Beautiful Things--#32 finished

This is Hunter Biden's memoir.  It talks a lot about how close he & his brother Beau were.  Also a lot about Hunter's many, many struggles with addictions--alcohol and crack especially.  Does give details about his life and business life that seem to get glossed over during the many attacks against him.  A kind of sympathetic figure when looked at on a political basis.  He was not running for office but became a political football for the right--an easy target.  While his struggle with addiction to many shows a weakness, it is an addiction.  The amount of money he blew on drugs and living that druggie lifestyle was enormous and probably why he didn't have money to pay the taxes, that is on him.  I just don't believe he would have been prosecuted as much if not related to the president and seen as a political football.  Oh well, I hope he stays on a good path.

There are no copies on PBS now.  I will probably post at some point but for now just setting aside. 

Save Me the Plums--#31 finished

This is a memoir by Ruth Reichl about her time as the editor in chief at Gourmet magazine.  The changes she made over the 10 years and also about the coming internet and the battle magazines had to survive.  The magazine closed up abruptly while she was trying to keep it relevant.  An interesting read about a magazine that I probably only picked up a couple times in some waiting rooms.  Kind of makes me wish I had paid a little more attention to it than I had.  It also seems to harken back to when magazines and New York magazines especially and the power they had.  Just seems crazy when she talks about the location, the expenses, the ravish parties--just a different world.

There are 13 WL for this book on PBS so will get it posted at some point down the line.

The Lives of Edie Pritchard--#30 finished

The story of Edie Pritchard goes from the 1960s when she was married to a twin but the other twin was also in love with her.  Through the divorce & her running away, to a new marriage and then finally no longer married but having to help her grandchild.  I have read a couple other books by author and all were based in Montana and people struggling in life.  Was a good and entertaining book.

There are 3 WL for this book on PBS so setting aside now but probably post at some point.

Black Klansman--#29 finished

An African American police detective in Colorado Springs, CO in 1979 sees a KKK ad and fills out info & mails off thinking ad was probably a joke or something.  Instead he gets a response and starts an investigation of the KKK there.  He talks to them on the phone and sets things up to meet where he involves another detective that is white to pose as him to join the group.  This is during the David Duke time in the KKK before he gains a more national status.  Good information about what it was like then and there and just about the times.  Book was only written years later in 2014 by the detective Ron Stallworth and turned into a movie.  I haven't seen the movie but remember hearing about it.  Today's white christian nationalism movement seems to share a lot of the KKK motivations, seems like that undercurrent is always around, which is very sad to say.

I have posted it on PBS and it is the only copy in system so maybe will get requested, will just have to see.

Wild Horses--#28 finished

This was a mass market paperback, one of the older ones that actually fits in a pocket okay.  I needed a book like this for doctor's appointments and this one was sitting there at home.  Not a bad read, lots of bad people and bad things happening.  A kind of depressing book in many ways even though the main character Allison comes through at end and maybe future looks bright but still a lot of ugly to get there.  

I have already posted it back on PBS, it was also a 2nd book found for an order so putting back out there on PBS.  It is only copy in system. 

Diamond in the Rough--#27 finished

This is a memoir by Shawn Colvin a folk singer that started in 1980s and playing through today.  I am not into folk singing--I like some Bob Dylan when it comes on but that is about it.  I don't think I have heard any of Shawn Colvin's songs but she has won some Grammys so maybe I have and just don't know it.  I ordered this book when on PBS someone offered me a book and I try to find a 2nd to help offset the mailing cost.  Shawn grew up in South Dakota and I think that was the hook that got me to order the book.  She also went to college at SIUC which is close to St Louis.  It is a good read about her struggles at finding her music and earning a living in the business.  Also that she was an alcoholic but has been in recovery for years now.  Also struggles with relationships but does have a daughter.  An interesting life and a good read.

I have already posted it back on PBS and it is the only copy in system.

Fordlandia--#26 finished

The rest of the title is: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford's Forgotten Jungle City.  In the late 1920s and into the 1930s and early 1940s, Henry Ford of the Ford Motor Company developed a city and a rubber plantation deep into the Amazon rainforest in Brazil.  This was when rubber was still harvested from trees and the British had a kind of monopoly going in Asia and Ford didn't want to controlled by that.  An interesting read about an interesting attempt at this--Americanizing a part of the Amazon just didn't work.  Ford sent people with little to no experience at this in working with Brazilians, developing a plantation, knowledge of the land and jungle and on and on.  Throw in the Great Depression and then WWII along with eventually rubber in the lab and this project was just doomed.  Of course plant disease, growing conditions, worker problems, etc were going to end this badly as well.  I remember seeing a TV docu show about this and looked up this book from that.  I eventually got it through Thrift Books around Christmas.  A good and interesting read, maybe not exciting but kind of a slow motion car accident type read--you knew it was ending badly and it was at times work to get through, just wanted to find out about the ending.

There are 4 WL for this book on PBS but since have plenty of credits it will get stacked with others waiting till a time in the future to mail.