Northern Lights--#64 finished

 A good story about a hard luck teenager.  His mom ran out of his & his dad's life when he was young.  His dad raised him but unfortunately his dad passed away months before he graduated.  Once he graduated the uncle he was living with through him out with basically nothing.  He decides to go to the small town MN where he last heard his mother was living.  She is no longer there but he decides to stay there and continue looking for her.  He is going to college in the fall but not much else going on for him and he is basically broke.  From here he meets up with small town people that have terrible drug problems.  He does track down his mom but that is a disappointment was well. 

An interesting read but just questions that came up while reading it--did his dad have any life insurance or estate--seems unusual that uncle would throw him out penniless.  Uncle didn't like him because he had long hair & appears effeminate--finds out later is gay but wasn't sure in high school--again sort of strange here.  He does get his hair cut later when found his mom--I guess as a way to maybe fit in with her life ??--again strange that his long hair seemed to be causing troubles with people around him but gives in quick to getting cut.  All of the drug problems in this small town--sheriff is part of the story but must be a terrible sheriff to not be able to figure a few of these things out.  A small town restaurant that is bringing in good cash from catering--everyone could guess/see this was drug money, why couldn't anyone in the book see this. 

I am taking a lot of shots here but still not a bad story, just wonder what it would have been like if some of those things answered or addressed in any way.

There were no copies on PBS so I posted it and it got requested right away, reason typing this up right after finishing.  I will get it mailed off this week.

The Republic of Pirates--#63 finished

 This is a book of non-fiction which looked at the Caribbean pirates of the late 1600s and into the 1700s.  A really interesting read.  It is sort of amazing the amount of research done to be able to put together a book like this. Being about to research the lives and follow who was doing what during this time of basically chaos that ruled the seas of this area.  Growing up in midwest with ocean hours & hours away, I probably don't appreciate what it takes so sail boats especially back then when it was all wind and sails and maybe some people on the oars.  An interesting time and an interesting read.

I have had this book for years on my shelf and just now finally got around to reading it.  There are still 4 WL for this book in PBS but might set aside and see if this is one my friends might want to read.

Killing Yourself to Live--#62 finished

 This is a book by Chuck Klosterman, a music critic.  He has an assignment to go to & write about places where musicians have died and it is a road trip so plenty of time to listen to music and think.  He writes about the music and musicians and also the places and people he meets.  The main theme of this book though is about his relationships with 3 different women that he is trying to make sense of as far as deciding if he should make a real commitment to one of them.  He mentions a few times that he is not sure the people he is writing about might not be comfortable about reading about his thoughts of them in his book--which to me is a real fear of someone who would know him.  Still a mostly fun read with a touch of a real look into the author's life.

There is already a copy in PBS and I have a couple friends that are big music fans so I think this will go into the loan out pile at least for now.

The Fifth Doctrine--#61 finished

 This is the 3rd in the series about Bianca St Ives a sort of super spy/criminal sort.  It has been a fun series to read with good action, a page turner type.  The CIA developed sort of super human genetically modified babies for testing, they killed the mothers and babies then--not sure if realized shouldn't have done it or if there were problems.  The CIA hitman sent to kill Bianca and her mother, didn't do it and instead helped them live.  Eventually mother was killed but Bianca lived with this on the run CIA guy who raised her as a sort of super human girl that he used on his crime jobs.  Series is about the CIA and international groups chasing after him and then her.  Not sure if there are more books after this in series, ended sounding like there would be but has been a couple years and no new ones have shown up yet.

I have already posted it on PBS and is the only copy in system with the large print, a few other copies of paperback in system.  

The Care of Time--#60 finished

 This is an older book, published in 1980 so before cell phones, most computers and all that stuff.  It started as a sort of interesting read with a writer and former TV interviewer getting mailed a bomb that was basically a warning that he had to take a job.  He does and ends up in Italy and travels with a group to do a sort of fake interview of a middle eastern sheik while government types are negotiating behind scenes with sheik for a base deal.  I didn't buy why the main character had to be involved and then all the details that again didn't really make much sense to me.  It was I guess supposed to be a sort of spy/action novel and I just didn't buy it.  This is a mass market/pocket type book.  I had it because needed an easy carry book for out door reading and it fit that bill. 

This book is sort of beaten up so will not bother posting on PBS but will instead go in my give away pile.

The Shallows--#59 finished

 The rest of the title is:  What the Internet is Doing to our Brains.  This is a leftover book from one of my daughters college classes, I am not sure which one, maybe a communication class.  It is an interesting read because it talks about how the computer and internet is changing the way people read and think.  It also goes back in history and talks about how other break throughs have changed the way people think--printing press, typewriters, word processors and so on.  While interesting, it is sort of a cat's out of the bag thing--if that is the right expression, where the internet is not going away.  The harmful things like short blips of reading, busy screens with ads & links & general disturbances, addiction to constantly updated info, these are things that certainly haven't gone away since this book was written over 10 years ago.  Still an interesting read and does make you think about the future of people and in depth thinking.

There are 26 WL for this book in PBS but might go into my loan out pile too to see if friends would be interested. 

Gold Fame Citrus--#58 finished

 A sort of weird dystopian novel.  The whole of CA is basically waterless and people that are still there are struggling to live.  Sounds like government trying to get some to leave but others living on a sort of cola drink thing I guess.  The story follows a couple that picks up a mostly abandoned toddler girl and they fear the group that had this girl will look for them.  The couple & girl take off east through a large & moving desert.  The get split up & the lady and girl end up with the band of people living on the edge of this moving desert with a leader that is somehow able to find water to keep them alive.  Eventually the man of the three finds them after being sort of imprisoned and also finding the truth of this band.  Like I said a sort of weird story.  I liked the idea of the story I think more than the actual storyline taken. 

There are 13 WL for this book in PBS so I will get it posted & mailed off at some point.

Cruel Beautiful World--#57 finished

 This was a sad book to read.  Sisters that have already known tragedy at a young age and are now in high school with seemingly normal lives in late 1960s and torn apart.  The younger sister develops a crush on a high school English teacher and becomes a relationship on the sly.  After school is done in May, they skip town and start a new life a couple states away.  The older sister and their step-mom--who is actually also a sister, there is a lot more going on in this story than any little writeup I do could do justice--a distraught and put up posters and ads for information on her.  The younger sister struggles in her new life where she has to stay hidden until she is legal and does find a way to see some people.  It ends badly for her and then sister & step mom have to find ways to move on.  A sad story overall.

There are 4 WL for this book so I will probably try to mail off soon.  I don't need more PBS credits at this point so sort of holding off on mailings right now.

When the Stars Came Out--#56 finished

 This is a book by local author Mark Pierce about the Mississippi River Festival that was held in late '60s into late '70s.  SIUE was a brand new school and on the grounds of the school they have a natural amphitheater and they decided as a way to promote the school to have a summer music series.  It started with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra and then also brought in different types of bands, Blues, Jazz, Folk and Rock.  It brought in The Who, Eagles, Grateful Dead and many others.  It is really pretty amazing thing that was done.  I didn't live in area so had no idea & heard about this when I moved here but it had long since stopped by then.  Just one of those nuggets of history of the area.

This one is a keeper since I know the author.

Happy People are Annoying--#55 finished

This is a sort of memoir by Josh Peck a child actor that was Josh on Drake & Josh TV show on Nick or one of the kid show networks.  I remember watching the show with my kids when they were growing up & figured why not get the book & see what is up in his life.  An interesting read about his struggles with weight, then with alcohol and drugs and then trying to get back into acting.  He sort of found a niche with Vine videos that moved then to U-Tube and Tick Tock--maybe, those sort of things.  It sounds like his life is good now and is married & has a child.  A good quick type read.

There are 4 WL for this book so I will probably get it mailed off soon.