What I'm reading this week (2/22/16)

Let me just say I swear I didn't choose this month's books because they color-coordinate. Although, that is a way to go. Some people color-coordinate their shelves, so why not color-coordinate your reading list?

Last week I finished:

By the end of The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, I was kind of invested, though I still thought it rather pedestrian and unbelievable.

Dead Presidents, on the other hand, was pure delight. You know how I love trivia books, especially about history, and most especially about presidents. This one did not disappoint. Brady Carlson is a good narrator of history, knowing what to include, making it interesting, balancing the heavy and light, and being witty, too. I highly recommend Dead Presidents. If you enjoyed The Residence or The Hidden White House, you'll love this one.

Last week I started:

 

I finally sunk my teeth into my new Donald Hall collection, and so far I haven't found anything that blew me away. But poetry is like that, which is why so many folks dismiss it. If I find a poem I get nothing out of, I don't despair, I just move on.

I'm re-reading John Grogan's The Longest Trip Home on audio. (Are you allowed to say that?) I read it several years ago and found it much superior to his more famous Marley and Me. It's a coming-of-age memoir in which he falls into the usual pits of youth. What I really remember liking, however, is what strong, good, Catholic parents he had. I remember sympathizing with them throughout Grogan's teen years.

This week, I continue with:

 

I'm making slow progress with The House at Pooh Corner, but that's not to say I'm not enjoying it.

This week I'll begin:

The last book on my February reading list is Spark Joy, the follow-up to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I recently read a blog review that says it goes beyond its predecessor instead of simply rehashing it. That made me glad.