A String of Beads--#37 finished

This was the next in Jane Whitefield series by Thomas Perry.  This is one I checked out from the library, didn't want to wait it out on PBS & wanting to get the series done--or at least caught up, not sure if more books coming out or not.  This time the person she has to rescue is a guy she grew up with on the reservation and he was basically framed for a murder.  Not only framed but was likely going to be killed so real murder wouldn't be found.  Jane gets him away and has to move a few times.  Starts with low level thugs and police looking for the guy and turns into higher level mafia types.  Throw in a girl and the guy's mother as well and Jane has her hands full.  Good story and quick read.

There is 1 more book in the series and I already have it so will get it read in next few weeks or months.  This is library book so will be going back to them, no PBS on this one. 

The Lucky Ones--#36 finished

 This is basically 5 stories where there is a character that sort of overlaps between them.  All about people struggling in England, written in 2005 to give you a timeframe.  Mostly dealing with relationships in one way or another.  Interesting at times but wasn't what I was expecting and had a hard time working up to liking some of the characters.

I have already posted it on PBS & is the only copy so could move at some point.  I kept trying to remember how this book got on my WL in the first place & I cannot figure this one out--nothing else by author rings a bell and is old enough that I doubt I saw a review of it--oh well.

Don't Follow Me, I'm Lost--#35 finished

 This is a memoir of author's time in college in late 1980s and early 1990s.  The college was the very non-traditional Hampshire College in MA.  I don't really understand their classes and offerings, at least from reading this book.  This author fell in with a group that basically did all it could to not get along with others at college.  This being a very liberal and sort of at that time a hippie type of college, the group pushed things to where the group was kicked off campus author's freshman year.  His second year, he again finds his way to misfits of the college and again starts pissing off others at the college.  The book basically ends after 2nd year.  He does graduate in 5 years though.  I thought I would enjoy more because is about the same time that I was in college but Hampshire College is just too different from a more normal experience that no real connection was made.  Sort of funny at times but overall just sort of slugged my way through this.

I posted it once I finished it last night and has already been requested.  I have a couple other books to mail off so hopefully getting them all out tonight.

The Third Victim--#34 finished

 This is the first book in a series, I already had 2nd book so ordered this one through PBS.  A young female lawyer that was also an MMA fighter into college, switches from a law clerk to a defense lawyer team in Oregon.  A new big case arrives as well and Robin--new lawyer and rest of team work it along with a few other cases brought up too.  Head lawyer of group is also fighting forgetfulness and after case where defendant found guilty, head lawyer diagnosed with early dementia.  They keep investigating this case though & eventually break it freeing their client and bringing down the ladies that set him up.  All in all a good read and hopefully a good series as well. 

I have already posted this book back on PBS and is only copy in system.  Just looked and it is already up to 7 books in series.  I would think being that how popular this book series is it will get ordered at some point.

The Lemon Jell-O Syndrome--#33 finished

 This is a book that was on my bookshelf for a few years, I had looked at starting it several times but couldn't get it started.  I finally did so and well, it was okay.  It tried to be funny but I saw it more as pathetic.  The Dr Lemonjello or at least the fake one was there for comic relief but again just obviously screwed up.  The quirkiness of the other characters again wore out quickly.  Story moved along but more in a way that I just wanted it to get over, not really caring how it ended up.  Oh well, not everyone is a winner in my books read.

I have posted it on PBS & it is the only copy in system.  Author has written a few books so could see this one getting requested at some point.

Sharp--#32 finished

 The rest of the title is: The Women Who Made an Art of Having an Opinion.  It is basically about women critics since 1900s, at least some of the major ones.  I recognized some of the newer names like Nora Ephron and Susan Sontag and older one Hannah Arendt.  I had read some Arendt in college and was probably reason I picked it up from the library sale when I saw it.  I thought would be more about the individual people/women but was that somewhat but also the interaction between themselves and feminism in general.  Also throw in some more insider stuff on critics too.  Not really what I was expecting but still interesting at points.  I had started it at end of March--being Women's month so figured it was the time to read it.

There are 5 WL for this book on PBS so will probably post & mail off at some point.

Poison Flower--#31 finished

 This was the next in the Jane Whitefield series by Thomas Perry.  A good continuation of the series.  It started sort of in the middle of the story with Jane doing a jail break of sorts with a guy that was in prison but was at the courthouse the day she setup his escape.  Jane was caught by bad guys and bad things happened but she was able to get away.  Actually was able to kill off several people that were searching for her as well from past runners.  

I have already gotten the next book in series--was able to request from library since I figured would probably take years from PBS.  Already reading 4 books but once finish one, the next will be next. 

There are 2 WL for this book on PBS so will get it posted and mailed off at some point.

A Very Stable Genius--#30 finished

 This is another book about Donald Trump's Presidency that I wish people that are supporting him for 2024 would read.  The author's have done their research and have quotes from insiders that worked with Trump and show just how awful he was as President.  This book ends with the Mueller Report being released, right before the 1st impeachment.  So there is a lot of reasons for why he should be no where near the Presidency but this book gives good insight into some of the campaign and those first 2 years.  A long book but generally pretty easy to read.  Brings back many memories of this time too.

There is 1 WL for this book but I have a few of these Trump books already so keeping for now.

Talking as Fast as I Can--#29 finished

A quick and easy read.  It is a sort of memoir or maybe a catching up with what she was doing book that she wrote in 2016.  She is an actress that starred in Gilmore Girls and Parenthood.  I did not watch either of these shows.  She basically wrote it while finishing up Parenthood and started shooting a Gilmore Girls revival of 4 shows in Netflix.  I think I saw one of those Gilmore Girls shows with my youngest after she binge watched the original series.  I am not sure why I picked up this book from the library sale and that was just a few weeks ago.  And also not sure why I selected this book to read of the hundreds sitting in my book room and around a chair in the basement.  I guess after reading On the Road and basically not liking it and still reading a book on Trump's Presidency, I was looking for something simple and easy and this fit right in.  It didn't take long to read either.

I have already posted it on PBS, there were already 2 copies in system and probably a few paperbacks too but it can sit on my PBS bookshelf for now.

Dead Fall--#28 finished

This is the next in the Brad Thor series with Scot Harvath as a sort of mercenary type guy.  It is a long series so kind of hard to go back & explain how he got here but basically he is in his own organization that is mostly hired by US to do jobs that they don't want US servicemen or military involved on.  In this book, he is being sent into Ukraine to rescue an American woman that was there assisting an orphanage when she was kidnapped by a rouge group from Wagner that was helping the Russians.  A good story about the current war going on sort of gives some insight into this war.  Book was published last year so sort of up to date and very sad it is still ongoing.

There are 17 WL for this book on PBS so will get it posted at some point & send off.  

On the Road--#27 finished

 This is the famous Jack Kerouac classic that sort of started the "beat" generation.  I guess I just don't get it.  It reads as an ongoing thought process where Sal--the main character is around a bunch of crazy people with one Dean basically a criminal.  I sort of see it as a group of people just after WWII that had a lot of steam to blow and didn't want to settle into a life their parents had.  I get that and I get where this just ongoing writing of non-stop stuff going on was probably so different than what other writers were doing that it became a sort of fascinating read but stepping beyond that, again I don't get it.  Didn't like the characters, didn't like the writing, didn't like the book.

It is a classic & my copy is older and sort of beaten up so won't post on PBS, will stick it on a shelf so I have it in case someone else wants to read some day.

The View From Flyover Country--#26 finished

The rest of the title is:  Dispatches From the Forgotten America.  The author lives in St Louis, so like to keep local author books.  She got her Phd from Wash U in St Louis.  Here area of study was Uzbekistan and that area of the world but she was a writer for different publications.  This is a collection of her essays.  I hadn't heard of her before finding this book and still really don't know much about her.  She has published a couple other books that I have on my wishlist on PBS.  These essays are from around 2010 to 2015 and are really good and thought provoking. 

There is 1 WL for this book but not sure if will mail off, like I said it is a local author.  I will probably keep for now at least.

Paradise City--#25 finished

 This is a book set in London, England with 4 main characters that are sort of tied into each other but not at first.  The book is about each of them and how they eventually grow and relate to one of the others in the book.  They are 4 very different people, a rich business executive, a hotel maid, a widow and a newspaper reporter.  I enjoyed how the author was able to make each character relatable and human.  Good read.

There were no copies in PBS so I have posted it right away--probably a week or so ago.  It hasn't been requested yet but think it will be at some point.