69. Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed

listened to andio borrowed through Bosler Library
narrated by Tiya Sircar and Michael Crouch
Unabridged audio (10:57)
2020 Balzer & Bray
436 pgs.
YA CRF
Finished 4/26/2020
Goodreads rating:  3.88 - 7299 ratings
My rating:  3
Setting: Contemporary summer in Georgia

First line/s:  " 'Oranges don't have nipples,' said Sophie."

My comments:  Super mixed feelings right now after finishing listening to this book.  There are two major concepts presented - both of which are triggers for me: the differences between liberal and conservative thinking, and deep-seeded cultural thoughts about religion that so goes against my grain,  Set in Georgia during the summer months between their junior and senior years, Jamie and Maya worked diligently for a Democratic campaign as they also fall in love.  It was hard for me to really like or even "get" May  because her thoughts - which were in her voice every other chapter - and her actions, which were in Jamie's voice every other chapter, just didn't seem to mesh at all.  I guess that's probably because two different authors wrote this and it just didn't seem like some of the responses to each others thoughts and actions meshed.  And Jamie seemed almost too good/nice to be true ALL THE TIME!  And how many kids would be allowed to hang out in the patio section of Target all the time for huge long periods?  Come on!  Lots of good stuff here, but lots of not-so-good stuff, too.

Goodreads synopsis:  New York Times bestselling authors Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed have crafted a resonant, funny, and memorable story about the power of love and resistance.

YES
Jamie Goldberg is cool with volunteering for his local state senate candidate—as long as he’s behind the scenes. When it comes to speaking to strangers (or, let’s face it, speaking at all to almost anyone), Jamie’s a choke artist. There’s no way he’d ever knock on doors to ask people for their votes…until he meets Maya.

NO
Maya Rehman’s having the worst Ramadan ever. Her best friend is too busy to hang out, her summer trip is canceled, and now her parents are separating. Why her mother thinks the solution to her problems is political canvassing—with some awkward dude she hardly knows—is beyond her.

MAYBE SO
Going door to door isn’t exactly glamorous, but maybe it’s not the worst thing in the world. After all, the polls are getting closer—and so are Maya and Jamie. Mastering local activism is one thing. Navigating the cross-cultural romance of the century is another thing entirely.

9. Dead Watch - John Sandford

This is a standalone Sandford novel

audio read by Richard Ferrone

9 discs/10 hours

2006 Penguin Audio

373 pgs.

Adult Political Murder Mystery

Finished Sunday, 2/9/2014

Goodreads Rating: 3.81

My Rating: 3.5  I liked it okay

Acquired: PBS (will no trade it on

Setting:  mostly Washington DC and surrounding Virginia area

My comments:  This was an interesting political mystery that included murder, mayhem, and a questionably ethical protagonist, Jake Winter.  Jake's smart, knows his way around DC, and works for the White House - principally the President's Chief of Staff.  It always pisses me off (but never surprises me) to hear of all the shenanigans that happen on the taxpayer's dime and this one certainly was no exception.  It read fast, and I was happy to see the touches of Virgil Flowers that Sandford gave Jake.  I guess it's time for another dose of Virgil....

Goodreads Review: Sometimes, justice isn't enough.

          From the author of the number-one-bestselling Prey novels comes an extraordinary story of murder, passion, and deadly ambition——a political thriller like no other.
          Through twenty-one novels featuring Lucas Davenport, Kidd, or the razor-edge world of the Night Crew, John Sandford has been writing brilliantly suspenseful, consistently surprising thrillers filled with rich characters and exceptional drama.
           But Dead Watch sets a whole new level.
           Late afternoon, Virginia, and a woman is on the run. Her husband, a former U.S. Senator named Lincoln Bowe, has been missing for days. Kidnapped? Murdered? She doesn't know, but she thinks she knows who's involved, and why. And that she's next.
          Hours later a phone rings in the pocket of Jacob Winter. An Army Intelligence veteran, Winter specialises in what he thinks of as forensic bureacracy. Congress, the Pentagon, the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security——when something goes wrong, Winter kicks over rocks until he finds out what really happened. The White House is his main client, and the chief of staff is on the phone now.
          If Bowe isn't located soon, he is told, all hell will break loose.
          What Winter doesn't realise is——all hell will break loose anyway. And he will be right in the middle of it. Large forces are at work, men determined to do whatever it takes to achieve unprecedented ends. Before the next few days are out, Winter will discover he has to use every one of his resources not only to prevail...but just to survive.
          And so will the nation.