Family and Other Accidents--#85 finished

This one was actually finished before the last 3 books but I screwed up on order when logging them in.  Good read about a couple brothers that lost their parents way to early. Older brother was out of college and got his younger brother through high school and college but basically both lives kind of screwed up. Good read about relationships both with brothers and their girlfriends and then wives.

I haven't posted it yet, I don't think there are any copies in system but just hate trying to mail books around the holidays.

Joshua--#84 finished

A different kind of book, basically Jesus is back but as a poor carpenter in North Carolina but no one knows it is him.  Good guy that most like but those that are conservative in their church do not. He basically says organized religion is not doing things way God intended.  Gets a little weird with him getting a call to go to Vactican and all that at end.  Looks like there were a few other of these books in  a series, this is only one I have.  Not sure if I will get others or not at this point.  Interesting is that author is a retired priest. Also written in1980s but topics sound a lot like what Pope Francis is trying to work the church toward.  For these reasons will not post book at this point.

Hitler's Secret Jewish Psychic--#83 finished

The rest of the title is: and Other Strange and Obscure History.  Short little write ups on things in history.  Some I question how factual they really are, they are mentioned as reported or recent research shows but not sure it was really conclusive.  Interesting stuff and lots of it but I doubt you can use this book as a source for any kind of report.  I didn't mind reading it but would not really recommend it either.

As I said earlier computer issues so not posting any books at this point and this one might be just donated away, not sure at this point.

Backlash--#82 finished

The next book in the Scot Harvath series.  The last book ended with him being kidnapped and his fiancé and others being killed in front of him. It was Russians that did it and lucky for him the plane crashed in northern Russia and he was alive and on the run.  His group and US government figured it out and help was coming while he was also being tracked by badass mercenaries for Russia. He made it out and then exacted a measure of revenge on the Russian officials responsible for his kidnapping.  Good quick read.

The are 46 WL for the book so I will post it and mail at some point.

The Martian--#81 finished

Computer problems are making this tough, typing it out on an I-pad.  I really liked the book and the day I finished the movie was on and watched it.  I liked the movie but of course the book had more details. Really good book and movie.

Right now it is a keeper book, hopefully will talk one of my kids into reading it.

My Grandfather's Son--#80 finished

Clarence Thomas' memior that talks about his life right up to getting sworn in for the Supreme Court. I really knew very little of his background prior to being nominated.  I was in college during the first George Bush term and followed the news somewhat but not that close.  I remember Jack Danforth the MO senator was really leading the charge of his nomination and the whole Anita Hill part too.  I remember watching some of the hearings, I mostly remember the senators--Joe Biden, Pat Leahy and others & really basically disliking them.  Reading this book, I especially dislike Biden more--which is  funny because he has warmed to me over the years.  I also wanted to read this book after following the latest supreme court nomination fiasco with Bret Kavanaugh.  It is funny how it sounds so very similar to what Clarence Thomas went through--really makes you wonder if there is a playbook for the Democratic party on these things.  I do still wonder what is the real truth between Clarence Thomas & Anita Hill--Thomas is adamant in the book there was nothing & she was flat out lying.  I will need to see what if any statements she has had since then.

I will be keeping this book, no reason to send it off.  I thought it was a really interesting life and story of accomplishment on how he got to the Supreme Court.

Back Spin--#79 finished

This was a mass media paperback that I needed to be able to carry around a few times & it filled that need.  It is the 4th book in the series and the first I read, I figured I would start here since I already had it.  Easy to read and story moved right along.  Characters seemed okay just to me, not sure at this point if I will search out other books in this series.  If I stumble upon some I will probably pick up just to see.  A sports agent and a financial advisor are best friends & have been since college and they help each other's business out.  The financial advisor is also some kind of like batman guy--goes out and beats up or kills(?) bad guys--hinted at this but probably need to read more of series to get this.

Plenty of copies in system, this was from 1997 so been around a while.  I will not post it on PBS, it will get donated off at some point.

I'm Fine...and Other Lies--#78 finished

The author is a comedian but one that I haven't heard of before this book.  I guess she has also done some shows, acting, writing, etc.  This was a book I ordered from a person on PBS the wishlist multiples where books that have a WL are listed but only if you order multiple books--helps the sender save on postage.  I order like this throughout the year since my WL books only rarely get posted.  This is a way to use my credits so they just don't accumulate.  Also on these, I try to read & post back into the system to help that next person in line that I jumped--in a sense.  All that to explain how I ended up with a book by and about someone I didn't know.  Parts were funny and lots were just sad, she has gone through a lot and seems like therapy is helping her now at least--she talks about the more than several that came before the current one.  I will try to u-tube some of her standup routines & see what I think, I figured since I had the book, I would read it first.

There are 20 WL for the book so I will post it at some point & get in the mail.  It is a autographed copy but again doesn't really mean much to me since I don't really know who she is or at least was before I read her book.

Falling into the World--#77 finished

Finished it a week or so ago.  I think I enjoyed her book I read earlier, Coffee & Kung Fu--I think is the title name.  This one mentions College Church in the story though, this is at St Louis University where I went to college.  It is also a St Louis area book--even if the main town is a little beyond the suburbs but she travels into SLU as a tutor.  I do enjoy the local books.  I googled her & couldn't find her connection to St Louis--guess she probably was here for college at some point.  I didn't like the characters that much--lots going on but for some reason they can't sit down & have a real conversation.  Just kind of frustrating but even so I did enjoy the book.

There are no copies on PBS but with the SLU mention & College Church, I think it will stay as a keeper for me.

First Ladies of Running--#76 finished

A Runner's World magazine writer and editor put together a good read about 22 ladies that influenced women running.  How they were able to break through and compete in the longer distances pretty much from the 1960s onward.  Good read and lots of interesting women runners.  I had heard of many of them but there were still a few that were new to me.

I will post on PBS at some point, there are 3 WL for it.

Gumbo Tales--#75 finished

A restaurant critic or writer moves to New Orleans--her husband is doing a medical residency there I think, maybe med school--and she gets into the various different foods and influences there.  She arrived a few years before Katrina hit & then moved back afterwards during the rebuild.  Talked about restaurants that came back & restarted and ones that hadn't or at least hadn't at that point.  Some  very good food info and lots of good insight into the New Orleans food culture.  She also throws some good history lessons in there too.  It was a very slow moving book though and at times hard to get through but overall a good read.

I will post it on PBS at some point, I think there are 10 WL for it so just a matter of when I want to get it posted.

The Twelfth Man--#74 finished

A good and interesting story about what happens if Iran develops the nuclear bomb that got kind of tossed sideways with a Islam & Christian 2nd coming kind of thing.  Shows the two religions in conflict and well I don't want to repeat details and there are at least a couple more books in the series. Not a bad start with some interesting characters but religion end got a little unbelievable but oh well.

Not sure if I will post it yet or not.  I have the 2nd book in series so will probably try to read it soon and then decide on posting them both or keeping till get the 3rd and see how like it altogether.

Free Spirit--#73 finished

A true story of a boy born in San Francisco to a counter culture hippie type.  Mom had a one night thing and became pregnant and raised her son.  She struggled living her life and raising her son.  She was a protest type who decided needed to get out of the city and sort of roamed the Pacific NW, living in cabins mostly with no electricity, etc.  She lived on her welfare checks and with the guys she was with at the time.  Eventually met up with and lived with & then married a guy from El Salvador that lied about most everything and also beat her.  This book was written by her son that also lived through all this.  He was around 10 to into high school age while she was with this guy.  What an awful life and struggle they had to live.  It was her choice to live this way and her son was along for the ride.  Sounds like he has gotten through it.  After being homeschooled--doesn't sound like much schooling went on, he was able to get into a public school for middle school & high school and then went to college & law school.  Really kind of amazing he was able to get through all this.

There were no copies in system and posted it today & already gotten a request for it so hope to get mailed off today too.

The People I Know--#72 finished

A short story book compiled in 1990 so stories from like the '80s.  None of the stories have seemed to stick with me, I finished it about a week ago.  Flipping through the titles, I now kind of remember some of the stories but nothing that I am still thinking about.  It was an award winning short story book.  Oh well, I have read a couple other things from the author in past & liked them.  This one can't really say like or dislike too.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy so might get to mail it off at some point.

Suicide Squeeze--#71 finished

A nice quick read action adventure type book.  I basically down on luck no job kind of guy, picks up a boat repo job that turns into much more.  The owner of the boat has a famous baseball card of Joe DiMaggio with his autograph, Marilyn Monroe and Bill Wilder autographs too.  A couple very rich collectors in Japan and greed all around.  Too much just unbelievable violence and basically just unbelievable stuff in the book.  Written like one of those suspend reality type movies--just sit back & enjoy.  Probably would be a better thing to watch than read but is what it is.

I have posted it on PBS & is the only copy so I would expect it to get requested at some point & mailed off.

Kill Two Birds & Get Stoned--#70 finished

I novelist with writer's block meets up with 2 people--a beautiful lady & a crazy guy.  Both like to do pranks or maybe a couple steps worse than pranks at first with breaking the law included.  He joins them & is enchanted with the lady and through their adventures he is able to start writing again.  It is supposed to be funny or at least off beat, I just found it to be boring and painful mostly.  I really did not like the book or the characters.  Struggled to get through the first half and then just pushed through the 2nd half just to be done with it.  Luckily for me only 220 pages, anything more I probably would not have bothered finishing.

I have posted it on PBS, there were already 3 copies on system so don't expect it to move anytime soon.  For anyone that is a fan though this is an autographed copy, still not enough of a reason for me to keep.

The Traitor's Emblem--#69 finished

This involves people in the lead up of Nazi Germany and how basically 3 people develop.  The girl is a Jew that was supposed to marry the Baron's son in the early '20s but she refuses.  The cousin of the Baron's son is obviously the good guy and the Baron's son is obviously the bad guy.  Conflict between them and cousin & mom have to leave the household.  A kind of mystery about the cousin's dad is involved and mistakes made all around.  It was a fast easy read but only moderately entertaining.  Not too bad but seems like the potential for more was there.

I have posted it on PBS & it is the only copy in system.  I would think at some point it will get requested & moved but you never know.

Gods and Generals--#68 finished

The first of a Civil War trilogy, this starts before the war & gets through the early part of the war.  The 2nd book in trilogy--written first by the author's father--is about Gettysburg.  It is historical fiction, author obviously cannot know conversations & details of the time but does piece it around the war happening.  The Civil War is a tough topic, hard to imagine and realize what happened in our country at the time.  I enjoyed the book & already have the next two books so looking forward to getting to them in the near future.

This is a keeper for me, there are already 4 or 5 copies in system anyway.

Monster: The Autobiography of an LA Gang Member--#67 finished

A powerful memoir about a young kid that gets involved in a gang around age 11 and how he grows in the gang and the crimes he commits and the juvenile sentences and eventually prisons he goes to for this.  A true story that ends with what sounds like him figuring out life to a degree and wanting to be a father to his children and a husband to his wife.  The epilogue mentions that he beat up a crack dealer because he wouldn't leave the neighborhood and for this reason he was back in jail.  Reading on wikipedia it sounds like he has had a few more arrests and more jail time and is in jail now.  I understand the need for incarceration but given how tough his life was growing up, I really hope he can remain out of prison and living a lawful life yet.  He has written a few more books but I don't think I will look into them but this was a powerful book that really gives a level of understanding what the gang life was like back at end of '70s and into the '80s pretty much right before the crack epidemic came along.

I have posted it on PBS there were already 5 copies in system so probably won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

If You Find Me--#66 finished

A very good read about 2 sisters that their mom took away when separating from the oldest's dad and hid away in a large national forest in a trailer.  Mom is bi-polar and drug addict and would disappear for long stretches and the oldest would have to raise the youngest by herself.  The youngest was a kind of one night stand baby that had only known life in the trailer.  The older daughter lived at home for around 5 or 6 years.  The mom had been gone for over a month--maybe 2 I can't remember and the kids were down to eating beans and running low on those.  They are found by the oldest's father and a social worker and are brought back to live with him and his new wife and step daughter.  The 2 girls had several issues too--mom had whored out the older one to men for money to supply her drug habit.  One of the men had come back on his own when the mom wasn't there and raped the oldest and was about to do the same on the younger when she was around age 5--the older one was able to get up & the man ran.  She tracked him down and shot him dead.  The younger had quit talking at that point.  Obviously the kids had issues & putting them in a home situation and school was good but with bumps.  This is more of a young adult book but I still really enjoyed it.

There are 4 WL for it so I will be posting & mailing it off through PBS at some point.

Wunnerful, Wunnerful!--#65 finished

This is the Autobiography of Lawrence Welk.  I remember watching him on TV growing up, I guess this was repeats but maybe not, it was the 1970s.  I don't remember liking his show very much but with only 1 TV in the house and 3, or maybe 4 channels on a good day, you were kind of at the mercy of what your parents wanted.  An interesting read about his life and how he had to really work and travel to earn a living and how his eventually keeping at it and being in LA at the time when TV was taking off he was able to turn his show in to a TV show that lasted for years.  Sounds like just a really nice guy that was able to turn his love of music into a memorable career.  A really nice read.

This book has a stain on first several pages so cannot post it on PBS.  I will donate it away at some point.

The Baron on Board-#64 finished

This is part of a series from back in the 1960s about an art jewelry antique dealer kind of guy that in this book at least investigates the theft of crown jewels from a small Asian country that were being brought to him for appraisal and sale.  Tracks down the thieves on a ship going from England, Gibraltar, Egypt and beyond.  Kind of fun the read back on the days of no cell phones, plane flights being big deals and all that.  Nice quick and easy read.

I have posted it on PBS & is only copy but with being such an older book who knows if when it will be moved.

Going in Circles--#63 finished

A just married lady's life starts falling apart.  A few months after they are married her husband moves out needing a break or something like that.  A month or two later he decides to move back in and then she decides she is not okay with that & moves out to an apartment.  Book starts right around here and she gets to know a quiet co-worker with her own relationship issues and also an interesting side lift as a roller derby girl and recruits Charlotte.  A pretty good read, the whole roller derby thing and other little things in the book are not at all typical storylines so good to read something a little different.

I have posted it on PBS, there is 1 copy ahead of it so might be a while before it moves.

Full Court--#62 finished

The rest of the title is The Untold Stories of the St Louis Hawks, the NBA team that was in St Louis from 1955 to 1968.  Good stories about some very good and interesting players.  An owner that loved the game but didn't have the money to really be a more modern owner.  He owned the team when it played in the Quad Cities and then moved to Milwaukee and St Louis.  St Louis was his best run & an NBA Championship and hall of fame players but the league was developing from a small town league to a more big time league.  St Louis gained football during this time and then an expansion hockey team and interesting it mentions how the new teams got concessions and stadium help while the existing team the Hawks didn't.  This seems to play out in St Louis with our sports teams.  Also big is the fact that no local owner stepped up to purchase the team.  With hockey on board and attendance down, maybe people were worried about the investment.  Also have to mention the racism factor, basketball teams were mostly black players & hockey white players and St Louis history in race is not a good story.  Not sure if worse than other major cities but white flight out of the city, later forced busing of schools, run down projects, lack or opportunities for minorities in many jobs, etc, etc, not a good history & St Louis still struggles with some of this.   Now the age old sports question in St Louis is would the city support an NBA team.  I am not sure but would lean on the side of yes.  When SLU basketball is running good, there is good support there.  An NBA team in a league where every visiting team would have star power coming into town, I think people would want to see that.  So long as the local team can be competitive and with good local talent coming out of area, I think it would work.  Too bad we don't seem to be on the radar for it though.  We do have the MLS coming to town though & I am excited.

There was 1 WL for the book on PBS & I have posted it & will be mailing it off later this morning along with the Mariano Rivera book.

The Awakening--#61 finished

A classic by a St Louis born author Kate Chopin.  Born in the 1851 and married around 20 and around 35 was widowed with 6 kids.  She had moved to Louisiana when married.  To support her family she started writing and was very successful at it, one of the first women to basically be a full time writer.  This copy also has a few short stories after the main story The Awakening.  I think a couple of her short stories will stay with me in memories, really powerful.  The Awakening, I can see why it is a classic now & why was basically shunned back then--how dare a young married woman flirt with other men and then at end of book take her own life rather than be stuck in her married life.

This is a keeper for me, St Louis author and classic book and with a couple daughters I hope to get one or both of them to read this at some point.

The Closer--#60 finished

This is Mariano Rivera's book about his life.  Interesting about how he got into baseball and pitching late into growing up and seems to be almost by accident that he was able to be scouted and signed.  Since was really a pitcher at a young age, wonder if not having that wear and tear on his arm, helped him have such a successful career.  The majority of book about his time with Yankees and I am not a Yankee fan so really didn't pay much attention to them so lot of stuff was kind of new to me but maybe not to the Yankee fan.  Not a bad read for a sports book.

I will probably post it tonight & see if I can get it out in the mail maybe tomorrow on early next week.  There are 4 WL for it.

Ten Days in the Hills--#59 finished

A long & not very exciting story about a group of people that come together just as the 2nd Iraq war was starting.  This is in Hollywood and it starts at an aging but still well known movie director's house with his wife, his ex-wife and her lover and the director and ex-wife's daughter, the ex-wife's mother and friend, the director's agent, the current wife's son, and another one or two in there.  Mostly just dialogue going on and then they move to a newly renovated mansion of a Russian billionaire that wants the director to do a movie for him.  More dialogue.  Some interesting parts but mostly just slow and lots of lecturing going on.  Not really what I liked or enjoyed.  Book was on my shelf for several years so a couple months back figured now was the time.  Barely made it through, almost quit a several points & was set aside for weeks at a time.  I finished it around 1st of Sept but just now logging it in.

I have already posted it on PBS, it is the only hardback copy in system.  Maybe it goes at some point.

The Story of the Outlaw--#58 finished

This was written back in early 1900s and author had some first hand accounts and interviewed others that were there and knew the outlaws.  A Study of the Western Desperado, is the 2nd part of the title.  An interesting read that goes through some of the early murders, gun fighters, etc in the US.  Lots about Billy the Kid and that whole southwest US area--TX, NW, KS & AZ.  It is a different kind of writing from back then to what I am used to today but sort of added to the flavor of the book.  Not a great read for me but was good enough to keep my interest.

The book has a small stain that goes through first dozen pages or so, so cannot post on PBS, I will donate it away somewhere though.

See I had lots of catching up to do for August.

Walla Walla Suite--#57 finished

I guess this is a series book, this is the 2nd book but I didn't read the first.  No problem though & was still a good read.  A lady that is a retired police officer is now a private eye and sort of teams up with a researcher that helps murders with sentencing to try to avoid the death penalty.  A young lady in the office building ends up missing and then found dead.  Suspect arrested and investigation etc, follows & twist at the end of what happens.  Good read for the most part but not enough that I will search out the others in the series at least at this point.

I have posted it on PBS and is the only copy in system.

The Sixth Phase--#56 finished

A detective novel set in New York, trying to track down a serial killer.  Written in both the detective perspective and the killer's perspective so interesting to see both sides of what is going on.  Also kind of see how close finally getting to getting him & then they finally do.  New twist at the end & even though 20 years old, no reason for me to spoil it.  Was a fun quick like read.  This was a mass market paperback that I started & read because I needed one to take with me to different places including outside to have to read at times and it fit the bill.

There are plenty of copies already in the system so this will instead be donated away.  There were 5 copies in the system so decided at this point to just post on PBS & might at some point cull my list & donate at that time.

Revenge of the Paste Eaters--#55 finished

This is the 2nd book by writer Cheryl Peck about her life and growing up.  I enjoyed the first one a little more--read Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs earlier this year--but was still overall fun to read.  Just stories from her life and how she sees things, mostly a funny perspective on life.

There are like 5 copies on PBS so I added this one to the count so 6 in system.  I doubt it goes anywhere soon but you never know.

Dispatches From Pluto--#54 finished

Playing catch up on books read for August.  I finished this one weeks ago but just now logging it in.  True story of a writer & his girlfriend moving into the deep south of Mississippi and trying to understand the absolute poverty and the many issues of race going on down there still.  Just a hard place to understand in many senses but this was certainly an interesting read.

There is 1 WL for the book so I will probably try to post & send the book off in the next few weeks even though don't really seem to need the credits for PBS at this point.  Not many books coming in for me.

Red Green Talks Cars--#53 finished

I enjoyed seeing the Red Green show on PBS for the couple of years it was on here after I had started watching it.  It was pre-DVR times so only saw it when I remembered it so missed plenty of shows but enjoyed it when I watched.  Not sure if the humor from 20 years ago doesn't translate well to today or if it is that it doesn't translate well to a book.  It was a quick read but few laughs.

There is 1 WL for it on PBS & I just posted it so hope to mail it off in the next day or so.

Our Game--#52 finished

This is a John Le Carre novel, a British spy writer.  I have read a couple other things by him & this one had been on the shelf a while & I needed one to carry around outside & have for those times when only have a couple minutes to read.  The book filled that purpose very well.  Entertaining well it was okay.  It jumped from present time--the early 1990s, to past history quite often and it was not a smooth transition.  It sometimes took a few sentences or so before I realized it & had to go back to re-read.  Characters started out interesting but most of it just was mostly hard to follow & seems like few answers.  Oh well, can't enjoy them all.

There are plenty of copies on PBS already like 32 so this one will be donated away instead.

Duel in the Sun--#51 finished

Another book that I finished in July but just logging it in now.  This is about the Boston Marathon race that came down to the very end with Alberto Salazar defeating Dick Beardsley.  It was really the pinnacle race for both but neither one would have known it at the time.  Book did a very good job of explaining both runners and how the led up to the race and also their history after the race.  I had just finished a book about Alberto Salazar so was more familiar with him, I had know idea of Dick Beardsley's history and was shocking to say the least.  Seems like now both have come through their hardships and are back in good places in their lives.  A good read about an interesting race and the two very interesting runners.

I have posted it on PBS, there was no copies in system & no WL but soon after posting it someone has ordered it.  I will be mailing it out tomorrow or this weekend.

Imtimations--#50 finished

This book was finished in July but just now logging it in here.  A short story book by Alexandra Kleeman.  I usually enjoy short stories and at worst I at least find a couple or so that are enjoyable.  This one I really didn't get and didn't enjoy.  Some abstract stuff in most of the stories but really nothing that caught or kept my attention.  Mostly I just sort of pushed through them.  There are 3 sections, I have no idea why and can't or at least didn't pay enough attention to know why the stories are grouped like that.  At the end of the first section was just a basically long & boring story that probably just killed this book for me A Brief History of Weather.  It was reading this that the book became a chore.

I have posted it on PBS & will be mailing it off tomorrow or this weekend.  Hope the next person enjoys it more that I did.

That Woman--#49 finished

This is about Wallis Simpson who became the Duchess of Windsor, not the Queen of England.  She was the already twice married American woman that King Edward VIII gave up the throne of England so he could marry her.  Other than hearing about this in school when growing up, I knew nothing about this.  Was an interesting read with good info about both Wallis & Edward and their lives.  I didn't know about the bitterness within his family to him marrying Wallis, figuring he gave up the crown & stepped back but the family never accepted her and the lived a basically estranged life from the royals.

There are still 11 WL for this book so will be mailing off in PBS at some point too.

Young Jane Young--#48 finished

I really enjoyed this book.  A young woman in college takes a volunteer position with the local congressman with several others.  Her family knows the congressman from before, they were neighbors but didn't really seem to get along, so Levin the congressman recognizes her & puts her on projects.  She is inspired to do well & helps in the office and eventually leads to an affair.  Her name becomes Monica Lewinsky like but 9/11 happens & she sort of falls away in the news.  But when applying to graduate schools or other jobs, her name & the scandal comes up on all the searches & she is stuck not finding anything.  They sort of jump ahead & she has changed her name & moved to Maine & is a single mother now.  Her daughter is old enough to start piecing things together.  A lot going on here & author doesn't answer everything, some you just have to guess.

There are still 26 WL for this book so will post it on PBS at some point & send off to the next.

Leisureville--#47 finished

Author takes an interesting look at retirement villages in Florida & Arizona mostly and their history and a look forward.  The neighbors across the street that his family was just getting to know, had decided to sell their New England home & move to the huge Villages complex in central Florida.  This interested him and he eventually joined them for a month to get to know what this was like.  Lots of interesting characters and I thought he provided good points on both sides for why to live here & why living & developing these villages is probably not such a good idea either.  I don't think I would ever want to live in a place like this but I do hate winters & being in Florida or Arizona for a few months each year could be appealing.  Being in mid country though winters aren't as tough as farther north--I just don't understand why be there & I guess that is why when retiring some get out.  Lots of interesting things in the book--things about the people, developers, history, etc that keep maybe not the most exciting topic very readable.

I have already posted it on PBS, there was 1 WL for it & it is already accepted so should be mailing it off tomorrow.

Sao Tome--#46 finished

I am playing catch up for July today.  I finished the one before & now this one about a week ago but finally logging them in today.  This is a book that I had gotten from PBS in Sept of 2010--yes I had to look it up, so it has been on my bookshelf for a long time.  Finally got around to reading it & it was a good read but a tough subject.  It is fiction but based on facts--Jewish children from Portugal were forcibly taken & shipped to island off Africa of Sao Tome to work in sugar fields and basically populate the island.  The island lost many people every year from diseases.  So the Portuguese needing workers were already getting African slaves but also started getting the Jewish children too--the Inquisition was going on & this was a way to rid the countries of the kids & force them to become Catholics.  That is the history the fictional story is wove around.  An interesting story but tough because life there was so fleeting.

The books a little wore & the spine is starting to crack.  There is no WL for the book but there are also no copies either.  At this point I will maybe keep or put in my donate pile, not really sure yet.

I Just Want to Pee Alone--#45 finished

A book of several mom bloggers that wrote short bits about being a mom.  Most with young children and funny things and just all the stuff that moms do that sort of just get seen as getting done but really  seem to be driving the moms crazy on the inside.  These moms get it out there on their blogs.  There are 2 more books of this too, it was that successful.  I saw it when ordering off the PBS wishlist multiples posting and thought it would be a fun quick read and that it was.  Not sure I will bother with the other 2.  Mentioned it to my wife & she might read this too at some point.

There are I think 18 WL for the book yet but will wait to see if wife reads it first before mailing it off to someone else in PBS land.

Gun Monkeys--#44

This was my beaten up pocket book paperback that I have been reading.  It has a few stained pages so cannot send out through PBS so will be donating if off elsewhere.  A good read about a mafia kind of group in Orlando that is getting shoved out of the way and the main hit man didn't like being pushed out.  Most around him are dead but the leader Stan was MIA and since hit man is mostly used to taking orders wants to know from Stan what is going on.  Throw in a few interesting characters and lots of violence along with some corrupt agents, it makes for some interesting reading.

Like I said cannot send through PBS so I will donate it away elsewhere.

The Fifth Petal--#43 finished

The author writes about Salem, MA with the witch trails way back when still influencing the town today.  This is her 3rd book on the town with I think some cross over characters but basically their own books.  This one is like around 20 years ago 3 young women were killed and a young girl left alive--one of the women was her mother.  Also another lady survived but had blood on her from the murder--this lady Rose went crazy and while never charged many thought she did it.  Well now 20 years later the young girl is grown up & comes back to help Rose & fill in blanks of what happened.  A good story, maybe a little too much holding on to the history but that is sort of the writer's thing on this.

There are 14 WL for the book so at some point I will post it & mail it off but not much of a hurry.  Not getting too many of the books on my WL sent to me at this point.

Yes, My Accent is Real--#42 finished

Kunal Nayyar, the actor on The Big Bang Theory that plays Raj wrote about his life not really a biography but more of a how I got to where I am--if the difference makes sense.  A lot in the book at coming to the US for college and how he took to acting.  An interesting read and I really enjoyed it.  Not much about Big Bang, just more about his life.

I have already posted it on PBS, there was 1 WL for it and it has been accepted so I will be mailing it off hopefully later today.

The Life We Bury--#41

It started as a college paper, interview someone and write a paper.  Because the main character's home life is a mess & he is a couple hours from his hometown, he goes to a nursing home.  He is introduced to a man with only months to live that is out of prison for the rape & murder of a young teenage girl.  He starts to get the story & also gets evidence folders & boxes for his research and finds out the man is innocent.  His screwed up mom and his younger brother with autism keep popping in and he meets & is now with the girl in the apartment next door.  It is kind of a roller coaster type feel to the book.  I questioned his decision making and of course how everything just fell into place a little too easily.  Also as a full time college student & works full time--well just doesn't seem possible could do all this in a semester.  Overall though a good read that I enjoyed.

I have posted it on PBS, there was a WL for it but I just checked & it was 0 WL but also 0 copies in system.  So mine is the only copy out there in PBS so I would expect it will get requested.

Scandalous Women--#40 finished

A short writeup about famous & notorious women.  Many of these I had heard of Mara Hari, Joan of Arc, Amelia Earhart, Josephine Baker, Zelda Fitzgerald but even these were mostly names to me, nice to get a quick sketch of their life.  Many were women that I had never heard of and was nice to be introduced to them.  Nice quick read.

There is a WL of 13 for the book but since is on auto-request and I can mail it out today will probably post it & do so just to get it moving.

Sex in the City--#39

It says this is the book that started the series.  I never watched the show so don't know the characters from that.  From the book, well it is a quick kind of read but only short bits at a time on the characters.  It is about rich New Yorkers and their lives, don't really care for more of this--sometimes seems like half the books out there are about New York.  Not a bad read though.

There are already like 35 copies in PBS so I will donate this one away somewhere else.

The Regional Office is Under Attack!--#38 finished

A goofy and sometimes hard to follow futuristic book about setting up a team of women fighters and oracles.  The women for some reason have extraordinary powers and fight bad people and aliens from other worlds I guess all while it seems most peoples lives just kind of flow on by.  They call it a Regional Office that is also a travel agency as a front.  There is a splinter group from this regional office that then attacks it & the fight is on.  Every other chapter bounces so it is hard to follow and big gaps in what all this means are there.  Entertaining idea and maybe a little to ambitious for a single book--could be a series but not sure I would jump on that either.

There are 6 WL for it so I will be mailing it off at some point probably in near future--no reason to keep it around longer.

The Sharks of Lake Nicaragua--#37 finished

An adventure writer does short write-ups about places he went to.  Mostly funny and unusual.  Not a bad read and decent introduction to some interesting places.

I have posted it on PBS, there was 1 WL for it so hope to get it mailed off soon.

Priestdaddy--#36 finished

This book was on my WL but I couldn't remember how it got there.  I read the arts section of the Post Dispatch Sunday paper and it may have been there that I heard about it & put on my WL.  This seems as the most likely happening.  This is a memoir by a lady that grew up with a catholic priest as a father.  He was first a lutheran minister, married with kids, when he decided lutheran wasn't for him & instead wanted to be catholic and went through applying to the bishop on this.  I guess he also did his classes in the seminary & became a married Catholic priest.  This was in the early '80s so probably one of the first, now there are a few more around the country.  The family lived in rectories at parish their parish.  The family also lived in St Louis for many of the author's growing up years and went to the same high school as my wife but my wife went a few years before.  Author may have went with while one of her sisters was there but not sure.

Anyway the story of growing up is an interesting and almost crazy one.  The author is a very good writer and really touches on some deep emotions that make you think throughout the book.  The book started as she & her husband had to move home, which happened to be a rectory in Kansas City.  It is a really good and interesting read.

There are plenty of WL for the book but for now it is a keeper for me.

American Wasteland--#35 finished

This is a book that started as a blog about wasting food.  Lots of good points to be made about this topic--finding ways to get food to the hungry, harvesting excess food, over serving, keeping food out of trash dumps, etc.  That being said this is a tough read, good info but stuffed around too much examples & preaching.  Book has made me think though & I am trying to get back on the composting better as well as trying to use up the food in the refrigerator rather than just throwing out.  Not sure that much has been done on a national level which is what the author wanted when writing the book--was written about 10 years ago.  Or maybe things have been happening & I just haven't been paying attention.  Might try to look into this a little.  Good topic but again was a tough read--took me a long time to get this book finished.

I have already posted it on PBS & hope to get it mailed soon.  There are 24 WL for it so should be getting shipped off in the next few days or week.

Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs--#34 finished

A short story kind of book, almost a kind of reflections on her life--growing up & through the present.  Some really funny stories.  I enjoyed her stories of her family life & her sisters & brothers--brothers much younger so they didn't figure in as much.  A really entertaining read.

There are like 10 copies on PBS so no reason to post it.  I enjoyed it enough that I will keep for now & maybe encourage others to read.

Fahrenheit 451--#32 finished

Ray Bradbury's famous futuristic book about burning books.  I enjoyed his take on the future and how similar it came out to be--with TV and a kind of dumbing down of society.  To me it was still a kind of labor to get through the book.  Not that entertaining but still kept me to where wanted to push on.  This copy had a letter he wrote several years later and then an interview with him for the books 50th year since publication, those were both very interesting to read.

I will keep this book.  Previous owner underlined and put in margin notes so really won't put back to PBS but is a keeper for now.

14 Minutes--#32 finished

14 Minutes is how long Alberto Salazar's heart had stopped beating during his heart attack.  Alberto Salazar was the top marathoner in the world in early '80s before the Kenyans and East Africans kind of took over the sport.  He had a short time at the top and then he is not really sure why but dropped off--he speculates in the book about exercise induced asthma if I remember right that wasn't diagnosed among many issues.  He talks about his role with Nike and how he coaches a few elite athletes and how he is helping them to success.  A good & interesting read.

There are 4 WL for it so I will mail it off at some point.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen--#31 finished

This is a novelization of the movie that came you in early 2000s.  I hadn't seen the movie so thought I would at least read this.  Just a good reminder to me that I don't like novelizations.  It told the story but that was about it.  I guess it really needs the pictures to go along to make it worthwhile.  Not sure I enjoyed it enough to bother with the movie.

I think there are around 10 copies already on PBS so this one will get donated away somewhere instead.

The Bishop's Pawn--#30 finished

Well I finished this book in late April and posted it & mailed it off right away, it was a mass media paperback so the WL was getting shorter by the day it seemed.  I did get it mailed & have gotten the credit for it.  I just didn't log it in here.

It was the next in the Cotton Malone series but it was a look back to when he was first brought on Sigma.  Had to do with the FBI covering up their involvement with MLK assassination.  I thought it was okay just.  One of those glad to read because part of the series but also glad it was over and then mailed off.

Off the Map: Bicycling Across Siberia--#29 finished

I enjoyed the 1 cycling book so much that I jumped into another one right away.  This one is much different in that not a book about racing but instead of traveling the whole of Russia back in the early '80s.  Started in Siberia and most of the account covers that and all the way to St Petersburg.  Siberia is one of those areas that is just a mystery to me and this book helps in some way but also not really.  There is the train track through it but no road, they team of cyclists had to walk the train tracks for several hundreds of miles pushing their bikes for this reason.  The team comprised of 3 or 4 Americans and same for Russians and of course conflicts there.  Great descriptions of people in Siberia and also sort of danced around how people there were trusting of them but still seemed at times to not trust, especially when the guys in suits that were following were around.  Makes me wonder what this travel across Siberia would be like today.  I enjoyed the read.

I will post it on PBS, it will be the only copy in system so maybe it will get moved at some point.

W is for Wasted--#28 finished

The next in the Kinsey Milhone series.  I have said before that I really enjoy this series and this is another good entry.  Another kind of relative, 2nd uncle or something, someone she never met makes her executor of his estate & his account that has $500k in it from being wrongly imprisoned by CA.  He has 3 kids and an ex-wife but leaves them nothing.  Kinsey digs into this & also gets pulled into another investigation related to this uncle too.  Good read as I said.

These books go on my keeper shelf.

A Dog in a Hat--#27 finished

A good read by a guy who moved to Belgium right after high school in 1986 to basically become a professional cyclist in Europe.  A really good read about how he did it and the strange people and races he met along the way.  This is around the Greg Lemond time and before Lance Armstrong was even on the scene.  Talks about the drugs that were taken by basically everyone then and the different levels on the pro circuit.  Just a really good and interesting read.  I rarely bike--maybe once or twice a year I get out my now probably 20+ year old Walmart special bike--but even so this was a fun read.

I have posted it on PBS and is the only copy in system so hopefully will move a some point.

Mary McLeod Bethune--#26 finished

Other than hearing about Bethune Cookman College, I knew nothing about Mary McLeod Bethune.  This is an old book, written & printed in 1951.  It is a used library book and bought it just because I knew nothing about this person other than her last name on the college.  Where I first heard of Bethune Cookman was on the back of my NFL football cards I collected as a kid--Boobie Clark is the one I remembered--how could you forget that name and then looking back over the alumni I remembered Larry Little guard for the Dolphins, my team growing up.  Sorry had to throw in the fun fact there.

The story of Mary McLeod Bethune is a really good and interesting story.  Even if I consider some maybe embellished in the way stories were told, she endured a tough childhood to get an education in the time right after the Civil War and succeeded in founding this school as a grade school and continued to work and grow it to a college for black children that otherwise would have had no chance at an education.  If that is not enough she also became a major influence with FDR and a consultant to the UN.  What a remarkable woman & a life.  I am very glad I read this book.

As I said above this is an older book and given the shape it is in, I will keep it.  No reason to mail off somewhere, there are no WL for it anyway.  I might end up giving away but is a keeper for now.

Terminal Freeze--#25 finished

This copy is a mass market paperback that I grabbed so I could read while out & then shove in a coat pocket.  I has also been on my shelf for a few years & wanted to get it read.  Scientists in Arctic discover a frozen beast/cat thing, the foundation/TV group that sponsored their research comes in & cuts the thing out leaving it in a chunk of ice.  They planned to melt it down on live TV to get huge ratings.  The thing gets out and they think someone unfroze it & stole the carcass but instead the thing got out & starts killing people.  Lots of what to do stuff.  Overall just really didn't like it and story drug on.  Characters basically not interesting.  Other than fact of convenience of reading while out & about, not much about this book I liked.  But did get it finished.

There are plenty of copies already on PBS so this one will just get donated away.  No reason to keep it.

The Road--#24 finished

Cormac McCarthy's addition to the post apocalyptic genre.  I had started No Country for Old Men and couldn't get into it & stopped.  I have had this book for years on my shelf and finally got around to reading it.  I didn't really enjoy it.  Just not much happened and just left pretty much all questions in the end.  That is probably the intent but not really what I prefer.  The interplay between father & son traveling in a desolate world while interesting at times just didn't hold my interest.  Book made me think some but to me the whole world at end except for a few has been played enough that this one doesn't really stand out.

The book has a few stains in it so cannot post on PBS, not sure if I will keep or more likely will donate away.

The Gashouse Gang--#23 finished

A book about the interesting characters on the 1934 St Louis Cardinals World Series winning team.  Lots of interesting characters with Dizzy Dean being the main or at least most vocal of them.  It also talked a little about Branch Rickey the GM that put together the team and also started before this having minor league teams attached to the major league team.  I had read a book late last year about the owner of the Boston Braves where owning the team basically ran him into bankruptcy.  Sounds like the Cardinals of this team won games but I don't think the owner was making much money--had to rent Sportsman Park from the St Louis Browns and with no TV or radio contracts, I can't see much money coming in.

The Cardinals had a great finish to the season but before August was probably frustrating for the fans with Dizzy complaining & getting suspended for not showing up because of contract issues--wanting more money for him & his brother Paul.  Oh well a good read about a team I didn't know much about.

Not sure if I will post on PBS or not, it is a Cardinals book so might just keep.

Agent in Place--#22 finished

The next in the Gray Man series.  A really good series and good character even if unlikely anyone could be this talented & lucky with these foreign mission/assassinations.  This time he gets pulled into Syria and that whole mess.  I know the author tries to get the surrounding info on what is happening as realistic so a decent way to sort of become informed while also being entertained.  A good read, and just a fast page turner type book.

There are 14 WL for the book so I will mail it off at some point.  This gets me to 10 books read for the month and a good start to the year.

A Swollen Red Sun--#21 finished

A book from a local writer, a fictional story about terrible meth & drug problems in Gasconade county MO.  Really horrible lives & just terrible things going on with the people making & using the drugs.  Not sure how realistic this all is but does seem to give some insight into the small town hill country type life even if hopefully the drug problems maybe overstated.

I will post it on PBS at some point, there are 10 WL for the book.

Polaroids from the Dead--#20 finished

A short story type book well maybe not so much stories as observations of real events.  The beginning is mostly about dead heads at or going to a Grateful Dead concert in Oakland, CA.  Interesting & strange people.  A few other stories about happenings & then at the end about Brentwood, CA with the OJ Simpson case going on & a look back at Marilyn Monroe too.  I have liked a couple of his other books that I read but this one not so much, oh well that happens.

I have posted it on PBS, there were no other copies so since a kind of popular author I would expect it would get requested at some point.

To Win and Die in Dixie--#19 finished

A book about J Douglas Edgar, a golfer from northern England in the early 1900s.  He eventually developed his swing & taught others the swing that is the modern golf swing.  I am not enough of a golfer or student of the game to know how it is different though.  WWI came & he enlisted, and I thought it was interesting because he thought it would be over in a few weeks as most thought. He lost 4 years out of his prime of golfing there.  When back & had some success but Europe being tore up from the war and England not having money for golf while re-building, he came to the US & became pro of a course in Atlanta.  Had a couple impressive wins in the Canadian Open which was like a major back then before he died.  He died along the side of a major road around midnight in Atlanta.  At first thought to be from a car accident but then further investigated as homicide but I guess never completely solved.  The author and person that did research before him on this that he got use of the notes, thinks it was a husband of a lady he was having an affair with.  A sad ending to the life of a talented golfer.  One of the people he played a big role in influencing was Bobby Jones.

I have already posted this book & there was 1 WL & it has been accepted so probably getting it out in the mail today.

Writing from Left to Right--#18 finished

Michael Novak with a long history in politics--advising, assisting campaigns, working as ambassador level with human rights issues under Reagan and beyond.  He writes about his start as a more leftwing kind of Kennedy supporter and then McGovern and others through the '70s but then joins with Reagan and continues with Bush.  I really knew nothing about Novak before reading this book, I might have seen him on TV a few times but not really sure on that either.  Interesting read through the politics of the 1960s & into the 1990s.  Not much on Clinton on W.  No the most exciting read but still some good stuff in there.

I have already posted it & mailed it off, there were 2 WL and didn't see a reason to keep it around longer.

Good Morning, Midnight--#17 finished

I enjoy some of the apocalyptic writing out there & this is one has a little different twist that I enjoyed.  It followed people in two unusual areas that were left without information about what was happening or going on.  One was a researcher and a small girl that were left at a research facility in the Arctic, plenty of food and enough fuel to heat their living area but soon after everyone left all communication stopped.  The other area was a space ship that had gone around Jupiter and was returning to earth with 5 in the crew.  There were getting regular updates from earth & then it all stopped.

There was a twist in that the researcher in the Arctic was the father of the communications specialist on the spaceship with a twist on the little girl being in his imagination the daughter he never knew.  I didn't really like the twist, I thought without it the story was interesting enough & would have like to seen it expanded.  That is just me though, it is the author's story so I don't like to grumble too much.  I did enjoy the book, especially the beginning & the whole premise of the story.

There are 11 WL for the book, so I will mail it off at some point.

The Tulip & the Pope--#16 finished

This non-fiction book, author Deborah Larsen, had joined a convent in 1960 and after 3 years decided to leave just before taking final vows.  She talks about her time in the convent and what it was like and then some of what was going on in the country at the time too.  Since she & her fellow postulates were basically cut off from all news the first couple of years, when was able to find out more, had to be just amazing what was happening then.  A good read to get some insight into what joining a convent was like back then and while I know many changes have occurred since, still a lot of what was going through her mind is the same as today.  Not a normal book for me but I like mixing in some like this too.  Glad I read it.

I have posted it on PBS, there is 1 copy ahead of it and since this book is like 15 years old, I don't think it will be going anywhere any time soon.

The Deceivers--#15 finished

Next in the John Wells series, action adventure with spies and this time evil Russia wanting to take back some former USSR countries, the Balkans.  Interesting stuff and fun action, one of my favorites of this whole spy/action/thriller series that I am reading.  Still they do seem to all run about the same too.  Oh well, worse ways to spend my time.

This one I got done & since was on Auto Approve on PBS, I posted it & mailed it off last weekend.  As I said a couple books earlier, I am playing catch up on my March readings/finished readings.  This one should be delivered any day now to the next in line.

Great Plains--#14 finished

The author Ian Frazier moves to Montana and basically travels around the Great Plains of the US and writes about what he sees or who he meets and weaves it into some history of the place.  Obviously the native Americans play a big role in the book like they did in the great plains.  A good read with lots of interesting things but is a little disjointed.  Almost like a short story book with a travel log going on, a little different but also little hard to get used to as well.

I will post on PBS at some point, I think there are 7 or 8 WL for this book.  I got it from PBS so sending it on is always a good idea.  Just no hurry since have enough credits at this point.

Three Stations--#13 finished

Playing catch up for the books that I have finished in March.  First is Three Stations, so far the last book in the Arkady Renko series by Martin Cruz Smith, one of my favorite series.  I really enjoyed all the books and situations he gets himself into.  The span of years from first book to last is a bunch like 30 some years but the series seemed to age well in my mind.  I just hope it continues on.  It has been too many years since I read the first book Gorky Park so that will have to be one I get to hopefully sooner than later.

This series is a keeper series for me so this one will stay with me.

The Biology of Luck--#12 finished

Basically a day in the life of two people Starshine, a hot girl, and a guy that is going sort of out with her & has a date that night with her, Larry Bloom.  Larry is a tour guide in New York and an otherwise pretty unremarkable person but has written a book at Starshine and has a letter that he doesn't want to open to see if he will be published.

Starshine was an overweight girl that seems like didn't fit in but lost a ton of weight & became hot.  She has men that want her, a trust fund kid that stands to inherit millions and Larry among them.  The book is about this one day leading up to the date.  Premise sounds good but had trouble finding any way to care about the characters lacking especially at the beginning.  By the end became somewhat enjoyable but overall not worth it in my mind.  Not terrible but not that good either in my opinion.  Sounds like the writer is more of a short story writer and this was first novel.  Maybe will enjoy the short stories more, might have to look some up.

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

Stalin's Daughter--#11 finished

A really interesting account of Stalin's daughter, Svetlana Alliluyeva.  She led a rough life, her mother committed suicide when she was young, around 6 & 1/2.  She didn't find out till many years later that it was suicide though.  She grew up during Stalin's reign of terror, where family members and family friends disappeared and executed or sent to prisons/gulags for years.  She grew up learning as most did there at the time to talk about nothing and to not even whisper your feelings.  Men she dated were scared off or sent away and she always had a body guard.  After Stalin's death she was able to finish her education in literature and then when her 3rd husband died & her 2 kids were basically adults, she found an opportunity to leave and took it.  She eventually made her way to the US and published a couple books that made enough so she could live on for a while.  Married into basically the Frank Lloyd Wright commune in Taos and in her 40s had a baby girl, the marriage didn't last but her daughter probably kept her sane for the rest of her life.  Reading this you truly get an idea of how conflicted and how tough any adjustment away from communism was for her.  I really very interesting read about someone I knew nothing about.

There are 7 WL for it on PBS so I will post at some point & mail off for someone else to enjoy.

Spymaster--#10 finished

The next in Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series.  Obviously spy stuff along with killing and all that.  Scot & his team were able to stop the Russians from the plan to retake the Balkans.  Reading a few of these type series, this seems to be decently possible stuff, no using really new or just being thought of technology.  The very end of book with a big twist and obviously consequences leading into the next book.

There are 18 WL for the book so have some time yet but will probably try to get mailed off soon.

The Sacred Blood--#9 finished

I guess there was a first book to this but I caught on with this, no problems.  Lots of archeology going on.  They dug up Jesus bones in the first book and this book goes with that & the arc of the covenant and a Jewish rabbi that wants to put this altogether to do something.  At least it was fast moving action, even if wasn't all that into the action.

I have posted it on PBS, I think there were already 5 copies so don't expect it to move but you never know.

The Scarlet Letter--#8 finished

An American classic that I hadn't read before and a short book so back around Jan 1st I thought why not get it finally read.  I finished it around the 10th of Feb.  Most classics I enjoy and can see why they have students read.  This was just a tedious book, glad that I didn't have to read in high school because I imagine I would have hated it.  The subject matter and characters are certainly interesting but the never ending paragraphs and use of long fancy words, I just kept wanting him to make his point & move on.  I really didn't enjoy it but oh well at least it is checked off.

I will put this on my keeper shelf because it does come up where kids might need it.

They Call Me Dirty--#7 finished

I actually finished this book in January but just now getting it logged.  This is Conrad Dobler's book about his time in the NFL, talks about his reputation and how he basically developed a leg whip that he used on the defensive players.  It was made illegal at some point in his career because is a great way to injure someone.  Also talked about a lot of the grabbing, fingers in facemask and other just cheap shot things he did, justifying it because everyone was doing it or he had to do those things to protect the quarterback and keep his job.  Sounds like the type of player you wanted on your team but hated when he was on other team.  Also talked a lot about the drinking and sleeping around, well some of it more eluded too than so much details, a different time that is for sure.  Not to say that those things don't go on but players certainly don't put it out there in a book.  Not a bad read, sort of entertaining but since mostly down on football now not something really enjoyed either.  His whole mindset of do anything to win is part of what has brought on the problems in sports today but can see this as a kind of typical athlete mindset.

There is 1 WL for this book on PBS so I will probably post it sometime soon & get it mailed off it they still want it.

Code to Zero--#6 finished

I hadn't read a Ken Follett book in some time.  Way back in high school, I think, I read the Eye of the Needle and Man from St Petersburg and remember really enjoying them.  I have read a couple things since but nothing that sticks out.  This falls into the latter category, a good read but I figure about 6 months from now I might not remember much of anything about it.  Still was entertaining about the US vs USSR space race and spies and all that.

There are plenty of copies on PBS so I will not be adding to it.  This might get donated to our trivia night/silent auction in a basket or just donated off somewhere.

Painting in the Dark--#5 finished

This is a book that I have had on my bookshelf, after buying from a library sale, for over 10 years I think.  It was finally time to read it.  Started it around Christmas & finished a week or so ago and just now logging it in.  It was a good read.  It is about a couple British sisters that were facists before WWII and one sister was an artist that painted Nazi leaders before the war.  Both faced major struggles during the war and after the war one died.  Jump to present day & there are modern happenings.  A good read, glad I read it instead of just continuing to ignore.

I have posted it on PBS & it is the only copy but who knows if it will move or not.

How the Irish Saved Civilization--#4 finished

I had heard of the Irish monks and saving books by translating them.  This is that & more.  A lot about St Patrick and his bringing Catholicism to Ireland that basically started this.  A good and interesting read.  I didn't know that it was the Vikings that basically brought an end to this because of their raiding Ireland and destroying the monasteries and the cities that evolved around them along the coasts.

I have posted it on PBS, there is 1 copy in the system already so it might move at some point, will just have to see.

Oh My Stars--#3 finished

A story of friends and a band in the 1940s.  I mixed group of friends, a lady who lost part of her arm--she is the story teller, an attractive lead singer guy of Norwegian descent from North Dakota and a couple African American brothers.  The lady becomes the manager and they hit the road mostly starting off sleeping on roadsides & such and gain in popularity but problems hit.  Life is a struggle for all it seems.  In the end it kind of works out though.  A nice read, nothing too great.  This book was on my shelf for a while & now became the time to read it.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only hardback copy so maybe it moves or maybe it just stays on the shelf, we will see.

The Rooster Bar--#2 finished

The 2nd book of the year is a John Grisham book about law students with a semester to go that decide to stop going to law school and basically go on the run from their student loans all have around 200k or more in loans.  A friend and fellow student goes off his meds and researches the for profit law school they go to and how it is basically a scam--give out huge loans for poor schooling--only about 1/2 of graduating class passes the bar exam to get licensed.  The fellow student ends up committing suicide & that rattles them to basically drop out.  They setup their own practice and do some cash representations but get caught but also get a scam going themselves on a class action suit and end up with a few million that they are able to skip out on.  End of book makes it seem like they will get away with it.  Good quick Grisham read with lawyers or law students in this case playing the starring roles.

I have already posted it on PBS but there were 4 copies ahead of it.  It is a hardback book so might still get moved at some point but with Grisham there get to be so many copies on system not sure if it will move.

Orr: My Story--#1 finished

First book finished during 2019 by me.  It is Bobby Orr's story.  I am not a hockey fan, I will watch some of our local Blues games here & there--maybe 1 or 2 a year now.  In past during the Brett Hull years it was much more.  Of course though I know Bobby Orr and could remember his career cut short because of bad knees.  Makes you do the "what if..." he played when medical technology is better, he probably would have had a longer career but today's league is not the same as the league back then.  I really don't know enough about hockey to say anything more than that.  A good read & I am sure hockey fans will enjoy it more than I did.

I will be posting it soon on PBS & mailing off, I think there are 4 WL for it.  I bought it cheap at Dollar General so figure probably enough copies around that I should post & mail before I am stuck with it.