Paul and Me--#29 finished

It was a few months ago that I first heard of AE Hotchner, it was on a Living St Louis tv show that talked about him and his recent passing.  I didn't know he was a St Louisan and had no idea about his long time friendship with Paul Newman.  The rest of this title is:  53 Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman.  A really interesting and entertaining read.  I new of Newman's Own salad dressing and sort of remember seeing other products too but didn't know Hotchner was his business partner & how it all started and how this business was run in their own way.  Glad I read this book and I am glad there were people like this in our world--we can probably use a few more like these two.

I am not sure if I will post it or not, leaning toward not since author is from St Louis.  Might be a good one to offer to friends if they would be interested.

Vanishing Act--#28 finished

 This is a start of a series book by Thomas Perry--I really like several of his books that I have read.  This is an older book, published in 1995 and you notice it--no cell phones and the main character uses public pay phones several times throughout the book.  She also buys newspapers and searches the ads several times as well, just funny because that is just not done anymore.  The main character, Jane Whitefield, is a person that helps other people disappear, people that need to get away and stay away for their own safety--bad marriage, mob after them--that sort of thing.  A guy comes to her with a story & he is being followed & they have to leave ASAP.  Getting away and how she develops new personas for the people is interesting but I could tell something wasn't quite right and this guy was a bad guy tracking down someone she helped disappear in the past.  He finds & kills that guy & Jane now has to track this bad guy down & get him.  Some big leaps of faith in her abilities, throw in some NE Native American stuff--almost mystical, makes parts of the book hard to buy but still a good page turner at least.

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

Factory Man--#27 finished

A really interesting read about the furniture factories and business in general.  It basically follows the Bassett family and Bassett furniture and then John Bassett III who wasn't going to run Bassett Furniture & moved over another furniture maker Vaughan-Bassett Furniture that also had family ties.  A lot of the book focuses on the 1970s into the 2000s where the furniture manufacturing changed from USA to Taiwan and then other countries in Asia and eventually China.  While most US companies moved production to Asia, John Bassett III fought to keep production in US and waged a trade type war forcing some fairness in the process.  The book was written in 2014 and Vaughn-Bassett Furniture still has US factories so they have found a way to compete.  An interesting read with lots of good info that I had no idea of before picking up this book.

There are 2 WL for the book and I will probably post soon & mail off.

The Con Man's Daughter--#26 finished

 An interesting read, true story about a woman that grew up with a dad that was some kind of con man--at a grade school class she stood up & told everyone her dad was a bookie--not knowing this was not a good thing.  She mentions her family moved 17 times before she graduated.  She also mentioned they would drive a new car for a few days or weeks before it was changed out.  The lived in a large home with a pool in backyard one summer--the summer their mom left their dad--her & her older brother picked dad to stay with because of the pool.  She never really mentions the crimes her dad commits but I guess she was just a kid so maybe didn't really stick with her.  Rest of book then about her struggle to get her life together & finding God.  Not a great read but still interesting.

I have posted it on PBS & has been accepted, there was 1 WL for it.  Hope to get mailed off in the next few days.

Falling...in Love with San Miguel--#25 finished

 The rest of the title is:  Retiring to Mexico on Social Security.  Two ladies that have lived in several places in the US--MI, AZ & CA--Los Angeles that have also traveled quite a bit too, decided to go to San Miguel Mexico with plans to live there retired years there.  They are probably a little more well to do than most but still go in great detail about how they are living there.  This book is a kind of journal of their first year and the successes and some failures or issues maybe that came up.  An interesting read.  Not sure about San Miguel still--sounds like a decent sized city with an artist type makeup.  The book is from mid 2000s so about 15 years ago so not sure what everything is like today

Not sure if will post or not.  The book is missing like 6 pages that looks like were cut out so can't really post it but there is 1 WL for it so might see if want it anyway.  Don't like trying to send like that so not sure if will even try.

The Warsaw Protocol--#24 finished

 This is the next in the Cotton Malone series and like all the others was a good quick read with enough action & thought to keep it interesting.  This time he gets involved with an international auction for some incriminating evidence against the president of Poland.  The new US president seems very Trump-like, basically an ego centric idiot and Malone & his former boss Stephanie make that clear.  A big shootout and tracking down the bad guys.  In the end of Polish president gets the evidence so it can't be used against him and Malone & Stephanie are in trouble with US president.  The last paragraph signals the next book with former US president coming to Malone and telling him he needs help.

I have already posted it & will get it mailed off hopefully this morning.  There were like 23 WL for it but figured no reason to keep it.

The Garner Files--#23 finished

This is James Garner's memoir.  I remember him from watching re-runs of Maverick and we sometimes watched the Rockford Files.  I remember him in some movies as well I guess in the '80s & '90s but never really thought of him as a big star.  Was an interesting read about his life, how he got into movies & TV and then how he carved his own way with his own production company and suing for correcting how Hollywood paid actors on shows.  Nothing really earth shattering in the book but gives you some insight into the whole TV & movie thing from '50s on.

I have posted it on PBS, again it is the only copy but will see if it gets requested or not. 

Troika--#22 finished

This is another book that was finished in March but just now logging in.  Not really sure about the book, the characters are interesting but just seem a little too over the top amazing I guess.  Julian comes from an orphanage in Russia but his mom saves him and a friend gets him to America where after school becomes super rich.  Perla is a stripper/dancer in Florida that is doing the best she can.  They meet and while Julian is married, his wife is in a wheelchair because of a car accident.  All three come together.  Interesting story, not sure if quite the love story some of the cover reviews talk about but not a bad read.

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy in system so I would think it would move a some point but I have several posted that are only copy and they aren't moving so who knows.

Killer Weekend--#21 finished

 This book was finished in March but just now getting around to logging it in with a couple others.  This is the first in a series by Ridley Pearson, an author from St Louis so figured I should read some of his books. It is set in a ski/resort town in Idaho where the main character is the local sheriff.  A weekend of bigwigs coming into town for like a Ted talk thing where the Attorney General is supposed to announce her candidacy for President.  She & the sheriff go back to an earlier encounter where he saved her life.   Lots of other characters and action keeps moving.  Not the best thing but not too bad either.  I think I have the 2nd in series already too so will give it a try at some point.

There are already like 12 copies in PBS so not sure if worth it to post.  Will probably read 2nd in series and then decide.