Bitch Doctrine--#85 finished

 This is a writer that lives in England, at least when most of these were written but still covered some issues in US too.  She is definitely left progressive type and a strong feminist really hitting on women's issues.  Interesting reading and certainly agree with a lot of what she was saying.  A lot of the devil in the details type of things--her overall points are good but the how to achieve this probably not so much agreement.  Still makes you think too.  The issues & topics seemed to much though in this book style for me, I was glad to get this book finished.

I was so glad to finish the book that I have already posted on PBS and hope to get mailed off in the next few days.

Stalin--#84 finished

 The rest of the title is:  Russia's Man of Steel.  This book was in 1988, right after I graduated from high school.  It threw me a little reading it because the USSR was still together at this point and we were still in the Cold War even if it was just a few years away from ending.  This book & writer couldn't tell the future like the rest of us.  This book seems to be written more at a high school or introductory type study on Stalin, quickly going through his life and the many terrible awful things.  This is a shorter kind of quicker read than a long look at Stalin.

This being an older book, it also has a cracked spine so will not be sending off on PBS.  It will go into my give away pile.

The Almost Sisters--#83 finished

 This is the 2nd book I have read by this author and both were really good.  I am drawing a blank on the first book but just remember liking it and part of the reason this was on my WL in PBS.  This is about family struggles in the South.  Main character has to travel to her family hometown where she spent several summers as a kid growing up.  Her grandmother and her friend are taking care of each other but their age and issues are catching up with them.  Throw in a few more personal issues and the story goes on.  A really good read, I enjoyed the book.

There are 21 WL for this book on PBS so I will post & mail off at some point.  Right now have enough credits not in a hurry to mail much off.

The Man Who Planted Trees--#82 finished

 The rest of the title is: A Story of Lost Groves, the Science of Trees, and a Plan to Save the Planet.  This was an interesting and enlightening read.  Really interesting stuff about our planet and how important trees our to everything around us.  With the whole climate change going on, book--written 11 years ago--talks about how trees can be used to offset some of the worse things about climate change and clean up areas of our planet.  The book also goes into some of the near death experience of the main character in the book and how angels led him to start his campaign to clone old large trees and use their genetics and ability to survive to repopulate trees on earth.  A little weird but writer presented it well and was interesting. 

This is a keeper book for me--I might loan it out but would want to get it back.  Really interesting read.

Relentless--#81 finished

 This is the next in the Gray Man series, I think it is book 10.  I haven't seen this movie yet but I think it had come out earlier this year--not sure if was an in theatre movie or just a streaming one.  Remember it being a sort of flop but I think would like it & sorry it was a Gray Man movie not for this book  Now back to this book, the Gray Man has sort of flipped in & out of favor with the US government, he is sort of in a hidden favor now but with changes is out again by end.  Middle Eastern terrorists want to ignite a war between US & Iran so they attack the US Ambassador in Berlin.  Gray Man and his helpers cannot stop it but at least lessen some of the damage & killings.  A good quick action type read.

There are 5 or 6 WL for this book so will probably post fairly soon & get mailed off.

Educating Esme'--#80 finished

 This is a journal of a first year teacher in Chicago in a poor neighborhood.  She taught 5th grade students.  She had wonderful ideas on a ton of motivation to do her job but there are plenty of struggles, especially from the principal.  It was in the late 1990s so a little different time technology wise but still kids are still basically kids.  You wish you had a school full of teachers like her but then the other question is how do you stay that motivated for 20+ years and also throw in her own family life--she was unmarried and dating someone.  Overall though you get the simple idea that teaching and teaching well is very hard.

Our youngest wants to teach Elementary Education and I am keeping this book for her to read.  She is a freshman in college and busy with classes right now so might have to wait till she has a break to read it but certainly want her to read it.

There is 1 copy in system already and this book is a little rough--some staining so will probably not post on PBS.

I'm Glad My Mom Died--#79 finished

 This is an autobiographical book but child actress Jennette McCurdy who played Sam on ICarly show.  I watched this show with my kids when they were growing up an was a sort of funny in crazy antics kind of way.  I didn't realize Jennette was already into acting for a while before this show.  Her book is really eye opening in that she basically didn't want to be in acting and was sort of forced on her by her mom.  That is just the start of several awful things her mother did over the years for her and the family.  The secret coming out after mom had died that her father is not her biological father--instead her mom was having a long term affair.  A really screwed up family life and I am sure therapy involved.  This book reads almost like a therapeutic endeavor to sort of get it out of the system.  Jennette is no longer acting but now writing and hopefully in a better place.

There are 138 WL for this book so will get it posted & mailed off at some point.

$2.00 a Day--#78 finished

 The rest of the title is: Living on Almost Nothing in America.  The authors researched people truly living on nearly nothing as far as cash in their household.  The $2.00 a day or less was per household, so a single mother with 2 kids is 3 people in household.  The looked at families in Chicago, Cleveland and Mississippi.  Lots of talk about changes in welfare over the years and how it has affected the people at the very bottom that are struggling the most.  It was published in 2015 so a few years old, not sure if much has changed though.

There are 6 WL for this book so I will post & mail off at some point.

A Small Town--#77 finished

 This is a book by Thomas Perry, I have read and enjoyed a lot of his books and this one is a good one too.  A good quick page turner kind of read.  A prison is built in middle of nowhere CO and supplies jobs for town nearby.  A group of prisoners figure out a massive breakout, where the 12 leaders get away and a hoard is launched onto the town after killing the guards.  The town is ravaged, killings, rapes, fire, theft and destruction happens.  Most of the prisoners are rounded back up but the 12 leaders are not found.  The local police all off the books sends one of their own to hunt down the 12.  Not sure why she is able to successfully track some down while FBI, etc were not but she does.  A good read even if have to overlook a few things.

There are 8 WL for this book so will post & mail off at some point.

Penny Marshall--#76 finished

 The rest of the title is:  An Unauthorized Biography of the Director and Comedienne.  This was written around 1999, just a few years after her big directing hit of A League of Their Own.  It seems like she really slowed down after this, she did a few bit parts in shows and some producing but not much more directing.  I couldn't remember if she had passed away or not & had to wikipedia her after finishing book and saw she died in 2018--that is really too soon.  I remember watching Laverne & Shirley as a kid and laughing along with I guess the rest of America at the time.  This was a nice overview and reminder of her, good read.

I have posted it on PBS & is only copy but not sure if will move or not.

Like a Charm--#75 finished

 This is a short story book put together with a theme or at least a common connection between the stories.  Like the title says, Charm, it is a charm bracelet.  Some of the stories get a little mystical--like the first one when the charms were formed I guess.  Others are good stories seemingly about the bad luck this charm bracelet brings.  This is a little different sort of short story book, a change from the single author short stories I have read.  Nice in that most stories were around 30 pages so didn't have a big time investment if story wasn't for me. 

This is only copy in PBS system but for paperback there are 2 WL, not sure that matters but might get requested at some point.  I did go ahead a post right away on PBS.

Careers for Women--#74 finished

 I had thought this was mostly going to be about women in an office in the 1950s & 1960s.  I guess I hadn't paid much attention to the cover writeup.  It started as that but added a single mother that came to New York city from upper New York state.  It bounced from her and a family in upper state to the office and a couple close friends she made in the city.  It also went over a few decades as well.  The book bounced back and forth and changed times quite a bit that made it a little confusing to follow as well.  Overall though a good story, I enjoyed it.

There are 9 WL for this book on PBS so I will post & mail off at some point.