Moneyball--#36 finished

I am a big baseball fan and finally gotten around to reading this book.  I have seen in referenced and knew the basic gist of the book.  I have also seen the movie--much later after it came out & then on basic cable.  I enjoyed the movie and almost didn't buy this book for the 50 cents when I saw it at a library sale.  I am glad that I bought it.  I have read a couple other books by Michael Lewis and enjoy his writing as well as his research he brings to his topics.  This is a good read from when major league front offices were slowly moving from old school scouts to the new wave of ivy league data crunchers.  We are still in this kind of new wave with it seems like new data coming out every year--I am guessing teams probably have more in depth data but keeping that from the public.  I enjoyed how he went into more details about certain players explaining why they were overlooked by other teams and what Beane and A's saw in them.  A really good read.

There are already 3 copies in PBS system.  I am probably just going to keep the book since it is an important book--not just sport book from our times.

The Parade--#35 finished

Two people hired to put a road in a war torn country that has found peace.  The two men are only known by an assigned number for each.  One drives the all in one road paver and other travels along or ahead to make sure nothing will slow down the paver.  Four the paver driver, is workmanlike to point of robotic while Nine seems to be there to experience this land and people more so than doing the job.  I read some of the reviews on goodreads since this book has me thinking but also not thinking that deeply either.  Four shows some humanity by end of book helping a very sick Nine and also in what he listens to in his headphones.  Nine maybe regrets some of his adventures that ultimately made him sick but still seems to be a free spirit.  While the characters are important, I kept thinking about the road.  The country is never named but Somali is what I thought of at first when reading it.  The road is a way for the poor and undeveloped south to reach the more urban north.  It is seen as a way for this country to unite after a long civil war and seems to be hopeful through the book until the very end.  A different sort of book, a good quick read.

There is 1 WL for this book on PBS, not sure if I will post or hold onto yet.  I have enough credits so I am in no hurry to post.

The Sorority Murder--#34 finished

This is the first book in a series that I had the 2nd book already.  Author has a few series going so not sure if this one is done at 2 or if it will keep going.  Starts off as a podcast by a college senior at Northern Arizona U where he is going over an unsolved murder of a college student there from 3 years before.  He knew the girl--a sorority girl that seems outstanding in about every way.  During the podcast a former US marshal joins his podcast/investigation--she becomes the main character in book 2 or series I guess.  Some good investigation and who dunit kind of stuff in the book with a couple twists thrown in.  Still not a great read as far as the characters but a good read overall I guess.  

I have already posted it on PBS, there was already 1 copy in system so this one becomes a wait & see if gets requested.  I have plenty of credits so no problem letting it sit for a while on my shelf.

City of Gold--#33 finished

The rest of the title is:  Dubai and the Dream of Capitalism.  This is about UAE and more specifically Dubai and how it grew into the city it is today--or at least the city it was in 2010 when the epilogue to this book was written.  Book was published in 2009.  Given the crazy growth there, would really need to lookup what has happened in last 15 years but this book gives a lot of good history as well as insight into this area.  I started reading this around the beginning of the war with Iran figuring it would be good for a little history of this area and it provides some of that.  Good read.

There are no copies in PBS system but keeping this book for now.

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.