All the Beloved Ghosts--#19 finished

This is a short story book with most of the stories in England where the author lives now and teaches.  The first couple stories are in Canada where she grew up.  Then there are also 3 stories of Anton Chekhov, that were really good and interesting.  This is a very nice mix of story types and all have a real touch of reality.  A good quick short story book.

There were no copies in PBS system so I posted it and it got requested right away so I will be mailing it off in the next few days.

Dying of Whiteness--#18 finished

This book was actually finished at end of Feb but just now logging it in.  The author is a researcher at Vanderbilt Univ but grew up in Kansas City.  These are the areas he looks at.  First is MO and the states gun laws, laws that have made it easier to get and carry guns in MO have also shown an increase in suicides by gun in MO.  It is mostly by white people here.  He has focus groups in all areas & in MO they discuss the people with real attachment to their guns--scary and kinda crazy to me all at once.  Next he looks at healthcare in TN.  TN does not expand medicare and a whole discussion of ACA.  Again with focus groups he finds that white men don't want to expand the healthcare because minorities or illegals would abuse it.  One guy he finds and talks to, has health issues that could be addressed in a neighboring state but doesn't want the health issues addressed because ACA and cost--again just craziness.   Finally he goes to KS and looks at their schools.  The tea party/MAGA groups there cut taxes for rich and doing so cut money to public schools.  He discusses how KS public schools were always very good, mostly top 10 in nation before this period.  Once the money cuts came there was a quick drop off.  The drop off not only affected the more minority districts but also the majority white districts.  

Really good research but was a little much on the details for my taste.  Also the font was too small for my enjoyment--I guess I am getting older and like a larger font.

There are 12 WL for this book on PBS but have plenty of credits so no hurry to post and ship off at this point.

Stupid and Contagious--#17 finished

A light kind of humorous romantic comedy read.  I had picked it up I guess at a library sale but didn't realize until looking at it later that the author is the daughter of Tina Louise--the actress from Gilligan's Island--the movie star Ginger.  I found that kind of funny but also good to see a child of a movie/TV star being successful.  Book was written in 2006 so an older book so need to take a little step back in technology. A couple of kind of screwups become neighbors and she drives him crazy but in the end they realize they are a good match & it is happily ever after kind of thing.  Nice read, wanted something light since had some serious and or depressing reads before and during this one.

There was 1 copy in PBS system so I did go ahead and post this one too.  Will see if ever gets requested or not.

Memoirs of a Byzantine Eunuch--#16 finished

This is a book that has been on my shelves for probably about 15 years if I had to guess.  One of those library sale pickups for a quarter or 50 cents that looked interesting so bought it.  I finally got around to reading it and conflicting opinions on it.  Lots of history that author supposedly tried to stay true to but also a ton of debauchery and basically awful behavior by almost everyone in the book.  It is about Constantinople in late 800s or maybe early 900s.  Emperors, church, warring parties and a lot of what has were like vs have nots.  Interesting reading but still a lot that seemed put into the novel for shock's sake too.

There were no copies in PBS & I have already posted it in system.  Will see if it goes anywhere.

Original Sins--#15 finished

This is a memoir by a British writer Matt Rowland Hill.  He father is a Baptist pastor in England and his mother was probably more strict that his dad about religion.  As author got older and questioned more and more of the family's beliefs, he started rebelling in ways with first drinking and then drugs.  This developed into a heroin addiction.  A lot of this book is about that and then a couple of his attempts to get clean.  It is a pretty rough read with his struggles with addiction and family.  

There is 1 WL for this book on PBS so will probably try to post soon and mail off but still have too many credits too.  Guess will just have to see.

When All is Said--#14 finished

This is about an old man kind of retelling his life in a series of toasts to people that were important to him.  He is sitting at a bar in a hotel--formerly a house of the rich family in area--giving the toasts in silence I guess to his son.  His son moved to America as an adult and the dad is in Ireland.  A good mix of people in his story and some real feelings positive and negative to him as well.  He had a hatred for the rich family and by end maybe a little softening.  While could see the end coming, not sure it really fit in my opinion.  A good read, author's first book so a lot of credit for this because it is an interesting story.

There are 26 WL for this book on PBS so will go on my shelf to get mailed off at some point if I ever need the credits.  

Vera Kelly is not a Mystery--#13 finished

This is the 2nd book of the Vera Kelly books by author.  They are set in the 1960s.  In the first book Vera was part of the CIA in Argentina and had to find her way out after getting stuck there during a coup.  This book she is in New York and being out of a job starts a private eye business.  The one case she has is to track down a boy.  His parents caught up in the Dominican Republic coup/political mess sent him to New York to avoid enemies.  Being 1960s things seem slower and probably easier to disappear.  A good read and also touches on her relationships with girlfriends--she is a lesbian and her relationship with her mother.  A good quick read, will try to track down the next book in series.

There are no WL and no copies in system at PBS.  I might post it but still have way too many credits and no offers coming to use them up so might just set aside at this point.