Permanent Record by Edward Snowden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

'Nuff said...since it's possible that my every key stroke is still being noted & stored...and so is yours. Borrowed from the library.


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American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race by Douglas Brinkley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating & well-written & documented account of the radical vision of US President John F. Kennedy to put a man on the moon by the "end of the decade" (the 1960s). Great details on the origins of the US space program--reaching back to WWII and the development of the dreaded V2 rockets the Nazi scientists created to bomb England; also, lots of details on the so-called "space race" as it developed post-WWII with the Soviet Union. Listened to the audiobook on my iPhone; borrowed from the library.


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How To Really Ruin Your Financial Life and Portfolio by Ben Stein
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Pretty funny...and insightful. Thanks for the "reverse tips!" Borrowed from the library.


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Oswald Chambers, Abandoned to God: The Life Story of the Author of My Utmost for His Highest by David McCasland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm giving this biography of Oswald Chambers 3-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. It was good--and very sad toward the end, as Chambers dies in his prime at the age of only 43 years old. But, God has sovereignly used his writings/sermons/devotionals to speak to millions across the world--including this reader. Especially through the work of his wife, Biddy, who painstakingly compiled Chamber's My Utmost for His Highest. Biddy was an amazing lady--and God used her greatly, both during Chamber's lifetime and for many years following his death.


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Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Excellent--and disturbing--book on the injustices of our supposed justice system, especially with respect to the state of Alabama, and many other southern states. Pure racism unmasked; blatant miscarriages of justice. Stevenson is a Harvard-educated lawyer who has been burdened to specifically take on death row cases--as well as cases of both death & life imprisonment handed down (disgracefully) to children as young as 13 and 14. Unbelievable. And, sadly, these are not generally cases that happened back in the 1960s or earlier...but many recent cases in the 21st century. Stevenson does a great job of humanizing these death row inmates--and chronicles history-making changes in court sentencing rules handed down in recent years by the Supreme Court of the U.S. Eye-opening reading. Borrowed from the library.


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Barkskins by Annie Proulx
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I'm giving this book 2-1/2 stars in my Reading Log. It had some interesting aspects, but overall, I didn't feel there was much of a pull for me to keep "reading" (I listened to this audiobook on my iPhone--and it was loooooong!--borrowed from the library, re-borrowed...); didn't feel there was enough of an engaging plot & some of the characters were just bland. The story took place over a couple hundred years--which is always a challenge to pull off in a novel--and had insights into the challenges & lifestyles of early loggers/barkskins. It also gave a window into life & challenges among the early native peoples of "New France" (Canada)--and early New Englanders.


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Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed this latest foray from Gladwell. Insightful--and very, very sad hearing the details of cases like Sandra Bland's and the misapplication of the Kansas City policing procedures. Hard to believe how much our own intelligence agency has had the wool pulled over our eyes by the Cubans--and other, no doubt. Watch your implicit default-to-trust levels! Listened to the creative audiobook on my iPhone--borrowed from the library.


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Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by John Carreyrou
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a sad tale of how-the-mighty-have-fallen...and taken so many with them, both willingly & unwillingly. Theranos, Elizabeth Holmes and her scary CEO/boyfriend Sunny Balawi--Exhibits A in a case of "your sin will find you out." Shame, shame on them and their hard-nosed, arrogant, hurtful & deceptive methods in a field where lives are dependent on the results they claimed to be providing (in their case--the so-called results...). Great investigative reporting by Carreyrou of the WSJ. Borrowed from the library.


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The Education of a Coach by David Halberstam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Loved this look at Coach Belichick's life history in regards to his incredible football sense, prowess, & practices. He has proven to be the best football coach...ever. And he's humble enough to just keep on working and looking forward to next week's game and everything needed to get everyone focused on doing their job, in order to be successful. Library ebook.


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Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military by Neil deGrasse Tyson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Interesting look at the convergence of astrophysics/science and the military/war. Some of it pretty deep--literally, deep space. Very informative regarding the race for space & all the developments that have been spawned for a variety of uses from this field. Listened to the audiobook on my iPhone--borrowed from the library.


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Alone on the Wall by Alex Honnold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Really enjoyed hearing both first & second-hand accounts of Honnold's various out-of-this-world climbs; though this was written before his Free Solo climb on El Capitan in Yosemite. Listened to this on my iPhone--borrowed from the library.


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