The Last Shadow by Orson Scott Card

The author pulled off a very-satisfying conclusion to both "Ender's Game" universes, bridging the original series, its prequels, and the "Shadow" series together well.  He resolved most of the plot threads.  There was a little too much deus est machina in the magic systems, and the near-omnipotence of the main characters was unsatisfying.  However the story and endings have a "big heart" and I really enjoyed the prominence of all the "little things" and warm details. 5/5 Stars.

Ein Paar Leute suchen das Glück und lachen sich tot

Dieses Buch war ekelerregend schrecklich, 0/5 Sterne.

A Thousand Brains: A new theory of intelligence by Jeff Hawkins

I think this book was on Bill Gates' annual "best books I read list" of 2021.  The author is proposing a much-different and enormously rich, dense mechanism for how our neocortex is self-aware and intelligent.  It's a great theory and does fit most of the phenomena observed in neuroscience. When Hawkins wanders into ethics and philosophy, his writing is not as strong.  4/5 Stars.  I bought the hard back as a gift for someone special.

Convergence by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole (Galaxy's Edge #13)

I was disappointed by this one, mostly because I don't like the main characters.  The dialog is good but the story is not great, 3/5 Stars.

Leviathan Falls by James S. A. Corey

The poignant, bitter-sweet conclusion of this fantastic series is another well-crafted story with an interesting series of plot twists at the end.  I look forward to the "filler" novellas of material the editors cut out and hope these two authors continue to collaborate on future projects.  5/5 Stars.

Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson

Another fantastic work by one of my favorite writers.  This one is much better than Fall, even more fun and better than REAMDE.  I loved all of the colorful characters and the eye-opening immersion into the circumstances and cultures of important but obscure parts of the world.  The physics and engineering were icing on the cake, topping off one of Stephenson's best-ever novels. 5/5 Stars.  Highly recommended.

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

I enjoyed the story, characters, and cultural immersion into a "slice of life" of this interesting time in our history.  Towles experimented with shifting first-person narration among the characters so that we can get into their internal dialog, values, and attitudes. This technique has drawbacks but enhances the reader's immersion into the story.  I think Gentleman in Moscow is better but I really love this one as well. 5/5 Stars.