Saturday, July 28, 2018

The Wild Numbers--#36 finished

Today was my catch up day on logging in books.  I finished this book just this morning though.  A quick good read about a university mathematics professor and department.  Professor just kind of slogging along, struggling with his research and a crazy adult student.  Professor thinks he solved a famous math problem after nearly going crazy himself.  Then adult student thinks he copied his work and attacks.  In end crazy adult student is crazy and professor had a simple error in his equation that should have been caught.  Altogether though made a good story.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the 2nd copy in system.  No idea if it will move or not though.

The Secret Life of Bees--#35 finished

I really liked this book.  Set in Georgia in the '60s Civil Rights era with a young teenage daughter being raised by her tough and unloving father.  Her and the housekeeper get into trouble & run away toward a town that she only saw a name of as a place her mother must have been.  Lucks into finding a house of black ladies running a honey business and stays with them.  More of the story comes out and it is a good read.  I enjoyed this book.

There are already 342 copies in the PBS system, no reason to add another.  Not sure if I will keep it & maybe try to talk someone else into reading or just give it away.

Miss Wyoming--#34 finished

A really good and interesting read.  A mom forces her daughter into beauty contests that the daughter wins.  Mom is ruthless about it.  Daughter eventually gets put into a sitcom even though can't act but becomes a celebrity.  Life after that is tough.  Survives a plane crash & disappears for a year, leads a secret life.  While this story being told another story of a director who life is also falling apart is being told.  The two meet and you assume they get together but a twist ensues.  Really interesting and funny at times too along with sad and all that.  Good read.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy of this version, there are a few other versions and hardback copies out there.  I would think it will move at some point.

Friday, July 13, 2018

The Last Days of Video--#33 finished

The reason finally doing all the catch up on my reading log.  I finished this & went ahead and posted it to PBS and will be mailing it out tomorrow.

This book had some good parts and some that were just too much out there and didn't really make sense.  I liked the idea of an independent video rental store dying off, Blockbuster opened down the street but also with video dying before that.  Interesting characters, maybe too gruff and drunk at points but oh well.  I don't get the whole hollywood director coming back & filming in small town North Carolina that is also a good friend of lady that basically runs the video store.  Try to use him and actors as last ditch attempt to save store but falls apart.  Just a little too out there, wonder if alternate reality story line exists that would have been better.  Oh well still a decent read.  Maybe next PBS reader will like too.

Travels with Barley--#32 finished

Still more catch up being done, just finished this about a week ago.  It is a dated book about the rise in popularity of microbrew beer and beer pubs in the early 2000s.  Well it is still going on today and even more so if I had to guess.  Interesting stuff about how this all got started.  Also interesting stuff about the big boys in beer--AB, Miller, Coors and so on.  He also threw in a road trip kind of way starting in MN around where Mississippi River starts and followed it down to New Orleans.  Fun read except couldn't help thinking in places too dated & just wondered what now some of the places he mentions are up to.  I guess I could use the internet & check but probably won't.

The book is in a little rough shape so can't post on PBS.  It will be a keeper for now at least.

Gunmetal Gray--#31 finished

Playing a little catch up here, I finished this around the 1st and just now getting it logged.  This is the next in the Gray Man series.  It is a really good and interesting series.  The ex-CIA guy is now sort of welcomed back and soon after the welcoming he is on a job.  Good action and moves fast.  Not sure how long he will stay in the good graces of the CIA but at least they aren't hunting him anymore.

I will be posting it on PBS at some point, I think there are around 20 or so WL for it but in no hurry with it.  I still have the earlier book in this series too that I haven't posted so maybe will try to ship off together.