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.