Another Stone!

A Delicate Touch is the last Stone Barrington book of 2018, the forty-eighth in the series and there are more planned for 2019 and this makes me so happy!
I had a hard time with the computer stuff.  And I tried to listen carefully but that part was beyond me.  But the rest was just so enjoyable that it hit the five-star mark for me!

Kennedy Connection

My grandfather was a professor at the University of Pittsburgh  and he worked at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Blind a billion years ago and he started this adaptive physical education program thing for people who are differently abled, physically and/or intellectually.  A billion years ago he received a letter from Eunice Kennedy Shriver, which said really cool things about his work.  Rosemary:  The Hidden Kennedy Daughter was a good book.  I wanted to read it after reading JJAL.  I find myself REALLY not liking Joe or Rose Kennedy at all after reading this book. 
I find myself REALLY liking Eunice and Anthony Shriver after reading this book.  And especially Rosemary herself as, like Anthony said, seems to have been the Kennedy who did the most good in her life.  “The interest [Rosemary] sparked in my family towards people with special needs,” Anthony claims, “will one day go down as the greatest accomplishment that any Kennedy has made on a global basis.”

Mr. Woods

keeps on putting out Stone after Stone after Stone!  And I have to say, I am still enjoying them!  Not to much Dino in this one and no Peter and Ben at all, but that is okay, this one was still good and still Stone!  Holly is now Secretary of State, President Lee has been reelected and I was glad for that because the way it was going in the first chapter or so I was thinking art was going to imitate life and some unqualified candidate was going to get elected!  But the title is Indecent Exposure, not Indecent Executive Office.

Suspenseful!

Hissing Cousins:  The Untold Story of Eleanor Roosevelt and Alice Roosevelt Longworth had me guessing until the end.  Would Eleanor's husband cheat on her?  Would Eleanor's husband get elected president?  This kept me listening in the parking lot!

Okay so the book isn't suspenseful.  But it is great!  Really great!  Who knew all of this stuff!

I didn't even know about anything about Alice Roosevelt Longworth.  But then I read about her on wikipedia and I loved this story about her driver!  

Eleanor Roosevelt is someone to whom I never paid enough attention, and I am sorry for that.  Because she sounds like a really, really neat lady.

Great, great book.  I learned so much!   We are going to read it in my adult nonfiction book group for July!

Just Something Different

Last Seen Leaving was the kind of book I haven't read in a long time.  I bought it on audible after I saw it on the shelf at my local library.   I read the jacket and thought it sounded really good.  And it was really good!  I mean it wasn't WOW but it was good for what it was and easy to recommend.  The language is rough, if that bothers you.  But some teenagers do talk this way.  Flynn is only 15 but he seems older.  His vocabulary is quite large.  Here is something that I liked about it.  Flynn is gay and he is worried about coming out.  In so many teen books these days coming out doesn't seem like a big deal at all.  I just don't know if that is true for everyone.  Maybe it is.  It would be nice! Because gay or straight doesn't matter and should someone have to "come out" as straight, too?  But I think that some people might have a hard time coming out.  And even though the people in Flynn's world are very supportive, Flynn still has a hard time in his head.  I just thought that was good.  Kinda a shout-out to those who are struggling with coming out (which I wish no one had to and heck, maybe Flynn IS the only one who has a hard time with it anymore.  Wouldn't that be a wonderful world!) but maybe since I can be a pessimist sometimes, I think maybe there is at least a few kids out there who aren't so excited about announcing their sexuality.  In reality, it can be a cruel world.

Very Timely

and so it was upsetting and hard given the attitude that some have toward immigration today.  Something in Between by Melissa de la Cruz, who became a US citizen at the age of thirty and has her own story to tell, tells the story of a high school senior who discovers that she and her family are undocumented.  Set mostly in LA, well, in the richie-rich boyfriend's neighborhood of Bel Air and the Valley, where our main character, Jasmine lives and also in DC, this book is so real!  Jasmine is luckier than most undocumented kids though.  She does have connections.  Great, great book with a lot of think and talk about in here.

Political

More politics than I usually like in Stuart Woods' fortieth Stone Barrington book, Below the Belt.  But hey, it's Stone, and he has yet another new house! And yes, you have to love (however guiltily) Stone!  Not sure why it is called Below the Belt, other than there is the usual activity from Stone- though, really, less in this one than in some!

Talking Politics

It's said that it is never good to talk politics or religion in mixed company.  But those are the most interesting topics, aren't they?  And the most important topics, aren't they?  Last year's American Presidential election was an emotional one.  There are many of my friends and co-workers who are depressed by and disillusioned by the outcome.  I myself was very sad and disappointed, but I maintain that since human nature is the same, we are no worse than the worst of times and no better than the best of times.  The Worst President: The Story of James Buchanan was interesting to me because I didn't know anything about him at all!  And after reading this book, I can see why.

I told you so!

Kinda!

When I was ripping on The Stand here, I wanted to make it clear that I don't always pan a book because I don't like the author.  But Hillbilly Elegy:  a Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis is proof- kinda.  I mean, I don't dislike J.D. Vance at all.  I really, really liked him.  But I didn't expect too, since I am biased against conservatives and he is a conservative.  But man, now that I read what REAL self-proclaimed conservatives are saying about him, I figure there is no reason at all not to like this guy!  They really rip him a new one.  As conservative and liberals are want to do.  

Terrible Covers

on all three of the Belles books so far.  And The Grass is Always Greener might be the last one, but I hope not.  I have enjoyed this series so much.  I feel like there HAS to be one more book, even though it has been a year since Isabelle Scott moved from her grandmother's small home in Harbor Side to the richie-rich world of Emerald Cove.  Isabelle's aunt, Zoey, whom we met in the last book plays a bigger part in this one and man, man, man is she a jerk!  Spoiler:  I was hoping she was a big fraud!  But I guess not.  But still she is a big jerk!  Unreal.
Anyway, I hope that we get one more addition to this series, because I would love to find out of Isabelle's dad become governor!

Kevin Spencer Has My Heart!

Oh how I love Kevin Spencer.  I loved all of Gary Paulsen's books about him.  Liar, Liar, Flat Broke, and  Crush.  Vote! is the latest and finds Kevin running for President of his class in an attempt to keep the love of his life, Tina.  He is running against the super good-looking Cash Devine.  It is more enjoyable to read these in order so that you can get the flavor of Kevin and his friends and family.  Great stuff. 

Mr. Block

So political mysteries really aren't my thing.  I like pure detective, police work.  But this was Lawrence Block.  And I love Lawrence Block!  And well, I LOVED The Triumph of Evil.  It is smart and funny and even though it is set in the 70s, amidst the  protests of the Vietnam War and the struggle for civil rights, it is still very enjoyable today and really holds up.  Miles is an assassin, but likable...like Keller.  I do love Keller.  Great book.