Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Counting Coup--#12 finished

The writer moves to a Crow Indian reservation in Montana to write a book about the boys basketball team but once there changes instead to the girls basketball team.  There is a talented senior player along with other talented players that become the focus of his book.  Interesting how he spent 15 months there working on this book, that once those months were done, he was unable to finish the book for a few years.  He couldn't finish it because he saw little to no hope for the girls on the team, especially the Indian girls.  The book is powerful in showing how tough life is on the rez.  The unbelievable alcoholism and unemployment that fuel the assaults, bankruptcies, drug use and just sight of no future.  Through in racism and sexism along with decades old feuds between clans and it really makes you wonder how anyone functions in this area at all.  At the end of the book, it was finally when a few years later he could see these girls were growing up into women with success that he felt good about finishing the book.  I just wish there was something out there for another update--it is about 20 years since that time and I would just like to know.

I will probably post it on PBS at some point, there is 1 WL for it but I really enjoyed it so might keep it around a while yet.  I was able to add more books onto my PBS WL but still not getting any of my books being posted to me.  Oh well, just the way it is.

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Running the Books--#11 finished

Interesting, non-fiction--a Harvard educated, raised orthodox Jew, takes a position as prison librarian at a state prison in Boston.  He is not educated in Library Science but does have a love of books, don't remember if mentioned but I would guess an English or some kind of Writing major in college.  Interesting characters and real struggles both with the inmates & the staff.  It is a tough place to work and tough to follow all of the minute details of rules in a prison.  I enjoyed it and makes you think about  the people locked up and how they got there.  Seems like most he was close with have sad endings.  He also doesn't really let you know what is next is his life, which I am interested in too.  His website & no wikipedia entry don't seem to have much detail either.  Also kind of wonder if the pimp in the book ever got his own memoir published.

I will post it back to PBS at some point but again have too many credits & not enough WL offers coming in so will just stack this away for now.

Monday, February 16, 2015

The Day Trader--#10 finished

An alright kind of quick read.  Started out fast but then just too much going on and really confusing with too many angles and none really making much sense.  It ended with main guy having a new perspective on life and everything will be great which I don't buy.  Just a couple months earlier he wanted to be a big time day trader player but oh well.  Pages kept turning so didn't have to get bogged down in that the story just wasn't believable.  I grabbed it because I needed a book to read on a nice day outside about a week ago and it was close to the top of a pile in my book room.  It met that qualification and was readable but more I think about it less I liked the book.

I have posted it on PBS but with 45 copies ahead of this version & who knows how many copies of other versions, it isn't going anywhere.  I will leave posted for now, sometimes multiple orders will grab an older book or maybe one day I will run a deal on PBS.  I am also thinking about purging some especially if I can find somewhere to donate them off to like a nursing home or prison or something where they might get read & used.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

The Brutal Language of Love--#9 finished

This is a really good short story book with a lot of tough emotions about women in love or at least what they think is love.  While not all the stories were great or maybe even good they all made me think a little and also made me see thinks from a different perspective.  Also none of the stories really answered any questions, mostly just ended with the reader hoping things turn out for the best with a lot of doubt on that.

I will probably be posting it on PBS at some point, there are no copies on system but PBS is changing in ways this weekend and will just have to see about it first.   I already have plenty of credits, just need some of my WL books to come through before I feel good about sending more out.

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Prime Green--#8 finished

Author Robert Stone looks back at the 1960s.  He was mostly in his 20s then and 30s by late '60s and was kind of right in the middle of it.  After a stint in the Navy in late '50s, moves from New York to a writing program at Stanford, living around San Francisco.  He moves back and forth between New York and San Fran and lives by many characters of the times.  He even gets to Vietnam in the early '70s as a reporter.  His first book is written in the '60s and was made into a movie staring Paul Newman & Joanne Woodward.  Checking out Robert Stone's wikipedia page, I see he just passed away in January, lived 77 years and married 55 years to his wife--wow that is really nice to see.  RIP.  Not really into or have studied the 1960s, this was an interesting read.  He seems to have been attached to some of the beatniks of the '50s and slide into the '60s.  I got the feeling as he got older & kids & family, the whole life of the '60s became more settled down into the '70s & later but he really doesn't get into that.  Good read overall.

I will post on PBS, there is 1 WL so if do soon should move.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

The Eye of God--#7 finished

The next in line of James Rollins books, the Sigma Series.  Pretty good series and he tries to tie them in with a this could be possible happening.  The this could happen in this book is a comet carrying black matter is returning to earth for first time since Genghis Kahn's time when a crucifix was made for St Thomas that had a piece of black matter.  A race to find Genghis Kahn's tomb to avert this disaster.  Just hard to believe all of these hidden tombs and clues all get discovered and follow to next within days--when it has been thousands of years they have been hidden.  I have a hard time buying it.  Throw in some evil North Koreans and some crazy Kahn worshipers to slow things down, but don't really just make more action and there is the book.  A good page turner but overall kind of a weak premise.  Oh well, good enough book that I will look to keep up on series.

PBS has big changes happening, they are going to start charging a yearly membership fee.  I am pretty sure I will pay for some kind of level at least for the next year & see how it goes.  My WL has been moving very very slow, so not sure it is worth it but think I will give a year to see how it goes.  I might trade some of my credits for a membership but have a few days yet to figure this out.  If still on PBS I will probably be posting this book since I think it had like 14 WL for it.