Counting the Cost--#75 finished

I had never watched a show of the Duggar Family with their 19 kids.  I had heard about it so kind of knew some of the story.  This is a book by one of the older daughters Jill Duggar.  She sort of broke away from the family once she was married & started having kids herself.  She was also one that was abused by her older brother too.  In her book she even mentions that her family was cult like, I was surprised that she wrote that because that is really the feeling I got in reading about this family.  It was cult like probably worse before it got on TV, at least once on TV the kids & family had the means to see other things and I think helped at least some of them break away.  The dad was the leader of this troop and wanted to continue as leader even after kids got married, while at the same time screwing the kids over with the money earned while the show was being televised.  A really kind of scary situation, and sorry that he or them wrapped themselves in God and the Bible to help maintain this control.

There are 25 WL for this book on PBS so I will probably post at some point & mail off, no reason to keep this one.

Murdered Midas--#74 finished

This is my first August finished book by the way, was late in getting that Chelsea Handler book logged in.  The rest of the title: A Millionaire, His Gold Mine, and a Strange Death on an Island Paradise.  This is about the life of Harry Oakes, he grew up on Maine but traveled the world in search of gold.  He struck it rich in Canada and was smart enough and able to get investors to get enough capital to maintain control of the mine & it's output rather than sell it off early on.  He was not a very social person and became obsessed with his money once the mine was operating where he didn't have to be there.  He moved to Miami to avoid Canadian taxes & then to the Bahamas for the same reason.  Because he was so rich he also had home in London where because part of the British empire, he became known in high sets & became Sir Harry Oakes.  I think it was at age 63 he was murdered in his home in the Bahamas, this was during WWII & also where the resigned King of England was now governor.  A not very well liked son in law became the suspect and a shoddy investigation pinned it on him.  After a trial showing how shoddy the investigation was, the son-in-law got off and the daughter stayed with him.  Lots of really good detail and information about something I hadn't heard anything about before reading this book.

There are no copies on PBS but at this point will save as a keeper for now.  Maybe look to hand off to friends if they are interested.

Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang--#73 finished

This was the next Chelsea Handler book, published in 2010.  I am not sure why I have kept ordering her books, they are funny enough but not sure enough to have like 6 books by her.  I didn't watch her show on E but I guess her funny free living life hooked me into reading her books.  This one seems a little forced, more practical jokes instead of crazy observations.  A lot with her boyfriend a TV executive, not sure how long he stays in the picture--for all I know they maybe married for a bunch of years right now.  Needed a sort of mindless entertainment book and this one was it.

There are plenty of copies already on PBS so not posting it.

The Elizas--#72 finished

Certainly a different sort of book.  Looking back on it I am not really sure why I picked it up to read or even buy for the 50 cents from the library.  A strange sort of book that is fiction.  It is about a young lady that has written a book that is about to be published but she feels she was pushed into a swimming pool but others think it was a suicide attempt.  She has big gaps in her memory & feels she has a brian tumor that has returned--one was previously removed.  The book goes from a chapter about her life and what was going on to them a chapter of her book.  There is something obviously going on with her, I thought mental illness, bipolar, etc but there was a surprise here.  A decent read, nothing great but again not sure what pulled me into it in the first place.

There are 2 WL for the book in PBS so will probably post & send off at some point. 

Here, Right Matters--#71 finished

This is Alexander Vindman's book, he was the Army NSA official that was listening in on Trump & Zelensky's call when Trump basically said he wanted dirt/investigation on Biden & his son before he would free up the military assistance.  Vindman wrote a memo on this & passed to his superiors and this memo became the basis for a whistleblower that started Trump's first impeachment.  Wow so much has changed since then, if this call happens today, I doubt anyone in Trump's admin blinks an eye over it.  The changes in our government that has happened from then to now should have people really questioning what is going on & why are we and our representatives in Congress letting it happen.  Vindman seems like the kind of person you want working in government because his loyalty was to our country not to the president & his lackeys.  

I thought Alexander Vindman was elected to congress but instead it is his twin brother Eugene that was also working in government & was basically forced out by the first Trump admin.  He was elected to congress in Virginia. 

There are 3 WL for this book on PBS but for now keeping it.

When the Game Was Ours--#70 finished

This is a book by Larry Bird & Earvin Magic Johnson with Jackie MacMullan.  Talks about Larry & Magic and their growing up, college years, NBA years, Dream Team and then a few years after they retired.  Interesting reading about the two players & how were really cold rivals for years but came to warm up & become friends over time.  I was a Dr J guy and the 76ers when family watched games in 1980s, one brother was sort of a Celtics fan and other brother was Lakers fan.  Remember watching these games and really wanting my team to win--at least the 76ers got one title during this time but otherwise it was Celtics & Lakers.  This is a good and enjoyable read, brought back a lot of memories.  Not much of an NBA fan today though.

There are no copies in PBS system but don't see a need to post it either.  Will hold onto it for now.

Arkangel--#69 finished

This is the next in the Sigma series by James Rollins.  I like most of the characters and they do get into interesting situations but of the series that I am reading this is probably becoming the one that I like the least.  The parts of the story that are supposed to be based on reality just seems like author is trying to force the issue too much.  The hidden small land mass/island/continent in the Arctic where a superior people lived and interacted with ancient Greeks, etc.  The golden library in Russia from back around Ivan the Terrible times that has been hidden since then.  This library along with one that was smaller and hidden under the Kremlin both booby trapped hundreds of years ago and the booby traps still work perfectly.  I just think these stories go too far off the believability scale for me but I guess I will stick with them since still decent page turner type stories.

There are 12 WL for this book, I think I still have last book in series too that I am holding.  Will see if can package together & send off at some point.