Casino Royale--#120 finished

This is probably the last book I will finish this year.  I wanted to get over 100 again and when I saw 120--10 books a month average was possible a month or so ago I figured I would try for it.  I thought I was cutting it a little close but actually have 3 days but other books reading will likely not be finished by then.

This is the first in the James Bond series.  I hadn't read this in a quite a few years so somewhat surprised that the Daniel Craig movie followed this story somewhat close.  It is a different sort of Bond than what the movies show and even the later books from what I can barely remember.  A sort of willingness to fall in love and walk away from his 007 status but the ending pushes him back in.  Good read and good reminder of the James Bond character.  Not sure if I will continue with series or not yet.

This is a keeper for me so it will be going nowhere.

C is for Corpse--#119 finished

This is next in the Sue Grafton series.  As I said on earlier books, it is a fun series.  I enjoy the detective work and the characters she comes across.  This cast of characters at times didn't make sense but I guess in the end it came together.  I will be continuing this series in 2026.

These are keeper books for me so no posting on PBS.

Cranial Fracking--#118 finished

This was a short read by author I enjoyed a couple of his other books.  This one not so much, was supposed to be humorous butI guess not for me.  Only short 3 page writeups in a kind of absurd type humor but just wasn't in the mood for it or not my thing.  Didn't like it but I did like his non-fiction books and have another on the shelf I need to get to at some point too.  

I have posted it on PBS and it is the only copy in system so maybe it will move, maybe not.  PBS has been really slow lately for anything moving.

A Matter of Life and Death--#117 finished

This is the next in series of Robin Lockwood, defense attorney in Portland Oregon that was a former MMA fighter.  This time she is defending a former boxer that was down on luck and fought an barn, bare knuckle fight that set him up for worse things including murder.  A good interesting read with good characters.  This has been a fun series.

There are 2 WL for this book but in no hurry to post at this point. 

This is the Fire--#116 finished

This is book by former CNN host Don Lemon, published in early 2021.  Rest of title is: What I Say to My Friends About Racism.  He has a hopeful and optimistic view of things overall but really wants to emphasize racism is still abundantly found in the US.  I agree with that and a lot of what he wrote about but like the book Compromised from earlier, I just kept shaking my head about Trump being re-elected.  This books seems like was completed before Jan 6th 2021 because that is not mentioned.  The hopefulness is I guess from Biden's election.  How things have changed.  Don Lemon is no longer at CNN being fired for misogynistic behavior.  I am guessing his book would sounds a little different but his points on racism still stand and can probably be seen in an even clearer light today.

There is 1 WL for this book on PBS so will probably post & mail off in the new year.  Avoiding post office at this time of the year when possible.

One False Move--#115 finished

This is a paperback that was on my shelf for probably more than a few years.  Finally got around to reading it.  It is by Alex Kava an Nebraska author.  I had read a lot of her series with an FBI investigator but got kinda bored with series, kinda gory too so that is probably why I had set this one aside.  Bad people doing bad things with a police detective, prosecutor and a writer on the good side.  Again a lot of violence that just seems like written for a shock value but I guess it sells books.  Not a bad read and based in Nebraska so get to hear about some towns there too.

There are already 8 copies of this book in PBS system so will not post and add to a list that probably won't move.  I will put it in my donate away pile instead.  Even though NE writer book was just okay, no reason to keep.

Compromised--#114 finished

I finished this book a little over a week ago but we had gone out of town shortly there after so just now logging it in.  The rest of this title is: Counterintelligence and the Threat of Donald J Trump.  The author was a high up FBI investigator that was in charge of both the Hillary Clinton email scandal back in 2015 & 2016 and then the Russian involvement with Trump campaign in 2016 and into the Mueller investigation.  The author didn't really mention the text messages that caused his downfall between him and another FBI agent that were against Donald Trump and that their relationship was also going on.  From a wikipedia read and what was mentioned in book, author was exonerated in investigations seeing if his personal feelings influenced the investigation--they did not, nor did the text messages.  Book contains a lot of information about reasons for investigation and what they had found.  Reads as a damaging account of Trump and his team.  While reading it, just shaking my head in amazement that for some reason he was re-elected to a 2nd term.  I pray for our country for the next few years.

There are no copies in PBS system but no WL for it either.  At this point it will go on my shelf with other Trump books that I have read, there is a pile of ones that I have to read to add to this shelf as well. 

Sisters First--#113 finished

This is a book by George W & Laura Bush's twin daughters.  It is written as a couple page memories of growing up in the family & extended family too.  Lot of info about their grand parents on both side as well.  An unusual life growing up it would seem with 8 years in the TX governor's mansion and then during college years home was the White House.  Secret Service watching over you.  Knowing whatever you are doing could end up making some kind of headlines if seen in a bad light, seems like a tough way to grow up.  Sounds like both have grown into outstanding young adults so good to see.  Made me wish at times for the old Republican party that their grandpa and dad were part of, not the newest version with Maga types.

I will be handing this one off to my mom, I think she will enjoy it. 

Uganda Be Kidding Me--#112 finished

This is a Chelsea Handler book.  This one is about a trip to South Africa and Botswanna to different parks with resorts to see the animals.  Some seeing of the animals, a lot of drinking, eating & flirting with workers too.  Later parts of book are about other trips she has taken, ski trips to Montana and Austria and crazy happenings there.  I think she is kinda funny in that she is basically an open book, she does something and she writes it no matter how crazy.  If she is holding back, you have to wonder what could that be.  I have read a few of her books and have a few more that I haven't read on hand too.  Just a funny kind of break from the other books that I read.

So far I am keeping these books, not sure if will eventually post on PBS or maybe just donate away.

Mirage--#111 finished

This is a book that has been on my shelf for a long time, maybe a decade.  I remember looking at it & thinking should just post on PBS or give away but reading the blurb on back & inside cover, I always put back on shelf for another time.  Finally I pulled off of shelf a couple weeks ago and it became the next one to be read.  It is about an older man living in a desert country in mideast.  He is now living in a city but in a shanty town moving here several years ago from a small village.  Family back at village talks him into marrying a young widow with a daughter from the village.  The struggles of putting the marriage together and then moving her & daughter to his shanty home.  You hope things turn out for them as they seem like nice people just really struggling with that change from a rural village to a town in the desert.  Things take an ugly turn at end of book though and that is how it ends.  I guess there is a 2nd book but didn't enjoy this one enough to search out the next one.

I will post this book on PBS finally and it will be the only copy in the system.  No idea if it will move or if will sit for years on this shelf now. 

B is for Burglar--#110 finished

This is the first book finished in December and will see how many end up with at end of year.  This is obviously the 2nd in Kinsey Millhone series.  Again re-reading this series, it has been a while and is just enjoyable reading about the time of late 1980s.  Fun to see the characters that recur throughout series getting introduced.  This one has a little of everything--murder, burglary, impersonation, threats, vandalism, etc.  Good read & good restart to series.

These are on my keeper shelf so will be putting it back there.

Gone Feral--#109 finished

I had read the another book by Novella Carpenter, Farm City: The Education of an Urban Farmer, which was a really good read about her taking over an empty inner city lot and making a garden and pens for animals.  Funny and easy to read so I figured I would check out another book by her.  This one is about a kind of search for her father as well as about her growing up.  Her parents were kind of back to the farm hippies that bought 180 acres in small kinda nowhere Idaho.  Novella has an older sister as well.  It sounds like they were kind of free range kids while parents made a go of it but eventually marriage ended and mom moved to Washington small town to teach.  Dad stayed in Idaho and sort of became a kind of mountain man--living off odd jobs but mostly cutting down trees.  Daughters didn't really stay in touch and now as Novella around age 36 wants to have a child, she also wants to connect with father and book is about that.  Her dad has issues, still living a kind of mostly off grid existence but I guess connected enough to town that people noticed when went missing for a few weeks.  Maybe has mental issues that are genetic or maybe related to time in Korea just after the war, not really sure.  Good read about struggles people have, especially people in unusual circumstances.

There are no copies in system for this book and her earlier book that I also read.  I might post book at same time at some point but again have enough credits on PBS so in no hurry to do so. 

One Life--#108

This is a book by Megan Rapinoe about her life, she is the women's soccer player that is outspoken and changes hair color before big matches, at least that is what I knew about her before reading this book.  A good read about her life growing up, family and soccer.  Obviously a lot about soccer and the women's national team.  There is also a lot about her life and being one of the first professional athletes to be Out.  Overall a good read about an interesting person.

There are 3 WL for this book on PBS, it is a large print copy so maybe that is part of the reason since other copies are showing available.  I have enough credits so not mailing at this point.