Innocent Blood--#48

This is the 2nd in the Sanguines series and like the first book some good things & then some just off the wall too just out there things.  I drifted along on this book through the first half and then after finishing some other books just pushed through & finished it today.  Back with vampires, both good--that are Catholic priests and bad, your blood sucker types and others.  Throw in a famous bad guy from the Bible and a couple other characters with the returning group from the first book and there you go.  Saving the world while everyone else just doesn't notice.  Not a favorite series but moved along well enough that if I get a copy of the next book I will read it too.

I will be posting it on PBS in the next week or two, only at 15 WL for it so want to get it moved soon while still WL for it.

Racing While Black--#47 finished

I finished this book on Saturday but just now getting around to entering it.  Good book about a father and son that are race car enthusiasts and father ran teams for years but now they look to get into bigger time stock car racing.  They are black and one of the few owners in stock car racing at least around the North Carolina area.  They set a goal to get their team in the top level of NASCAR.  Book focuses a lot on the sponsorship area and the struggles they had.  Sponsorship is a struggle for just about all teams except those at the very top.  At time or two they mentioned that most of the cars they were racing against were not sponsored of if they were it was by local businesses, one mentioned was by local strip clubs.  I do not doubt for a second that being a black team didn't help and hurt in many ways as was pointed out--crowds at some venues just didn't like them, people they were racing against tried to wreck them and intimidate them on & off the track.  Racing is a tough sport and an expensive sport.  They seemed very successful outside of racing and had money they could invest in their team to a degree and were able to get some sponsors.  A lot of interesting characters and info in the book.  I did a wiki on them before I finished, reading they had some success but never reached NASCAR.  It is too bad because I think NASCAR could use some diversity--Danica Patrick gets plenty of press but a couple minority drivers--black and/or latino I think could really introduce the sport of new marketing segments.  I guess that is what I don't understand.  This team in the book should have been a great marketing tool for some products but those products just couldn't pull the trigger on it and you don't get why in the book.  Was it these products not trusting this team--not that they were black but they were not on top of their team--living away from the track, car & driver most seasons and book documents some struggles because of this.  Was it a personality thing?  Once they went to Rev Jackson & his Rainbow Coalition was that a reason companies shied away?  Book is from the Miller Racing side so answers aren't given but makes you wonder.

I will post it on PBS, was a good read and would like to pass it along.  There are no WL for it & no copies on system yet so hopefully will move sooner rather than later.

NYPD Red 2 -- #46

Another series that I am reading, this one by James Patterson and Michael Karp.  Unlike other Patterson books I have read recently, I really like this one & also the first book in series.  An elite police group in NY that works on police cases of the elites in NY.  Fun characters and fast action so nice page turner.  I would imagine a 3rd and beyond will be coming out as well.  This one had a vigilante kind of serial killer angle that ended up being other policemen doing it.

I have posted it on PBS already, it is a mass paperback and the WL was running short so I just got it in a couple weeks ago and mailing off while there is still a WL for it.  Still reading Innocent Blood and Racing While Black and just started a short story book--Going Away Shoes.  Not sure if will be starting a 4th book right away or not.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets--#45 finished

The 2nd in the Harry Potter series and is a good read.  Still seems a little kidish or young for my taste but have been told it becomes more adult like as the series goes on.  Lots of stuff in here that makes it appealing but nothing I see that would make me fanatical about it.  Of course saying that I already know the history & my expectations are of course influenced by that so not a true test either.  Good book and good characters & will continue on with the series.  We have the 3rd book but think we are missing the 4th but have plenty of time to find or get copy out of library yet.

This is on the keeper shelf, so no posting it to PBS.  Also there are probably tons of copies already out there anyway so no reason to add to that.

Rothstein--#44 finished

This is about Arnold Rothstein as the subtitle reads, The Life, Times and Murder of the Criminal Genius Who Fixed the 1919 World Series.  A good read about the times and the gambling and criminal stuff in New York city back then.  Makes you think, today we look at corruption in 3rd world countries & think it can never be fixed but it was only 100 years ago it was rampant here.  I had not heard of AR before this and it is a good read.

I have posted it because there was 0 WL but it got snapped up right away.  I will be mailing it off later this week.

A Student of Living Things--#43 finished

An interesting novel of a close knit extended family that suffers the murder of the son.  It is an unsolved case that haunts the family.  His sister trying to return to normal returns to her graduate studies and meets a guy that says was the brother's friend.  Through some twists & turns well he is the killer, an insane guy.  She, before knowing he is the killer, helps him lure next person toward them.  When next guy closer to coming to town, she kind of wises up and they don't meet and she eventually turns insane guy over to FBI & he confesses.  Mean time her & other guy meet up have a quick romance & he leaves country and she has their child.   Many details left out but like I said an interesting story.

I will be posting it on PBS, I don't think any hardcopy copies on system--maybe a paperback though.  No WL for it so it will be sitting for who knows how long.  Still reading Rothstein and just getting started on Innocent Blood & Harry Potter book 2.  I might go ahead and start another book tonight too.

Wolves Eat Dogs--#42 finished

This was the next in series of Arkady Renko series by Martin Cruz Smith.  Another very good book in this series which is definitely one of my favorite series.  He is back in Russia, the new Russia with millionaires and billionaires.  He is investigating a couple that have died and the investigation takes him into the evacuation zone around Chornobyl.  Really interesting stuff, I had no idea about much of it and about how large that zone is.  Makes me want to learn more, need to find a good book on it.  Renko is still himself, driving people crazy.  Just a fun character & series.

This series is on my keeper shelf so no PBS for it.