Homegrown--#94 finished

The rest of the title: Timothy McVeigh and the Rise of Right-Wing Extremism.  The author Jeffrey Toobin looks back at Timothy McVeigh and the Oklahoma City bombing of the federal building there.  The right wing thoughts of McVeigh that included Waco and the Idaho shooting of Weaver.  Also being the 1990s there was no social media propelling things so McVeigh never really found others he fit with but today's extremists do not have that problem.  At end he looks at some of what has happened since and looking at that to Jan 6th.  This was written in 2023 so almost wanting a update for him to discuss what has happened since but in 2 years will be wanting this again.  Election is happening with early voting now and election day next week will see what changes come.  I think another thing that has to be dealt with is there will always be the extremists--how do we deal with them??  There is a question waiting for an answer.

There are 4 WL for this book on PBS but it is going onto a keeper shelf for me for now.

The Truth Is...My Life in Love and Music--#93 finished

This is a memoir by Melissa Etheridge.  I have to admit I really didn't know much about her, I know I had heard some of her songs but I never searched them out.  This was written in 2001 so a lot has happened since then.  A good history of her growing up and then getting started in music and relationships.  I did do a wikipedia search on her and sounds like she has a lot of success but also some real hardships with recently losing her young adult son to a drug overdose.  

I pulled up UTube while typing this & am listening to some of her songs, a couple I recognize.  I am more of a classic rock guy so have missed a lot of her music but I do like what I am hearing.  Might have to make room in a rotation.

I have posted this book on PBS, it is only copy in system so will see if goes anywhere.  I had too many books on my PBS bookshelf so removed a few that I figured were never going anywhere--will now be donated away instead.

Juliet in August--#92 finished

Juliet is a small town in Saskatchewan Canada.  This is about the lives of people in this small town.  It is a really small town in a farming ranching area also with a desert nearby.  It is a tough life there and really gets into some of the struggles of the people as well as living in a kind of isolated place.  I grew up in small town NE.  While the farming more and no ranching but the small town thoughts seemed similar.  I really enjoyed this book, was a fun read.

There are no copies on PBS so I will go ahead and post it there.  Like sending out good books to people that want to read them.

Drunk Mom--#91 finished

This was a tough read, it is a memoir by Jowita Bydlowska.  She is an alcoholic and was 3+ years sober when after the birth of her baby in a kind of celebration she has some champagne.  That is the start of her drinking again.  This really gets into her mindset as an alcoholic--where she wants to drink to try to control it, how she hides bottles, goes on walks with the baby in a stroller and knows where all the liquor stores are on the route.  In the end she is back at AA and sober but with all she has gone through me as the reader worry about her and her family's future.  I did wikipedia her a week or so ago and not much detail there but has success as writer so hopefully her and her family are doing good.

I did get this copy from PBS but is kind of warped a little from water so not really postable on PBS.  I will put this in my donate away pile instead.

"You Just Need to Lose Weight" and 19 Other Myths About Fat People--#90 finished

That is probably the longest book title I have typed on my title line.  I ordered this book as part of a Wishlist Multipies list on PBS--where you order usually at least 2 or 3 books that others have on their WL and maybe ones you have.  This is a way to save mailing cost by mailing 3 books for 3 credits in one mailing instead of 3 separate mailings.  I usually look there when my credits pile up or if nothing is going on as far as requests or ones to mail.  Anyway this is one that looking at title I thought might be a kind of comedy take on people harassing fat people, instead it is more of a you need to treat us better kind of read.  A lot of good information about fat people and how it is not simple to just lose weight and how often diets just make things worse once off the diet.  Good information about just respecting people and not attacking them.  I am overweight, maybe obese by BMI but book also points out how basically useless the BMI rating is too.  It does seem like parts of the book are just kind of repeated but still a worthwhile read.

There are 6 WL for this book on PBS and since my credits are now under 10 finally, I will go ahead and post this book to mail out.

Heretic--#89 finished

This is a book by a woman that is now a lecturer at Harvard but grew up in Somalia before moving a few times and getting to the Netherlands.  Here she was able to study and go to college and learned about a way of life outside of the life in Islamic lands.  She looks at Islam as needing a Reformation like Catholicism needed one at the time of Luther.  It is a very good and interesting book with a lot of information and accounts to backup her arguments.  This book was published in 2015 so already 10 years have passed and seemingly nothing has really changed.  Taliban have retaken Afghanistan, wars continue in the Middle East and women's rights there have changed little.  I see changes I want to see in the Catholic church and hope they do change over time--I am sort of optimistic that they will change for more openness to LGQBT+ people, opening ordinations to married people and women among other things.  I hope that if the Catholic church moves in these areas it might spur others to look at these areas as well--Islam, political parties, leaders of countries that oppress these people and just people in general. 

There are no copies in system right now in PBS but this is going on a keeper shelf for now.

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo--#88 finished

This is Amy Schumer's memoir.  For some reason I kept thinking she was on SNL and it took to more than a few pages to realize this was not the case.  I don't think I ever saw her TV show.  Maybe saw her movie but I am guessing I have seen her in a few things.  I think I have probably seen her on a roast at some point too.  All this to kind of say I am not all that familiar with her comedy.  Book was funny at parts, she is certainly open about herself and others around her and throws it out there humorously.  Overall I liked reading this book.  Will try to pay more attention to what she is doing & see if I can catch some of it.

There are already 5 copies on PBS system and this book is kind of cracked on spine--not that bad but not worth posting either.  I will donate this one away, no reason to keep it.