Saturday, December 31, 2016

Repeat Until Rich--#62 finished

Finished my last book of the year, others reading are too far away to finish today.  I didn't think I would get this one in but a quiet day with time to read yesterday, I was able to finish it.  Writer was a professional blackjack player on a team that was setup for counting cards and relaying info to a big time better.  He wasn't part of the MIT teams but a more aggressive branch off them, good stories and info about how they went about doing it.  This team knew they would get thrown out of casinos so always seemed to push the envelope on this till they did.  He was very successful along with team and made lots of money.  Seems like either the travel or changes that casinos were doing to lessen their odds or maybe just some burnout--or likely all and others--kind of pushed him into quitting the blackjack play.  He sold this book idea but couldn't get down to writing it and with money & free time and at same time the Texas Holdem poker boom took off, that is where he went.  Basically lost all his money over a couple years while still struggling to write but eventually was able to quit poker. He mentions trying to quit several times and finally Gamblers Anonymous but not sure where he gives the credit on quitting.  Good story about his unusual trip through professional blackjack and online poker.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy in system so I expect it will get requested at some point.

Friday, December 30, 2016

The Opposite of Loneliness--#61 finished

The author, Marina Keegan, was a college student at Yale and 5 days after graduation she died in a car accident.  This book was compiled afterwards by friends, professors and family of her writing both stories & essays.   The first part is her fiction stories and then the second part is her non-fiction.  You can tell she was a talented writer, some very good stuff in here.  In reading this book and the enjoyment of the writing is almost tempered though with the underlying fact that she died far too soon.  We have missed the chance to read more and seen this writer develop, it is truly a loss and just sadness just kind of continues while reading.

The WL on this is around 99 I think so I will be mailing it off at some point.

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Missed Her--#60 finished

A short story book by Ivan E Coyote a self described butch lesbian.  Good writing and interesting topics, no fiction, or at least didn't sound like any to me.  Mostly about her experiences and the people around her.  Good stuff that certainly makes you think, a perspective that I just don't really think much on.

There are around 15 WL for it on PBS but for now it is a keeper.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

The Great Perhaps--#59 finished

A really kind of strange book.  A couple reviews on back said funny, well darkly funny and humor and formal playfulness.  I just didn't see it.  It was a screwed up family and any humor that might have been was replaced for me by how much torture and awful feelings the characters had to be experiencing.  It was an interesting read in that it is not your normal or typical book but wow what struggles the family was going through, just painful and there was no communication so they were all suffering through it by their self.  Just a tough book but glad read it.

There are no copies on PBS but since holidays are here, I don't want to mail anything out right now so will wait to post until January or so.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban--#58 finished

As much as I like to read, I have not read through the Harry Potter series so I am slowly working my way through it now.  I have seen some of the movies and parts of others so really no surprises though.  I enjoyed this one, Harry is growing up.  The first couple just seemed almost too little kidish but my oldest daughter said they would get better and it has.  I am sure there is nothing more I can say that others haven't said a thousand times before about the book so again just I enjoyed it.

I will not post on PBS, this is my oldest copy so gets returned to her.  I need to pick up a copy of the 4th book somewhere or get from library to keep the series going.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

The Farm--#57 finished

An interesting read told from standpoint of an only son whose parent's moved from London England to a farm in the countryside of Sweden.  Son hasn't really stayed in touch with parents, he is hiding his gay life and partner from them.  Out of nowhere he finds out from dad that his mom was put in an asylum and was freed and is on her way to him.  She comes to him and relates a story and he realizes the life he has had was full of questions that he never asked.  He eventually has to travel to Sweden to investigate what his mom told him and he learns some harsh truths.  Book kind of ends where he is going into room to let his mom know.  Kind of weird book and really didn't like any of the characters much at all and for that reason hard to say I liked it.

I will put it back to PBS at some point, I think there are 40 WL for it so no hurry right now since have enough credits.