The Celebrants--#56 finished

This is about 5 people that got together after graduating from Cal Berkeley but also were together because a 6th person Alex had died--possibly suicide--right before graduation.  All 6 were transfers into Berkeley as sophomores so were sort of assigned together and were friends from then on.  At that get together they form a sort of compact to have a funeral for each when needed--before they die--so the person will know their friends love and support them in a time of need.  Their lives go from there and a bunch of years later get the call and then another and another.  Interesting story, had a couple twists too.  Good characters and wanted to see how things turn out.

There are 21 WL for this book on PBS so will get it mailed off at some point.

David and Goliath--#55 finished

The rest of the title:  Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants by Malcolm Gladwell.  I really enjoyed this book, he took a different perspective to underdogs and misfits and showed how their limitations actually became their positives.  People with dyslexia found ways around this and became super successful.  People in London being bombed, people that grew up without love, etc these people became successful in their fields.  Now he has obviously picked successful people to show it could happen.  He doesn't really touch on the fact that so many with these issues struggle probably their whole lives, that to me was a kind of shortcoming to this book.  But was good at keeping in mind what could be setbacks can be turned around.  Really good and interesting book.

There are no copies on PBS but at this point keeping and encouraging others to read. 

Driving the Saudis--#54 finished

This was a quick sort of easy read about an out of work or maybe looking for work in Hollywood actor/producer/screen writer, etc.  She talks about her struggles to find work and needing to pickup a job to pay rent and many other jobs.  She took a chauffeur job that mostly was at night so she could still go to auditions, etc.  While doing this a large Saudi family was coming to Hollywood and needed 30 some chauffeurs and she agreed to it--there was a sort of understanding that a large tip would be had at end.  It was basically a 24 hour 7 day a week on call job with around 7 weeks covering it.  Crazy to read about what they brought over, the servants, luggage, cash (again) etc.  Since author was only female chauffeur she drove only the women, no man would think about riding with her--except for the male hairdresser of a princess.  She got to see their shopping craziness, taking them to & from plastic surgery, running errands to pickup crazy things they wanted.  A lot of humor in here but also some serious stuff--servants that were basically indentured and maybe for life to the family.  A conversation with one of the servants that expressed hatred to Jewish people--hatred to point where Allah should kill them all.  Just an insane mindset that really makes one worry about things getting any kind of peaceful resolution in Middle East.  This book is from 2012 so while 14 years ago, can't believe much has changed either.

There are 5 WL for this book on PBS.  This was a Thriftbooks pickup for me.  Might be one I loan out first before putting on to PBS. 

A Well-Paid Slave--#53 finished

The rest of the title: Curt Flood's Fight for Free Agency in Professional Sports.  Since baseball is back into negotiating their next player deal and a lockout is assumed by all, I figured it was a good time to read this book that has been on my shelf for years.  Being in St Louis and a baseball fan, I knew of Curt Flood and that he took on the owners but not much on any details.  This book really tells the story, his background, his struggles before, during and after his lawsuit.  Just a lot of really good information about Flood as well as about all the other people involved in this.  While his numbers wouldn't get him into the HOF, he certainly belongs there as the player most responsible for gaining rights for the players.  I doubt the baseball establishment--owners, etc--not players--will not let this happen and it is unfortunate.  A very good read.

This one is staying around as a keeper.  I knew it would be a keeper and that is probably part of the reason it took so long for me to get to it--keeper books get picked up by me a little slower than others it seems--I will need to work on this.

Shrines of Gaiety--#52 finished

Based in 1920s London a family with the mother as the strong leader runs a series of late night clubs.  London after the war is a place that people want to move to and stay out late and drink and dance.  A corrupt cop, a back from nowhere criminal, some young girls and a clean up stuff cop get involved with the daughters and sons of this family.  I had read a book by author years and years ago about a modern detective and remembering enjoying it and have a few of her other books as well.  This one took a long time to get going and were a bunch of characters introduced that took a while for them to come back around.  Following along and slow story just made this one a hard one for me to enjoy.  Just an okay read for me.

There are 17 WL for this book on PBS so will probably post & send off at some point. 

A Free Man--#51 finished

The rest of this title: A True Story of Life & Death in Delhi.  I haven't read much of India and thought this would be a kind of quick read.  It was but not really a fan of it though.  A journalist in Dehli goes to a bazaar area where day workers basically live on the street and he follows one main man and some people around him.  The man Mohammed Ashraf has an interesting life but certainly did not explain it in any rational or reasonable way.  An interesting character that basically drew the journalist back for sounds like years to hear the stories and follow his life.  The journalist even lets Ashraf know that a book is being written and tries to help Ashraf better his life.  In the end just doesn't really happen, Ashraf sort of disappears and many of the friends around him passed away.  It is a life on the street where alcoholism runs their lives as much as anything.  Some cover reviews mention humor but really was hard for me to see.  Oh well, will have to try other books on India.

There are 2 WL for this book on PBS so I will post at some point & send away.

Bending the Arc--#50 finished

The rest of the title: My Journey from Prison to Politics.  The author Keeda Haynes has a really good story of her life where she got caught up with a guy she should not have trusted and into a justice system that did not believe her which she fought against.  Fighting earned her a prison sentence but she was able to come out and get into law school and then pass and get admitted to the bar in Kentucky.  After a few years as a public defender she ran for a Congressional seat, she didn't win but pushed some issues.  I can see why some in justice didn't believe her, the boyfriend was paying her to have packages delivered to her work and home addresses which then someone else would pick up.  She even brought a sister and friend into this.  Well the packages were supposed to be phones & beepers but were really drugs--marijuana.  So can see why she wasn't more aware of what was happening but to step back and see she was a 19 year old girl with a boyfriend telling her all okay and giving a kind of reasonable explanation, can see where she just didn't ask the questions.  Is troubling that the judge sentenced her harshly for this.  Overall a good read about what she had gone though and how she was able to fight for herself.

There are no copies in system at PBS but so far not really ready to post either since was a lot of information in here.