100 Things They Don't Want You to Know--#112 finished

 This is my last book finished in 2023, a new record for me of read books at 112.  I don't think I will shoot for the over 100 read in 2024--want to read some longer and more classic books--at least telling myself this right now.

This is about 100 things or people or happenings that have questions about them.  They range from Jack the Ripper, to Stonehenge, Easter Island, deaths of people, and just strange happenings.  An interesting sort of quick read that touched on a lot of stuff.  Nothing deep about any of them just usually 2 short pages written up.  Nice sort of quick read to end the year on.

There are no copies in PBS system but might see if friends would like it first.

Dear Strangers--#111 finished

 An interesting sort of book.  A young couple with two younger kids--I think 7 & 9 are planning to adopt a baby and just a few weeks before this when all approved for this, the dad--a doctor--dies of a heart attack.  The adoption still goes through but after a couple weeks the wife with the help of a neighbor that is infatuated with her decides to give up the baby.  Jump ahead almost 20 years and the son and daughter are living their lives but the son can't really let go of what happened to the baby.  He is a photographer that meets another photographer girl and start dating right as he figures out who that young baby became.  An interesting premise for a book and overall the book delivers as it is an interesting story.

There were no copies in PBS & I have already posted it, I would expect it to move at some point.

Daughter of the Saints--#110 finished

 A really interesting read about the fundamentalist morman sects that still believe in plural marriage.  The author grew up in the 1950s & '60s one of many children of her dad and his several wives--7 if I remember right at that point.  He later married additional but this was several years later.  Her dad was an interesting person in that he was sort of an educated doctor but sounds like the education was in his way--I guess back in the 1930s and '40s things were a little different.  The author talks about the extended family all living together in a sort of compound with several houses at one point but then having to split up and move around.  They moved to Mexico to meet up with another group at a couple points.  Also split up into several states to avoid looking like they were plural married.  Luckily the daughter did not marry into this and married someone else that was also a morman but a regular one--if that is the way to refer to it.  Her & her husband still were in contact and in fact started open discussions with people involved and sounds like might have helped people in those situations make their own decisions.  I had read earlier books where men were marrying or committing to marrying very young, pre-teen girls to keep them roped into this life--it doesn't sound like her group was part of this but I guess can't really be sure.  A good read with a lot of information into this lifesyle.

This book has a big stain on several pages so cannot mail if off in PBS.  Might look to see if a friend is interested in it, if not will donate away somewhere.

A Year Without a Name--#109 finished

 A memoir by a young trans male, well that is not completely accurate.  The book gets a little confusing at times with the different pronouns and names of friends.  I think it adds to the confusion that the author conveyed throughout the book.  While there was a desire to become more masculine and there seemed to be a resistance to change as well.  While the book sort of jumped around and not everything was clear, it did really seem to show the struggle the author had with the changes in their life.  As a read, I would say not really easy to get through and confusing for myself but hopefully helped author get through this stage of life.

There is 1 WL for this book on PBS so will probably post & mail off next week or so, avoiding the post office before the holiday.

Bad Dirt--#108 finished

 The rest of the title is:  Wyoming Stories 2.  A good read about interesting people and times around 3 small towns in Wyoming.  Some of the stories are memorable and some just sort of read through.  I enjoy these short story books in that you can read a little and set aside for a week or two and come back and not have to play catch up.

I have already posted it back on PBS, there were 2 copies ahead of it so not sure when it will move it at all.

Alpha and Omega--#107 finished

 This is the first book I have read by Harry Turtledove, as the book jacket states, he is an alternate history type writer.  I remember seeing one of his books that was something like if the Confederates had automatic weapons in the Civil War--something like that.  It didn't appeal to me & have sort of avoided his books since.  I am thinking I found this at a library sale so for 50 cents figured give it a shot.  It was an interesting book about the Israel and Jerusalem and what happens if a bunch of biblical stuff starts coming true.  Characters seem a little too simple and incapable to in depth thought it seems.  Still interesting story and some reactions.  Not sure if I will read another of his books but was still enjoyable even if was a long long book.

There is 1 WL for this book so I will probably post soon--maybe next week.  Avoiding this week since right before holiday and post office will be too busy for me.

The Search for Omm Sety--#106 finished

 A weird sort of book and person I guess too.  Omm Sety grew up as Dorothy Eady in England and after a near death experience as a 3 year old she had a sort of opening into Egyptian history.  This sort of evolved into believing she was a reincarnated lady of a temple of ancient Egypt.  An interesting read about her life and how she came to live very simply in a poor mud hut town next to the temple of her reincarnated self.  She also talked about meeting other spirits and the conversation and other things--yes sexual too.  She never went to college but worked for Egyptian scholars and was known to be extremely knowledgable about many things.  She helped several with translations and getting published and later in life was published herself.  She was a tour guide for the temple and a sort of helper to all that came to her.  A truly remarkable woman in many senses, even if you doubt the reincarnation part of her life.  The book gets bogged down at many points talking about the research going on and almost trying to over prove many of the beliefs of her life, not the easiest to get through but still interesting in an overall sense.

There were no copies in PBS system so I posted it once I finished & it has already been requested so I will get mailed off today or tomorrow.

 

Finding the Bright Side--#105 finished

 The rest of the title is:  The Art of Chasing What Matters.  This is by Shannon Bream one of the reporters/talking heads on Fox News channel.  I used to watch Fox News but can no longer stomach the channel except in bits and pieces.  Shannon Bream and Bret Baier are two hosts that I would stop and watch if they were talking about something that interested me.  I guess that is the reason I picked up this book when I saw it at a library sale.  Her story sort of makes me worried about Fox News more, she sounds very naive in this book--it almost seems like she is afraid to really talk about her true self which maybe she is because she doesn't want to offend the people that watch her.  She has a story in that she has her law degree but only practiced for a little while before moving over to TV news--she was a Miss Virginia and a Miss Florida--Virginia in undergrad and Florida in law school so wanting to be in front of the camera makes sense.  The whole Roger Ailes thing was lightly touched on but again just seems like there is a lot missing there--he basically sexually harassed most of the women that worked for him.  The chapter about her eye problems--really series eye problem, made me wonder if she realized how lucky she was to have a great job and money as well as connections to find the doctor to treat that.  How does she feel about millions of Americans without healthcare where something like that likely goes untreated or the medical costs bury the individual if they do get treated.  Oh well, I am sure I was not part of the target audience for this book and to me it shows.  Just not something I enjoyed but at least it is a quick read.

There were 10 WL for this book but since I really didn't want this book anymore I have posted it and will be mailing off in next few days.

Tightrope--#104 finished

 Wow, what a good book and really eye opening.  I grew up in a small town--midwest vs author in northwest but able to see a lot of what he/they are talking about.  He looks at families that grew up around him, blue collar types and saw what became of them and then their children and grand children.  This is small town but more factory than agriculture there and when those blue collar jobs left, the people still there struggled with work and an identity.  Many were already hard drinkers and stayed that way and then drugs became the norm especially for the kids.  The authors went to different areas of the country too and saw similar things.  Book presented the bad or awful but also tried to show what could be done and throughout mentioned things that would made things better--things that Canada and Europe are doing but not the US.  This is one of those books that you wish more people would read.  Maybe they wouldn't agree with everything but still eye opening to the problems.

There are no WL for this book and no copies in system but this is one that I will save to loan out to friends.  One of my top books of the year.