Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Puerto Vallarta Squeeze--#61 finished

First book I read by Robert James Waller and can tell he is a very talented writer, good story that flowed very nicely with good characters.  Little things that happened that came back around later, were just mentioned and moved on, no big !!! or anything to make you remember them.  Just a good professional story.  I really liked the book.

I will probably post it even though there are already quite a few copies in the PBS system.

Sunday, October 25, 2015

American Salvage--#60 finished

A short story book with the stories based in tough areas of Michigan.  Lot of good stories in here, really liked this book.  I have a novel by author that I am looking foreword to getting to at some point too.  Good stories, good characters and even though were short stories, could gather the good insights of character development.

I am not sure if I will keep this one or send it off.  It is an author autographed copy to "Sue", not that it means much but I do like the autographed copy books I have.  There is a WL of around 8 for it so would move as soon as I feel like posting.

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

The Street Lawyer--#59 finished

A good Grisham read.  A big firm lawyer is caught in a hostage situation at work where homeless guy keeps group of them homeless.  It ends with homeless guy getting shot & his blood is all over this lawyer.  Lawyer re-evaluates his life and looks into why homeless guy did it & finds out big firm did him wrong.  His whole life changes, ends marriage that was on way to end, moves out of nice expensive apartment to much cheaper, leaves big firm and goes to work in poverty/street lawyer type place, starts helping at homeless shelters.  Finds mentor lawyer that helps homeless.  Sues big firm because of their wrong.  All kind of works out in the end.  Nothing great but a good quick page turner type read. Was written in late '90s but guess it was one that I had missed back then.

It is wrinkled, could be water damage or just cheaply made.  Since it is a Grisham & there are already hundreds of this copy on PBS, it is going to my give away pile.

Sunday, October 18, 2015

The Forever Boys--#58 finished

A very fun read about the Senior Baseball League from 1989-1990.  It was a league formed for 35+ age players, catchers at 32+ to continue playing baseball.  This was prior to expansion & right after the MLB owners collusion where older more expensive players were squeezed out of the league.  This was the time of the USFL and people with money thought about starting ways to compete with the other major leagues.  A good read about the St Petersburg Pelicans and the players and the teams they played against.  More than a few times after reading a chapter or two I would open up baseball reference.com and look up the stats on these players--fun reliving some memories.  Also several of the players I have baseball cards for--since I collected from later '70s and into mid to late '80s.  Fun to see some of the names still showing up, Steve Henderson is hitting coach for the Phillies, Dock Ellis just passed away among others.

This one is going on my keeper shelf, not really a designated shelf, just a thought in my head more like.

Friday, October 16, 2015

Cannery Row--#57 finished

I thought this book, short book at only 123 pages, had some very interesting characters but the story overall just sort of kicked along.  Other than to talk about the characters I didn't see a reason for the book.  I just did a quick wikipedia read of it & it mentioned centered on Doc & the parties for him.  I guess could argue Doc was main glue of the Cannery Row area but such a short book, just have to infer way too much for my liking.  Again though the characters were interesting and Steinbeck is a very good writer--it had been a very long time since I had read anything by him.

I will keep this book, no reason to put on PBS or give away.  Good to keep the classics, which not sure it really qualifies, Steinbeck certainly does qualify.

Monday, October 12, 2015

The Hermit King--#56 finished

The Hermit King was a good story, only about 125 pages.  The book also had 5 other short stories, they were just okay.  The Hermit King was a good story about 2 kids, boy & girl around age 12.  This is in small town Alabama, he lives there & she comes to visit her 2 aunts that are basically spinsters.  They really have no idea in raising her.  She lives with her dad, her mother died, I believe.  The boy lives with his mom and grandmother.  Mom is a widow, dad died in WWII, which is still going on.  Mom doesn't really have it together & grandma kind of runs things.  Well, kids get in trouble and decide to run away.  All of this in the back drop of the South in the 1940s.  Interesting story & interesting times.  Other stories basically around the South too at different times but to me not as interesting.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy in system now so I think it will move sometime.

Sunday, October 4, 2015

The Invention of Everything Else--#55 finished

A book about a maid in the hotel that interacts with Nikola Tesla at the end of his life.  Not really knowing anything about Tesla this was probably a bad introduction to his life.  The book did talk about his earlier life so you do get to understand part of it but you don't really understand what was real & what was fiction.  Just a lot of this book is just out there.  You have to understand it was a different time & people had different thoughts & beliefs, that almost anything could be invented.  I don't know, just a different sort of book that really wasn't for me.

I will be posting it on PBS at some point but I am back to have too many credits so will be in no hurry to send it off.