The Trials--#67 finished

My last finished book for the year, came in at 67 read so a good year.  I was reading out the George W Bush White House where they had a century club--reading 100 or more books in a year, this was in the Ben Sasse book.  Sounds like something to shoot for but don't see how unless really devote more time to reading & another 33 books would be a stretch.

On The Trials, this is the 2nd book in a 3 part series.  I do like this series so far because it is not really sci-fi because to me it seems in the not too far future, rather than way off in future.  Follows a military group with their leader Lt Shelly, that at end of first book, basically arrested a big very rich military industrial CEO/Owner and took her to another country to be tried for war crimes because of a conspiracy in the US that would cover this all up.  The army group had all be arrested and their trial is how the book started, they were found guilty but the president pardoned them but were thrown out of the military.  They are hired as a group by a special ops kind of mercenary group and more missions come off.  Is a good & interesting read, looking forward to the 3rd part.

There are 5 WL for this book so will get it mailed off through PBS sometime soon.

Blacks at the Net--#66 finished

A lot of history about black individuals in tennis and the struggles they had to endure.  Book ends just as Venus & Serna Williams is coming into the scene.  More information and was able to interview & get quotes from players rather than stories.  I think it is good to read about these struggles as a reminder that even those at the top of the game still have to fight with racism and discrimination.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy in system but since an older book with probably limited appeal not expecting it to move but you never know.

Winter's Bone--#65 finished

A powerful book about hill people families in the Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri.  Long time families that don't like outsiders and are now into the drug trade.  Ree sounds like she is around 19 in age, not sure if they mentioned her age or not, and since her father has jumped bail, she is holding together her family.  She has 2 younger brothers around 9 & 10 and her mother has basically checked out of reality and just sits in a rocker most of the day.  Ree is trying to teach her brothers enough to survive on their own taking care of mom as well as trying to track down their father.  This puts her into conflict with another hill family and she takes a beating.  Ree is a great and memorable character in this book.  A really very good book, it is going on my keeper shelf and makes me wish I had kept this author's other book that I had sent off earlier.

There is 1 WL for it but it is a keeper at this point.

The Kindness of Strangers--#64 finished

The rest of the title is, Penniless Across America.  The author Mike McIntyre is a journalist that has traveled the world doing stories but wanted to try something different.  He lives in San Francisco and decides to go from there across America without any money.  Basically hitchhiking and depending on help from people along the way.  Some really interesting people and stories, some people and happenings almost seem a little too much to be true but I hope the journalistic ethics of this came through.  I am sure this was eye opening for him in lots of ways and it does come across in the book.  It was a struggle at times and overall surprising with the people he meets and helped him along the way.  Just seems like he really hit some down on the luck people but they were still willing to help out--or at least that type maybe became the type he wrote about and more normal people not much mentioning.  An interesting read.

There was 1 WL for it and I have already posted it & is accepted on PBS.  I hope to mail it out tomorrow with a couple other books, hopefully lines not too long at post office.

Red Alert--#63 finished

This is the next in the James Patterson & Marshall Karp NYPD Red series.  Not a great series but is fast action paced so is a quick & easy read.  The NYPE Red is a few police officers setup to handle crimes/issues of the rich and famous in NY.  I have no idea if this really exists or not, probably does on some level even if not official.  Had a few things going on here and with all the moving pieces made a nice story.  Just a quick action read, nothing really special.

There are 111 WL for this book in PBS so it will get mailed off sometime probably sooner so I can get my credit for it.

Finishing Touches--#62 finished

A chic-lit kind of book but maybe not so light and cheerful.  A group of 3 girlfriends with a couple guys are the main characters at the beginning and the one girl, engaged to one of the guys, is in a horrible accident and after a few weeks in the hospital suddenly dies.  This rattles the whole group.  The main character Jesse after a few months starts dating the now widow(they were married in the hospital before she passed).  The already strained friendships basically go out the door.  Then after a few months Jesse and boyfriend aren't getting along.  Throw in Jesse not happy with job and life, so she is forced to grow up and break out of her comfort zone in a few ways.  Ending is not the perfect ending but still is a good ending that sees the friends relationships are different but still good.  I enjoyed it, good read.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only hardback copy in system now so hope it will move at some point.