Thursday, December 29, 2011

Descent into Danger--#75 finished

This is an alright book that borders on cheesy. Everything about the book just seems way to unlikely to occur, if you can suspend your belief in reality though it is not too bad. Some weird twists and some just kind of plain strange stuff that the author just seems to send along as completely normal. Oh well, not a bad read and it is a pretty quick read all in all.

It is book read number 75 for the year and is probably the last one I will finish for 2011. In 2008 it was 30 books, in 2009 it was 81 books and last year in 2010 it was 87. This is a very very good 3 year stretch for my reading I must say. Don't know what 2012 will bring but probably more of the same, I have a ton of books to be read in my book room.

I am still reading Last Night in Twisted River and the General Lemay books. I will look to add a 3rd either tonight or tomorrow night as well.

Sunday, December 25, 2011

Myths, Lies, and Downright Stupidity--#74 finished

This is a book by John Stossel of 20/20 and now Fox News. He takes ideas and presents them as what might be common thought or knowledge and then explains why that isn't the case. It is a good and interesting book. Easy to read with very short blips about the myths. This one is probably go to be one of my keeper books since the info it has is so simply laid out.

I have already posted it on PBS but as I said above, I think it is going to be a keeper book. There are around 40 copies on PBS already so it wasn't going to be moving anytime soon anyway.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Methland--#73 finished

A very good book about the struggles of dealing with the meth problem in small town America. Living in St Louis, you have to be aware of the meth problem in the nearby counties, some of which are the worst in the nation for mom & pop meth producing. The author follows a smallish town, 6k, in Iowa for a period of 3 to 4 years and brings in info on some nearby towns as well. A very good book and I hope that it has changed the way politicians have been dealing with this issue.

I will be mailing this book off on PBS at some point but will probably wait till after the holidays are over first. There are still something like 50 to 60 WL for it so do not have to be in any hurry. Still reading the John Stossel book, very close to finishing though. Also started Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving and another book Decent into somewhere or something--can't remember the title off hand. Probably won't start another till I finish the Stossel book.

Monday, December 19, 2011

Platte River--#72 finished

This is a short story book. It has 3 stories by the same author Rick Bass. I don't know if I don't get short stories or something but these 3 stories just seemed to not answer much. Decent stories and generally good characters but you don't get to really know them and the "action" in the stories is mostly confusing. Maybe the stories are more like a picture that you look at and while not understanding it brings up feelings within you, these are more like that. I like my art like that but my reading not so much. Oh well, I have another short story book by same author and at some point will read it and see if it is the same.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy on the system so I expect it will move at some point, but short story books don't move much from what I have seen so not expecting anything soon. Still reading John Stossel book and Methland and will be adding a 3rd book later today.

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Nubian Prince--#71 finished

A weird kind of book. A young man that was drifting--in Spain, becomes a recruiter for an international exclusive sex club. The recruiters are sent to the worst spots on the planet, looking for beautiful people to "save". Immigrants the wash up on shore in Europe, countries or areas thrown into poverty, disasters, etc--the recruiters go there in search of beautiful pieces that they then hand off to the club which trains the people for the sex trade in these exclusive clubs. The back cover of the book talks about it being funny and hilarious but I did get that. It was very sad on many levels and while I can see where a recruiter may believe they are saving the people, I think even the main character in the end realizes he just screws up these peoples lives in new ways. Oh well a kind of interesting book for a different perspective.

I have already posted it on PBS, there is 1 copy ahead of it so I think it should move eventually. I am still reading the John Stossel book and The Platte River short story book and just started Methland.

Friday, December 9, 2011

One Fat Summer--#70 finished

Well, I have made it to 70 books read so far this year with the year quickly winding down. I obviously won't be getting to the 87 books read last year but the 70 something is a good number. Okay now onto this book. I really liked The Contender written by the same author, this book is not as good. Both of them are for teens though so I am not surprised it wasn't really for me. It also was written and happened in the 70's so somethings are a little off--a dollar an hour to fifty cents an hour for work, no kid today can even think of so little. Oh well, not a bad book and it was a quick read.

I have posted it on PBS but there are 50 copies of this version ahead of it and there are several versions/editions of it. This book is going nowhere. I probably need to pick off a dozen books or so from the PBS bookshelf and donate them off somewhere. Still reading the John Stossel book and The Nubian Prince and will be looking to start another book tonight as well.

Monday, December 5, 2011

A Gate at the Stairs--#69 finished

An interesting story of a college aged girl that goes through some very tough and unusual times. She gets a job as a nanny for a couple trying to adopt a child and has to go on the interviews helping them with the adoption. They adopt a little girl of mixed race which is kind of scandalous in small town Iowa. She starts dating a college classmate boy that she thought was Brazilian but was instead Arab of some sort and he leaves college as seemingly a terrorist. The couple with the adopted child go through many happenings, etc but in the end a bizarre past catches up with them & they lose the child back to the adoption agency. The college girl was holding a poison/homemade cleaner for the lady and girl's roommate eats some and nearly dies and has stomach pumped. Returns home to find out younger brother joined army and left day after she gets back. She helps dad on the farm and her mom slips more and more out of reality. Brother goes straight from basic training to Afghanistan and is killed days after getting there.

There is more but those are the highlights. An interesting story but other than the college girl, I don't see much of a connection or an answer to what is the point the author was trying to get at. A lot of random weird and tragic stuff happened, but it just seems like a story, reality just skitters along outside of it. Oh well, I wanted to like it and parts I did, just altogether doesn't make much sense to me.

I will be posting it on PBS, there are still 35 to 40 WL for it I think so it will move once I post it. I have shipped a bunch of books off recently so I might wait a week before posting this one or until something else gets requested. I am reading the John Stossel book about Myths and Truths--don't have exact title in front of me. I am also reading The Nubian Prince about a recruiter in Europe for the sex trade. Also just started Robert Lipsyte One Fat Summer. Probably won't add another for a couple days yet so I can make a little more progress in these three already started.

Thursday, December 1, 2011

The Last Undercover--#68 finished

This is a true story written by a former FBI agent Bob Hamer. The book talks about several of his cases but the focus of the book is about his infiltrating NAMBLA. An amazing story and a real hero. The NAMBLA case was probably the one where he had the least worries as far as danger during the case--drug deals, arms deals, terrorists are much more dangerous for the undercover agent. The NAMBLA case though really entered him into the sickness of pedophiles. I started reading this book right before the Sandusky news from Penn State started coming out & now there is the Fine from Syracuse stories coming out. There is a real sickness in this country and am glad some were caught early on. Unfortunately it seems most of those in the book were not very smart or not overly cautious--joining NAMBLA itself is evidence of this. Those that stay hidden seem hard to find--how Sandusky and Fine operated for years without getting caught is just amazing & devastating.

I will be posting the book on PBS to pass it along. I think there are around 17 WL for it. I really wasn't expecting to finish this book tonight but just got on it. Nice start to Dec. Would like to get to 72 read for the year.

Saturday, November 26, 2011

The Roots of Obama's Rage--#67 finished

This is a very interesting book with an attempt to understand President Obama and some of his motivations. Basically it is about Obama understanding his father, who had abandoned him & his mother. His father came from humble beginnings in Kenya and was able to get a US education that when he returned to Kenya he turned into a government job. His basic ideology was anti-colonialism with some socialism thrown in as well. The author argument is that Obama has taken this same ideology and has incorporated into his own and is behind all of Obama's major acts as President. It is an interesting idea and from reading the book seems to have a lot of merit. The book points out a few cases where people were left scratching their heads about a policy or statement from Obama and this anti-colonialism does seem to explain these. I have not read any book reviews or seen how this book was accepted after it came out, that is my next step after writing this up, but to me it seems to explain some of what we have in our President.

I will be posting this book on PBS, I know there is a WL for the book, I can't remember how many though. I will probably also post the Clinton vs Starr book as well. Still reading A Gate at the Stairs and The Last Undercover.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

The Death of American Virtue: Clinton vs Starr--#66 finished

It took me a very long time to read this book, starting it either late August or early September till tonight. This is a very good book with tons of information laid out in an easy to understand a follow way. This is not the kind of book that you can pick up and read for 5 minutes here or there or read during commercials or while semi watching TV. This book I had to dedicate time to read it as well as be in the mood to read it. I remember following this whole Clinton vs Starr stuff that was going on but I never followed it close to the level of detail this book provides along with the extra information provided from interviews after the fact. While I don't see myself ever investing the time to read this book again, I am very glad that I have read it.

I will be passing it along on PBS, I think there are around 15 WL for it. I will probably post it at some point this weekend but might wait a little while, who really knows right now.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

The Wrong Side of Memphis--#65 finished

This is a mystery book by a St Louis author Claire Applewhite. It was just okay for me. The problems I had with it were characters just kind of jumping into and out of the action, there being a back story with characters that I didn't know and some characters were just too similar that they were easily confused by me. A lot of murder's happening in one apartment building and while the detective is around talking to people it takes months to get it figured out and several more murders in the meantime. Just kind of a strange book. I think there is a 2nd book in this series out so I will read it & see how it goes. I had actually finished this book a couple days ago but with a busy schedule just hadn't gotten time to log in till now.

There is 1 WL for it I will be posting it sometime soon to ship off. I am still reading Clinton vs Starr, I am under 100 pages and hope to maybe finish it this weekend. Also reading Gate at the Top of the Stairs, I think that is the title and just started The Last Undercover, about an FBI guy getting inside NAMBLA.

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Disc Golf & Running

It was a busy weekend of stuff but I was able to get some decent exercise in. Friday night after work I was able to get a walk/run in of 2.0 miles, slow but at least got it in. Saturday I played 18 holes of disc golf at Creve Coeur Park and then because it was too windy there I went to McDonnell Park and ran/walked 3.0 miles. The run/walk was again slow but it was faster than Friday night and this park has hills so it was a good workout.

Today it was the zoo for like 3 hours of walking and then I went out with my son & played 9 holes of disc golf at Endicott Park. It was a busy weekend but really enjoyed the time outside since don't know how many of these nice days we will have.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Reckless: The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women--#64 finished

This was a really quick read about, well basically the title. The author is a journalist and picked out 9 women from earlier interviews or that she had heard of & compiled a short writeup on them and turned it into a book. Kind of interesting for what it was a quick look at each of them, not really anything in-depth. I needed a different kind of book and this one qualified with the quick read being the main goal I had.

I have already posted it on PBS, there were 7 WL for it. I also posted Rickwood Field on PBS as well to have 2 books to mail off once they get accepted. I am making progress on Clinton vs Starr, I am just over 100 pages to go. I doubt I will finish this weekend though, it will probably be next week or weekend before it is done. I have also started The Wrong Side of Memphis by a St Louis author and I am still working on A Gate at the Stairs. I might be starting a 4th book as well. I seem to like starting books right now more so than working to finish the ones already started. Oh well.

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Rickwood Field--#63 finished

An interesting book at a baseball field built in 1910 in Birmingham, Alabama and is still around today. It has quite a history of baseball with both the white & black or Negro leagues playing there. It was a minor league ballpark for most of it's existence, only lately losing its minor league affiliation. It is now a kind of high school and all star type stadium. Between players coming up the minors and the traveling teams both white & black, there was a ton of hall of fame and big league players that played there. Willie Mays playing professionally there while he was still in high school is only one of the better stories about the stadium.

The other part of the story is how the town of Birmingham has rallied around the stadium and found a way to preserve it. It has a rich history and I am glad it is going to be around for people to see it.

I will be posting it on PBS at some point, I think there were 3 or 4 people that have it on the WL. I will probably wait though until another book is requested or maybe later into next week, early part of week is busy & might be hard to get to the post office.

Friday, October 28, 2011

Prodigal Son--#62 finished

A continuation of an earlier book that I had read called Head Games. A former police officer/detective that had a brain tumor--that is what had forced him to retire early from the police force. At the end of that first book, he went through with the surgery to remove the tumor. In this book the tumor has been removed & he is now trying to figure out what to do with his life. He joins a private investigator firm and brings on a couple of seemingly simple cases that end up being nowhere near simple. A pretty good read with a fair amount of action. Enough going on that I hope there is a 3rd book in the series to come out, so far it is not out yet.

I have already posted it on PBS, there is one copy ahead of it. If the next book comes out, if there is a next book, that might help move this book. In the meantime it will probably be sitting for a while. Still slowly working on Clinton vs Starr and also on Rickwood Field. Will be looking to start another book, maybe yet tonight.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

The St Louis Veiled Prophet Celebration--#61 finished

A book about a St Louis tradition, the Veiled Prophet. Reads like a history book so a little dry but still interesting. Not being a native St Louisian I wasn't really aware of the VP and had very little knowledge of it so this book filled in quite a bit. An interesting organization and also interesting that the organization made some changes in diversity to allow it to continue in modern times. It is not a topic that really interests me but I enjoy at least getting this information about it.

I have already posted it and I see if accepted it will be going to someone else in the St Louis area. I kind of figured that, I just can't see much interest in this book outside of St Louis unless it is from a transplanted St Louisian. There were 3 WL for it so I expect it will be mailed off to someone later this week.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Catching Fire--#60 finished

This is the 2nd book in The Hunger Games series. This is a solid book and a solid series so far. The last book is The Mockingjay which we have and I will probably be reading sometime in the months ahead. My oldest really liked all 3 books and is also looking forward to the first movie coming out in Spring of 2012. Lots of stuff going on in the book and you can tell more coming in the 3rd book too. It is popular so no need for me to try to re-hash anything here other than to just say I am recommending the series.

These books are all keepers of my daughter so no mailing these out. I am still slowly moving along with the Clinton vs Starr book around page 360 or 370--still a long ways to go. Also reading The St Louis Veiled Prophet Celebration, a kind of history of this event. This book reads like a history book too so it is slow going but I am 114 in with 171 total so getting it done. Also started reading Prodigal Son a part 2 or 2nd in series(?) which the first book was Head Games read a year ago I think. I might grab a 4th book tonight also.

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

My Dreams Out in the Street--#59 finished

A good book about the screwed up lives of some people struggling to get by in San Francisco. Drugs, prostitution, homelessness, crime and all around crappy lives in this book. It is really kind of depressing book. The people almost seem helpless and unable to break out of their crappy existence. Characters are interesting and interesting things happen to them but the overall depressing themes of the book make it such that I can't really enjoy it.

I have posted it on PBS, there was 1 WL for it earlier but now there is zero. I have posted it so it is the only copy on the system at this point so I would expect it to move at some point, hopefully sooner rather than later. Still reading the others and will probably not add a 4th tonight.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Running & typing

Well both my running and my typing up this blog have been pretty pathetic. I did run today, only a short 2 miles with both miles around 12:40 pace. Unfortunately that was actually a decent pace for me, recently I have really struggled. I also spent about 20 minutes throwing the disc golf frisbees around, need to keep in practice.

It has obviously been a bad week for me to type anything up. Will work to do better, not that anyone is paying much attention.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

New Orleans Noir--#58 finished

This is a short story book with all of the stories based in New Orleans and have kind of a dark side to them. Half of the stories are from before Katrina and the other half are during or post Katrina. Overall some good stuff here. Good quick reads that really let you get a taste of New Orleans all of the rougher side of town it seems. I know they have done this Noir type books for several cities and seems like a very good idea and would like to see one done for St Louis.

I will be posting it on PBS, there were around 20 or so on the WL for it. Still reading the Clinton vs Starr book, I am around page 315 so making some progress but still very slow. I am also reading part 2 of The Hunger Games--Catching Fire. I have also just started My Dreams Out in the Street--only around 10 pages in so really just started.

Friday, October 7, 2011

31 for 21--slow start

Well it has really been a slow start for this. Good expectations and hope sort of disappeared on me right away. It has been a weird week at work with stuff going on and then just the normal busyness of the week on top of that. Oh well 3 posts done for today so still have some catchup to do--will see if I can get it done.

Disc Golf and Running

I was off work today and was able to get in 18 holes of disc golf and after that ran for 4 miles around Creve Coeur Park Lake. It has been great Fall weather and it was nice to have a day off to enjoy it. The disc golf was good. I hadn't played in a while although I have tried to throw at least once a week before doing my runs to just keep some muscle memory going. Running was good for first 2 miles and then a struggle for last 2. That is okay since I haven't been running much, it was good to push the distance a little for me.

Kings of the Hill--#57 finished

I was really struggling with the books I am reading and finally just concentrated on this one to get it done. This is a book by Richard(Dick)Cheney and his wife Lynne Cheney about important Speakers of the House. It is an alright book but really just touches on 9 different Speakers or leaders, not too much in depth on any of them. It was not an easy read either, figure it is more like a college textbook than a regular reader book. Oh well, some interesting stuff at least.

I have posted it on PBS and there are something like 4 copies a head of it so who knows when it will move, probably be a while. I am still working on the Clinton vs Starr but it has really been pushed to the background. Also reading New Orleans Noir and have started Catching Fire, the 2nd in the Hunger Games series. I might also be starting another but will see what tonight brings before saying for sure at this point.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

31 for 21

It is that time again this year and I will try it again. I will attempt to post each day but it will probably be multi times a day to make up for the days I miss. We will just have to see. I haven't registered yet but will try to get around to it.

Busy day of good stuff. Golf tourney in morning, only 9 holes & didn't play very well. Went to local high school football game & they won continuing their best start a now 6-0. Took oldest 2 kids along.

Watching Cardinals now & not looking so good. Nebraska is on later.

Friday, September 30, 2011

Everything--#56 finished

An interesting book with some also interesting characters but not sure how I feel overall about the book. I liked the style of the book, short quick chapters that bounced from main character to main character. I guess I am not sure about how the characters fit together and I had a hard time caring about the characters. They were all pretty wrapped up with themselves not noticing what they were doing how it affected others. I guess overall just alright. Actually it will probably be a book that will be forgotten much sooner than others but I guess that is the way it goes sometimes.

I have posted it on PBS. It was one that I got from PBS and it has taken over a year before I got it read. Too long but that is just the way it was. I will be passing it along now though. Still something like 17 WL for it.

I am still reading the Clinton vs Starr book, as I will be reading it for a very long time yet. Also reading New Orleans Noir a short story book and another book that talks about 9 former Speakers of the House. None of these books are moving very fast so I will probably pick up something else to get started on as well.

Saturday, September 24, 2011

To Make Men Free--#55 finished

This is a very good book about the Civil War during the time of the Battle of Antietam. It is fiction but with tons of research to make it appear as probable as possible. The pressures of all involved on both the military and political sides--Lee vs McClellan, Lincoln vs McClellan and Lincoln vs his own cabinet. A very good read. I have read a couple of Civil War books where there is no story just a spewing of facts, which while interesting, lose something over several hundred pages. This book has the facts but also wraps the whole story of what was actually going on with the main characters and even the soldiers at this time. Highly recommend this book. I was even thinking about making it a keeper but decided I would rather share it with others. I have ordered the next book by this author on the Battle of Fredericksburg.

I have posted it on PBS and there is one copy ahead of it, so it should move at some point. I am still reading the Clinton vs Starr book and just started Everything a Kevin Canty book. I will probably start a 3rd book either tonight or tomorrow as well.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Your Oasis on Flame Lake--#54 finished

I really enjoyed this book, it was something different and the characters were enjoyable but still human in many many ways. It is about 2 families in small town MN and some trying times they are all going through some brought on by themselves and others by accident or crime. The interaction between them and spiced with good humor and generally a happy ending made it a nice book to read. I will probably be looking for other stuff by this author.

I have already posted it on PBS & there are around 50 or 60 copies ahead of it so it is not moving. Oh well that is not a problem, it is a good book that I enjoyed so if it has to sit on my shelf awhile that is okay with me. It is too late tonight to grab a 3rd book but will probably start on tomorrow night.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Honey in His Mouth--#53 finished

This book was written back in 1956 by Lester Dent, creator of Doc Savage, but was not published till recently by his estate. I hadn't read any of his other books or the Doc Savage books but this one seemed interesting. A small time hustler in Missouri has identical looks to a South American dictator. A group of the dictator's friends/advisors have been skimming money for years from the country and want to use the double to get the money out of international banks & into their hands. Not a great story or anything and some interesting characters but not a bad read. It is kind of like what I figured a book written in the 1950s would be like. Long stays in the hospital, guy that hits women, lots of drinking and smoking, police that somehow track obscure stuff down and so on. Not saying it is bad, but just different. I did like the book somewhat but it really isn't my normal book either so I guess overall just kind of neutral about it.

I will be posting it on PBS, I think there were still 2 WL for it so hope to mail it off soon. Still reading the Clinton vs Starr book, the Civil War book and the Flame Lake book. I don't think I will be starting a 4th now, maybe when I am closer to finishing one of the others.

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Digital Fortress--#52 finished

The same author as The DiVinci Code and Angels and Demons, Dan Brown. This book was similar in that it is a quick and easy page turner type book. Code breaking and computer stuff and all of that along with a tracking and chase side as well. Not a bad book for what it is--an action adventure page turner. To me Dan Brown books are kind of like John Grisham books fun easy reads or mind candy as a former boss used to call them. Not really much more to it.

I have posted it already on PBS and there were 190 copies a head of mine, the new sized mass media paperback and I didn't bother checking numbers of copies for hardback and others. I am sure there are hundreds if not thousands. I am not expecting this book to move but will have it on my bookshelf and see, maybe offer if up in a deal down the line. I got the book from a deal in the first place.

I am still reading the Civil War novel, To Make Men Free, just getting past 100 pages read. Also reading The Death of American Virtue the Clinton vs Starr book, slow going but was expected but interesting so far also. I have also started a basement book, in other words, it means I will only keep it in the basement, Honey in His Mouth. It has a pretty provocative cover photo, a woman in a very skimpy negligee. I might look to add a 4th book but not sure at this point.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

The Emperor's Tomb--#51 finished

I really wasn't expecting to finish this book today, but since my wife wasn't feeling well it was a stay home day and I took advantage of and got plenty of reading in. This is kind of a normal Steve Berry book in that it is a story he wraps around true facts and theories with some belief. It makes for an interesting story. I force myself to read his author's notes after finishing the book and that is where he explains important parts of his story. This one is mostly in China with the underlying theory being oil is naturally produced by the earth instead of being finite from long ago decomposed fossils, dinosaurs, etc. Interesting theory and hope it is true and sounds like there is some evidence, not sure why it is not really mentioned but there it is.

I have posted it on PBS, since I have a couple other books to mail--I did post Bluebirds and a couple others that I had around that people wanted. I hope to mail them all soon after the holiday tomorrow. I am still reading the Civil War novel, To Set Men Free. I also started and have gotten a ways into it already, Digital Fortress, the next Dan Brown novel--so far like expected a page turner. I also started the opposite of a page turner, The Death of American Virtue, Clinton vs Starr. Like the Passage before it I want to get reading some of these long books I have so I have tried to do so. I don't expect to start a 4th book, will probably wait till Digital Fortress is closer to being finished.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir--#50 finished

A book of unusual short stories by Joe Meno. While most were interesting in one way or another, I have to say I really don't get them. I guess they were attempting to bring out some kind of emotions in the reader and while some did, this is not something that interests me or I enjoy. A strange collection of stories and thoughts. Some of the stories seem to have some beginnings of maybe becoming a longer story or book. Since pretty much all of them ended up opened ended, a couple of how things ended would have been nice but I guess that is not the author's style. I think I have another Joe Meno book on my WL and now I am not so sure I want it but I won't decide now. I will give it a few days to see how this book sinks in to me if it does at all.

I will be mailing it off, I think there are 9 WL for it and have been for a long time. I just mailed the Tatum O'Neal book today so might just wait till next week after the holiday before posting this one. I might try to get The Emperor's Tomb done by then also but it has been slow going for me. I have also just started a Civil War novel, To Make Men Free.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Found: A Daughter's Journey Home--#49 finished

This is a followup kind of memoir/autobiography by Tatum O'Neal after The Paper Life from a few years back. Not too bad explaining her addictions and an arrest of trying to purchase drugs. How she has tried to rebuild her life with her children and her father. Also about the new show they have a reality/documentary type thing, where the cameras are on her and her father and their getting back together. It is on Oprah's network and I saw it a month ago or so and watched about 15 minutes of it, not too exciting. Oh well, the book is okay, nothing too great.

I will be mailing it off later this week or next, once I finish another WL book or when one on my bookshelf is requested. I think there were 54 WL for it still. Still working on those other two, The Emperor's Tomb and Bluebirds.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

The White Queen--#48 finished

This is the first in a series of three books by Phillippa Gregory about England in the mid to late 1400s during the War of the Roses. The main focus in this book is obviously the White Queen a young widow of great beauty that seduces the next King of England and becomes his queen. She has several children with him including 2 sons that become heirs that disappear. It is a true story that the author has taken and written up a plausible story about. Obviously there is just not enough information on this time period to get all of the details but she has pieced together a very believable story and a very interesting one as well. I do have the 2nd book in the series already, The Red Queen and the 3rd book is coming out later this year. I will continue this series as well as check out other books by this author. Very good stuff.

I will be posting it on PBS, I think there are 80 some WL for it. I will probably wait until I get a 2nd book to mail out with it so might be a few days or week yet before it goes. I am still reading The Emperor's Tomb, it kind of got shoved into the background while I finished DW & now The White Queen. I am also reading Found another memoir/autobiographical book by Tatum O'Neal. I also have a 3rd book of short stories Bluebirds Croon in Choir or something like that. I will probably stick with these 3 for a couple days to get a little farther along with them before starting something else.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

DW: A Lifetime Going Around in Circles--#47 finished

Darrell Waltrip was my favorite race car driver when I was growing up basically because of his name. I really didn't watch much racing on TV simply because there wasn't much on, only the big races. I guess I never really knew that he was that good of a racer until more recently and of course I know he is an announcer on Fox for NASCAR. His book is pretty good and he is a pretty interesting person with good stories. It basically ended when his racing days ended but mentioned he was a Fox announcer now but doesn't go into any of the announcing though. Good easy read, it is nice to read something a little different and this was it. After slogging through The Passage for so long this was a refreshing quick read.

I have posted it on PBS but there are like 23 copies ahead of it so I doubt it will be moving anytime soon if ever. I am still reading The White Queen, just got under 100 pages to go. Also still reading The Emperor's Tomb and just started a short story book Bluebirds Used to Croon in the Choir. I might look for a 4th book tonight but not sure yet.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Passage--#46 finished

Well it took a long time to get this book finished. I might need to check back but I think I started it in late June, after our vacation. Obviously I could not really get into this book especially the beginning. It was only the last week or so that I really hit reading it and finished the last 300 pages or so. The beginning was slow and the middle slow and finally when it comes together at the end after 766 pages, the end is not clean. You can figure out or at least guess at how things continued but there is no real answer in the book. Too me after putting that much time in I would like to have a cleaner finish. Oh well maybe a 2nd book is planned and something had to be left open or maybe it is just the writer's style, this was the first book of his that I read.

This is a vampire book, but not at all like a more traditional vampire book or the more Twilight modern vampires. It is kind of a futuristic vision of what if vampires were created. It is a very creative idea and story. The role of God played by a little girl still doesn't make much sense. She was ordained for this position early on but yet the vampires ruled earth for 90 or 100 years before she found help to step in and stop it. While she kind of had God like abilities, it was also that she wasn't self aware of what her role or self was. The scene in the zoo before the vampires let loose or even before she was given the virus, showed the animals knew something about her but without the virus why was that. Again if she was ordained as God or Gold like, then why wasn't she more self aware. Her character didn't make much sense to me.

Oh well, lots to like in the book, especially if you are a vampire fan. It is long and for me was even longer than expected. Liked the story even if in many parts it just took too long to get where it was going. If there is a continuation of this story, I think I would be interested in that but I really doubt that is the case.

I will be posting it on PBS, there were over 600 WL for it last I checked so moving it should not be a problem. I am still reading The White Queen and The Emperor's Tomb. I have also just started DW, Darrell Waltrip's autobiography. I might look to start a fourth book as well but probably not tonight.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Death of a Department Head--#45 finished

A mystery of a murder of a female department head of an English dept at Austin U, basically U of Texas. A little too much academician and lesbianism but those were also what the whole story revolved around. I guess just too much for my tastes in general but a good mystery overall. The female characters were hard to distinguish apart early in the book, names similar in the sense they were not typical names and lots of similar characteristics of the characters. Seems like the book was also pushing an agenda of diversity along with the mystery. Diversity of race, gender and sexual preference all played parts, this is probably not surprising because I am guessing this is still a major issue at most universities. I know it was 20 plus years ago when I was in college, finding qualified minority candidates for professor positions was something it seemed universities were really looking for. I just thought it a little surprising in this book since this department had 2 lesbians, 3 for 4 females, a Latino male and 2 white male professors--maybe more in dept but that was all that were really brought up. Other than lacking a black professor it seems the dept was already very diverse. The black female candidate had sterling credentials so hiring her should be a no brainer but of course that was one of the main undercurrents to the murder mystery going on. The other candidate was a white female lesbian dating the dept chairperson, which really seems like a conflict of interest of major proportions that never got mentioned, which I also thought was interesting. Oh well overall an okay to good read.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the 2nd copy on the system. There had been no copies on the system until just 2 or 3 days ago, I was hoping it would be the only copy so it might move sooner. I have a feeling it might be sitting for a long time but who knows I have been surprised before about what moves.

I am still reading The Passage and have gotten past 400 pages read and moving steadily. I have also started The White Queen and only around 50 pages in. Not sure if I will start a 3rd book tonight or wait a day or two. I will probably sit in my reading room and look around at what I should read next & then decide. This was my 5th straight book of under 300 pages, I have stuck to shorter books since I have been reading The Passage which has taken just far too long for me to get through.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Boy A--#44 finished

This is a really good book. It is kind of tough in parts, tough life for the kid and the story isn't all laid out in order so it forces the reader to wonder what is really going on & what type of people the characters really are. This is not a simple page turner and it did take some time for me to really get into it. I had started it weeks ago but other books kept getting pushed in front of it for my reading time. Finally just this past weekend I focused on it & am glad now that I kept it up. It is a very good book and I will be looking for other books by this author.

It is on 9 WL at PBS so I will be posting it & sending it off at some point but will probably wait till I get a request for something else first. No need to run to the post office for only one book at this point. By the way I have worked my credits down to 33, I have ordered a bunch of books lately and still have 3 on the way. I think around 20 is probably best so still have some work to do.

I have read some more of The Passage and am through the first part and into the second and looks like final part. I think I am only around 250 pages though so long long way to go. I have also started Death of a Department Chair and will be looking to start another book yet tonight.

Sunday, July 31, 2011

The Back Nine--#43 finished

I hadn't expected to finish this book so quickly but I read some over the trip to NE & then polished it off last night & today. It is a pretty good read for a golf book. Much more enjoyable and less out there than Bagger Vance. The whole out there of Bagger Vance being a supernatural being that can see things in completely different ways or something like that really ruined that book for me. The movie was much better. This was just a root for the underdog golf book a good read. Not sure if the author has written anything else but will probably check to see.

I have already posted it on PBS & there are 6 copies ahead of it so not moving anytime soon. Not sure if I will be starting a 3rd book right away, I really need to spend some time on Boy A & The Passage since they have been pushed back by each new book I start reading.

Monday, July 25, 2011

Double Down--#42 finished

A quick read, I had just started it last weekend & finished it up today. A good book, nothing too serious, nothing to really think about, just a nice read with everything laid out for you. Not sure if I would really call it chic lit though but if not it is still not far off. I liked the gambling stuff in the book. The main character Skye, for being a smart lady, really wasn't very smart in many ways but oh well. The book was a quick read so couldn't really stop and clean up all of her parts.

I have already posted it on PBS & there are 9 copies a head of it so it won't be moving anytime soon. I did go ahead and post 1959 and it went out in the mail today. Still reading The Passage and Boy A and will look around for a 3rd book tonight but not sure if I will start one yet.

Friday, July 22, 2011

1959: The Year Everything Changed--#41 finished

A very good and interesting book about many important things that occurred in 1959. The Beat poets, changes in Jazz and music, art, inventions in electronics, the Pill, race relations, Cold War happenings, Castro & Cuba, space and on and on. Everything was presented in very easy to read and interesting chapters. It truly was an interesting time to live, the US and the world right before the counter-culture of the 1960s and where many of the seeds of the '60s started here in 1959. I also liked that it touched on many topics that I don't have much knowledge in like the Beat generation and Jazz for instance. I will highly recommend this book.

I will probably be posting it on PBS at some point in the near future but might wait until I have a 2nd book to mail. I am at 31 credits with 4 other books out there that I have mailed that would build me up to 35. Again I would like to spend it down some but just keep sending some off. Oh well. I am still working on The Passage and Boy A and just started a much lighter book Double Down a kind of chic lit book I guess. I doubt I will start a fourth book right now but again who knows.

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Running & Disc Golf

Well to type up something besides the books I have read, let's talk about my running first. I am still at it but it is hot and I am not very inspired. I have been getting some runs in though other than the week before and then during vacation. This week I have gotten two 2 mile runs in, I know short. After the first 2 mile run, I had to come home and mow the lawn. Today was the other 2 mile run but first I went to Play It Again Sports and bought some used Discs for Disc Golf. Then I went to the park and had to throw them around for a while before doing the run and since it was getting late I just did 2 miles. It was a good 2 miles with the first mile at 11:56 and 2nd at 12:04. Those were probably the 2 quickest miles I have run in a long time. Since I knew at the start of my run it was only 2 miles that helped because I did want to run them a little faster and it worked.

Now Disc Golf, I have played 3 rounds so far and it is fun. Like the first round where we found a disc that became mine(called person & he no longer wanted disc), in the 2nd round we also found a disc. This disc was basically brand new and only had initials on it, no name or phone number so it is now mine. My nephew who I have been playing with gave me an extra putter so I have had 3 discs so far. Tonight I bought 3 more at the Play It Again Sports store, they were probably the 3 cheapest discs they had. Altogether they cost like $8.50 including tax but since just starting and not sure type I need I thought they were a good buy. One of them is a putter so now my wife can come along & use some of my discs to get started & see if she would even like the sport.

I practiced Friday and then played Friday night and then practiced again tonight. My arm/elbow is a little sore, it is still getting used to the throwing motion. I have really been throwing much better forehand than backhand, which is surprising since I had never thrown forehand until the first round I played. I will be getting some more rounds in and will probably start actually keeping score as well. Without keeping score though, I know that I have gotten at least a couple pars on each round but I am giving too many shots away on putts and also get sloppy late in the round on the tee shots. All part of the learning process.

Friday, July 15, 2011

Cut to the Quick--#40 finished

This is the 2nd book in the series and it was pretty good. A female detective with a near death experience investigates another murder while at the same time she is haunted and still searching for the man the nearly cut her to death. This investigation was okay, most of the characters were ones that I had a hard time likely but still interesting. I have the 3rd in the series so will probably be reading it at some point soon. This book I had taken along on vacation and had actually started it then so it took a while to finally get it finished.

I have already posted it on PBS but there are something like 50 copies ahead of it so I don't expect it will be moving. At some point once I finish the 3rd one, I might see if my mom wants them or if not, maybe offer all 3 for a credit or two in the PBS book bazaar. It has been slow going in reading the last few weeks for me, I am reading The Passage but not quite 100 pages in and also reading A Boy but only around 30 pages in. I might look to see if there is something else out there to start also but really just not putting much time to it right now.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Wonderful Tonight--#39 finished

This is Pattie Boyd's book about her life and being married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton. I enjoy music to a degree but it is not really that important to me. Growing up in high school it was probably at the high point of my interest, today not so much. I really had no idea who Pattie Boyd was and that she was married to two famous musicians. I also didn't know Wonderful Tonight, a very popular slow song, was written about her by Clapton. Well all that being said she really has lead an interesting life even if the book doesn't really bring that out too much. There is a lot of relationship focus in the book and not so much about why these musicians fell in love with her. I am guessing she just couldn't open up in that way, but that is what I am seeing missing from this work. The main lesson in the book has to be the '60s was great for music but a bad time to be married to a musician if you wanted a stable normal life, they were all sex, drugs and rock & roll literally.

I have posted it on PBS & it is the only hardcopy copy on the system so it should move I would guess soon. I have picked out The Passage as my next book but it is too late to start it tonight.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Shade of the Maple--#38 finished

This was more romance type book than I thought so in a way I was kind of disappointed. The main male character was way too sappy and with unrealistic relationship expectations, I really didn't like the book very much. This is not to say it was all bad, because it wasn't. There were some good parts and such but overall not my kind of book.

Oh well, that is just the way it is. It was a short book so I was hoping for a quick read but it wasn't that either. I have really ignored two of the other books I was reading Cut to the Quick and A Boy. For the last week or so I have been busy so finding reading time has been short anyway and what reading I have done was on Shade & still working on Wonderful Tonight. I hope to have Wonderful Tonight done in next couple of days also. With other two still I don't think I will be adding another one, 4 is really too many books for me to be reading all at once. Two or three seems to be the best number.

Well, I have already posted Shade on PBS but there are 12 copies ahead of it so I don't think it will be moving anytime soon.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

frisbee golf

I had not played frisbee golf until today. It was fun and while I knew I probably wouldn't be very good, I have to see I thought I played decent. I always had a rag arm in baseball and later softball in college and after so I just figured that rag arm would carry over. I think it did to a degree but I did make a couple nice throws. Like regular golf a lot comes down to making your putts, I made a couple nice ones for a couple pars. Generally though I need a lot of work to get to decent overall but it was fun. It was also a decent workout, lots of walking and sweating on a very hot day. The poison ivy in many many places was really the biggest knock against it. I will be playing this again at some point.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Thinner--#37 finished

This is an old Stephen King book from the 1980s written under the pseudonym Richard Bachman. I went through a Stephen King phase in the mid to late 1980s where I read about everything I could find starting with The Stand. I know Firestarter, Dead Zone, The Talisman were among them, Different Seasons a short story book, it was a fun time. It was also a time when they all started to seem the same or at least same in enough ways that they quit interesting me. Last year I read Cell and it brought back some of those Stephen King memories and Thinner was kind of different. It really wasn't scary in any sense that I could tell at least at this point for me, maybe 30 years ago I would have thought differently. An okay read but kind of strange also given that it happened in the early to mid '80s, just a different time as I am sure I have said with earlier books. No cell phones, computers but no internet, answering service, 3 Big Macs, fries, couple shakes, apple pie all cost $6.70, things like that were just kind of funny.

I basically thought the book was no big deal but that is okay, it was just my vacation read. It fit the bill of being easy to read page turner with little thought needed. Like Playing for Pizza, I probably won't be posting it on PBS because it just won't move for a long long time if at all & there are probably a bunch of copies already on the system. I think it will be passed along to the used bookstore for credit.

Saturday, June 25, 2011

Playing For Pizza--#36 finished

This is one of those John Grisham novels that is not about a lawyer. It is instead about a 3rd string QB who gets run out of Cleveland and the NFL & finds himself playing football in Italy. A good story with a lot of interesting things about football in Italy. This is one of my summer vacation reads and it fit the bill. Quick easy to read and didn't have to put much thought into it. It was also a good story. Grisham writes good stuff that is easy to get through for a little entertainment.

There are over 1100 copies already on PBS so I will probably not be putting it on my bookshelf, it will probably get traded in at the used bookstore for credit if they will have it. I am still reading Wonderful Tonight but hadn't touch in over a week since it didn't come along on vacation, I didn't want to take a hardcopy book. I started Thinner, the Stephen King book on vacation and also started Cut to the Quick. I am farther along with Thinner.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Berlin Blues--#35 finished

I have gotten a decent amount of reading in this weekend & have finished my 2nd book in 2 days. There will not be another tomorrow though, only reading 1 right now & many pages away from finishing. On Berlin Blues, it is a weird book, weird in mostly a good way, with some interesting characters and happenings. The main character is a Herr Lehmann which the story revolves around but he is kind of a simple and odd character. Because of that it is almost that a lot of what is going on around him is missed both by him and by you the reader, kind of interesting but also kind of detached as well. You know there is more to the story than what you are getting.

It is an interesting read but nothing earth shattering. The time is also a little weird in that it occurs in the late 1980s while there is still an East & West Germany & Berlin. This story happens in West Berlin but East is mentioned as well. It was a time when I was in college so I kind of understand that but the book wasn't written till 2005 so a lot of time has passed as well.

I have posted it on PBS and it is the only copy on the system. No idea how quickly it will move, could be weeks, months or years, don't really know. Now I am down to just reading Wonderful Tonight, Pattie Boyd's story, she a child of the '60s & '70s I guess, married to both George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Only 40 some pages in so just getting started. I will probably start another tonight. I have spent some time looking at books for vacation too, I prefer paperbacks and simple reads--still narrowing it down right now.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Midnight House--#34 finished

This is the 3rd book in the series & I haven't read the earlier ones but this was pretty easy to jump into. There was some back story as far as the main character's life & love interests but nothing that hindered understanding this story. A good read, similar to others like Berry or Rollins I guess. I will probably at some point check out the other books in the series but since I already have a enormous stack of books that I want to read, these will be a ways away.

John Wells a CIA agent has to investigate why members of a secret interrogation unit are being killed after the unit was broken up & they were sent home. He has to play nice with the other levels of government as well but doesn't really. Interesting story and timely as well. Good read as I said earlier.

I have posted it on PBS and hopefully will be mailing it soon. There were still like 11 WL for it. I also have a request for the Alexander Hamilton book so it will be getting mailed soon as well.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Alexander Hamilton--#33 finished

Alexander Hamilton is a very interesting person. One of the true founders of our county and really defined many of the issues and institutions we still have in place today. This book has a lot of info but it is not an easily read book. I could really only manage a few pages a day. Interesting person but book could have been more interesting. Oh well still glad I read it.

I have posted it on PBS, there had been 1 WL for it but it is now zero. So it is the only copy in system now. I would expect it will move and probably with in a month or two.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Running over the weekend

Well, I was able to get some decent runs in this past long weekend. On Friday night after work, I went for a run that was pretty bad. I only did 2 miles, not my normal 3 because it wasn't good and I figured a shorter run would let me run the next day.

I did run the next day on Saturday and got in 3 miles. It was decent run, slow but got it in. It was also at the end of the day so tired and all that too.

Then I took Sunday off and I almost didn't get a run in on Monday either. I finished up some painting that needed to be done for a very long time and saw the Cardinal game wasn't very good so went for my run. I did 6 miles, all over 13 minutes a mile, the last 3 around 14 minutes. So time wasn't good but it felt great actually doing a long run. It has been too long since I had gotten in any kind of decent longish type run.

I am still in not very good shape but this past weekend at least brought me a couple steps closer.

Sunday, May 29, 2011

God's Spy--#32 finished

This is a first novel for the author and overall it is okay. A good story with some interesting characters but parts of the story were a little iffy, but for a first novel it is alright. I wasn't overwhelmed by it and I am not searching out his next novel immediately but still it was enjoyable. The topic seems to be one of those over done topics, the Catholic church/Vatican. After the Dan Brown blockbusters there have been too many of these similar ones. A female detective that is also a serial killer profiler gets caught up in investigating the murders of Cardinals right before the election of the next pope.

I have already posted it on by Bookshelf at PBS and there are 8 other copies there also. It is one that I got in a deal in the Book Bazaar. I will try to wait it out, could be a while before it gets requested though. I do expect it to move at some point though unlike others on my bookshelf.

I just started reading The Midnight House and a few days earlier started reading Berlin Blues. I am still working on Alexander Hamilton also--it is really taking a while to get through this one. I think I am under a hundred pages remaining but it will still be a few days to a week or maybe more for it.

Saturday, May 21, 2011

The Judas--#31 finished

This is a British spy thriller and overall a pretty good book. I missed the first in the series, The Mentor, but have probably picked up enough to continue onward without going back. The 3rd in the series is not out yet so I will have to be paying attention to it.

I am tired so I will not be going into many details of the book. But let me say the characters seem kind of interesting and the story line was also interesting. Some things in the book, especially toward the end, seemed unlikely but that happens. Good book overall.

I am still reading Alexander Hamilton and have also started God's Spy. Will be picking up a 3rd book too, but not sure if that will be tonight.

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Altar of Eden--#30 finished

This is another James Rollins book. It is a good read. Like other Rollins books he tries to base them off of possible occurrences. I am not sure that this one really holds up as well as the others but it was still a good read. A lab working with Dept of Defense tries to make a superhuman or superanimal type creature to be used in military situations. A Border Guard and a Veterinarian with a past team together to take them down while also at the same time falling in love. Like I said parts of the story didn't really seem possible but that was okay to a point. A good read but certainly not a great read.

I will be posting it on PBS at some point, there are still 28 WL for it so might wait a few days to do this. I am reading The Judas and still working on Alexander Hamilton as well. Not sure when I will pick out the next book though.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

The Poet's Funeral--#29 finished

The book started off pretty good, interesting characters and situation but once the murder/death happened it evolved into more of an investigative type book. The investigation and the ending were not strong points at all for the book. I understand there had to be some conflict going on but I just wish what the author had chosen would have been better or more believable. Oh well, still not a bad book and was even good in parts. The idea of a small time book/poetry publisher is kind of interesting and I liked the premise.

I will be posting it on PBS at some point in the near future, there is only 1 WL for it. I am out of town this weekend so posting it will have to wait until next week. I will be picking out a 3rd book to read hopefully tonight yet, since flying this weekend need one to read for all the waiting at the airport and on the plane.

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Twelve Mighty Orphans--#28 finished

A really interesting and very good read about a true story of an orphanage in Texas that became a powerhouse in football. The school football team seemed to only have around 12 players or so each year but each year competed for the state championship for the large schools in Texas in the 1930s. The head coach that put this together was Rusty Russell an injured vet from WWI, who had lost most of his eyesight in WWI. Russell developed a passing game long before anyone else at least in TX at that time. He also had the advantage of having the players year round for every day of the year. There was no going home for the students, they were at an orphanage. Size of the players and number of players were their disadvantage but it seems these kids played with a large chip on their shoulders because they were orphans.

While they never won the state championship they were in the playoffs and competing for it each year. They also became a nationwide news story of hope during the depression. A couple of kids went on to play professional football while others became very successful businessmen or teachers. The orphanage and school just closed in the early 2000s, right before this book was written. It seems as though it is a way of life that has almost disappeared. Like I said though, this is a very good read, especially if you are a football fan.

There are 3 WL for it so I will be posting it on PBS soon. I am still reading Alexander Hamilton, I am 75 pages in so far. Also reading Altar of Eden and am around 160 pages in. I have also just started The Poet's Funeral and around 30 pages into it. Probably won't start a 4th just yet. Will probably try to push ahead & finish either Altar or Poet in the next few days.

Sunday, May 1, 2011

The Osiris Alliance--#27 finished

This is a first book by a veteran lawyer and news man, Jack Ford. I haven't heard of him but I might have caught him on TV at some point. Oh well, his book is alright especially for a first book and all. The action kept moving but at a few points seems like a veteran prosecutor would have handled things much differently instead of going out and leading an investigation himself and then later with a news reporter. Looking past some of that though it is still a good story and some interesting old time stuff with the Lindbergh baby kidnapping. Not an amazing read or anything but not too bad either.

I have posted it on PBS, there is only 1 copy a head of it but since this is not an established or popular author it might take a while before it gets requested. This is okay though since my bookshelf has several of these 1 or 2 copy books on it. Generally speaking these books move, it just takes time and with a lot of credits stocked up on, I have time to sit with them and wait.

I am still working on Alexander Hamilton but it is slow going, I am to page 60 but it is going slow. I have also started a James Rollins book, Altar of Eden and have also just reached 60. I will be looking to start a 3rd book later as well.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

The First Cut--#26 finished

A good read. Another detective story with a female detective that barely survived a horrific stabbing. One day back on the job after a year's recovery and the Pasadena Police Dept has a murder of an LA policewoman to investigate and detective Vining is part of it. Like I said earlier a good read about the investigation and the backstory of Vining's near death as well. This is the first in a series and I am sure as it goes on each book will touch on her ongoing investigation of her own attack.

I liked the characters and the setting and it seems this should be a good series to get into. I had picked up the 2nd in the series at a library sale and it was thrown aside. I finally found the first book on a deal on PBS. A few months later & I was able to work it into my reading. Now I need to find time for the 2nd and probably need to go a head and order the 3rd, at least I think the 3rd is out there now.

I have posted it on PBS but there are like 50 some copies ahead of it so it probably won't move for a while if at all. I started reading the Osiris Alliance and am around 70 pages in. I am also reading Alexander Hamilton but only around 30 pages in on that one. I have stopped The End of Mr Y at this point but hope to pick it up again soon. Not sure what my next book will be at this point yet.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Beat the Reaper--#25 finished

A good quick read about a mafia hit man that had to go the witness protection route and became a doctor. The book is only over one day but with plenty of flashbacks. It is a very easy read, page turner type. It is about a hitman so plenty of violence and stuff so beware if that is not your thing. It is the first book by this author and for a first book is very good.

A lot of interesting stuff with the doctor end of it as well so it does go a little more than just a mafia book. It certainly does not glorify the mafia end of it either. I will try to pay attention to see the author's 2nd book, not sure if it will continue with these characters or not though.

There are something like 15 WL for the book so I will be posting it & mailing it probably early next week. I am still working on The First Cut, now over 225 pages in but it goes to 400 so still a ways to go. I also started Alexander Hamilton but not far at all yet, like maybe 20 pages in only. I will be looking for a 3rd book but not sure if I will find one tonight yet.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Killer Body--#24 finished

This was kind of a surprise book in that I wasn't really planning on reading it right now. I had the book for a couple of years and had gotten close to reading it once in the past but for some reason I grabbed it and started reading it. It was kind of an easy read, maybe, easy but not all that interesting. It was about a spokeswoman for a weightloss/exercise business that had gone missing and the founder/owner of the company was looking to replace this spokeswoman. A different type story with the main person being a reporter who was also a cousin to someone else in the company who died young. It was a personal type vendetta for the reporter.

I don't know just some things didn't seem to add up and and overall the story was just okay. The whole how believable was the story really seems to come up short. The characters though were sort of interesting. All in all just an okay read

It is a hardback copy and there was 1 copy a head of it on PBS so it will go to my bookshelf and sit for a while I guess. I would think it will probably move at some point but no idea how quickly. I am still working on The First Cut but have stopped on The End of Mr Y at this point. I hope to start it back up at some point but not immediately. I did just start another book tonight, Beat the Reaper and may look to start another one also, probably a non-fiction one.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

Globalization and Its Enemies--#23 finished

The book was interesting when talking about the history of globalization throughout time. I was lost on the book toward the end though. Overall sort of interesting but now that I think about it, it really wasn't necessary for me to read it. Oh well, it is late & I am tired so that is enough.

I have posted it on PBS & there is 1 WL so will just have to see if it moves or not.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

The DaVinci Code--#22 finished

Well, I finally got around to reading The DaVinci Code after everyone else in the world has already read it. A good action, investigation book, an easy page turner with some interesting stuff. I have no desire to go back and see what was true and what was false and what didn't fit, etc. I really don't care. It was interesting and kept me involved for those reasons it was a good read. Nothing really memorable though, kind of like Angels & Demons, I don't really remember much but some kind of details on it. Oh well together they are okay. Glad I have finally read them so I can check them off but I really now need to get back to something else.

I have ignored my other books for the last few days, basically since I have been fighting a cold virus that has really done a number on me. Jury Duty on Monday didn't help either, but it allowed me to start & finish the E book. I did find the F book for sale at the library for 50 cents so I grabbed it. The copy is a little rough but now I have it. I don't think I am starting another book right now since I have 3 going, The First Cut, just started at end of Jury Duty, The End of Mr Y, still very early in the book and Globalization and Its Enemies, a little over halfway done but a shorter book.

Monday, April 4, 2011

E is for Evidence--#21 finished

Well, this book came out of nowhere. I started and finished it today. How did this happen, well I was called to Jury Duty and that is what 7 hours of sitting around gets. It was my first time reporting for jury duty--other time is another story--and I never got outside the big waiting room. Okay that is fine. I also will get $10 at some point for all of this, okay won't complain because it is our civic duty and all that.

I had read D is for Deadbeat about 2 years ago so did not to a reread of it. I did skim it last night to sort of remember what it was about. E is for Evidence is about the same as the earlier ones, good stuff, easy to read and easy to follow. The ending with a whole mystery background to one of the suspects made it such that the reader really couldn't guess who with certainty. Her neighbor/landlord was out of town for the holidays and Rosie the bar owner had closed up shop, so this book had a little different feel in that Kinsey was more by herself than normally. Also the policeman/semi friend/boyfriend guy, Jonah, I think is his name, was out of town & back on with his wife. Anyway all of that it is a good story overall. Not sure yet if I have F on hand, might have to be ordering it.

Okay, now I will go back to the Divinci Code, The End of Mr Y and Enemies of Globalism--or something like that. I also just started another paperback at jury duty, The First Cut and will probably continue on with it--maybe.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

John 3:16--#20 finished

I guess this would be called Christian fiction and I would have to say it is not really my thing. It talked about the lives of several loosely connected people and how they have either gone astray from God or have come back to God. To me it all seemed a little cheesy and way over the top. But the story was decent the characters while kind of flat were nice people and in the end it all seemed to work out. Okay I can live with that but I am pretty sure I will not be reading anything else by the author, not that it was terrible but just not my cup of tea in what I am wanting to read.

I will be posting it on PBS & it should move, there are 19 WL last I checked.

Friday, March 25, 2011

No Angel--#19 finished

This is the true story of an undercover ATF agent that infiltrated the Hells Angels. It was pretty amazing stuff and throughout I kept thinking about how much time away from his family he was giving up in this investigation. In the end while he says he would absolutely do it again to gain the knowledge of life he has learned, I have a hard time believing that. The dedication he gave to his job and the others on the team is really amazing and shows people some of what makes this a great country--dedicated people like this.

The other thing that struck me throughout the book is how small time the Hells Angels really seemed. Most of the leadership seemed old and passive--certainly not the threat they are often made out to be. I am sure each chapter is different but the overall leadership and direction seem really lacking in basic things like smarts, intensity and just overall capable members. It seems like most of the main HA characters had a very bad past but were during this time more of shells of their former selves. They still did drugs and ran guns and did intimidation things but no big bad operations really. Maybe it is because I just finished reading the Kings of Cocaine and after reading about the Columbians, the HA seem really small time.

There were some interesting observations in the book about the above also by Bird. At a couple of points he recognizes the members are really just loners or society misfits that have joined together and are now just a part of an organization not much different from people outside of HA. The have a complicated set of rules they have to run their clubs by and a set of leadership in place. It is funny how these anti-establishment types and made such an establishment type club.

I will be posting it on PBS but might wait a little while so I can send it off with others. I think there are still 13 WL for it so should move once posted. I am still reading John 3:16 and just started The End of Mr Y. Might start a 3rd book this weekend at some point.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

3 miles

I did 3 miles on Monday that went pretty much just bad. I had eaten a big lunch & I don't think it was well digested by the time I was running so I ended up walking a lot. Oh well I got the 3 miles in. Also doing 6 miles on Sunday may have contributed as well.

Tonight then after work I did another 3 miles, it was better. Still not very good but better. First mile was around 12:30, 2nd 13:20 and 3rd around 13:40. Like I said not very good but the fact I am calling it better gives you an idea how bad Monday was. After a couple of very nice days, I guess it was nice today too but by the time I started running it was windy, a cold north wind. My ears were very cold by the time I finished & I had a headache when they started to thaw.

At least I am back to running some. One of my Lenten things was to run at least twice a week and so far so good on that.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Long Run

I went for a long run today, the weather was great and figured now was the time. I went to Creve Coeur Park and did 6 miles. It was kind of rough but I was expecting that. The first mile was around 14:45 but that included a bathroom stop. The park was crowded and the regular bathroom was still closed for the season so I had to hit a porta potty about a 1/3 of a mile after starting. The 2nd mile was even slower at 15:25 but I will cut myself a little slack since I saw some deer in the woods in 2 different locations, 6 deer in total. Kind of fun to see them but it was difficult since their coats matched the color of the tree trunks.

The last 4 miles were something like 13:13, 13:17, 13:10 and 13:07, so while no great time in there, I will take them. It was very consistent times but slow, I really just wanted to get the miles in, time wasn't much of a factor. I am tired now but I did feel good and am very glad I got it in.

Kings of Cocaine--#18 finished

A very good book with a ton of information about the cocaine trade starting in the 1970s and running till the mid to late 1980s. Really a lot of amazing stuff in this book. Obviously the main focus was on the Columbian leaders, or the Medellin cartel. I knew of Escobar and I knew there were others too but didn't know how closely associated they all were and how they all worked in concert with one another to help their business.

It is really sad how much the whole drug trade has ruined lives here in the US and throughout the world. At some point people have to take personal responsibility for the actions in using illegal drugs and recognize that not only their own life being ruined or at least a ton of money wasted but also in the producer countries how it has ruined lives there. Like I said it is very sad.

One of the authors is Jeff Leen, he is a Ritenour grad and is now a major newspaper editor, I believe the Washington Post but not sure on that. I had read his newer book on the female wrestling champion from the '30s to the '50 or so. I was impressed at the amount of research for that book and I am again for this book. Hopefully another book will be written by him soon.

I have posted it on PBS, it had 1 WL so will have to see when or if it gets accepted. Still reading No Angel, just under 100 pages on it and just started John 3:16. I may look at finding my next one but might not decide till later in the week.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Lloyd Ruby--#17 finished

Lloyd Ruby: The Greatest Driver Never to Win the Indy 500, is the title, in case you, like me, have no idea who Lloyd Ruby was. I am still not really sure who Lloyd Ruby really was now either. This book seems to be thrown together and really doesn't go into any depth of the person--it really is the same thing over and over. A good guy, unassuming, laid back, easy going Texan, loyal to a fault, handshake is his word, etc etc. Now it all may be true and I am sure much of it really was, but this book was nothing but that chapter after chapter. The book's main focus was on the Indy 500 but I don't understand why more wasn't told about the other races he ran through the season. I guess while it at least mentions someone that people might have forgotten, it is really too bad that this effort wasn't better.

Thinking about the Rube Foster book, the Negro League pitcher, it was hard for the author to find people that had ever met him. That book was basically a research of black newspapers and 2nd or 3rd hand information. The book had tended to describe games he pitched by the numbers, like innings, strikeouts, runs given up, walks, etc but at least that detail gave the reader a true understanding of his performance. This book only talked about Indy, I don't get it, Indy is not the only race out there. Oh well, the book is what it is and to me it is a disappointment.

I have posted it on PBS and there was 1 WL for it so hopefully I will be sending it off. I hadn't noticed it earlier but the author has autographed the book also, oh well. If it was a Lloyd Ruby autograph maybe but the author's autograph is not something very interesting to me.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Saturday

It was a good day today. Thomas had his reading club this morning & they said that he had a great day. They don't always say that but he tells me it was great--I guess their is a problem with how each define it usually. He did a book about Hockey & he loved it.

Right after reading club, we went to a SLU baseball game. It was against Northwestern. We got there a little late about 12:40 and it started at 12, it was just the end of the 2nd inning. It was still zero zero at that point. SLU played a sloppy game but was able to mount some comebacks, we left at 8th inning down 10 to 6 with Northwestern on up with players on base. I haven't checked but I would guess a loss. Score though wasn't the main thing for us, Thomas had fun and it was a good day to be out. The wind picked up a little right before we left, the score along with the wind was enough to call it.

Then after I got home I went out for a run at a local park. It was a different park than my mostly normal one. I have gone to it before but it is the hilly park, at least hilly to an out of shape person like me. I got 3 miles in, with the miles around 13:21, 12:35, 12:35, overall at 12:50--much better than I thought it would be. I am a little tired now but we have a movie we are watching once the kids are in bed.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Cod--#16 finished

A very good book about the history of Cod fishing. It is easy to read and has lots of information along with some very interesting recipes for cooking cod. The book is from 1997 so I will have to do some checking to see if the cod fishing levels have returned. At the time the book was written, cod numbers were down throughout the Atlantic.

Like I said it is an easy read and enjoyable with all the information presented in a very understandable fashion. I will be posting it on PBS, I think there were still either 4 or 5 WL for it so should have it mailed before long.

Monday, March 7, 2011

Rules of Betrayal--#15 finished

This is the 3rd in the series about a spy wife and a doctor who didn't know his wife was a spy. The doctor has since been thrown into situations where he had to basically act like a spy. Well, in this book he officially becomes a spy. A fun read with a lot of very quick paced action. I will continue to look for future books in this series.

I will be posting it on PBS at some point, there are around 40 WL for it so should move quick. Not sure if I will post it this week though, don't know if I really feel like getting to the post office. Might wait to see if a book from my shelf gets requested and I will post this & the Dara Torres book then.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Eat This Book--#14 finished

This is a book about the year the author took to work as emcee on the Competitive Eating Circuit. Some funny stuff and also some rather just bizarre stuff as well. The whole way through the book I could not tell if the author was taking it all series or if it was like he was in on the joke. It was probably a little of both, I would guess. In getting to the know the eaters or gurgitators or whatever that word they call themselves, he sees how series they take it and how they do have a talent that most others simply do not. I see it as great, it is a talent but I don't really care. I guess there are people out there that do care because their are still events and media coverage of them.

A few different times in the book, it is mentioned how the Eating thing wants to be taken seriously as a sport or competition. What this is really saying, they hope to make a lot of money off of this. They also say how they are trying to get accepted as an Olympic sport--wow, that is just crazy. There are other crazy things mentioned in the book, like how they train and legends(stupid made up stories) that really is just stuff about how out of touch from reality everyone in the book is. Oh well, a fun enough book. It is a little dated, some of the eaters have retired and there are new eaters in place but still gives the reader a good bit of insight into this whole bizarre out of the mainstream culture.

I have posted it on PBS, there are no copies on the system but who knows how long it will be around--could be weeks or months and maybe years even. I will just have to wait it out.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Age is Just a Number--#13 finished

This is Dara Torres autobiography, she is the American Olympic swimmer that was age 41 at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. That was her 5th Olympic games. It is really an amazing feat and her story is a good one. Her dedication and commitment was amazing. She doesn't really mention it but her financial commitment to this had to be great as well, from the sounds of it in the book, she came from a very well to do family. The Olympics and most Olympic sports just don't pay well enough for someone to commitment the money to it like she must have. That being said all the money in the world wouldn't help without her again, amazing dedication and commitment.

It is a really good story. There are some goofy parts like her consulting a fortune-teller and actually believing the advice but that adds a degree of creditability to the story. Putting something like that out there had to expose her to some ridicule but I will give her credit for being honest in her book. She has had an interesting career(?) as a swimmer and I will have to google her to see what she is doing currently. I am not sure she will be able to leave the sport but I also don't think coaching is up her alley either.

I will be posting it on PBS at some point, there are 12 WL for it. I am no hurry though to run to the post office to mail just one book, so might wait until something else gets requested. I started reading Rules of Betrayal, the 3rd in the series--I have liked the other 2 and this one has started off good in the first 30 pages or so. I am also starting Kings of Cocaine about the whole drug trade from '70s on. Still reading Eat This Book also.

Age is Just a Number was my 5th book of February, a little slower than January, where I knocked out 8. I don't think I will finish another one, although Eat could get close. I have read 2 700+ page books already this year, last year I only read 3 books over 600 pages. That was one of my kind of goals this year--to read some of the larger books that I have sitting around finally. Of course some of the other 11 I have read have been a little shorter but that is just the way it goes too.

Friday, February 25, 2011

Breaking Dawn-#12 finished

This is the final book of the Twilight series, the uber-popular vampire series by Stephanie Meyer. Our oldest daughter has read the first 3 books in the series but not this one because we haven't let her. This one the main characters get married and have a child and the whole bedroom scenes are things we are not sure she is ready for at this point. After reading the book, I think it handle this pretty well and will be letting her read the book, but might make her wait until summer--will have to talk to wife & see.

As far as the book goes, it is not too bad. Not really what I enjoy reading but it did eventually get entertaining. I didn't read the first 3 (and don't expect I will either) so maybe some of the whole love story was missed by me, but once it got past that in the beginning it wasn't too bad. I still like my vampires more traditional but these "new" vampires have sold a lot of books so can't really fault the author there. Overall a good story with some decent secondary stuff going on as well. Characters were just okay but again maybe I missed some on their back stories in the earlier books.

This was a library book so I will be returning it, no moving it along to PBS. I figure we will be getting a copy for daughter at some point though. Right now reading Dara Torres book, the Olympic swimmer and Eat This Book, about competitive eating. Will be grabbing another book at some point today as well.

Monday, February 21, 2011

Perfectly Criminal--#11 finished

I haven't been reading as much this month so things have slowed down. My interest in the books could be part of the reason as well. This one, Perfectly Criminal is just okay. I liked the author's first book, Defenseless more. This one continued with the same main characters from the RI Attorney General's office but the focus was on a different lawyer in the office, the tough, rough talking, etc lawyer. She had to come to grips with some of her past and also some relationship stuff in the book. I really didn't like the beginning and it took a lot to overcome that. I had almost given up the book before page 100 but did push on to finish. It finished up much better but still just a okay or maybe a little below that.

I have posted it on PBS and there are 2 WL for it so hopefully I will be mailing it out this week for a credit.

Quick update, I am mailing the book off to a PBS member but that member also ordered 2 other books. I also sent along a couple other books because I figure if you are ordering 3 I could kick some in also.

Saturday, February 12, 2011

The Gin Closet--#10 finished

I am mixed on how I feel about the book. I think the author did an excellent job of taking chances with the book and exposing the readers to some real emotions and tough situations. I am not sure really how I feel about the characters in the book. Everyone in the book was really struggling with their demons, some much worse than others. In the end though it was hard to find much to like about any of the characters, their flaws seemed to be what controlled their lives.

A screwed up family that kept secrets for years, throw in a lot of drinking, some incest, a cold hearted mom/sister and well there is the book. Obviously much more but those were some of the main themes. By the end of the book it was tough to say that I enjoyed it. I do have to give the author credit because it was very well written and the emotion came off the page without the author having to spice it up--if that makes sense.

I will be posting it to PBS, there are like 6 WL for it so it should be mailed off next week. I will probably also post The Hour I First Believed as well and maybe a 3rd book too, who knows.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

The Hour I First Believed--#9 finished

It took a while but I finally finished this book. I started it right at the end of Dec so it was a little more than a month. Early on it was a tough book for me to stay interested in, didn't care for either of the two main characters Caelum or Maureen-Mo. Overall though it all came around and is a very good book. A very good story about Caelum and his ancestors and the struggle him & Mo had after Columbine. There is a lot of info and storylines going on in the novel that the 2nd half or at least the last 3rd, it was fun to see the pieced together or explained at least. I am glad that I took the time to read the book. It was the longer book that I wanted to start the year off with and while it came in at 9, I still see it as starting the year with it since it took that month to read.

I will be posting it on PBS, not sure when but sometime in the next week or so I would guess. I am still reading Breaking Dawn and have also started Perfectly Criminal. Might grab a third book tomorrow as well but should probably spend more time on the other two first also-who knows.

Friday, January 28, 2011

The Man in the Flying Lawn Chair and Other Excursions & Observations--#8 finished

This is a collection of George Plimpton articles from throughout his career. Some very good and funny stuff. I knew of George Plimpton as the sports writer that actually got out there and attempted the sports to write about them. The Paper Lion probably his most famous where he went to the Detroit Lions training camp as a quarterback and even got a few plays in during a preseason game. I knew he was a writer but thought his main focus was sports. Well I was wrong and this book was a nice intro into some of what his career spanned. I liked the book, it was a short quick read with interesting chapters.

I have posted it on PBS, there was one WL for it so hopefully it will be getting mailed off soon. I am still working on The Hour I First Believed and also working on Breaking Dawn--the Twilight book. Not sure if I will be starting a 3rd one tonight but will probably look to add a 3rd sometime this weekend.

By the way, not a bad start to the year 8 books read in the first month. Now 3 of them are under 200 pages but still considering I have been slowly working on The Hour...8 read is not bad at all.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The True Sources of the Nile--#7 finished

I was pleasantly surprised at how I enjoyed this book, especially the 2nd half of it. The first half was slow and spent much time developing the characters to where the reader would feel some connection with them. The 2nd half started with the uprising and massacre in Burundi and how Anne reacts to that along with her feelings toward her boyfriend and lover Jean Pierre and his role in this and previous uprisings. I also enjoyed how Anne's life in the US still continued onward and once she was pulled back into that orbit how that life contrasted with her African life. The relationships at home with her sisters and her mother were complex but it seemed she was always looking for a way out from there and in the end leaves the US again for an overseas job in Malaysia.

If you can get through the beginnings of the novel, the 2nd half is really worth it for the read. Like I said I did enjoy reading it. I have posted it on PBS but there are 4 or 5 copies ahead of it so it probably won't move for a while.

I am still working on The Hour I First Believed, man it is going slow but hope to get more than a few pages read today on my day off. Also just starting the final Twilight book as a favor for my oldest--she really wants to read it but because of adult themes we haven't let her. I have agreed to read it and then decide so she is really really hoping I will let her--we will just have to see. I have not read any of the Twilight books but did see the first movie and wasn't very impressed, oh well.

Thursday, January 20, 2011

The Perfect Play-#6 finished

This is a very good book by a British author. I read an earlier book by her The Half Life of Stars and liked the book but not as much as this one. A 30 something lady in England has relationship issues--afraid to open up with her boyfriend, day left long time ago, mom had remarried and mom then passed away and she liked but never really fit in with stepfather & step brothers. All of that is going on but the author writes in a quirky funny way.

She meets a former poker pro and since her dad had left home to become a poker pro, she learns poker from him as well as find a way to contact her dad. There are other twists and turns in the story. The end a little cheesy but overall a very good read.

I have already posted it on PBS and there are 4 or 5 copies a head of it so probably won't move for a while. I have 3 books to get mailed off tomorrow--Forbidden Fairways, Jaguar Smile and Ford County. I have been moving some books lately which is a very good thing because I really don't have room on my shelf for more without making some go away first.

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Running

It has been a while since I gave an update on my running. I guess this fits since it seems like it has been a while since I have gotten any consistent running in. A week and a half ago I ran 4 slow miles on Friday(I was off that day) and then did a good 6 miles at Forest Park. It was until yesterday that I got another run in, a nice 3 mile run inside on the walking track at the community center. We are supposed to get snow tonight & into tomorrow so I doubt I will be running outside soon. Hopefully I can get at least one run in this weekend though.

Given how sporadic my running has been, it should be no surprise that I have no races even being thought of right now. I am really out of shape. Dropping 10 pounds to start would be a nice beginning and would help my running as well, will just have to see about this.

Saturday, January 15, 2011

The Reader--#5 finished

This was another short book that I have finished this year--all 5 books finished have been under 300 pages and only A Paper Life was over 250 pages. I have been slowly reading The Hour I First Believed too which is in the 700s but I am just nearing 200 on it.

Oh well, The Reader is an interesting book in a strange kind of way. A 15 year old boy has a sexual and unusual relationship with a 36 year old lady in Germany about 8-10 years after WWII. She disappears from his life about 9 months or so after it all started. Eventually she is arrested and tried for war crimes since she was a concentration camp guard. She is found guilty and sentenced to life. While her trial is going on the boy is now a student and as part of the law school class he is in, he attends the whole trial but does not communicate with the lady at all.

Well the title of the book refers to the fact the lady cannot read or write so while dating the boy read aloud to her. During the trial it comes out that she would pick a weak child to read to her while at the camp & then at the end of the month that child would be sent off to their death. The lady being illiterate does not come out at the trial, in fact the lady does not want it to come out for some reason, most likely embarrassment. Since it doesn't come out though her defense is weak & the other guards pin the majority of the blame on her.

Well the boy, now a man, starts reading aloud again and then making tapes & sending them to the lady in prison. The lady learns to read & write and even sends notes to the boy. Well, the boy never communicates with her except by sending the tapes. Eventually she gets out on appeal and the week before she is let out, he finally comes & visits. Nothing major was said but neither was comfortable either. He speaks to her the day before she gets out and then the day she was supposed to be free, they find that she hung herself in the cell.

A really kind of strange book. I have problems with the whole 36 year old lady and a 15 year old boy. The book never really says how guilty she is as far as being the guard. The boy's life is screwed up because he compares his wife, who later divorces him and other girlfriends to this first relationship and none can hold up to the pedestal he has put that relationship on. An interesting read and very easy to read but overall I just have a hard time buying into the whole story.

I have already posted it on PBS, there are like 75 copies ahead of it, so it is not going anywhere for a long time. That being said, one of the first books I posted on PBS, The Yellow Sailor has been requested & I will be mailing off early next week. I really hated that book so glad to see it going but also sorry for the person it is being sent to, but different tastes abound so who knows they might like it. By the way I am also reading The Perfect Play and might look at starting a 3rd book as well.

Sunday, January 9, 2011

A Paper Life--#4 finished

This is Tatum O'Neal's autobiography and it is pretty shocking as far as how she explains how she grew up, her marriage to John McEnroe and her drug addictions. I had to check her wikipedia page just to see what it said. Her father Ryan O'Neal of course denied what she wrote, there was no statement from John McEnroe though. John McEnroe's wikipedia page barely mentions O'Neal and nothing about his use of steroids, I am guessing since he is a broadcaster now those things just don't get written up there.

The book portrays O'Neal as the victim and I believe that when it talks about her upbringing. Her mom was an alcoholic and was in no shape to raise her or her brother and throw in some hippie free love and drugs in the mix and there you go. She says her father rescued them but he wasn't much better. He was jealous of her getting attention, he basically ignored the kids while sleeping with everything he could and he was on at least pot and probably worse stuff as well. It was basically a horrible upbringing. It is a rough book to read given what she went through.
Now I also don't think she was quite as innocent as she is letting on in the book either, this was her chance to set the record and I am not sure I completely believe it all. I have to admit that she is/was hurting for money so writing a book with some blockbuster stuff probably helped a lot. On her wikipedia page it mentioned she was picked up 3 years ago with cocaine and crack and a crack pipe. This is really too bad because she has not conquered her addition. At the end of the book she talked about doing the AA 12 step program but I guess it didn't take. Hopefully, she will stay clean. She has had a tough life and it probably will always be tough for her from the sounds of it.

I am not a big celebrity person and really only ordered this book because there were 5 previous Paperbackswap owners so I would read it and pass it along. I really enjoy following the travels of my PBS books. I have already posted this book and there are 4 or 5 copies a head of it so it probably won't move for a while but that is no problem.

I am still working on The Hour I First Believed, just getting past 100 pages in. I also started The Reader yesterday. I will probably look for a 3rd book to get started on also.