs|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1444245322l/40387.SY75.jpg|1387380]) was published as one book in 1916 - arriving before book 3. Most of Burrough's fans must have read the serialized version.

Carter travels literally from pole to pole tracking down the mother of his child. There is a lot of battle and action in this one - leaping and sword thrusts and decapitation, and of course John Carter's famous Right Cross punch (apparently there's no bar room brawls on Barsoom).

In bringing back all the other peoples Carter has traveled among, a wide range of skin colors are represented. As a major plus, none of this is racism - it's mostly a coat of paint, and that's the way Carter slips through the various camps - red mud and yellow paint. If the boardgame Risk hadn't been invented decades after his writing, I would have imagined Burroughs with a map of Mars and several handfuls of colorful counters. Where are the purple men of Mars?

As predicted after the second book, I am glad I read these, but in no hurry to delve further into the series at this time. The remaining books deal with Carter's son and other relations, with John Carter providing only the occasional cameo. Of the three books, the first is the strongest. This one almost has too much action for a story line.

Young Miles first real assignment, which echoes his earlier escapades. This book won a Hugo award and is on several best-of lists, but it feels like two stories squashed together, with rough seams showing.

Of course, that's what it is. [b:Weatherman|11058951|Weatherman (Vorkosigan Saga, #5.4)|Lois McMaster Bujold|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1302671871l/11058951.SX50.jpg|14586369] was published months earlier, then expanded to become the book. I liked that story, for the main reasons a lot of people like this whole series - the main character surviving and thriving on his wits. He has the wisdom to make the right decision in the moment - something we all want more of.

This is different in the second half (or story) of the book. Here Miles follows circumstance, only a few times choosing his direction. Partly this is because events from earlier books are catching up with him. Bravo to the author for keeping the universe intact, but this is a lot for a reader and main character to deal with. In a series written out of order, I'm not sure some of these weren't references to books to be written later.

Like the author, I will continue my own rambling walk through the Vorkosigan saga. I'll probably take a break for a bit, though. 3 stars out of 5.

I wonder if the title was at all influenced by Ender's Game, released just 5 years earlier?

Wow! The perfect end to a series, and an excellent tale besides. Good vs Evil, a reunion of even minor characters from earlier books, strategies and battles - and a reluctant prognosticating pig.

Without spoiling anything, I really enjoyed the return of earlier characters, some completely unexpected. Taran becomes the hero that the reader always knew he was destined to be.

Next the series - I think the fourth book is the strongest of the series, but this is a close second. It is also the longest book, more than 300 pages. The entire series could fit into one of the mammoth books that exist in series today - and I'll wager this has more and better content. Of all the series I've read, I believe this one has the highest rating as a series.

Yes, these books were for kids, but the fantasy is wonderful. I heartily recommend these to kids - or anyone who is a kid at heart.

One-time time travel into the past, the protagonist must survive and thrive - and his goal is to hold back the curtain of the dark ages.

Many of the characters are historical, and the author really brings personality to these folks. I especially love the bartering banter with the money lender and the constant predictions of an unmarked grave by his bodyguard. Fortunately the main character knows Latin and adapts well; the reader is blessed with common English.

The author has been described as a historian of technology, and his descriptions are excellent. I could well believe the impact of brandy, Arabic numerals and the printing press on this time period.

Both the book and the original short story are freely available, and I read both. The book expands on much of the back half of the story, including descriptions of war. I didn't enjoy these as much - the original story rates a 4 or 5 stars, but the longer novel rates somewhat less.

Subtitled "One More Last Rite for the Detective Genre", this mystery takes a decided turn halfway through the book, and was slow up until then.

A relatively quick read, though I got confused about the characters at times. I'm not sure the authors didn't have a similar confusion. Apparently on the first publication in 1970, the villains were changed from gangsters to neo-nazis. It was filmed by Estonians (Tallinfilm) in 1979, and like other Strugatsky titles, turned into a poorly rated point-and-click video game in 2009 (available today on Steam).

I liked aspects of it, but think the inspector could have made a better choice and still been completely within his morals. Some of the characters had a harsh description for no apparent reason, i.e. the stupid Kaisa. A sort of "where are they now" at the end was fun to read. I've read better mysteries and better from the Strugatsky brothers - 3 stars out of 5.