The Lions of Lucerne--#23 finished

 Had to do a little catching up today, last day of February and I hadn't logged in my last 5 books finished until now.  This is the 1st book in Brad Thor's Scot Harvath series, I started the series in the middle and had wanted to go back & read from the beginning and found 6 of first 7--ordered the missing book from PBS.  I think the 7th book is where I started so probably already read it but by time get around to it might need to be re-read--ha ha.  This was a good beginning to series, he is a Secret Service agent & President is kidnapped by unknown international team and Harvath was basically framed for it--of course was a loose cannon before being framed too and he had to team up with a lady investigator in Europe to track down President and bring down bad guys.  One of those fun, suspend reality and just enjoy the adventure ride reads.

I will keep the book for now since I have most of the beginning books in series at this point but not sure this will be a keeper series.  Will decide later I guess.

Hazard Zones--#22 finished

 This was a sort of interesting book about a small town on an island on the Ohio River and town is in OH too.  The son and his wife return to the town because his mother has died and they have to spend a few days taking care of things.  They meet up with a couple--he knows the husband from school and the wives hit it off and a lot of time is spent on reflections of their growing up and what life was like.  There was an underlying issue to that finally comes out--his step brother's death.  A interesting read and good reflections.  It is dated so had to remember back to life in early '90s.  I enjoyed author's other work Clarinet Polka more but still glad to have read this one.

I have posted this one PBS & it is only copy so will probably go at some point but since older book who knows might be years.

The Canaan Legacy--#21 finished

 This is an older book from 1988, it is first in the Rachel Gold series by a St Louis author Michael Kahn.  Many years ago I read a book in this series--didn't know was a series & I think this was before I was even keeping track of what I read and I remember enjoying it.  I have been collecting the books in this series but just got this one--the first book in series recently & knocked it out.  Rachel is a lawyer in Chicago in this book--one I read before she is in St Louis, she left a large law firm to go it on her own.  The large law firm hires her to figure out a weird part of a recently deceased partner at law firm and this pulls her into a quick paced investigation with several people that could be the suspect.  Time before cell phones and time of business lunches and all that, fun read in that time warp sense.  Good start to series.

This is a keeper for me at this point since trying to get all the books in series.

Dreamers of the Day--#20 finished

 A really good and interesting read about a lady after WWI who had lost her family--mother, brother, sister, brother in law & their children in a short period of time from the Spanish Flu of 1919.  She was sick with it too but was able to recover.  She being the sole survivor and her father and mother had a business that was sold for good money, she was now all alone and wealthy.  Her sister & family had gone to Egypt and Palestine area and after hearing about this she decided she wanted to travel there too.  Book is mostly about this time she spent in Cairo and then traveled into Palestine.  She meets with the interesting people of the day--Winston Churchill, Lawrence--Lawrence of Arabia and others along the way.  Interesting story and interesting time.  This is a book that has been on my shelf for a few years and glad I finally got to it.

There are like 3 WL for it so I will post & mail off at some point probably soon.

The Face-Changers--#19 finished

 This was the next in Jane Whitefield series, a lady that helps people disappear.  She is married & had promised to quit this for her husband but a doctor from husband's past that helped teach him--husband is also a doctor, suddenly appears and is in trouble.  Husband calls wife, Jane & she is back in business.  She finds out that another group of people have sort of taken over her work and instead of just helping out the people/runners, they are basically extorting them for all of their money & keeping them indentured.  Well, she brings an end to that & helps doctor regain his life.  Series does continue on but doesn't really let you know at the end.

I have already posted this book & it is the only copy in system and this series has been getting requested so I figure at some point will be mailing it off.

My Fair Junkie--#18 finished

 A memoir about a lady & how screwed up her life was as an addict to drugs, alcohol and sex and her ups and downs to where she is now through it and clean.  I hope no relapse in future but I guess never really sure on that.  She is not holding anything back in this book--descriptions of sex, drugs and people around her are frightening.  Really amazing she was able to get clean and together on this.  I am glad for her.  An eye opening book about the reality of addiction.  

There was 1 WL for it & I have posted it so hope to mail off in next few days.

The Kaiser's Web--#17 finished

This is the next in the Cotton Malone series--a retired but often called in to do spy work for the US.  This time, the ex-president that liked him--current president does not--called him to help the German Prime Minister with a problem she was having.  Cotton & his girlfriend Cassiopeia Vitt start in Germany but go to Chile, then South Africa to then back to Germany to wrap things up.  It is about Nazi's that escaped to S Am after WWII--especially Martin Bormann and he threw in Eva Braun too.  Nazi offspring and the rise of the right in Germany and throughout Europe is also part of the story.  Good quick read but doesn't seem likely but detach some reality and enjoy the story.

There are 23 WL for this book so have plenty of time yet to post & mail--no hurry again to do so now.

Throw Like a Girl--#16 finished

 This is a book by women's softball player Jennie Finch.  It was more toward younger girls--teenagers, than to my age.  I was interested in her though knowing she was a dominate player in college and then for the US team.  Some good info about her mixed in with uplifting and don't quit type of writing as well.  It is a quick read at least but again I wasn't really the target on this one.

I have posted it on PBS & it is the only copy so hopefully will move at some point.  It was written in 2011 so maybe she is now too far removed from minds of softball players that it might sit too--who knows.

The President and the Assassin--#15 finished

This is a book at President McKinley and what led to his presidency and his terms in office and then also about his assassin Leon Czolgosz a self proclaimed anarchist.  A good read about what the 1890s was about--how we got into the Spanish American War and the issues and territory that brought about.  The trade issues that were hand in hand with the war.  Then on the domestic side the labor troubles and a time of "isms" seemingly fighting for a place.  Socialism, communism, anarchism, etc were all pulling the workers at the time--workers that were being paid a barely survival wages.  An interesting time in the history of our country, although it seems every time in our country is interesting if studied at a deeper than scratching the surface level.

There are 11 WL for this book but I have plenty of credits at PBS right now so no hurry to post & mail at this point. 

Bikin' and Brotherhood--#14 finished

 The author was a member of the Outlaws motorcycle club in the mid 1970s into the late 1980s or early '90s.  An interesting read about his life & the club and a short ending about retiring from the club and finding Jesus while he was in prison and continued once he was out.  While interesting stories about his life in the club, just seems like a lot of missing--left untold.  He mentions he worked on & customized bikes and a smaller part-time bouncer kind of job but otherwise no mention of how he or the club earned money.  Money needed for the clubhouses and of course the beer, drugs, etc for their parties.  Mentions if bike parts needed basically they were "found" on other bikes in area.  Just seemed like book needed to come clean on more of that to be more interesting.  I am not a bike guy--no desire to ride a motorcycle so while he talks about that some wasn't really what I was looking for.  Glad to see at end he was about to get out and seems to be leading a much safer life. 

I have posted this on PBS, it is the only copy but not sure how much interest will be--might be a shelf for a while.

Magical Thinking--#13 finished

This is a short true story book by Augusten Burroughs, I have heard of his other books but this is the first book of his I read.  Some of it was funny but a lot was just kind of out there & sort of gross or disgusting.  I have read several LGBTQ books and generally enjoy them--this seemed like the author was constantly putting it out there in just base ways.  I gathered from reading this that I probably should have read his earlier book that goes into his childhood that describes how screwed up it was and some of these stories show that he has gotten beyond that.  The stories did get better as they went along.  For my taste David Sedaris books are a lot more enjoyable and humorous than this.  I should probably go back & read his earlier book at some point too.

I have posted it on PBS, this is now the 10th copy in system so I doubt it goes anywhere but I just had the Grisham book Calico Joe requested so who knows.