Thursday, December 30, 2010

They Went That-a-Way--#87 finished

An interesting read of how famous people died. It included 175 people from throughout history and had very interesting and sometimes mysterious or unsolved deaths. I good easy read. This was a good book to pickup and read 5 minutes here or there. I really only started pushing a little more the last few days to get it completed by the end of the year.

I have posted it on PBS, there are 4 copies a head of it. I think it will move at some point but might be a year or more before it does. I started reading Modern Baptists and already past 100 pages in, not sure if I will get it finished for this year or not. No movement on Jaguar and I pulled out The Hour I First Believed but haven't started it yet if I will at this time.

Monday, December 27, 2010

Into the Great Wide Open--#86 finished

A book about teenage angst. Two troubled teenagers with screwed up home lives meet and become boyfriend/girlfriend. Relationship really becomes a dependency for both of them to get away from their homes. Relationship basically ends with girl becoming pregnant and while leaving everything with boy suffers a miscarriage. This gives her a way out something he doesn't want but he has no real means to support or lead a normal life at this point. A good story and the writer did an excellent job of getting into the teenage mind.

I have another book by the same author that I have been wanting to read but wanted to read this one first. This was his first novel so I kind of wanted to see what it was like and to then do a little comparison later after finishing Everything, his new novel.

I have posted it on PBS, there is 1 copy ahead of it. No real idea when it will move could be a few weeks or a year but I am expecting it to move at some point. Still reading They Went That-A-Way, a book about how famous people died. I have also started The Jaguar Smile but it has been several days since I read any of it and have only gotten 13 pages into it. I am not sure if I will be continuing it or not right now. I will also be looking to start another book too.

I am guessing I will finish They Went... before the end of the year and an outside change Jaguar Smile could get finished also if I stick with it. That would give me 87 or 88 books--not too bad.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Our Souls to Keep--#85 finished

Our Souls to Keep: Black/White Relations in America is the full title, it gives you a better idea of what the book is actually about. I think the book was okay. The author continued to make points that I thought useful, that there is a difference between black middle class & black underclass. Also stressing the upbringing of the underclass is a large reason why it is hard to break out of there. The author was a student and worker and professor in the '60s & '70s so a lot of the upheaval at the time is reflected in the book. There were several places in the book that just didn't seem timely, more like a how things were. Now maybe there are still open racists in places besides white power meetings but generally speaking in work places & schools, I don't see it. Some of his examples just didn't reflect anything close to present times.

Overall not too bad, it does let me think about my relationships as well as children in school with my kids but not something really useful as a resource either. The book was published in 1999 so it is already over ten years old and like I said much of the book is from earlier than that. A more current book about now on this topic would be much more useful and interesting to know what are seem as current issues between the races.

I have posted it on PBS, there are no copies on the system and no WL for it. I have no idea how long it will take before it is requested but I would guess a couple months. Of course I can be wrong or surprised in each direction too. By the way Epilogue was requested hours after I posted it and it is already in the mail to someone.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Epilogue: A Memoir--#84 finished

A really good book that surprised me, I was not expecting this to be that good. It is about a newly widowed woman and all of the changes that widowhood bring to her life. Not just the expected missing of her husband, waking up and not finding him in bed, the conversations, the comfortableness with each other, etc, but also things like meals or cooking, parties where now she goes alone, eating out or movies by herself as well as how relationships change now that she is single. I am not sure what I was expecting in the book, probably some stuff about missing the husband and then about finding a new soul mate. I really wasn't expecting the depth of feeling expressed in this book, I am really glad that I read it.

Some things did go on in the book that I am not really sure I understood. There was a lawsuit which she said she could not explain at all and didn't. Also there were some relationships with family members that seemed at minimum strained that were not really explained either. She touched on her relationship with her parents, mother died young and father was basically an asshole but not much detail in either one.

Overall a mixed emotion kind of book, I would say sad is probably the main feeling I got from it although there is also an underlying strength in the character that has to fight with her sense of unease. Good book, really makes one think about the future and helps one see what kind of emotions could be ahead.

I will post it on PBS, this version of the book has no WL, it is a larger print version. The regular print paperback & hardback both have WL so I would expect this book to move and probably pretty quickly. Still reading Our Souls to Keep and Into The Great Wide Open and will probably add a 3rd tonight also.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Jackie--The Life of John Cardinal Glennon--Please respond

Jackie,

You left a comment a week ago or so asking about the book The Life of John Cardinal Glennon. I commented back on my blog but I am unable to link into your blog, message says it is not open to the public or something to that affect. Your message stated you were looking for this book as a Christmas gift. Please let me know if you are still interested because Christmas is coming quick. If I don't hear from you, I hope you found the book elsewhere.

Have a Merry Christmas.

Daryl

Thursday, December 9, 2010

C is for Corpse--#83 finished

Just kind of rolling along, not sure how many books I can finish off still this year but at least getting to 85 sounds good. C is for Corpse is the 3rd(obviously) in the Kinsey Millhone detective series. Another good read. Good detective work, decent characters, only thing on this one there was not much of an explanation of the bad guy at the end. It all fit but seemed a little too easy, oh well, it is only the 3rd book of the series I am sure the later books will have more of the gotcha finals. I will probably do a quick skim of the D book since I read it last year, not a full re-read. Not doing that now though, but sometime within the next month or so.

Still working on Our Souls to Keep--made it to 55 pages now. Into the Great Wide Open has gotten set aside the last couple of days so not far, only around 38 pages in. I did start Epilogue yesterday and is moving right along, already 46 pages read. I don't anticipate starting a 4th book now but like I said before it is almost like a sickness especially when I sit in my book room with my few hundred books there and about 95% of them waiting to be read.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Ford County-Stories--#82 finished

This is a short story book by John Grisham. It is really pretty good reading, normal Grisham easy to read with enough going on that it is a paper turner. It has 7 stories about 40 to 50 pages for each story. All pretty different except they all involve people in Ford County Mississippi. Had to have a lawyer story & a couple other minor lawyer characters since that is Grisham's bread & butter. I did like his other non-lawyer stories too. They just reminded me that I really should read his Playing for Pizza book. I have almost started it a couple of times but some other book always edged it out, I will get on it though probably in 2011.

I have already posted this book on PBS. There were 25 copies of this already there of the hardback, I didn't bother checking the paperbacks because I am sure there are more than several probably hundreds. It is a newer book so I do have some hope that it will be mailed out at some point.

I am still slowly reading Our Souls to Keep, only 26 pages in so far. Also reading C is for Corpse and Into the Great Wide Open, only 50 pages into C and around 30 into Open. Since still near the beginning of all 3 books, I really shouldn't start another tonight but will probably still look--it is almost like a sickness.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

The Paris Vendetta--#81 finished

This book number 81 matches my books read from last year--yeah me. It would be nice to get a few more read since I had to start a new page for my hard copy list of Books Read.

I saw that this is actually my 3rd Steve Berry book that I read this year. They are all pretty good books, solid reads. They have short chapters, lots of action, movement around Europe mostly and a very nice mix of history--all stuff that makes the books easy to read for me. I know that he is writing more in this series so I will probably keep trying to find them and read them as well.

I have already posted it on PBS, there were 15 WL but this was down from around 23 a week & a half ago. I really pushed the last few days to get it done so I wouldn't have to worry about the WL for it disappearing. I have not read any of Ford County and Our Souls to Keep for the last few days so I need to reintroduce myself to those books, but will probably also look around and try to pick out a 3rd book to be reading too.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Wow Stuff That Can Be Done

I was just checking out some of the stuff that can be done on a blog & I am pretty impressed. Not sure if I will actually take the time & do these things but does give me something to think about. The Stats section I had not looked at before. I am amazed that there are people out there that for one reason or another have found this blog--crazy stuff. Oh well, gives me something to think about--what this blog can grow into.

Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Rickles' Book--#80 finished

This is Don Rickles memoir. A quick and easy read. He doesn't go into any great details of his life but in short 2 or 3 pages sections touches on important happenings or people he knows or met. It is a fun read. I will probably pass it on to a person at work & then post it back onto PBS at some point. I got my copy from PBS & there are no other hardcopies on the system at this point.

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Saffron Skies--#79 finished

This book was billed as an epic family story & it was pretty good overall. I had wanted to read a longer book since looking back on the year I had only read 2 books over 600 pages--The Religion & The Shelters of Stone--and Saffron Skies checks in at 613. I was kind of worried it would be more chic lit than I wanted but it really wasn't, just a good book. The main characters were 3 girls that started as young friends and followed their lives through in to the late 30s. Amber was the main character, she was the girl with a super rich father but also a screwed up family life. Her super rich father never divorced her mother but had a very public mistress and daughter. Amber also had an older brother that was basically useless.

It is a book full of bad decisions by most of the characters--Amber is probably the exception, I can't really think of her bad decisions other than maybe being a little cold & aloof to some around her. Others though like her mom a drunk that for years couldn't function and much less raise her children. Max the father having a very public mistress and dividing his time between two families & then being surprised when both families are screwed up. Amber's brother is a druggie, kicked out of high school and pretty much forgotten for large segments of his life by everyone around him. Becky one of the 3 girls, makes bad decision after bad decision and really shows no ability at growth or understanding throughout the book. Madeleine has a long relationship with a married man and falls apart when he dies, she does gain strength later though but still other issues are there.

Africa is another theme throughout the book. Amber marries a black African of a prominent political family who by the end her husband moves into the presidency of his country. Becky moves to Mozambique where there is the screwed up white oligarchs still and gets caught up there trying to start a business. Obviously it ends bad with her being raped and nearly killed. Poala the half sister is basically forced into marrying an older German who has a large tourist hotel/resort in Nambia. This marriage ends bad too. I enjoyed the discussion of Africa in the book though simply because it seems in what I read Africa just doesn't come up that much.

I enjoyed the book overall but not a great read either. I might check out other books by this author but am not charging out to do so right away either. Not sure it that makes sense but there it is. I have already posted it on PBS, there were no copies of this edition but there are copies of other editions already posted. I am not expecting it to move very fast but you never know either.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Hollow Ground--#78 finished

Mixed emotions about the book. Some kind of interesting characters and some interesting things going on in the background of the story but altogether I guess I didn't really enjoy it very much. Gary returns to rural TN after a long absence that included time fighting in Vietnam to meet his son for the first time. Vietnam stuff sounded interesting but hardly mentioned. His son Taft is now a teenager, 14 if I remember correctly. Taft is kind of a loner, he hangs out with a kind of buddy Scott, who he seems to not like but that is who he has. He also has kind of a friend/girl friend in Tanya who at the beginning of the book seemed nice and maybe not innocent not far off, but by the end of the book had turned mental and somewhat evil. The Tanya character really didn't make sense. Through in a crazy uncle Tony and others well a lot was going on but not much of it was being explained.

Oh well, it is the author's first novel so being a little rough is not surprising. I just wish we would have had more of things explained in the book. I guess it is supposed to be up to the reader to decide things both big & small in this book & I really don't feel like doing so.

This is a book that I got from PBS & back to PBS it will go, I hope. There are no other hardcopies on PBS but there are some number of paperback copies. I have posted it on PBS but really don't have an idea how long it will be sitting there.

Thanksgiving Day run

It is a very low key run/mostly walk. There were maybe 30 people out there, 6 that said they were runners, rest walkers. It started at 7:30 in the morning on Thanksgiving Day. It was supposed to be about a 3.4 mile run but before it started they said it would be shorter because of high water was across the path. Their guess was maybe 3 miles. It ended up being only 2.66 but that is fine, can't help the weather. I was 6th out of the 6 runners, pretty far back from 5th, I didn't see her for the last 1/2 mile--she was probably finished. I came in at just under 30 minutes, something like 29:55, I think it averaged out to 11:35 per mile. First mile was 10:22, 2nd at 12:06 and last .66 at 11:35. I will take that since I have been very slow for the last month of my running.

Not sure when I will get a run in this weekend. Maybe try to get a couple but not sure at this point.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Glitz--#77 finished

A 1980s action/detective story. Kind of funny and kind of interesting. Action bounces between Puerto Rico and Atlantic City. Overall kind of cheesy and doesn't really stand the test of time but as I grew up in the '80s I understood. Not a bad read but no great literature. What can I say I wanted a kind of easy read/page turner as a change of pace from some of the other books I had been reading & it fit the bill.

There were already 20 copies on PBS so this one became 21. I won't be going anywhere for a long time is my guess but that is alright. Still reading Saffron Skies and Hollow Ground, not sure if I will be starting a 3rd or not--will probably give it a couple days though.

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Lone Surfer of Montana, Kansas--#76 finished

This was a nice quick read of eight short stories. Kind of interesting stuff. Relationship problems, desire to travel the states, crappy jobs, etc--the stuff of other short stories that I have read. I think I liked Poe Ballantine's short stories better but these were decent to good overall. This is a short book of only 163 pages and it took me 2 days to read. Not too bad.

I have already posted it on PBS & it has been accepted. I should have it mailed off in the next couple of days with the Rube Foster book. I still have another book that I am waiting to see if it will get accepted so I can mail all 3 together.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Odd Man Out--#75 finished

Matt McCarthy was a Yale baseball player & grad when he was drafted by the Anaheim Angels in the 21st round. He signed right away & went to minor league camp & then Provo Utah with their Rookie League team. During this time he kept a journal & it is pretty funny stuff and even some kind of serious stuff that went on. He didn't last long, he made it through the season--1/2 season--but was cut in the Spring during Spring Training. He opted to go into life at that point, starting med school at Harvard in the Fall. But his time in pro baseball certainly was something to remember. He writes in a very easy style to read. This was a very enjoyable book and will certainly recommend it to any baseball fans out there. In fact this one will not be going back to PBS right away, there is at least one person at work that wants to read it next. There are still 10 WL for it so should have no problem sending it off in the future.

The Best Pitcher in Baseball: The Life of Rube Foster, Negro League Giant--#74 finished

A very interesting person, a famous black pitcher at the turn of the century. He was one of the best pitchers at the time of any race. Towards the end of his time pitching he had moved over to manager and basically general manager and in charge of scheduling. Then he was also in the forefront of starting the Negro League and was the first commissioner. It was basically through his efforts that a Negro League was formed, he was the large personality that provided money, connections and overall ability to run the league. Like I said a truly interesting person.

The book itself wasn't as good as I hoped it would be. I understand that writing it 75 or so years after his death with no one around that personally knew him that information would be hard to come by. After reading this book, I now have a very baseline understanding of him but really nothing about the person. No information about his family life, no information about his kids or future generations talked about him as. Even the information on baseball is sketchy in that there were no complete records from the games at that time. When he played in was more of roving teams, there was no league and no set schedule.

Everyone does pretty much credit him with being a Hall of Fame pitcher, a Hall of Fame manager and a Hall of Fame type commissioner or league founder type. It is really a shame that more is not known of him because this book really just touches on this larger than life person.

I have posted the book at PBS, there was 1 WL for it. I will hopefully finish my other baseball related book tonight as well. I can't think of the name of it, but I will be loaning it out to a person at work before mailing off.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

"B" is for Burglar--#73 finished

Another Kinsey Millhone investigation book read. I do enjoy this series and will be slowly working my way through it in order. Obviously I am also reading several other books so there will be gaps of months between the books most likely. I read A at the end of '09 so not quite a year ago, hopefully it won't be that long of a gap between them. I have several of the books in the series, I do need to check & see if I have C though.

It is a good read, it is fun to see her go through the investigation and also to try to guess ahead, but I am usually pretty bad on this. It is kind of funny reading these books from years ago where cell phones were non-existent and you could really hop on a plane in just a matter of minutes. Times have changed. I am looking forward to reading what Kinsey is like in the present day but I need to pick up the pace to get there.

This is a keeper book of mine which is no big deal because I am sure there are several copies already on PBS. I have been on a good run lately of mailing books off and also getting books in. I will be looking for that next book to read but not sure if I will be making a decision on this tonight or maybe waiting a few days to put more time into the books already started.

5 miles

I hadn't run in just about a week and had been wanting to get a run in several times the last few days. Well this morning presented itself to me. I didn't want to just do my normal boring 3 mile run and I really didn't have time to drive to one of the larger parks in the area for a 6 mile run. I instead choose the 5 mile run starting at my house. Right away I knew I would be struggling, the first mile was a lot of walking and took 15:35, a bathroom stop was also included in this. The 2nd mile a little better at 13:30, 3rd mile at 13:44. Then slowed down to 14:22 and a 14:55 to finish it out. I really struggled but it was a nice morning to run so at least the weather cooperated.

I knew I would have to struggle through a run in order to let the next run be better so here is hoping for a good couple runs later this week.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Cheyenne in New York--#72 finished

I didn't know when I bought the book or when I started reading it that it was a Morman fiction book. In fact I didn't even know that there were Morman fiction books. I should not be surprised given that I would guess every other religion probably has these type of books. All that being said, I really did not like the book. I thought the characters were really not very good, Cheyenne the daughter of a rancher is a confident gets along well with everyone, nearly perfect young woman who falls for a shallow, irritating young sales executive. Throw in 9/11 and a marriage that no one understands and the man failing at about everything, well there it is. I guess there was some family interaction on both sides as well. Just really didn't care for the book.

I have already posted it on PBS, there is one copy ahead of it so it will probably not be going anywhere for a while. That is alright I guess, I have been mailing quite a few books so I have plenty of room for it to sit right now.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

31 for 31 recap

I had 24 blog postings in Oct, so didn't get to 31 but 24 has to be by far the most for any month this year for me. I don't think any of my postings dealt with Down Syndrome but I know that every post I made in Oct I was thinking about it. DS is really one of those subjects that is never far from my mind but I also have to say as my son is getting older, I doesn't seem to be as close to the top of things on my mind as before. My son is my son, the DS is just a part of him, when he was younger I think it seemed a larger part of him but now it seems I have accepted he is who he is more so than earlier. I am having a hard time expressing this thought, reading & typing this doesn't make much sense, but I know what I am saying which is probably most important since I doubt anyone else is reading this blog anyway.

I am reading 3 books right now, still working on Cheyenne in New York. I also just started Saffron Skies and B is for Burglar. Like the Sue Grafton book, don't like the Cheyenne book and Saffron Skies has some potential but too early to tell if good or not yet.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs--#71 finished

This was a short story/editorial type book, kind of interesting in a general way. I just thought it was alright. It sounds like the author Chuck Klosterman has lived an interesting life and you can tell that those experiences have of course influenced his opinions on things. This was kind of an attempt by him to examine pop culture, I think he did okay. Some funny stuff and some good observations but overall just kind of okay. Nothing here that has really stuck with me. Oh well, just not really my cup of tea but I think I have another book of his on my WL so maybe when it comes in I will see how I like it.

This was a book that I got from PBS and it was over 12 or so WL for it, it is now down to 1 WL but it has been accepted so I will be mailing it off with Boo Who sometime this week.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Nebraska won & Rangers win

Nebraska Cornhuskers beat Mizzou. A very good win, makes me wish we had beaten Texas but oh well they are college players. At least I will be able to talk up the NE win instead of eating humble pie had they lost.

Also the Texas Rangers won tonight but are still a game back of the Giants in the world series. Will have to see how tomorrow goes for them. If they can even it up, that would be big.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Boo Who--#70 finished

This is the sequel to Boo, which I remember as being alright. Well I would rate Boo Who a little below that. Not terrible but also not that good either. I still don't really believe some of the premises of the book. Boone Wolfe is a horror writer that finds God & gives up writing. I don't see why he can't find God and continue writing, maybe not horror novels but certainly something else. Instead he tries selling cars and then working in a bookstore, to get in touch with a more common existence. Ainsley his fiancée gets it in her mind to become a famous Martha Stewart clone and over does it, getting in over her head. This is just two of the people in the town that lose their way or basically just lose all ability to think with a little common sense. Like I said not terrible but also not very good.

I will be posting it probably this weekend on PBS. There were 3 WL for it so it should be mailed off probably next week. I just mailed 2 books today after mailing 2 earlier in the week so want to give it a few days before having to mail off more. Now still reading Sex, Drugs & Cocoa Puffs and just started a couple days ago Cheyenne in New York. Will look over my books for a 3rd but might wait a couple days on it also.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Where are the comments?

I have noticed that the comments I was getting here have mostly dried up. Not a big deal by any means since most were in Chinese so I couldn't read them anyway but still just wondering why they have quit lately. I guess the other question is why they started or how they found this blog. This blog isn't a secret but it is certainly not publicized either. Oh well, just one of those things I was wondering.

Texas Rangers lost game one. Still need to win tomorrow then to get a split on the road. No worrying at this point.

Nebraska Husker's volleyball lost to Texas tonight also. Not a good night for my sports teams. Again oh well, not much I could have done from my couch to help them. That is just the way it goes sometimes.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Once They Wore the Gray--#69 finished

It had been a long time since I had read a western and I really enjoyed this one. It was about Confederate soldiers that were prisoners of the Union at a deplorable prison camp. I guess all Civil War prison camps were probably deplorable, just depends on levels of deplorable. Well these soldiers realize their days are numbered if they stay in the prison and escape is nearly impossible. The Union offers the soldiers a chance to sign up with the Union army and be stationed in the West fighting Indians with no chance of fighting Confederates. The story talks about a handful or so of them and how they are treated and how they earn the respect of the Union troops out there. A good story for the most part. I give extra credit because I wasn't aware of this offer to the Confederates so I learned something as well. Good read and makes me think I should search out a few more interesting westerns as well and make them part of my huge piles of books to read.

I have posted it on PBS, there are already 3 copies a head of it so it probably won't be moving for a long time if I had to guess. This was a book that I got in a Book Bazaar deal early on when I first joined so I don't think there has been much movement on this book. Oh well, I have been shipping quite a few books off recently so glad to be able to add one to the bookshelf.

Still reading the Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs book and Boo Who. I will need to pick out at least one more book tonight and maybe two.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

VB

My oldest daughter made a select VB team. We are very proud of her and hope she is ready to put the work into it. I am sure she is because she has done very well with her CYC team. This sounds like it will be practices twice a week and tournaments a lot of the weekends starting in January. I have a feeling we have no idea what we are getting into but will just have to see how it plays out. Very happy for her but I have some apprehension.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Hell's Gate--#68 finished

Not too bad, mostly enjoyable but seems like it was also missing something. The characters didn't really seem to come alive much, every character walked that fine line of could be the bad guy except for about two. Some question with all the bad stuff going on, people being killed and major forest fires being started, why wasn't the feds/FBI brought in much sooner and why did they have to go get them instead of the FBI doing the investigation. Oh well, maybe too picky because I did enjoy the book. I thought it was also informative about Montana and forest stuff so it had that going for it.

I have posted it on PBS & it has been accepted so I will be mailing it off early next week. Still reading Boo Who, Once They Wore Gray and the Klostermann book Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs. I will be looking over my books to pick another one as well but might not be decided tonight.

Texas Rangers in World Series

I was amped up to get to the computer after the game last night and after watching some parts of movies was too tired to get to the computer. I am still pretty excited about Texas making the World Series, they have a very good young team with good hitting and pitching. Glad to see them make it. During the game I thought back to my baseball cards of the players I had collected which helped them become my favorite team. Toby Harrah, Mike Hargrove, Jim Sundberg, Ferguson Jenkins, Sparky Lyle, Bump Wills, Joe Lovitto, Billy Sample, Juan Benquitz(sure spelled wrong), Jon Matlock, Doc Medich, Jim Bibby and many many others. I am probably as glad for them as I am for the current players.

San Fran just closed out the game with the Phillies, so it will be the Giants and Rangers going at it. It should be a fun series. Go Rangers.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Stuff

Missed a few days here so let me do some quick catching up. Tuesday was VB practice & I went for a run. It was a little chilly and I forgot my Garmin so I only did 3.0 miles or somewhere close to that. It took 39 minutes so a little slow or a little more than 3.0 but either way okay.

Wednesday I fell asleep watching the Giants Phillies game, Giants won late or extra innings, not sure. Did get some reading in as well, mostly on Hell's Gate.

Tonight was VB practice again, but instead of running I helped out. Just watched a few minutes of Hurt Locker and then found a future showing to record. I think it won a best picture so should probably see it from the beginning. Now a little catch up on the internet and then read some before calling it a night.

Monday, October 18, 2010

PSR night but no run

Monday is PSR night for the kids and is usually then a night for me to get a run in. Tonight though I skipped the run because I should get runs in on Tuesday & Thursday with VB practices then. I instead hit the library & found a 5 books for $1.25, 2 are WL books and 2 others only have 1 copy on system--not too bad. I also hit the grocery store for Thomas' yogurt and some cheese. Nothing exciting but an easy night. Will have to see how running tomorrow goes.

Texas beat the Yankees and are now up 2 to 1 so looking good but tough games still to come that is for sure. Won my fantasy football game this week, but my team is pretty weak. I am at .500 but getting to the playoffs will be tough, but I am just taking it game by game in coachspeak.

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Volleyball Day

This was a long day of volleyball today--our oldest Rose, was in a volleyball tourney starting at 8:30am with the last game not finishing until 6pm. It was a long day with the team playing 6 matches. A very very good day since the team won every set and won the championship of the tourney. I was tired just being there all day, the players had to be exhausted once they came down from their win.

Rams won in football, didn't watch it but heard the good news. Nebraska lost yesterday, I still have it on DVR but haven't watched it yet--losing to Texas is kind of depressing.

I started reading Once We Wore Gray, I needed a paperback I could carry in my jeans pocket during the games & it fit the bill. Just getting started & it seems okay, it is a western in classification I think so something a little different. By the way She's Not There has been requested from me so I will be mailing it out this week--it didn't take long for it to move from my shelf.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Tin God--#67 finished

This is a book written by a Nebraskan writer, Terese Svoboda, she lives in Ogallala. This is one of the reasons I bought this book at a library sale. I have had it for probably a year or so and just kept putting off reading--like lots of others I have. Well I started it and really thought it just confusing and not really interesting. I stuck with it and it finished still confusing and not interesting too. The chapters alternated between a Spanish conquistador lots in the grass of the plains, to present day same land with troubled lives of a male dancer/drug dealer wanta be and a farmer friend and some other just plain weird people. I didn't really like this book. I think she wanted to show a real connection to the land between the people but I just couldn't get interested in any of the characters enough to care about it. Oh well, can't expect to like every book.

I have posted it on PBS, there was no WL for it and there were no other copies on the system so who knows when it will move--could be weeks or years I guess.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Busy Day of Goofing Off

I didn't have to work today so it became a kind of goof off day. I played 18 holes of golf at a course a little over an hour from home. So from 8am to 4pm I was doing that. Then tonight I went to our local high school football game with my son Thomas. We only stayed for the first 3 quarters, it was then late & kind of cold so, it was time to go. It was fun and they were ahead 13-6 when we left. I just found the final score 20-13 win, so that is good. Texas Rangers had a 5-0 lead and gave it up to the Yankees which sucks but it is only the first game so can over come this. Well it is late so I am calling it a night.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Short Run

Well after work today I was able to get a nice short 2.0 mile run in. First mile at 12:54 and second at 13:58, so a 13:30 average. Nothing special but at least something.

I am off tomorrow & it sounds like I get to go golfing at a course I haven't been to before should be fun. Not much else to say so this is it.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Missing days

I am missing days again, I just can't get this post everyday thing down. I missed Sunday & Tuesday and really don't have much to say today either. I am still fighting my throat, which is not really sore but just full of junk. I am guessing allergies. I did run last night, Tuesday, got 3 slow miles in, averaged 13:18 but just glad got a run in feeling like I do.

I am still reading the 3 books, might look for a 4th in a little bit or might wait until I finish Tin God to find another. In other words, I just haven't decided.

Monday, October 11, 2010

She's Not There--#66 finished

This is the true story of Jenny Finney Boylan, who started her life as James. Jenny is/was a transsexual who is now post op. An interesting and informative story of her life and her struggle with her identity. It is also refreshing in the sense that Jenny appears to have transition rather well into the female life and doesn't seem to have some of the baggage that you hear others have gone through. It is certainly an interesting read but it is also an easy comfortable read too, Jenny was a writer as James as well and is an English professor too. A different kind of book for me to read but definitely fits with me wanting to be able to state that I will read just about anything.

I have already posted it on PBS. A week ago there was 1 WL for it, when I posted it, it was the 2nd copy on the system and now there is a 3rd copy as well. When I had ordered it, it was the only copy on the system. It is a book that is moving it seems so I would guess/hope I will be mailing it off in the next month or so.

I an still reading Tin God, slow but at least making some headway, almost 100 pages read. I have also started Boo Who, the sequel to Boo that I read about a month ago and also just started Hell's Gate, only 20 pages or so into it.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

The Horizontal World--#65 finished

I really enjoyed this work, it is the true story of writer about her experiences growing up in small town North Dakota. I really connected with this book, a lot of what she talks about was in many ways very similar to myself. Now her area of North Dakota was/is more desolate than my small town/farm in Nebraska and she grew up a decade or so before myself so not completely similar but still enough there to really bring back some memories. The start of the book was funny at parts looking at how she felt about the area growing up but the book did turn very serious later on when discussing her relationship with her parents, especially her father, when she was in her 20s & 30s. At that point the book became less about North Dakota directly and more just about her life. One of the main points in the book though was that even if she didn't live in North Dakota anymore, she will never be able to separate herself from North Dakota--that is her roots, that is what helped shape her into who she is today. Lots of good stuff in here. I will probably be sending it on to my mom to read and maybe passing along to my sister and brothers if they are interested as well.

This one has become a keeper for me. There are like 2 or 3 WL for it but I have enough credits already so no need to send this one out. I will keep it and should make time for a re-read at some point in the future as well.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Today

Rose won her volleyball game tonight, her team is very good. I would expect several of the players from her team to be playing on high school teams once they get to high school. Thomas really likes volleyball also. There is not a team at Holy Trinity yet if there ever will be one. Usually it is 4th grade for volleyball when it starts so we will have to see about next year.

I have a sore throat today. Not sure if it is from the yardwork & the run or if it is a cold coming on--probably the yardwork. I coughed up a bunch of junk this morning as well. Seems like this happens every fall. Just took some honey and will make sure to drink some orange juice in the morning, that should help.

Still reading Horizontal Life, She's Not There and struggling with Tin God. Haven't picked out a 4th yet, might look it over after this post though.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Map of True Places--#64 finished

It took a while for me to get finished. I remember liking The Lace Reader and this one seems similar I didn't enjoy it all that much. Characters were okay and what little action there was seemed to happen so far in the background that it was forgotten about for long stretches in the book. Not a bad read, interesting in parts and a couple of nice twists at the end but overall just okay for me.

I guess this book never really grabbed me, I was never at any point where I had to read it. I started it slowly in August it just kind of drug on till finally about a week ago when I started putting time into it just to finish it up.

Well, it was a WL book for me and there are still around 100 WL for it so I will be passing it along. I have posted it and should get it out in the mail within the next week or so.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Getting late

It is getting late so not sure if this will go down as a Wednesday post or a Thursday post. Will have to check once I finish up. Nothing much done today--read very little, no running, just work & then a meeting at church in the evening. Off work Thursday so should get some stuff done around the house & then a run in if all goes well.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Late in the day

Here it is late in the day & I really don't have much to write about. Still working on my books, mostly been putting time into The Map of True Places. Still have mixed feelings on the book, more of a relationship book, which is fine but I thought it would be more. Still have around 100 pages to go so maybe still working up to something also. Also really enjoying The Horizontal World, an autobiography of a woman that grew up on a farm in North Dakota. I can see many of her experiences in growing up and how they in many ways mirror my growing up on the farm. This will be a book that I pass along to my mom and probably my sister as well, maybe my brothers too if they are interested. I still have a 140 pages to go, I am a little less than halfway done so here too maybe things will change but so far I like it. Also reading She's Not There about a transsexual, still on the early part where they are a confused man. Kind of an interesting read, something different as well. It is a true story and she becomes a successful writer & professor so kind of know how it ends in that sense but seems like a good story so far. Also started Tin God but at this point not sure if it will get finished or not--only 20 pages in & really can't stand it. I have many many other books that I would like to read so while I am trying to be patient with the book, my patience is running low.

Sorry for the one long paragraph but that is how it just kind of came out, oh well.

Monday, October 4, 2010

Already missed a day

I knew it would happen, just didn't think it would happen this soon. Oh well, there it is. On Sunday, I did not come down to the computer late so posting was forgotten. I will double up a day on posting when I think of something interesting to type--this is not the day.

I did get a run in after work tonight. Only 3 miles but after a weak effort over the weekend and only 2.5 or something last week, I am very happy with this 3. Busy week so not sure when the next run will be, I am off Thursday so maybe during the morning or afternoon while the kids are at school.

Still working away at my books but none of them are really getting close to being finished. Maybe by the weekend I can get one done but don't bet on it yet.

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Day 2

Day 2 of 31 for 31. Not much to talk about today. Rose won her VB games. I tried to run and had not energy or desire to do so. Will hopefully get kids to bed & maybe wife & then pop a big bowl of popcorn & find something on TV or the DVR to watch. Exciting huh. I could also read some but am leaning toward the popcorn & veging.

Friday, October 1, 2010

31 for 31

This is the 4th annual 31 for 31, which means 31 blog posts this month(hopefully once a day) in recognition of Down Syndrome awareness. This will be my 3rd year that I have participated. I know I didn't post for 31 days but I think I hit 31 by doing some multiple postings to catch up. I will try to do the one a day but am almost certain that I will probably miss some days.

Thomas & me went to the Cardinals game tonight, they won 3-0. It was a fun night, we sat and watched most of the game, only getting up a couple of times--once for a hot dog & then later moved seats to bleachers & got ice cream. We took the Metrolink train there & back--Thomas loves riding this. All in all a very good night. The Buddy Walk is tomorrow but we are not going to be there this year. Rose has a morning volleyball game & like last year there is a huge subdivision garage sale that my wife & her sisters are hitting early in the morning. I kind of feel bad that we are not doing the Buddy Walk but I don't think Thomas will really miss it. I had originally thought Debbie & I would go to the game but Debbie didn't want to so I wanted to take Thomas to kind of makeup for missing the Buddy Walk. Probably more my guilt about it than anything, I don't think Thomas really remembers the Buddy Walk too much. Now bowling with Pujols he mentions and looking for Fredbird he mentions but walking on the field almost never.

Well one day done, will see what tomorrow brings.

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Triptych--#63finished

This is the first book in a series about Georgia Bureau of Investigations detective Will Trent. I had read the 2nd or 3rd in the series already, I think it was Blindsighted but don't quote me on that. That one I have already mailed off. I just picked up this book a month or so ago and wasn't planning on reading it so soon but just did. I really enjoyed it, good suspense, easy read kind of page turner. Will Trent and his on and off girlfriend Angie were orphans growing up and suffered much both physically & mentally. They have an on again & off again relationship sexually but are also the only people that really understand each other to. Will is dyslectic which is an interesting turn for an investigator and how he has learned to develop his system of doing things to manage. This one was really kind of a sick story about a teenager that was setup by his cousin for a rape & murder, does 20+ years and gets out. Cousin in mean time has become a detective and has continued his raping and killing ways and is now in the process of again setting up John who just got out of prison. Sick but good and interesting story.

I had it posted on PBS but there were 260 or more copies already in the mass media copy and more hard bound and other paperback versions as well. I have pulled it and will probably send it to my mom with all of the others I have gotten in for her. I am not sure I have mentioned it but I have been collecting Robert Parker, Sara Parensty(probably spelled wrong) and Margaret Truman books for my mom. I have over a dozen here and had 5 or 6 shipped directly to her already--so really building up her collection.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

The Monster of Florence--#62 finished

After the title, it includes a short line "A True Story", it is probably a good thing it is there because there is some really unbelievable stuff regarding this investigation. The Monster of Florence is about a serial killer in Florence Italy starting in 1968 and into the 1980s, 16 people were killed always in twos. All were couples, but one was 2 homosexual men that they think the killer thought one was female. The females had their vaginas cut out and some also had breasts removed. Really sick stuff, but nearly as sick as the killer is how the police and prosecutors have screwed up this case. The Italian police in the 1970s & 1980s really wasn't equipped to handle a serious investigation and never really got close to figuring this one out. They jumped to conclusions and later pushed out suspects whenever possible with them, the prosecutors, riding the convictions to promotions. Well, later into the 1990s and 2000s, the leaders got pulled off into checking into and believing satanic worship and cults and leading citizens were all involved, even a journalist that helped write this book. It is really crazy stuff. If you have ever wondered about how screwed up our judicial system is, this book will have you thanking God for it over anything the Italians have. By the way this crime is still not solved according to the book when it was published in 2008.

I have posted it on PBS, there were 20 WL for it but that number was dropping steadily. Hopefully, I will get it mailed off later this week.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Nancy Culpepper--#61 finished

I enjoyed this book, it talked about a girl that grew up in Kentucky on a small farm. She moved away for college and got married. I jumped back to Kentucky and went over her family while her mother was fighting cancer in the 1980s. It jumped to different points in her life with her family and her husband. It was a nice story, good writing. There was not a lot of action but what happened in the book made me think throughout about life itself and how we perceive ourselves. I enjoyed it but it certainly wasn't an exciting page turner or anything like that.

I will be posting it on PBS, there are no copies of it so I would guess it will move at some point maybe a month or two at most I would think. Still reading Monster of Florence and A Map of True Places, will probably be starting a 3rd book tonight.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Boo--#60 finished

A kind of comedy with some romance in a come to God sense book. A different type book, that started out okay but in the end became predictable with very 2 dimensional characters. A horror writer finds God so of course he has to quit writing horror novels(??? I don't know why). He opens up and starts dating the younger perfect woman in the small town. The whole town or at least the town leaders are against this fearing no more horror novels means no more tourists and the town's economy down the drain. Throw in some plain old just simple characters with no depth and a big conspiracy and that is pretty much it. Oh well, not a terrible read but just nothing that exciting either.

I had ordered this book from PBS because I have the 2nd book in the series, Boo Who, and figured I should read the first well first. I have already reposted it, there is 1 copy ahead of mine but I expect it to move eventually since there are a couple of people wanting Boo Who. I am not sure if there is a 3rd book in the series or not.

Blue Nude a book I finished not long ago was just requested today so it didn't take long for it to move. I am still waiting on Boot Tracks though. I am reading Nancy Culpepper, A Map of True Places and Monster of Florence right now. I am just under 100 pages from finishing Nancy Culpepper but still early on the other two. Not sure if I will be grabbing a fourth now but I will probably look over my books & see.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

The Doomsday Key--#59 finished

This is another James Rollins book that is similar to the other(or others--not sure)that I have read. A good read, fast paced action with a lot of good history involved. While how Gray solves things is more than a little over the top, if you can sort of suspend reality enough it is enjoyable. No great literature or anything like that but still fun. I know there are more books in this series and I should probably go back and read earlier ones & I might at some point, but just don't really feel like it right now.

There are 45 people that have this book on their WL but this number has been dropping steadily. The dropping is one of the reasons I grabbed this book and read it so that I could get it mailed off before the WL got to zero.

I am still reading Boo and Map of True Places and I just started Nancy Culpepper--all of them a ways away from being finished. Probably won't be starting a 4th for at least a few days, till I get closer to finishing one of those already started.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Still Running

Yesterday, Monday, was PSR night, the first class of the year. A couple of weeks ago it was checkin & meet your teacher night. This also means get a run in night & I did. I went to McDonnell Park which is nearby and got 3 miles in. It is a hilly course at least for me and it was tough--all 3 miles were 13 minutes plus. I need to remember to do this, get some hill runs in every once in a while.

Tonight was volleyball practice night so I got my 5 mile run in. It was better averaging around 12:40 a mile with all the miles under 13. I am happy with these runs. Now I just need to drop some of my extra pounds and I would probably pick up a little speed also.

Busy week and weekend ahead so don't know when that next run will be but need to get a couple miles in to keep my weekly total at 10 or more miles.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Wilderness--#58 finished

This is an old Robert B Parker book, written around 1979. I got it as part of a package order from the Book Bazaar, I think it was a 3 for 1 with some Margaret Truman books. These are all books that my mom is looking for. I thought I had it set to mail them straight to my mom but I must have messed it up and had them mailed to me instead. No big deal, I have other books to mail to mom so I will probably box up the whole thing & ship them off sometime in the next few weeks. I am waiting on one more book to come in also.

This book Wilderness was not too bad. A guy, a writer, witnesses a murder on a running path. He calls the police and IDs the bad guy and the bad guy is a real bad guy. When he gets home he finds his wife tied up and naked & he gets a call telling him to retract his statement of who did the murder. Well he does this but knows there will still be trouble. His neighbor is ex-military guy that joins in with them to plan the murder of the bad guy. It eventually happens after the neighbor is killed, the writer and his wife have to kill a group of 5 bad guys in the forest of Maine, the wilderness. Not too bad when it sticks with this story. It gets weird when it goes over the relationship of the writer & his wife--just not very good, not believable and is a real drag on the story. I don't know if this is something left from the time it was written where relationships were still in a kind of flux, certainly different kind of flux than today. Oh well.

I will not be posting it but as I mentioned earlier will be shipping to my mom. There are 19 copies still in the system so that is probably plenty for this book. Still reading The Doomsday Key, Boo and just starting The Map of True Places, probably won't add a 4th, at least not anytime soon.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Blue Nude--#57 finished

An interesting book that grew on me the more I read it. An artist and art teacher, Danzig, brought in a model for his class & she became in a sense his muse that in the end reawakened his art. It goes in to the back story of both Danzig and the model Merav. Danzig growing up in post WWII Germany to a father that was a Nazi war criminal. The book talks about Danzig's older sister who committed suicide because she could not reconcile her life after WWII, where she was pulled in as a child to the Nazi thought and how she realized her father was basically evil and she did not want to continue living with part of him being in herself. The book doesn't actually say how much of this influenced Danzig or since he was a child how much he realized what was going on. In the end he uses Merav to reawaken his art because he sees his sister in her.

Merav is Jewish and her mother is a Holocaust surviver. Merav is born in Israel and grows up on a kibbutz. Her childhood friend and then lover is killed in a bus bomb and this forces her to leave Israel and move to the US. She becomes an art model and the book goes into her earlier marriage to a photographer as well.

I really enjoyed this book by the end. At the beginning it was a little hard to get into and I wasn't sure what the book was all about. It is a very good book that makes you think as well as just enjoy the depth of the characters.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy on the system now. Earlier there was one WL for this book when I started it but it disappeared a week ago, I guess someone else had a copy they mailed or the WL person went on hold or removed it or something else. I figure this book will get requested at some point, hopefully sooner than some of the duds on my PBS shelf.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Boot Tracks--#56 finished

What I thought would be a quick read of a 206 page book wasn't that. What the cover said was a "white knuckle suspense", I did not find that either. It was kind of a psychological thriller type book with little thriller and mostly confusing thoughts. I really didn't like the book, not much here for enjoyment and nothing really new either. I am glad it was only 206 pages because I really wanted to quit reading several times throughout, finally when I got to around 150 pages I figured it was getting no better but I could just tough it out. Oh well, as I have said in the past not every book I read is going to be good and this is one that certainly isn't good.

There is one WL for it & I have already posted it. I will have to see if it gets accepted and if it has any requestor conditions. The member had a note about their bookshelf having no ex-library books and with this being an ex-library book, I am guessing it will not be acceptable. Will just have to see. There are obviously no other copies out there so I would expect as some point it will get requested if it doesn't go now.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

6 miles

I has been a while since I ran 6 miles at one time. Last week I ran 5 miles twice and earlier this week I did 5 miles but for 6 it had to have been a couple months. I didn't really want to run either, it was a busy day and finally around 6pm I talked myself into getting out there.

I ran the first mile slow 13:05, then a 12:50, then 12:15, missed the 4th mile split. 5th mile was just under 12 minutes and 6th was 12 something maybe 30 or 4o. Nothing great but I will take it. I am still a little sore but will manage. I hope to get runs in both Sunday and Monday but might end up being only one of the days, will just have to see.

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

The Other Queen--#55 finished

It is late so I probably won't type much about this book. It did take me a while to get it finished, somewhere over a month. I liked the story and the information inside, but too many times I thought the characters were just repeating themselves over and over again. While that might have been what the author believes they were like, it really did diminish the enjoyment of the book. Not a bad book, but not that good either, I will just call it okay.

I have posted it on PBS, it still had 19 WL for it but it was dropping pretty steadily so I want to get it mailed off soon. This is why I forced myself to stay up a little later tonight so I could get it done. Still reading Boot Tracks & Blue Nude and will probably add a 3rd tomorrow or the next day.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

Weekend

Well, I didn't run Friday but instead we went to the local high school football game & our team won. Ritenour beat Vianney, pretty good game altogether, especially for first game of the season. Ritenour seemed to wear them down as the game went on controlling the line of scrimmage. Oldest kid was spending the night at a cousin's house, but other two seemed to have fun although it was a long night for them.

Today, did a bunch of stuff, but did get a 3 mile run in late in the day around 5pm. It was hot out still and I really struggled. Just glad to have gotten it in.

Tomorrow is auction night for our fantasy football league. I have probably done less research than ever before for it but oh well. It is a start over year so everyone is in play, there are no resigned players. It should be an interesting auction but probably also a very long one too.

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Running

Rose's volleyball practice has started up again so that means I can get some running in. She practices for 2 hours so I drop her off, drive to a nearby park and run. I have run 5 miles twice this week, Tuesday & today Thursday. Both took just a minute a few seconds past a hour, so just a little over 12 min per mile pace. I am very happy with this, both getting some good miles in and also maintaining a good pace. If this keeps up I could probably get a 5k in somewhere this fall and maybe even think about a longer race.

I am off tomorrow so might see about running then or Saturday as well. I have a lot of little things that need to be done so running might have to pushed off or maybe just a short one somewhere.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Shadows Still Remain--#54 finished

This is one of the books that I picked up at the thrift store on Saturday. A detective mystery story in New York. The book itself looks new and only cost 80 cents and was published in 2009 so I figured it was cheap and could even be on some WL. Even if not on the WL, it still might be a good read. Well it is a very good read, I was very impressed with the book. I am really liked it even with a kind of overplayed cliche of rouge cop. It was a fast paced with many twists but still easy to follow. I would highly recommend this book.

I also think it is kind of fun to compare it with Lush Life that I also just read. Lush Life seemed to ask more of the why did things happen in a psychological way rather than just looking at the investigation. Also Lush Life involved the reader in the detective, the criminals and the victims survivors, while Shadows Still Remain was simply from the point of view of the detective following the investigation. I would say that I enjoyed Shadows Still Remain more than Lush Life but do have to credit Lush Life for a more complex novel.

Well Shadows Still Remain is not on the WL but there were 5 copies on the system when I bought it Saturday and when I put it on Monday there were 3, my copy becoming number 4. It looks like this book is moving so maybe I will be mailing it off soon or might be a couple months but I expect it to move.

Still reading The Other Queen, this one is taking a while. I am on page 218 so night quite halfway through. I am also reading Boot Tracks but only 41 pages into it even though I started it a day or two before Shadows. I also just started Blue Nude tonight, read the prologue only so far. Not sure if I will do a 4th book yet & maybe keep it downstairs or maybe just stick with 3 for now.

Sunday, August 22, 2010

In a Pickle--#53 finished

A good book, nice story about small farms and small town living back in 1955. It is in Wisconsin and the story revolves around a cucumber station. It hits on what will become of these small towns and small farmers with the new trends being bigger farms and operations. While it asks these questions, it doesn't really answer them. I think the author misses those times and doesn't see farming today as progress. Things change and while he mentions this, he doesn't really seem to believe it. Oh well, a good story and a good book. I will keep my eye out for other books of his since they all deal with small towns, small family farms and schools.

This book does have 1 WL so I will be posting it to mail off to the next person. Not too many books by this author have shown up on PBS so I figure at least get this one out there. I will probably post Lush Life also.

By the way, a nearby library had their big sale this weekend. I picked up 13 books for $10, a little more than I expected but I am very happy with the books I got. I also stopped at a resale shop and picked up 3 other books, on Martin Cruz Smith book and 2 others that were cheap. A good weekend for adding to my growing collection.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Forbidden Fairways--#52 finished

An interesting book with a lot of info about the struggle of black golfers in the US. It is not a long book, right at 189 pages but there is a lot of info about the main golfers and other leaders. I knew it was bad before the 1960s but when just looking at one aspect of life & how those that had the ability to be professional golfers were kept out of the PGA and the tournaments is really bad. It is only 50 years later and so much as changed as far as the opportunities but still the number of minority golfers is really down--other than Tiger I can't think another African American on the tour. Good read and it really made me think about that struggle and how even now with better circumstances it seems other sports have caught the eye of the black athlete.

I will be posting it on PBS in just a few minutes. It wasn't on anyone's WL but there are also no other copies in the system, it will be the only one. No idea how long it will be waiting around, could be weeks or months but pretty sure someone will order it.

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder--#51 finished

This is a murder mystery series that I got some of the books from my mom for our oldest to read. I wanted to read the first one to make sure they were okay for her & all is good. A 30 something lady returns to smallish town Minnesota, giving up her teaching job, to be close to her mother & sister. She opens a cookie shop and helps solve murders. In this first book, she helps her sister's husband who is a detective solve a double murder. Not too bad on how it goes about, nothing gross or scary. She does a nice job of walking through what she is doing, I think Rose will like this. She went on a couple of dates but mostly just friend stuff. Rose just started reading the first Harry Potter book finally and actually seems to like it so I don't know when she will be reading this book. Oh well I have a couple others from mom that I might read but I will have to see. My stacks of books to read seems to expand daily.

This one will not be going to PBS, it will be getting returning to mom once Rose reads it. I might see if Debbie is interested too though, I think it is something she might like also. Eventually the book will go back to mom.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Lush Life--#50 finished

Wow, hit 50 books read, that is a lot or at least it seems so for me. Lush Life is one of those books that I have had on my bookshelf to read for over a year. I actually had found a couple other copies and had mailed them out also. Last summer it got a little press because it was one of the books President Obama had taken to read on a vacation--I think it was the Hawaii vacation.

Well, I finally got around to reading it and it was a slow start on it. It was a murder in a section of New York City and the subsequent investigation. The police screwed up the investigation by focusing on the wrong person early on & the book followed the investigation as well as how it changed that wrong person's life. Overall a pretty good book and story. The general characters are kind of sad in that it doesn't seem like anyone is really happy & I don't think any of them were happy before the murder either. I don't know if it is New York thing or what but certainly doesn't encourage anyone to move there.

It still has 80 some people requesting this book so I will probably be mailing it off in the next week or so.

Sunday, August 8, 2010

This Is How It Happened--#49 finished

A funny quick read, I enjoyed it for what it is. It is more of a chic-lit type book than I like but I knew that going in so had not great expectations. It really delivered though, in that it was funny and quick paced enough that I wanted to just keep reading it through. Characters might have been a little two dimensional and the ending was just kind of out of left field but oh well. I have read much worse chic-lit types as unfortunate as it is that I am admitting to that. Like I said a good read.

It got pushed to the read now status last week when I saw that the number of people that had it on their WL was dropping and dropping fast. It was over 30 a month or two ago and now it is at a dozen. I figured it was time to get it read and mailed off while there are still people that want the book. I already have enough books sitting around on my account that are not moving. I also posted a bird watching book that one person wanted. I bought it at the library sale and thought I would be interested but after flipping through it saw it was not what I wanted.

I have 3 books incoming from PBS and still have bunches that I have to get read already, I just need to find more time to get everything read--ha ha. I know that is impossible but maybe at least keep my books to read to a manageable point.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Rounders--#48 finished

Well I hadn't expected to finish this book tonight. I only started it yesterday & was on page 40. It is only 194 pages but still normally I read a little from each of my books. Today though I just figured to start with it & just kept at it. It is a novelization, a novel written off the screenplay for the movie, so basically the movie in print. I liked the movie & I liked the book, no surprises or anything but still fun read. I enjoy watching poker on TV so I pretty much knew I would enjoy this book also & I did.

I have posted it on PBS already. I had just ordered it a couple of weeks ago, it was the only copy on PBS so I figured I could read it & then post it & hope it gets requested to get my credit back on it. I will have to look over my books and pick out another one to read, I have way too many that I want to read so it makes it hard to decide. A kind of nice problem to have I guess though.

Hot Today

It is a hot one here today in St Louis. I was able to get a run in last night--Monday. It was hot but today & tomorrow are supposed to be worse. I just got 3 miles in but it was actually okay. My Garmin screwed up the 3rd mile, so I probably ran 3.25 with around a 13 minute average. The first was right at 12:57 and 2nd at 12:32(or close to that) & 3rd screwed up saying 15 something. Oh well time wasn't really important, just wanted to get some miles in since it had been a week. Don't know when I will be getting my next run in, could be another week, will just have to see.

By the way started a couple of books, The Chocolate Chip Murder, a book I got from my mom that my oldest might read. I want to make sure it is okay for her to read so I am reading first--not too bad so far, a quirky mystery book. Also started reading Rounders, it is an adaptation novel off the movie so I already know the story but figured it should be a nice quick read for me. Still working on Lush Life, I hit 100 pages in but still have a ways to go, it is around 450 in total.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Pounding the Pavement--#47 finished

I actually finished this a couple of days ago when I was back home but just now getting it typed in. This was a pretty good comedy kind of chic-lit book. I enjoyed it, in a light fluffy sense. Not too much here but a good read. An unemployed girl a couple of years out of college and how her days and sense of self have suffered through the unemployment. Girl meets guy, who is maybe a guy to keep around. Girl has job interviews and even turns down a job & a 2nd interview--don't understand with her angst about being unemployed. Of course she is looking for a more perfect job--ha ha, work a few years & check back on this. Oh well, in the end nothing is neatly tied up. This is kind of nice--the happy ending chic-lit books are just too much.

I have already posted it on PBS, there are 9 copies ahead of it so it won't be moving soon. Right now still reading Lush Life and undecided on others--will be looking at some later today.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Be Mine--#46 finished

A kind of weird book to classify. A chic-lit thriller maybe. I wasn't impressed with the book and the characters. Just a book of bad decisions and screwed up relationships. For entertainment okay, but if anyone thinks this is normal or cannot come up with at least a dozen scenarios that would be more realistic than the route the writer took, well then tough on them. I didn't hate the book, it was entertaining at the beginning to a degree but it started twisting away from that point. I am guessing there is a market out there for this book since the whole chic-lit and/or romance novel thing, but it is certainly not for me. Oh well, no regrets in reading it, I need a change of pace type book every now and again.

I have posted it on PBS, there is 1 copy ahead of it. I am guessing it should move in the next few months. It is a former library book and they called it a holiday book for Valentines so maybe will be gone by then--a good goal.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

The Lost Madonna--#45 finished

A good read, a little too much romance for me but overall good read. Interesting subject starting with the flood of 1966 in Florence Italy & a young college age girl helps out in saving the art. She falls in love & has a child she puts up for adoption. She also falls in love with art, becoming an Art History professor. Throw in a lost painting, a chance to teach in Florence and reuniting with characters she hasn't seen in 30 years--all together a good read. Some times a little sappy and a little unrealistic but not to the point of making the story disappointing.

I have already posted it on PBS, there are something like 18 or 19 copies ahead of it so it won't be going anywhere soon. I have started reading Lush Life, Be Mine and Pounding the Pavement. Be Mine I have gotten 100 pages into it and not too bad so far, others just underway.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Montana 1948--#44 finished

A short book and a good quick read. It is about a family in the most NE part of Montana in 1948. The family is probably the most powerful family in the county of only 2000 people. The book is written in David, the son's perspective, he is around 10, give or take a year or two. The grandfather was the former sheriff in town who created a lot of wealth in his time that became a large ranch--I think there was an inheritance involved as well. The grandfather's favorite son Frank is the town doctor, but also good looking, high school athletic star, decorated war hero and on and on. The other son, Wesley, is David's father. Wesley is a lawyer but was at one point injured at his knee, severely so he still walks with a limp. The knee keeps him out of the war and also I think kept him from being much of an athlete. Seemingly because of these failings, the grandfather shows little respect to Wesley. Well, the story is about Frank sexually assaulting Indian girls and even raping them when he is performing checkups etc to them as their doctor. This comes out from Wesley's maid and then a few short days later, the maid ends up dead. She was sick but comes to find out Frank snuck into the house just a couple hours before she died. Wesley is forced to arrest Frank and holds him in the basement. After a few days Frank breaks some canning jars and the next morning is found to have killed himself by slitting his wrists.

Obviously there is a lot more going on. It is a well written book and interesting in that it is told from the perspective of a child. I enjoyed the book and also enjoyed that it was a quick read. I have posted it on PBS but there are 66 copies ahead of it so it is going nowhere for a very long time. I guess it could be donated somewhere else with others at some point.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

It's Hot

It is hot around here. Well, I hadn't since last time I had talked about it, it was about 10 days off. I didn't run on vacation but I had taken some running stuff along. Well on vacation, I got sunburned in my shoulders and back, I didn't think any big deal & I guess still not that big of a deal either. I went for a run yesterday at noon & then today at 7pm. Both times my shoulders bubbled up--blisters where I was sunburned. It looks creepy, much worse than it is. Here it is about an hour later & the blisters are still there.

Yesterday in the dead heat of the day I did 3.7 miles--I was done at 3 miles & shuffled in the .7 to get back to the car. The first 2 miles were okay though. Today I did 3 miles all over 13--something like 13:11, 13:15 & 13:25 or around that. Not bad but not too good either. That is what I get for being out of shape. Not sure what kind of running I will get in later this week, will just have to see.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Ordinary Springs--#43 finished

A pretty good book about the screwed up life and family of a teenager that grows into a young responsible 20 something. Time frame on the book is not mentioned but I figure it in the late 1960s into the 1970s if I had to guess. Pretty good like I said but some of the stuff is a little over the top as far as how their lives played out. This family was a focal point of screwed up stuff and keeping secrets to the point of destroying their lives. Not really sure I bought all of that but then again, small town, 1970s, southern mindset, it could be possible. A good and interesting read. Dory, the daughter, at the end does seemed to have come around with an understanding and you believe while she will make mistakes like everyone, she knows not to compound them by pushing them back but instead confront them. The characters do make you think overall and like I said I did enjoy the book.

I have posted it on PBS, I think there were already 2 copies posted so it might sit for a while. That is okay, I wanted to get some of the books with small number of copies read so they might move down the line.

Friday, July 16, 2010

No Comebacks--#42 finished

This was one of my vacation books. A book of short stories by Frederick Forsyth written in the late 1960 and early 1970s. Kind of interesting stories with some ironic twists and things. It was kind of funny reading them because they are from the days long before computers, cell phones, etc. I enjoyed these stories. The book is in kind of rough condition so I probably won't be posting it on PBS though.

I am still reading Ordinary Springs and have started The Lost Madonna. I plan to pick out a 3rd book tonight. Nice with the vacations being done I can kind of freely pick something.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Running

I am badly out of shape and I finally updated my running calendar & it is easy to see why. I just haven't been running enough or even close to it. I am around 3 to 5 miles at most since April and probably earlier. I know it is time to change this.

Last week I got 8 miles in, 3--2--3, all really slow. This week I went for a hot and very slow 6 miles on Monday when I was off work. Then yesterday I did 3 after work. I am hoping to get at least one more good run in before leaving this weekend. I will pack along some running stuff & hope to at least get 1 run in while on vacation too.

Well, I am getting tired, it is time to call it a day.

Breath--#41 finished

A good coming of age story about a couple of boys in a small coastal town in Australia that become friends with a 30 something hippie surfer. The boys were already risk takers and finding Sando & surfing is their next step. The whole buddy thing & surfing was the main part of the story until the last 20 maybe 30 pages. Then suddenly Sando & Loonie leave the country to have at waves around Indonesia, leaving Bruce with Sando's girlfriend Eva. Eva is a screwed up person and does her best to screw up Bruce as well, at least sexually. A really different book at the end, while it makes sense and is intersesting, it wasn't what I was expecting.

All in all I guess a good read but a little troubling at the end, it was not a nice happy ending type book, although Bruce does seem to accept his life. I will be happy to pass it along on PBS, there are 21 WL for it so it should move easily. We are getting ready to head back out on vacation so I will probably wait a couple weeks before posting it.

Been looking at vacation books again, the older mass media paperbacks with many copies on PBS are the best. If anything happens to them, either in transport or while at the cabin, oh well, no problem so long as I can still read the book. I don't want to screw up a book that is postable, but will have to see what I feel like & choose.

Reading Ordinary Springs, a girl coming of age--maybe, in Florida and also just started No Comebacks, a short story book by Frederick Forsyth from the 1970s. Not far along with either one, I am guessing both will be going on vacation with me, unless I go crazy about reading one in the next few days.

Monday, July 5, 2010

The Third Secret--#40 finished

This was an interesting read, it involved a Vatican coverup of Fatima's 3rd secret. This was a Marian apparition in Fatima Portugal in the 19-teens, can't remember if right before WWI or at the beginning of the war. It is a very interesting story, Mary appeared to 3 children and Lucia, the only that survived after a few years, was given a 3rd Secret by Mary. The first two secrets I think were revealed right away or just a few years later. This 3rd secret wasn't supposed to be read until 1960. Lucia became a nun and eventually wrote down the secret in a stamped and sealed envelope and off it went to the Pope. John XXIII opened it in 1960 and read it but did not reveal it, it wasn't until John Paul II in the 1990s or something like that, revealed it. Lucia was still alive but was not allowed to speak about the secret. I am sorry, but this is just a great story, I really need to find a good Fatima book. Well in this book, it also worked in the Medjugorje and the St Malachy prophecy. I think it worked well enough, I am guessing the church wasn't too happy with this book when it came out but oh well.

Like I said an interesting read but not a great book. Does make one want to learn more about some of the stuff going on in the book though. This is a book that I got from a PBS transaction, but the spine cracked, probably in the mail since I think I got a couple of other books with it that were in good shape. I got this about a year ago, so it has been sitting on my shelf for a while. Well, I cannot pass it along through PBS, so it might end up at Goodwill if I can paste the spine back together decent enough.

Speaking of PBS, I had two books get requested over the weekend, Home School and 2007 Eleven--probably the 2 books that I have liked the least this year. I am glad that I get to mail them off, but kind of sad too since I can't imagine the next person getting these will enjoy them, but everyone has their own tastes so who knows.

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones & Einstein's Brain--#39 finished

A fun book that looked into the history of different objects that have been preserved over time. Lots of different or plain old weird stuff, we the history behind the item and the history of what happened to item or how it was saved to where it is today. A fun read altogether. Not sure if I will be posting this one or not, lots of good information in the book & I might want to keep a hold of it.

I think there is one or two copies already posted on PBS and with it being a hardcover with no dust cover, might as well just not try sending it. Like I said it is a probable keeper for me.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Home School--#38 finished

This is the long awaited sequel to The Graduate, or at least that is what it says on the cover. It is really just not a very good book. The characters are irritating and really make no sense at all. I am almost sorry this book was ever written. I never read The Graduate, only have seen the movie a few times--a very good movie, kind of quirky but with a great soundtrack. This book tried to be quirky but really was just bad.

It was a quick read, so I guess I can give it that, of course if it was longer than 229 pages, I would have been very tempted to quit reading it early on. Oh well, what can I say, not every book I read I am going to like. I also want to say that I came into this book with low expectations also, since I figured I would have heard about it at some point since it only came out a couple of years ago, if it was good. So I kind of figured it was not too much & I was still disappointed. Well that is the way it goes.

I will be adding it to my bookshelf on PBS within minutes and will probably feel sorry for whoever I mail it to as well. Right now there is no WL for it but I also think there are no copies on the system so there is a chance it could move if not quickly than at some point.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Last Juror--#37 finished

This is a John Grisham book, a good vacation read. It is actually about a kind of journalist or maybe more accurately a guy who ends up buying a small town weekly newspaper. The focus of the book is about a rape and murder and the trail that follows. It then goes beyond this into the incarnation and the early parole of the murderer followed by some murders of the jury. Like I said a good vacation read, a page turner that was easy to follow. A basic Grisham novel. I think they are kind of fun to read once in a while but I think too many at once would get a little boring.

I am sure there are many copies already on PBS but I might add it to my list as well. I could also just donate it to the library or somewhere else too I guess. Maybe I will wait a couple days to decide.

I am still reading Lucy's Bones, Sacred Stones, & Einstein's Brain, a book that does a short write up about interesting items that have been saved for history. I also just started reading The Third Secret by Steve Berry, it was brought along on vacation with a couple of others to step up when & if I was to finish one of the other books--which I did in The Last Juror.

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Grab on to Me Tightly as if I Knew the Way--#36 finished

An interesting, coming of age book for a boy just graduating high school and not knowing what is next in life. A deep thinker, in a band kid, that is also still working out the whole sex thing--not sure I really buy all of this but well that was it. A lot of teenage angst in this book as well as just plain old confusion of life in general. Not a book I enjoyed but figured it is good to be reminded that those late teen years & into the early 20s are not easy years and many kids at these ages don't have it figured out, even if their front says they do.

The book only really worked on the main character Vim but there were some other kind of interesting minor characters floating about as well that might have been interesting to develop more. Trudy, the college girl that takes Vim's virginity--maybe, kind of unclear on this whole point, the weirdo concert guy who I can't remember the name, Nelson in the doughnut shop up north and others. Not my kind of book, but I think the author showed enough that if he does a 2nd book, it might be worth checking out.

I have posted it on PBS, there is 1 copy ahead of it. I figure it will move at some point but might take some time. I was on a little run of mailing books out & have too many credits already, will be at 51 once all books delivered. So I am good for now with not mailing any more and waiting for some of my WL books to come up.

What has become

This blog has turned into my reading list basically. I am just not feeling inspired to type up much else. Still running but only once or twice a week--have gotten out of shape too so the runs are also slow, slow, slow. Been busy but nothing I really want to put out there on the internet I guess.

I do appreciate the notes that people have been leaving, even if I am unable to actually read what they said. I guess it is kind of nice to know that someone out there has found this place, as uninteresting as it is.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Big Trouble--#35 finished

This is a novel from Dave Berry, the funny columnist from a few years back. He might still be writing columns, it is just that he is not as big I guess anymore. For a while there he was actually pretty hot, with his books, this being his first(maybe only fiction novel) and even a TV show loosely based on him. Not sure where he is at now though, I guess a trip to wikipedia after this is in order.

It is a fun, easy, quick read. No surprises, some plain old weird stuff and certainly not thought provoking but it was entertaining. It only took me 3 days of reading to finish it and I was also reading my other books too. It says it was a soon to be released movie and the cast is on the cover, with Tim Allen and Rene Russo playing the leads and plenty of other familiar faces, but I really don't remember seeing this movie, either out in the theater, video stores or on cable. I guess this is another thing I will have to check & see if this movie was actually made.

I have posted it on PBS, but there are 74 copies ahead of it, so it is going no where. I will probably let it sit for a while but will probably pull it at some point. I need to see if the library would take some of my not moving books for a donation--since I buy enough there I could give some back as well. Just a thought I will have to pursue.

Monday, June 7, 2010

Kipligat's Chance--#34 finished

Not too bad. It is a more of a coming of age book about a boy and his family and the problems they are going through. The are originally from Kenya but had to flee the country and ended up in Canada. They are now living in basically slum like conditions and everyone in the family goes through very rough parts along with his older brother missing still in Kenya. Through all of this as well as having a screwup friend that gets them in trouble often, John is able to concentrate and excel in his running.

There are parts there where it seems too much is happening, where I really doubt the story. The poor characters are just being piled on and rational thought is not present--although everyone has their struggles. I actually kind of liked the reality of some characters just disappearing or leaving midway through and not being brought back to wrap up at the end--they were gone. A kind of nice touch of reality that doesn't always happen in books, it seems every author wants to let you catch up on everyone at the end.

I really kind of enjoyed it, not as anything great but as a change of pace as well as one touching on running. There is 1 copy already on PBS so this will be copy 2, not expecting it to move very fast but then again don't really know either.

Sunday, June 6, 2010

Epic--#33 finished

This is a futuristic novel about humans now at a new planet, or maybe the old earth after civilization collapsed. It mentioned how earth was too violent so they moved away. Now the whole of society is ruled on how well people do at a computer game. Towns and regions are supplied based on not just production but on their activity and money earning in the computer game Epic. Not a bad premise at all, especially for a futuristic thing. It is move of a teenager or young adult book so it probably sells better for them. I did enjoy it though overall. Parts were a little kidish but nothing too bad. Had some good characters and some good action and while some ideas of country building came up toward the end, it didn't get bogged down in that either. Not a bad read.

I will be holding onto this one, thinking my oldest Rose, will be interested in it. It has 1 WL but like I said I am in no hurry to move it.

I got a couple of books on the way to me and I have been sorting through my books looking for vacation reads. I am reading 2 books now Kiplat's Chance or something like that and started Lucy's Bones--a book that goes through the history of many interesting things--each item is it's own chapter. Kind of good so far, easy to pick up and put a few minutes into. I might grab a 3rd book later today, not sure though yet.

Monday, May 31, 2010

A Mercy--#32 finished

It is hard for me to really kind of rate this book. I thought the story and the characters interesting but it was just too hard to follow the book and to know who was actually telling the story at too many times. This is the first book I have read by Toni Morrison so I am not sure it this is just her style or if it was a style she adopted for this book. The disconnectedness of the story did feed into it somewhat in that the characters themselves were basically disconnected as well, so maybe the style was done with this purpose in mind. Whatever the reason, I think it took away from the story.

I do have to say that the author does a very good job of expressing the emotions of the characters without having to come out and say them in the story also. I haven't thought this through but if that was the reason for the disconnected storyline then, okay I have to give her credit then. Anyway, overall I would say I enjoyed the book, like I said earlier, interesting characters and story.

It is on something like 40 people's WL still so I will be mailing it off at some point but in no real hurry right now though.

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Lapham Rising--#31 finished

I guess satires don't play well for me. I really am/was not excited about this book. Parts were funny in a sense & other parts sort of made you think the author had a point but altogether just not anything I really enjoyed. I had a college professor that hated Donald Trump and all he stood for, and this was around 1990, I can't imagine what he would say today about "The Apprentice" and everything else Trump. Anyway I get the point that living to excess is not good and I generally agree with this, but I just didn't think the book was very effective in bringing the point out.

I did enjoy the main character as a curmudgeon but even this went overboard. The whole talking dog thing, I didn't get and basically didn't care for--I guess the curmudgeon needed someone to talk back and forth with throughout the book. Also the whole Hamptons life isn't something I have any desire to understand or contemplate and probably had a lot to do with my not really liking the book.

Oh well, not everyone is going to be my cup of tea. I have posted it on PBS, there are 4 copies ahead of it so I am not expecting it to move for some time. Also the Bad Times in Buenos Aires timed out for the one person who had it on his WL, so that is also now a waiting game. No problem, I think they will both move at some point but might be even a year before it happens though.

Monday, May 24, 2010

Bad Times in Buenos Aires--#30 finished

Book number 30 is already completed--wow. Maybe not the pace of last year but still moving right along. I kind of liked this book, it is not anything great or truly insightful but it does give the reader a sense of Argentina, at least what it was, in the mid 1990s. I am not sure what or how much has changed since then but hopefully it has changed for the better. It certainly seemed like a real low point for the country, well even that is probably not true. It was better than when thousands disappeared for being radicals a generation earlier, but the 1990s seems like a neurotic time for Argentina. I have always been interested in Latin America but I really don't know much about the people, countries and the histories there and this was really made evident while reading this book.

While I enjoyed the book, it is already dated and left me wondering what is it like in Argentina today. I will be posting it on PBS, there is 1 person that has it on the WL so I will have to see if it moves or not. I am still reading Epic and also started reading Lapham Rising. I will be looking to add a 3rd book into the mix later tonight as well.

Tuesday, May 18, 2010

The Queen of the Ring--#29 finished

The Queen of the Ring is about women's wrestling champion Mildred Burke from back in the 1930s & into the 1950s. It is a book written by Jeff Leen, a graduate of Ritenour High School here in Overland, where I live. It is also the same school district that my kids are going to. I read a review & interview by the Post Dispatch of Jeff Leen last summer right before the book came out and I immediately put it on my WL, I was the first.

I watched some wrestling or maybe all star wrestling when I was growing up and basically liked it. Since I wrestled in junior high & high school, I came to really dislike the all star wrestling because it was fake. People seemed to get confused because they didn't know it was fake or couldn't understand why high school wrestling wasn't as exciting as all star wrestling. Oh well, so all that to basically say, this was not really a topic that interested me much, but with the local connection I had to get it and read it.

I really enjoyed the book and was really impressed with research that went into it. While there were some of the female wrestlers still around when he was writing the book, the two main characters--Mildred Burke & her one time husband, promoter and business manager Billy Wolfe--were deceased. Billy in the 1960s and Mildred in the 1980s. Mildred did/does have an unpublished biography that the author used extensively as a source, but even that he seems to have had to walk a fine line since things seemed to be "misremembered"(thanks Roger Clemons--I hope that was his word) or possibly written to keep Mildred in a better light.

I find it almost amazing that all of this went on for almost 20 years and that I had no knowledge of it prior to reading this book. I knew there were some women wrestlers but I had no idea of the origins or how large it was at one time. I also found it interesting all the backroom deals and how matches got setup, stuff that I had not really thought of before hand.

I really have to recommend this book to almost anyone. It is easy to read with very interesting characters and goings on. It is a book that I have thought about keeping but will probably pass along on PBS since that is how I got it & I would like to see others enjoy the book as well. I will probably do a book review on PBS first as well.

Sunday, May 16, 2010

3 days of running

Well, I had been a slacker with my running but I finally put some decent runs in. Friday I ran 3 miles, first time in about a week & a half. Time was slow but just glad to get something in.

Saturday afternoon I was able to run at Forest Park, getting 6 miles in. The average time ended up being something like 12:10, so not too bad at all.

Sunday, late in the afternoon, I got another 3 miles in, the first during some rain, then it let off till I was done, then the rain came again. That first mile was tough, legs were sore and I had to stop for a bathroom break. The next 2 were okay but still slow. Overall I think it was just over 13 minute miles, so slow but at least getting them in.

I don't know what this week is going to look like as far as getting runs in but hopefully will at least get one more in before the weekend.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Spitting Feathers--#28 finished

Spitting Feathers is an English chic lit or chic lite book. An okay read, nice story, happy ending and all that. Nothing exciting but it was a change of pace, something I was looking for when I started it. I had been spending too much time reading The Shelters of Stone and wanted something lite and Spitting Feathers qualified.

I am not going to bother explaining the book, it really isn't necessary. As for the chic-lit books I have read, Hot and Bothered and My 15 Minutes were probably the 2 best. Spitting Feathers is a step below them, maybe with a Chasing Harry Winston, but far ahead of Phi Beta Bimbo and A Spy with a Silver Lining. I have already posted it on my PBS bookshelf, there is something like 10 books ahead of it so it won't be moving anytime soon. No problem with that, I can wait it out.