The Rule of Benedict--#48

 This is one that has been sitting on my shelf for a long time--maybe close to 15 years--since around 2009.  I almost didn't read it and was thinking of donating away at several points.  I am really glad that I did take the time and read it.  A really good history of Cardinal Ratzinger before he was cardinal and then pope.  Also a lot of good information about Pope John Paul II and his papacy as well.  Cardinal Ratzinger did not come off looking good in this book, he really was an attack dog sort for the pope.  The book was written around 1 year into Pope Benedict's papacy so really not much other that what was happening at the start in this book.  I was impressed with the research as well as the quotes from sources in this book.  A really eye opening book about the Catholic church.

I was tempted to put this book on a keeper shelf because it does have such good information but figured I very unlikely I would ever get back around to reading again so I have posted it on PBS.  It is the only copy in system but since not exactly timely not sure if it will move anytime soon.

Tides of Fire--#47 finished

 This is the next in the Sigma Force series by the author James Rollins.  He tries to take some, maybe out there, theory and apply a what would happen sort of thing to it.  This is about undersea volcanos, coral and a part of a planet that is embedded below the earth crust and also parts on the moon.  Interesting sort of science stuff and some history and throw in some gun fights and killing bad guys/people, there is the story.  A recurring bad lady is still around and as already foreshadowed the next book it seems too.  A good action adventure page turner sort of read.

There are 32 WL for the book on PBS so I will post & mail off at some point but no hurry right now either.

The Professor's House--#46 finished

 This is one of the classic books that I am trying to read more of this year.  This is a Willa Cather book but a little different from others I have read.  After I finished I checked Wikipedia and some other reviews of it and still seems out of sorts for me.  The professor is getting older and his two daughters are married.  A main character of the family was Tom Outland who was engaged to the older daughter and a former student and protege of the professor.  Tom is really the straw that stirs this story and the middle book of this story is about him.  Just a weird construction of the book and to me leaves questions about the relationships of every person in the book.  

This is a keeper since a classic & a NE author.  Also this copy of the book is an ex-student book--underlining and highlighting and stickers on it, really couldn't send out on PBS if I wanted to.

I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere but the Pool--#45 finished

 This is a mother daughter book by two writers--Lisa Scottoline and daughter Francesca Serritella.  They each write separate short thoughts on themselves and happenings.  Quick little funny reads.  Lisa Scottoline has written several books but I haven't read any of hers yet.  Francesca sounds like more of a columnist and books are mostly these and at least one novel she was working on during this book.  There is a series of these mother daughter books--I guess could be columns in a newspaper too.  This was the first one I ran into and it is a nice quick read that is mostly funny too.  I had picked it up recently at a library sale and fit the need of something light to read.

I have posted it on PBS and there is already 1 copy ahead of it.  Not sure if it will move or not but will see.

Uranium--#44 finished

 A really good read about Uranium.  The rest of the title:  War, Energy, and the Rock that Shaped the World.  The book looks into the first discovery of uranium in Czech mountains and to some uses back then.  Into the work of the Curies and more discoveries of the rock in Africa.  Then into the whole science of the atom bomb and the work that went into the development and finding enough uranium ore to make into the correct type of uranium for the bomb.  After the movie Oppenheimer it was kind of fun to read about that but from a different perspective and also hear about the work being done in Washington state and Tennessee too.  Then the time after WWII and into the whole making of power plants.  The book was published in 2009 when there was thought to be a sort of renewal of nuclear power--it hasn't really taken off at least in the US.  The manufacturing costs of the plants along with deeply held opposition are making it hard to open the new plants.  The book talks about Yemen wanting a nuclear power plant and some people involved, sadly Yemen has been in a civil war that probably started soon after this book was published making that an impossible reality.  A really good and interesting read that covered a lot of information.

There is 1 WL for this book but might hold out & see if one of my friends would be interested in reading first. 

Marsbound--#43 finished

 Looking for something a little different to read, I picked this sci-fi book about a family that travels to Mars and one of the early settler groups going there to help establish the base.  The girl at 19 is going through things, the 5 year commitment to be at Mars, growing up, sex, school, the whole authority things and so on.  At one point after being punished she leaves the base & goes outside on Mars alone.  She falls through the surface and is rescued by a Martian.  Eventually the Martian's come out from below and the world sort of changes.  It changes again later when a further out being/beings signal Earth and send a coded message to Red--the sort of head Martian.  The messages are sort of vague but still ominous.  Leads to much ado and sort of sets up for the next couple books in series.  A good read interesting take on the whole exploring Mars and space travel.  I don't think I will track down this series, first book was good enough.

There are no copies in system but this copy has some issues so will probably set aside to my donate away pile of books.

Catch and Kill--#42 finished

 Wow, a really good read by Ronan Farrow an investigative reporter that helped blow open the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal that had been going on for years.  The collateral cases of Matt Lauer and other NBC executives are also brought out.  I started reading this at the beginning of the Donald Trump trial where David Pecker was testifying and Pecker's role in this book too.  The details in the book and the amount of people and sources he had along with then the trouble of getting NBC to go forward with it & having to shift over to The New Yorker to get it published.  Just an amazing read and while Ronan wrote it so is from his side, he really seems to be a hero.  This was a story that many knew about but no one would touch because of NDAs and just intimidation from Weinstein and his lawyers.  One of the best that I have read this year.

There are 16 WL for this book on PBS--this is the large print copy.  Not sure if I will mail off or maybe instead loan out to friends to read first. 

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings--#41 finished

 This is counting as one of my classic books read--I am trying in read more classics this year.  It is a really good read about Maya Angelou's early life.  Growing up in segregated small town Arkansas, a short time in St Louis where she was raped at a very young age, back to Arkansas and then high school years in California mostly with her mother with one horrifying experience with her dad.  Life in the '30s & '40s in the South was tough but especially so for African Americans.  Even though I have read other books, what you read here is eye opening and at times very tough to read--most people she grew up with have died by now and trying to imagine their lives is really tough.  This book was on some banned book lists and that is just sad, we as a people should not be afraid of our history, these tough parts of history should inspire us to do better.

This is a keeper for me so will be staying on a bookshelf until hopefully one of my kids will want to read it.

Breakthrough--#40 finished

 The rest of the title is:  The Making of America's First Woman President.  This book was written 2015, published early 2016 just as the primaries were getting started for the 2016 Presidential election.  Donald Trump is mentioned 3 times in the book and Hillary Clinton is mentioned too many times to count.  A lot of research is referenced and polling about all matters of political questions and outcomes.  I just wondered throughout the book if the author ever came out with a what went wrong article--I didn't look hard but didn't see one either.  Lots of Hillary fans in the book but also a lot of East coast & West coast mentions, not much in the way of rust belt or midwest where Trump found his votes to victory.  I remember seeing this book at the library sale & almost didn't buy it because it was too far out from the election of 2016 but figured still interesting in that info would still carry over to future elections with women involved.  Also while reading, I am thinking the first female president might not be elected but instead a VP that moves up if one of the elderly men cannot finish their term.  Still interesting in ways but I thought too much cheerleading for Hillary.

I have posted it on PBS & it is the only copy in system but not sure will move but who knows.