Friday, January 29, 2016

Uzbekistan--#8 finished

This is a short book but I have been reading it off and on for about 2 months.  It is probably more of a text book than an actual just read & enjoy book.  The rest of the title is: Transition to Authoritarianism on the Silk Road.  While only a 123 pages, it goes into detail of Uzbekistan in several areas.  It is more of a starting point book for someone wanting to learn about the country.  Interesting the book was published in 2000 so before 9/11 happens.  Afghanistan is mentioned as a bordering country in a civil war where the Taliban have taken over most of the country by then and is a cause of unrest in other Central Asian countries because they are all generally Muslim people in these countries.  I will have to do some wikipedia research to see what has become of Uzbekistan since 2000, I kept myself from looking this up on purpose until I had finished just for the excitement of it all.

I will post this book on PBS, it will be the only copy in the system.  I ordered it when it was the only copy too a few years back.  I don't expect much of a rush to order on it but you never know especially as the only copy.

Black Friday--#7 finished

This is the next in Alex Kava's Maggie O'Dell series, FBI profiler that finds a way to get really involved in cases.  This is a domestic terrorism case where big business & certain politicians it seems has hired a super secret terrorist to plan a couple incidents to help force the government to invest more in security helping the big business types.  A conspiracy theory kind of terrorist.  Maggie's stepbrother is thrown right into the mix as well as her still uncomfortable around guy Nick that she is forced to work next too.  Mall of America gets bombed on Black Friday, terrorist blows up kids with backpacks they thought would just screw with the computers.  Then on that Sunday a bomb blows up in an airport, one of the busiest travel days of year.  Lots of questions and details about the after affects left unanswered.  Just too much amazing circumstances with stepbrother & Nick to make it real.  Just seems like most of this book is forced.  Oh well, still quick read and sort of interesting.  Maggie is good character.  Just need to suspend reality like it seems too many books make you do in order to enjoy.  I know there are more books in series & I have some so will continue just seems like series is losing it's steam.

I will keep this book, this series is on my keeper shelf since NE author.

Sunday, January 24, 2016

The Savage Nation--#6 finished

Wow, I really really disliked this book.  Some of his ideas and thoughts made sense but they were just presented in a terrible way.  I had heard a few of his radio shows in the past so I knew he was basically the conservative radio insult comic type but I didn't think he would write a book in that same manner.  This is an older book, wrote in 2002 or around there, just after 9/11 so kind of fun to see some of the same things still being talked about today.  Again some of the ideas and points make sense but I cannot believe how awful just reading this book makes me feel.  I did get through it just because I hate to quit books and it is short and easy to read.

I will not be posting it on PBS, I will not even donate it to the nursing home that I give books too.  It is just too insulting to give away like that.  I might donate it to the library or I might just give away to the local used bookstore.  It might also just end up in the trash, that is looking like the most likely ending.

Sunday, January 17, 2016

This is a Bust--#5 finished


Good story about a Chinese American guy in the '70s that served in Vietnam and is now back in New York working as a police officer there.  He says he is the only Chinese American on the force and of course they put him in Chinatown.  They keep him on the street and make sure his face is in the papers and at banquets as their token officer.  He wants to move up to detective but feels he is pigeonholed where he is at.  Except of course he is a drunk with a temper at times.  Still dealing with the whole back from the war issues too.  Not a great read but good story, makes you kind of step back in time & see how it was from a perspective that I didn't really think much about before.  Liked it a lot for that.  Also by end seems like he has his life going good, can see some personal growth in him and also looks like for his career too.

There are 5 WL for this so like before I will be putting into PBS at some point but don't really need the credits now so no hurry to do so.

Twelve Days--#4 finished

This is the next in Alex Berenson's John Wells series, good series and good book.  Wells is an ex-CIA operative that still basically operates as a CIA operative.  Ex-CIA longtime leader and a lifer inside CIA continue to use him for investigation & way beyond other stuff when needed.  I forget the name of the book before this but basically the two books ran back to back--same cast of characters & same bad guys, just split into two books.  Super rich guy that is also Jewish & pro-Israel hires a lady to run operations to slow down Iran's nuclear operation.  When realize actions taken haven't really slowed it down, run a false flag(I think that is right) operation where Iran is blamed in trying to get nuclear uranium to the US.  This causes US President to set deadline for Iran to open up their facilities or face war with the US, of course Iran refuses.  Right before deadline, Wells able to uncover plot & get evidence to US President to stop the war.  Fun quick type read.  While all that happens is possible I guess, the luck for it to happen that way in every circumstance is pretty far out there but suspend some reality & hope back story isn't really happening & just kind of enjoy the what if of the book.

There are 47 WL for it so at some point I will put it back out on PBS.  My credits are okay so no big rush to do so now.

Saturday, January 9, 2016

The Glass Castle--#3 finished

What a crazy life the author lived.  Her parents were the non-traditional type.  Never really settling down & never really with steady jobs or incomes.  The would stay in some small run down place & when bills or life caught up they were sneak out at night & leave to their next destination.  The author was the 2nd oldest child and recounts this life.  Their mom's mom passed away & left them a home in Phoenix that they stayed at for a while but again no jobs and no money eventually fell into disrepair & they up & moved to West Virginia where his mom was at with some extended family.  To a small town coal community.  Lots of poor here but their family sunk to the even lower end.  Dad a drunk & just got worse in WV.  As high school ended for oldest she moved to New York city & then after junior year in high school author & younger brother moved too.  Eventually youngest child moved & went to high school in NY too.  Parents came but kept their nomadic lifestyle, eventually putting them on the street where they wanted to stay.  Kids kept growing up, author went to college & writing at magazines, oldest an artist and brother a police officer.  Parents & youngest still basically checked out on life--youngest real issues & moves completely away from family to CA.  Parents were squatters in abandon building.  Just craziness all through for their parents but still amazing that 3 out of 4 children became normal adults.

Good book, I have posted it on PBS.  I think there are 11 copies ahead of it so probably not moving soon though.

Wednesday, January 6, 2016

Strange Pilgrims--#2 finished

This is a short story book by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.  Good stories about Latin Americans in Europe. Stories are very good, characters don't seem as sharp as some other short story books I have read.  But the stories themselves are just good stories, they don't rely of the built up angst and raw emotions that some of the other short story authors depended upon.  Good stuff, really enjoyed.

I will be posting it on PBS, I think there are 2 or 3 WL for it so should move once I decide to post.

Monday, January 4, 2016

Q is for Quarry--#1 finished

The next in Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone series.  I think I say about the same thing for each of these--another good book in this series.  Good story and just fun detective work.  This time it is based off a true story of an unidentified girl's body, that is true and some details but most of the story is author's story.  She used this as a way to further publicize this crime in hopes of at least identifying the body and  then solving the case.  I will have to wikipedia it to see what ever happened with this.  As far as the story, Kinsey works with one mostly retired detective that is going back over cold case files and with another detective with health issues and I can't remember but don't think full-time--either part-time or maybe on medical leave.  I enjoyed it & will have to keep pushing this series to get caught up with it.

I am keeping my books in this series and this book is a used library with stains & pages were stuck together so not postable on PBS anyway.

First book finished of the year, yeah.