Friday, February 28, 2014

The Mystery of Olga Chekhova--#11 finished

An interesting book about the niece of Anton Chekhov and the life she lead in Russia around their revolution and then in Germany during the rise of Nazism and then through WWII and the life afterwards.  Much speculation and research went into Olga's life.  Her life that was mostly open where you could see her as a movie and stage actress, playing a role of a celebrity in Germany in the 1920s through the 1940s.  There is also evidence of her having a role as a possible spy for Russia during this time, while she can be linked to this, there is no idea what kind of information if any she was passing along.  She may have been a sleeper, that was only to be called in at a later time.  An interesting read but unfortunately not full of complete answers, after reading you are left with questions on her.  Book just seems incomplete and that is too bad because it sounds as if she was a much more interesting person and story than this book can give.

I am not sure yet if this book will be loaned out or might be posted on PBS.  There are no copies on PBS so it would probably move at some point if posted.  I am still reading American Sniper and Black Order and The Watch, might start another this weekend, not sure yet.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

The Scorch Trials--#10 finished

This is the 2nd book in The Maze Runner series. I wasn't a big fan of the Maze Runner and this one was just okay.  Starting to sort out stuff on this but still really not making sense and not enough here to really cause me to care.  There is a 3rd book in this series & I have it so I will read on but not overly excited about it.

This is a futurist series, where a group of boys and another group of girls are basically test subjects  being used to help the rest of humanity.  My main criticism is the reader is given almost no idea of what is left with humanity, this 2nd book explains some of it but really I am just at the point of just get on with it.  Too much unexplained behind the scenes stuff is just taking any real enjoyment from this series.  I was hoping the 2nd book would be better and it was to a degree.  I figure the 3rd has to sort it all out, if it doesn't well that is my fault for reading on after the first book.

I wil be posting it on PBS, probably try to see if someone out there wants both books & send them together.  Both have plenty of WL so they will be moving on.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Nowhere Near the Sea of Cortez--#9 finished

An interesting read about a small Illinois town in 1969.  Lots of weird characters that keep it kind of light but also some real happenings and emotions that give the book enough of a real feel to it as well.  Parts almost have a cartoonish feeling and other parts are sad and almost hopelessness type feelings.  This is or was at least then a Missouri writer so that is why I bought the book years ago at a library sale, finally read it because it looked like it would be a quick read, which it really wasn't.  I will still qualify it as a good read though, surprising in lots of ways and did have lots packed into its just over 200 pages.  There is the start to some very good characters that I would mind if he fleshed them out a little more jumping a head in time to see what happens to them, but since book is 13 years old, I am guessing any hope for that has passed.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy on the system so I would hope it will move at some point down the road.  I am reading The Scorch Trials and The Mystery of Olga Chekhova.  I might add another book tonight or wait till over the weekend to do so.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

(1413 of) Those Words--#8 finished

Okay just a little background on this I guess is needed.  On PBS, a member there was asking for people to order her book and read it and give it a review.  This was last fall at some point and I thought what the heck, I read about anything, sure I will order it and do that.  It was somewhere in early Nov that I started this book and just finished it this morning.  I believe this to be a self published book and I think the author is a blogger or something along those lines.

Okay, now that that is out of the way a couple points.  This is kind of an autobiography but at points it reads almost like a diary--maybe a kind of therapeutic autobiography.  She has had a rough life in many ways & to endure & get to the part where her & her high school love are back together is a great story.  This had to be an emotional book to write to discuss being molested by a neighbor growing up, to family problems and then the teenage problems that most experience but hers with the kind of dulled senses toward sex because of the molestation--lots for a kid to endure.  Her true love in high school being indecisive and basically sticking with girlfriend number 1 instead of chancing it on girlfriend number 2, she sees as a kind of turning point.

Her partying ways through her 20s & 30s and eventually having a kid and then marrying someone else.  It was it sounds like a loveless marriage but stuck it out kind of thing.  So when HS love finds her on Facebook, all the old feelings come back.  Many, many pages of their communication are in the book, the back & forth of email or Facebook or eventually text messages.  It sounds like both have had less than ideal lives & nice to hope that getting together will be right for them.

This is probably my first experience with a self published book and I think this book is screaming for a good editor to come in & really clean it up.  It took me this long to read & I nearly quit reading too many times to count almost.  I would go weeks without touching this book, it just couldn't hold my interest.  Which is too bad because I think there is a good story in here, better than what is here but this is what it is.  I cannot recommend this book and I would have a hard time giving it an even decent review because of this.  Oh well, maybe give it a couple days & rethink it.

I am not sure if I will post it on PBS, probably not, most likely just a give away book.  Still finishing up Nowhere Near the Sea of Cortez.  Still in early stages of The Scorch Trials & just started The Mystery of Olga Checkova.  Not sure if another book will get started yet, I am thinking will wait till I finish Nowhere...

Thursday, February 13, 2014

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo--#7 finished

I recorded this movie to watch a couple times on my DVR & it rolled off both times.  I finally decided to read the book first & glad that I did.  It is a good book, but I figure I would have missed a lot if I had just watched the movie.  Interesting characters and good story, couple of times I didn't think they were making sense but action and story kept moving.  It took a little bit to get started but once it did it was a page turner.  Because of the interesting characters I am looking forward to getting to the next 2 books.

I would normally post this but it some kind of wrinkles in it at the beginning, I don't think water problem but still could be seen as non-postable.  I will keep because this is one that might get lent out at some point.  Also I think there are well over 1000 copies in the different books on PBS--paperback, hardcopy and various releases & editions, no reason to add one more to it.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

A Nation Rising--#6 finished

A good read about people & happenings in early US history.  Lots of good info about things like Aaron Burr, Seminole Indian Wars, Andrew Jackson, Jessie Fremont, slave revolts and abolitionists.  Easy to read and really do learn a lot in each chapter.  I really enjoyed this.  I am still debating if this book is a keeper or not.

There are like 4 WL for it but like I said above, I may make this a keeper book, not sure yet.  I really enjoyed it but not sure I will re-read it but might be one to loan out to others down the line.  Still reading 1413 words--I was very close to quitting but have kind of talked myself back into it, under 100 pages to go.  Also still reading Nowhere Near the Sea of Cortez and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I might start a 4th tonight but not sure.