Desperation Road by Michael Farris Smith (2017

This is a story set in Mississippi about a bad people who tries to become good.  You do get a feel for the place.  It's a redemption story with an unsatisfying end.  The writing is good except for the many sentence fragments in the story.

Saltwater Buddha by Jaimal Yogis (2009

This is another surfer memoir.  The guy is as the title implies-- a deep thinker mediates while surfing.  It's entertaining, somewhat inspiring, but on the light side.  Barbarian Days is in the same vein but a little meatier.

The Lost City by Douglas Preston (2017

This is a book about finding the Lost City ofthe Monkey God in the jungles of Honduras, written by a fiction writer on assignment for New Yorker.  He actually accompanied the crew, which include an archeologist, film crew, photographer, fixer, pilot, and others, to the site for the discovery.

It covers many subjects-- archeology, history, politics-- to name a few.  And it's written well.  Read up!

The Orphan's Tale, Pam Jenoff, 2017

This is historical fiction.  It is the story of the people who escape the ravages of World War II by joining a circus.  It's exercise and adventure, entertaining and educational.  It's a 6 vegetable salad with tasty dressing.  Read up.

The Girl with Seven Names, by Hyeonseo Lee (2015)

Interesting memoir written by a young woman who defected from North Korea as a teenager.  It takes some years, but she gets through China and eventually makes her way to South Korea.  Then she goes and gets her family out too.

Is it true?  Taoster doubts it.  I think parts may be fabricated, but big picture it's accurate. It's a good adventure story and you learn a lot going through it.  And it's inspiring.

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly (2016

This is the latest in the Bosch series.  The story takes us to Pasadena, South Pas, San Fernando and San Diego.  It is set in the present, 1950, and points in between.  Read it to get a sense of the place and time and also to exercise the brain by following the mystery along.

For the Love of Money by Sam Polk (2016

Memoir that is a redemption story.  He grew in Glendale and La Canada. He fought a lot as a kid. Then got into drugs.  He ended his journey addicted to money as a Wall Street trader. 

He was a high school wrestler who liked to read and writes well.

It's a variation on the same old theme.  It's very readable, nice, uplifting message.  Read this one.