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.