It was a genuine surprise to get Grantville Gazette VII (The Ring of Fire): I was planning to grab it at some point, but one of my many, many Totally Awesome Readers picked up for me, presumably as a birthday present. Much obliged: I’ve already started reading it. And if you aren’t reading Eric Flint’s 163x alternate-history series, you should: it’s a lot of fun, and is maybe the most successful shared-world sandbox that I know of.