One Red Bastard--#50 finished

 This is the 3rd in a series about a Chinese cop now detective in New York city in the 1970s.  I read the first book years ago and had the 2nd in series on my WL for years and never got it in.  I received this book a few years ago & was sitting on it hoping the 2nd would come in.  I finally gave up & just figured I would read this book and forget about the series since was only 3 books long.  In the first book Robert Chow was a sort of figurehead police officer, hired to stand in photos and appease the Chinese community but he instead tried and did real police work.  In this book he is now a detective and former Chinese official is murdered after Chow's girlfriend who is in the media had interviewed him.  The Chinese official was in the outs with the Communist Chinese and also wasn't liked by the Tiawanese Chinese either so lots of possible suspects.  Good read about police investigation and the times of the late 1970s.  A few things you had to sort of believe to make the story move but otherwise a good read.

I have posted this book back on PBS, it is only copy in system so will see if it moves at some point.

The French Connection--#49 finished

I needed a small paperback that I could fit into my pockets for a waiting room and then when we were at the airport waiting to collect our youngest off the plane.  Since Gene Hackman had died recently & this was one of his famous movies--won an Oscar for his performance, figured now was time to read it.  I didn't realize it was a true story when I started it and was really very good about the details the detectives went into for this investigation.  If anything reading about how they tailed the people involved page after page got to be a little much.  Not being a New Yorker either the many turns down a street or taking an exit really meant almost nothing to me.  Overall a good story about this crazy investigation.

While I was reading it, AMC had the movie coming up so I DVR'ed it and watched it after I finished the book.  I really didn't like the movie much at all, was confusing and didn't follow the book much other than the main topic and some characters.  The final shootout at the end was just kind of stupid.  No idea why it won so many awards.

The copy of this book I have is an old paperback, kinda beat up.  Too old, no ISBN.  I will not bother putting on PBS and will instead put in my donate away pile.

Paper Doll--#48 finished

 This is Dylan Mulvaney's book, she is the social influencer that Bud Light sent a can of beer to with her likeness on it and our country went crazy about.  Dylan is a trans woman--not sure if that is exactly the correct way to term that.  With all of the terrible and just degrading ads and attacks on anyone in the trans community this last election season and still going on in this new administration it just makes everything seem crazy.  Dylan is a woman and reading her book you can see that is how she sees herself and should probably be referred to in that sense.  She is also transgender and that is where I am not sure where or if it needs to be mentioned.  On the crazy Trumpian side I guess they would refer to her as a man but don't see why or how doing that is in anyway correct either.  Well, I wanted to read this book because with AB being in St Louis and Bud Light such a major brand of the company, I was hoping to get some insight into what really happened.  There was a chapter in book but AB and Bud Light never mentioned by name and really not much detail about the issue.  It sounded like either--didn't want to mention and get sued or maybe had been paid to never mention again or maybe she was done with them and didn't think their name warranted mentioning ever again.  I see all 3 as possible and good enough reasons for how it was handled in the book.  Overall, lots in the book are light reading but at times there are serious topics and chapters that while seemingly light hearted book, there are intense feelings and heart ache that come through too.  A good read from a perspective that I don't read about much at all.

There are 3 WL for this book but others in family might want to read first so might get loaned out first.  No hurry to mail off but do think a good enough read that others should have that opportunity as well.

Burn Book--#47 finished

 Kara Swisher is a reporter that has covered tech for over 25 years maybe over 30 years.  This is her book about that time.  Lots of interesting thoughts and reflections about companies and personalities in tech during this time.  Steve Jobs gets a lot of mentions and also Elon Musk as well.  Interesting that she basically just reported and did shows/conferences and pod casts during this time--she & her reporting partner Walt Mossberg did not cash in bigtime by joining one of the hot techs as a communication type person.  Sounds like she still has done very well for herself but never wanted to try for the crazy cash in tech is admirable.  Interesting reading.  I first heard Kara on CNN and whenever I see her on at night I try to stay and listen to her thoughts on the issues, usually very insightful and book just reinforced a lot of that.  Glad that I read it.

There are 15 WL for this book on PBS but no hurry at this point to mail off.

Make It Scream, Make It Burn: Essays--#46 finished

 This is a book of essays by Leslie Jamison, it was several years ago that I read her fiction book The Gin Closet and really liked it.  I got this book from PBS a few years ago but put off reading it till now.  Some good stories, sort of like a reporter in the field with also some personal reflections included.  The first few essays had me thinking these were fictional stories and I had to look it up to see that they are non-fiction.  The later stories about her life were the more interesting to me.  Overall a pretty good read.

There is 1 WL for this book on PBS & I was about ready to post but will wait at this point since I have enough credits but I imagine it will get posted within the next month or so.

Shadow of Doubt--#45 finished

 This is the next book in Scot Harvath series.  It picks up as he was flying to Norway to meet up with his girlfriend/fiancee there right after the last book where he was in Ukraine & Russia.  With almost no rest he is back at it with action in Norway & then France.  Good action with spies & moles and killings/assassinations and people being shot & things blowing up.  There is some self reflection going on with Scot about getting older and continuing to put himself in dangerous situations when he has someone he wants to spend rest of his life with.  Series is not ending yet and maybe won't for a while but thought this was sort of interesting foreshadowing just in case.  

There are 18 WL for this book on PBS so will mail off at some point but no hurry to do so right now.

Sugar Run--#44 finished

 Finished this earlier this month but just now logging it in.  A woman gets out of prison sort of unexpectedly, she was in for life for killing her girlfriend.  Because she was 17 & a law changed she is let out early after 18 years.  She travels to her girlfriend's town and finds her younger brother who was being abused by their dad, he is grown up now but seems to be very sheltered.  While tracking him down she finds a mom strung out on drugs that becomes the new girlfriend, the sort of kidnap her 3 kids and with the brother, head back to the main character's hometown in a small hill/mountain town of West Virginia.  Her grandma's home & acreage has been sold to out of town person so they just start squatting there.  The town is in middle of fracking and destroying the mountains while there is also a big drug problem there.  She tried to keep things together but it seemed like everything was on a knife's edge and then it just sort of exploded at the end.  Didn't say what finally became of main character but have to believe it wasn't good.

There are 3 WL for this book on PBS so will post & mail at some point.  I have built my credits up to 20 so no hurry now to mail off books.

Farm City--#43 finished

 The rest of the title: The Education of an Urban Farmer.  A husband & wife move from Seattle to Oakland, CA into a rougher part of town.  The rent a part of the duplex with an empty lot next to it and she starts a garden and bees and expands to chickens, geese & turkeys.  The adds rabbits--for food not pets and then later adds 2 pigs--again for food.  Good read about the people and area as well as what she grows and what she learns about her urban farm.  Really enjoyed hearing about when she observed a local chef on processing a pig and then he assisted her on one of the pigs she grew.  

There is 1 WL for this book in PBS but not sure if mailing this one or keeping or exchanging with friends yet.  Will have to see.

Killer Summer--#42 finished

This is the 3rd book in series by a St Louis author but story is about a Sheriff in Sun Valley Idaho.  This is an very exclusive and rich person's playland and sheriff and people around him have to police it as best as they can.  Big wine auction happening there and a crew of bad guys in town attempting a theft but the object being stolen is sort of a mystery at first.  Throw in a couple teenagers getting where they are not supposed to be and there is your story.  A good read, page turner of sorts.  

There are 4 copies in PBS already & this is the mass market book so no reason to post it.  Will probably take it & first 2 back to my mom that likes to read, she might enjoy the series.