Who is Vera Kelly?--#102 finished

 A quick and easy read.  A high school girl in the late '50s runs away from home and is sent to juvenile schools and when graduates heads to New York.  She is hired by CIA and is in Argentina as a sort of spy--sets up wiretaps and gets info back to DC.  The story doesn't open up like this--it bounces from a small life story chapter to next what is going on in Argentina and then back again.  A good an interesting read.  

I have posted it on PBS, it is the only copy--it is a large print book.  I would guess at some point will get moved but can never really tell either.

The Shadow Cabinet--#101 finished

 This is the 3rd book in a series and looks like maybe the last book but ending left it open.  A girl from Louisiana moves to London with parents but her high school is a boarding school.  She has a near death experience and is now able to see ghosts.  She meets up with a police team of others like this and after first two books we are now at the 3rd.  A confusing jump back in time and a sort of what happened to these people from the '70s is thrown in here and some more investigation stuff.  A lot of over the top world could end ideas in here too.  I am glad I read it and finished the series but not a great ending or series.  I like the idea of it but thought a better series could have been developed.  It is a series for young adults so maybe just didn't hit me because I am not target audience.

There were no copies in system so I posted it and it has already been requested.  I will try to get mailed off in the coming week.

Heros of the Frontier--#100 finished

 It felt really good finishing this book and hitting my goal of 100 books read.  I actually finished it last weekend but just now logging it in.  The 100 book goal I am proud of myself for accomplishing it but I don't plan on it being the goal for next year--I noticed I was skipping books that might take me too long to read and keep me from the goal.  Next year and through this year, I plan to grab some of those and enjoy the read not the end goal of the finish.

I liked this book, a mom and her 2 young kids sort of leave life behind in OH and head to Alaska with sort of plans but not really.  She has a sort of step sister type there she wants to meet up with but really nothing beyond that.  During the trip, we get to know of the mom and her struggles in life and meet up with some interesting characters on her travels.  She is really struggling with life again but sees the growth in her and her children from this trip and in the end realize in some way they will be okay.

There are 15 WL for the book on PBS so will get it mailed off at some point.

Need to Know--#99 finished

A CIA analyst finds out her husband is a Russian spy but loves her and their kids.  He was forced into Russian service and says only has sent minor, harmless info to his handlers.  She is forced to take a step toward helping him/Russians to protect him and does this one step, which leads to more.  A lot of what should I do and trying to figure stuff out here but I didn't always buy into their decisions.  A couple good twists at the end and the very end lets you know a 2nd book being planned.  This was published in 2018 so haven't seen anything since so maybe not.

I already posted it on PBS, there are 4 copies in system so maybe will move at some point. 

Femme Fatale--#98 finished

 The rest of the title is: Love, Lies, and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari.  A really good and interesting read.  I remember hearing about Mata Hari growing up--not sure if in history books/classes or in some pop culture way--famous dancer turned spy.  This book really looks at her life in depth--from her early life, an early marriage and life in Indonesia area with a much older husband.  Having a couple children and then the older boy dying in childhood.  Their return to Holland and divorce.  Her moving to Paris basically penniless and really no skills to earn a living--her young daughter staying with the ex-husband and the new wife.  Her learning dance and then turning into an exotic type dance and her character as well.  Really remarkable for her to get to that point.  She became a star of Europe traveling around and performing and making large amounts of money that got spent just as quick.  Meeting and being with several men that also supported her and again spending lots of money quick.  After several years of this WWI happens and she gets caught up in what men/government/inspectors think of her as a spy.  Because she is basically immoral in their eyes and goes to bed with several men from all different countries including Germany which France was at war with, they see her as a spy.  This is where the book probably shines the most--the detail in the research and the way author can see the characters involved and try to get at what was really going on--makes for sad and very interesting reading.  Good book, glad I finally took time to read it.

I have posted it on PBS & it has already been requested.  I will be mailing it off later this week.

The Handmaid's Tale--#97 finished

This is a pretty famous book that has become one of the streaming places series I guess--don't watch much on streaming, at least yet I guess.  This is a sort of diary by a woman that is living after a sort of war maybe civil war where women of birthing age become basically breeding stock for high up men in the system who's wives are not able to have kids.  A lot of underlying themes going on in this story and not many answers are given.  An interesting read and a sort of different take on the whole what could happen if things turn really bad.  I am glad I have read it, it sort of goes into the genre for me of when society falls apart kind of thing--like the Postman, The World Made by Hand(I think that was the name) but this one is a lot rougher on the women. 

This is a keeper for me, one of those that probably should be the shelf in most homes.

Q Road--#96 finished

 A good read about interesting people at a farm and some houses that have been built up across from the farm.  The main character Rachel, grew up in a ramshackle houseboat on the small river with her mom that sounded like she was sort of crazy.  Rachel at 17 marries the farmer who is in his 50s maybe.  Rachel has a lot of feral instincts but does have a love for the land, that is what brought her to George.  A whole cast of side characters that sometimes is hard to keep track of but they are interesting in their own ways.  Really a good and interesting story that makes you think beyond the people relationships but also the people to the land relationship.  

This one had been sitting on my shelf a while, I looked and I got it in Oct 2014 so has been a while.  Glad I finally got to it.  There was 1 WL for it & I posted it & has been accepted.  I will get mailed off in next couple of days.