Forbidden Fairways--#52 finished

An interesting book with a lot of info about the struggle of black golfers in the US. It is not a long book, right at 189 pages but there is a lot of info about the main golfers and other leaders. I knew it was bad before the 1960s but when just looking at one aspect of life & how those that had the ability to be professional golfers were kept out of the PGA and the tournaments is really bad. It is only 50 years later and so much as changed as far as the opportunities but still the number of minority golfers is really down--other than Tiger I can't think another African American on the tour. Good read and it really made me think about that struggle and how even now with better circumstances it seems other sports have caught the eye of the black athlete.

I will be posting it on PBS in just a few minutes. It wasn't on anyone's WL but there are also no other copies in the system, it will be the only one. No idea how long it will be waiting around, could be weeks or months but pretty sure someone will order it.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder--#51 finished

This is a murder mystery series that I got some of the books from my mom for our oldest to read. I wanted to read the first one to make sure they were okay for her & all is good. A 30 something lady returns to smallish town Minnesota, giving up her teaching job, to be close to her mother & sister. She opens a cookie shop and helps solve murders. In this first book, she helps her sister's husband who is a detective solve a double murder. Not too bad on how it goes about, nothing gross or scary. She does a nice job of walking through what she is doing, I think Rose will like this. She went on a couple of dates but mostly just friend stuff. Rose just started reading the first Harry Potter book finally and actually seems to like it so I don't know when she will be reading this book. Oh well I have a couple others from mom that I might read but I will have to see. My stacks of books to read seems to expand daily.

This one will not be going to PBS, it will be getting returning to mom once Rose reads it. I might see if Debbie is interested too though, I think it is something she might like also. Eventually the book will go back to mom.

Lush Life--#50 finished

Wow, hit 50 books read, that is a lot or at least it seems so for me. Lush Life is one of those books that I have had on my bookshelf to read for over a year. I actually had found a couple other copies and had mailed them out also. Last summer it got a little press because it was one of the books President Obama had taken to read on a vacation--I think it was the Hawaii vacation.

Well, I finally got around to reading it and it was a slow start on it. It was a murder in a section of New York City and the subsequent investigation. The police screwed up the investigation by focusing on the wrong person early on & the book followed the investigation as well as how it changed that wrong person's life. Overall a pretty good book and story. The general characters are kind of sad in that it doesn't seem like anyone is really happy & I don't think any of them were happy before the murder either. I don't know if it is New York thing or what but certainly doesn't encourage anyone to move there.

It still has 80 some people requesting this book so I will probably be mailing it off in the next week or so.

This Is How It Happened--#49 finished

A funny quick read, I enjoyed it for what it is. It is more of a chic-lit type book than I like but I knew that going in so had not great expectations. It really delivered though, in that it was funny and quick paced enough that I wanted to just keep reading it through. Characters might have been a little two dimensional and the ending was just kind of out of left field but oh well. I have read much worse chic-lit types as unfortunate as it is that I am admitting to that. Like I said a good read.

It got pushed to the read now status last week when I saw that the number of people that had it on their WL was dropping and dropping fast. It was over 30 a month or two ago and now it is at a dozen. I figured it was time to get it read and mailed off while there are still people that want the book. I already have enough books sitting around on my account that are not moving. I also posted a bird watching book that one person wanted. I bought it at the library sale and thought I would be interested but after flipping through it saw it was not what I wanted.

I have 3 books incoming from PBS and still have bunches that I have to get read already, I just need to find more time to get everything read--ha ha. I know that is impossible but maybe at least keep my books to read to a manageable point.

Rounders--#48 finished

Well I hadn't expected to finish this book tonight. I only started it yesterday & was on page 40. It is only 194 pages but still normally I read a little from each of my books. Today though I just figured to start with it & just kept at it. It is a novelization, a novel written off the screenplay for the movie, so basically the movie in print. I liked the movie & I liked the book, no surprises or anything but still fun read. I enjoy watching poker on TV so I pretty much knew I would enjoy this book also & I did.

I have posted it on PBS already. I had just ordered it a couple of weeks ago, it was the only copy on PBS so I figured I could read it & then post it & hope it gets requested to get my credit back on it. I will have to look over my books and pick out another one to read, I have way too many that I want to read so it makes it hard to decide. A kind of nice problem to have I guess though.

Hot Today

It is a hot one here today in St Louis. I was able to get a run in last night--Monday. It was hot but today & tomorrow are supposed to be worse. I just got 3 miles in but it was actually okay. My Garmin screwed up the 3rd mile, so I probably ran 3.25 with around a 13 minute average. The first was right at 12:57 and 2nd at 12:32(or close to that) & 3rd screwed up saying 15 something. Oh well time wasn't really important, just wanted to get some miles in since it had been a week. Don't know when I will be getting my next run in, could be another week, will just have to see.

By the way started a couple of books, The Chocolate Chip Murder, a book I got from my mom that my oldest might read. I want to make sure it is okay for her to read so I am reading first--not too bad so far, a quirky mystery book. Also started reading Rounders, it is an adaptation novel off the movie so I already know the story but figured it should be a nice quick read for me. Still working on Lush Life, I hit 100 pages in but still have a ways to go, it is around 450 in total.

Pounding the Pavement--#47 finished

I actually finished this a couple of days ago when I was back home but just now getting it typed in. This was a pretty good comedy kind of chic-lit book. I enjoyed it, in a light fluffy sense. Not too much here but a good read. An unemployed girl a couple of years out of college and how her days and sense of self have suffered through the unemployment. Girl meets guy, who is maybe a guy to keep around. Girl has job interviews and even turns down a job & a 2nd interview--don't understand with her angst about being unemployed. Of course she is looking for a more perfect job--ha ha, work a few years & check back on this. Oh well, in the end nothing is neatly tied up. This is kind of nice--the happy ending chic-lit books are just too much.

I have already posted it on PBS, there are 9 copies ahead of it so it won't be moving soon. Right now still reading Lush Life and undecided on others--will be looking at some later today.