It's Monday! (11/16/15)

It's Monday! is sponsored by Sheila at Book Journey.

 

 

 

 

Last week I finished three books:

 

I absolutely adored The Residence. It's the story of the household staff who work at the White House. Kate Andersen Brower interviewed as many staff, current and retired, first ladies, and first children as would talk to her and wrote their reminisces. It's a fabulous, politically unbiased look into how the Executive Mansion runs. It's equal parts discretion and gossip. I highly recommend it.

 

I was not as enthused about The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating. Elisabeth Tova Bailey is convalescing when a friend brings her a snail to cheer her. This leads to much examination and research. My problem with the book, I've decided, is we learn more about the snail's personality than about Bailey's. I like more intimate books than this one. As a straight study of nature, it's fine.

 

And I've finished The Art of Losing, edited by Kevin Young. This was a wonderful collection of poetry about death and grief. That makes it sound like real downer, but it really wasn't. The poems ran the gamut of grief and healing. I found many old friends included and found some new friends, too.

 

I am this close to finishing:

 

 

A Light in the Window has been a delightful listening experience. And now I can't wait for the rest of the books in the series. (There are many more.)

 

 

Last week I started:

 

 

Rosemary is about the third Kennedy child, John F. Kennedy's sister, Rosemary. As you may know, she was institutionalized after a failed lobotomy that was hoped to correct her "slowness." So far, though, it's focusing mostly on Rose and Joe Kennedy.

 

 

Next up:

 

I can't wait to begin Humans of New York: Stories. I enjoyed Stanton's first book of photography (Humans of New York), and I'm looking forward to more stories with the photos.

 

And I'm reading something from the I've-had-this-forever shelf: Adriana Trigiani's Don't Sing at the Table.