Monday, January 29, 2018

Class A: Baseball in the Middle of Everywhere--#5 finished

A college student writer gets to follow a Class A baseball team in Clinton, IA for a season.  Team and coaches allow him access to players and locker room and he sits with fans during the game.  Brings an interesting perspective to the players, the minors, fans & the local town.  Really an interesting read, especially if a baseball fan.  I checked Baseball Reference more than a few times to lookup players & see how their baseball career went, interesting that a couple players that didn't last on the team long are still playing in Independent or Mexican League ball.  Also fun to see the 4 or 5 that made it to the major leagues too.  I really enjoyed this book.

I will post it on PBS at some point, there are no copies in system but too busy with other stuff right now that I don't want to post it & get it requested, not sure will have time to hit the post office for the next few days.

Friday, January 19, 2018

The Good Mayor--#4 finished

A romance more than story book it seems.  Had some weird stuff too that just made it confusing.  A good mayor loves his secretary and she is in a tough marriage that has seemed to fall to pieces after their young baby died.  The mayor is wooing her with lunches, etc but never goes beyond that to force the issue.  When he finally realizes that is what she wants he was hours late because she found another guy that was around her husband.  If she had half a brain this would not have happened but then I guess book would not have been published either.  She is then in a terrible relationship but doesn't want to admit she was wrong.  Life with her as secretary & mayor is bad too, seems like can't stand each other.  Boyfriend dies, she turns into a dog so they can escape to land across the sea and she can turn back into a loving wife for the now ex-mayor.  Also weird stuff about the city saint that sees everything & talks in the book.  An Italian family that runs a coffee shop and a locked away stage with imaginary performers that come out a few times.  I don't get it and have spent too long already writing this up for a book that was probably just not worth the time.

I have posted it on PBS & there were already 3 copies in system.  I don't think it will move but will leave on bookshelf for now.

Tuesday, January 9, 2018

A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty--#3 finished

A screwed up kind of family, Big the grandmother and her daughter Little and Little's daughter Mosey are each 15 years apart from their mom.  Story starts with Big being worried because Mosey turning 15 and that is when she had her baby and then her daughter had hers so she is afraid Mosey will continue this family tradition.  From there the book takes off in some serious directions.  Each chapter is told from the point of view of one of the 3 main characters.  A pretty good story, some of it just too far out there and also has the easy to hate people too.  Seems like some things & people get introduced and then kind of pushed aside, seems like there would be more to tell in some directions.  Still overall a good and interesting read.  Mostly enjoyable.

I will be posting on PBS at some point, 8 WL for it so doesn't have to go soon but will probably move it along in next month or so.

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Live Girls--#2 finished

A different sort of book, really kind of strange.  Just weird people in a run down & bad, sad part of town.  Reading the reality of the girl, the main character, she is basically a liar about all details of her life.  She takes about her sister that had an accident & scarred her face at a young age & the sister blames the main character about this.  Sister becomes a recluse and eventually dies young.  Kind of wonder if this girl is really the other sister and then wonder if any of the story is true.  Which kind of lead me to wonder why did I bother reading this.  Not the best book out there, at least for me, I just don't get it.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy in the system so I would think it will move at some point. While I didn't like it, it has an artsy feel to it.

Friday, January 5, 2018

End Game--#1 finished

This is a book about chess great Bobby Fischer.  A really interesting person that I didn't know a whole lot about.  The movie Searching for Bobby Fischer was probably my first time I learned much about him beyond chess great turned recluse.  Then later news of his arrest, anti-Semitism and eventual denouncing the US and moving to Iceland.  Obviously a much more complicated person than my general knowledge and glad I read this book to fill in some of the big gaps.  Still, like most I guess, I don't really understand how or why he went off the deep end like he did.  Living in near poverty in CA for years and then turning into an out-spoken anti-Semite.  I would say a sad life but it sure seems like he chose his life so maybe not sad but more of a what could have been instead.

I will post on PBS at some point, there are 7 WL for it so not a big hurry yet.  I have plenty of books to post and enough credits right now.

Glad to get my first book of the new year finished.  I was glad to get to 70 for last year, who knows what this year will bring.