read: A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni ★★★★★

A Dead Draw by Robert Dugoni
My rating: ★★★★★

This story is a bit of a departure from the usual police procedural plots of previous books in the series. In this one, Tracy Crosswhite is literally and figuratively haunted by demons of her past. A murderer, out for revenge and free on a legal technicality, has disappeared. But his very absence provides tension for most of the book.
In the meantime, Tracy is still dealing with guilt and doubt about her future as a cop and a recent incident during a police training exercise. She returns to her hometown to recharge and turns to an old mentor to retrain her mind and reflexes. I missed her detective work and colleagues. But I liked the return to her sharpshooting roots and the introduction of some new characters.

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read: Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI by Karen Hao ★★★★

Empire of AI: Dreams and Nightmares in Sam Altman's OpenAI by Karen Hao
My rating: ★★★★

Lots of interesting information regarding a wide swath of topics related to AI and Open AI in particular. Could have used a bit more editing for length and clarity. But the message is clear: elitism and colonialism are alive and well in the culture of AI development.

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read: Dream Chasing: My Four Decades of Success and Failure with Walt Disney Imagineering by Bob Weis ★★★★

Dream Chasing: My Four Decades of Success and Failure with Walt Disney Imagineering by Bob Weis
My rating: ★★★★

There are moments in Bob's memoire that deserve 5-stars: seeing what does and not work to keep visitors engaged and enjoying a theme park, land or ride; understanding the storytelling involved in a Disney experience; collaborating with another culture to create something that's still Disney within the other culture; meeting and working with Disney heroes and even moving beyond them.
But much of the book is also sort of meh, 3-stars: learning about food and transit systems in other countries; not learning about any really interesting Imagineering technology; learning about food and transit systems in different states.
The big surprise was discovering that Bob and I worked at Disneyland in the same department at almost exactly the same time during college. Either we did not actually overlap, or we were on different shifts most of the time. I have no recollection of anyone with his name. Another surprise was that our recollections of the department are so different. I loved it and stayed on for more than a year. He struggled with some aspects and left after only a few months.
If you're a big Disney nerd, you might enjoy this. I didn't feel like there were any big revelations. But there were enough enticing tidbits to keep me skimming along for the next treasure.

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read: Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★

Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky
My rating: ★★★★

Thought-provoking follow-up to Children of Time. Examines the consequences of bad decisions colliding with the random outcomes of time and nature.

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read: Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt ★★★★★

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
★★★★★

A book about a talking octopus? No. This is not that. It is, however, about an octopus living in an aquarium in the Pacific Northwest and several of the remarkably bright creatures (humans) in his orbit.
Much of the story is told from the viewpoint of Marcellus (the giant Pacific octopus), who considers himself more intelligent that the humans holding him in 'captivity' (which he regularly escapes whenever he's bored).
The rest of the story focuses on the humans and their relationships. We learn of their past, their grief, and their foibles. We also see them discover themselves and each other and their future.

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read: The Viper by Brad Meltzer ★★★★

The Viper by Brad Meltzer
★★★★

In this latest Zig and Nola story, the investigative duo hardly see each other at all. Yet they are as deeply connected as ever by the mysteries being presented and Roddy's (Nola's twin brother) obsession with them. The story unfolds along multiple lines and multiple time frames. Yet the personal stakes and clear framing made sure I was always engaged and never lost. This book is as well-written as Meltzer's other works. But it is not the best place to meet these characters for the first time.

Disclosure: Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow for allowing me to preview this book.

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read: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ★★★★★

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee ★★★★★

I knew the basic story. I'd seen the film. But somehow had never read the book (not even in high school, where one does these things). I thoroughly enjoyed the more complete journey of Scout and Jem through the complex social mores of the deep South of the early 20th century. I really appreciated the sturdy and steady hand of Atticus Finch.

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