What I'm reading this week (4/30/18)

Last week I finished



I was excited to read Geraldo Rivera's new memoir, The Geraldo Show, so I moved it up my April reading list to get to it ASAP. I grew up with Geraldo, who's been in the entertainment and news business for nearly 50 years. I remember him opening Al Capone's (empty) vault, and I remember the time a guest on his talk show broke his nose with a folding chair. But in the last 20 years or so, it seemed he had grown up a bit and was interested in being a part of the hard news business. He spent many years at ABC and CNBC before coming to Fox News after the 9/11 attacks to cover the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. While in Afghanistan, he reported on friendly fire at his location, though the Department of Defense could not corroborate those claims, and the controversy nearly ended his news career. His war reporting and the controversy takes up much of his book, while his other work, both before and after, is skimmed over. I really wish there had been a subtitle to this book alerting the reader that the book covered mostly his war correspondence, because I likely would not have picked it up. But, Geraldo also gives the dirt about the sexual harassment scandals at FNC and discusses how much he supports President Trump though he seems not to agree on him in any substantive way. It would seem he wants his loyalty to the president on record for some reason, one can only guess. As I said, I thought Geraldo had matured a bit out of the bombastic playboy persona he's always put forth, but this book it proof that even men pushing 75 can be children. Judging from this book, the man has never done anything controversial, dangerous, or sexy that he has not reported on. It was all here in the book, including the drunken naked picture tweet of himself on his 70th birthday (with towel strategically placed). The whole thing kind of sickened me. I'm not recommending this one unless you're a big Geraldo fan, in which case, you likely know what to expect. My rating: 2.5 stars.

Last fall I read Ann Hood's Morningstar, about the books that shaped her life. I enjoyed it and the writing and decided to try one of her novels. I chose The Obituary Writer. The plot alternates between two women's stories. Vivien is an obituary writer in the early 1900s whose married lover, David, goes to work the morning of the San Francisco earthquake never to return. Still, she does not give up hope of finding him. Claire lives with her husband and young daughter in the 1960s suburbs of Washington, D.C., a homemaker who has an affair with a married man and becomes pregnant, though we're not certain of which man is the father for some time. The two women come together in a not unsurprising way. It's a novel about moving on, and although it's a bit farfetched, it's not poorly written. I listened to this on audio, narrated by Tavia Gilbert, whom I've run into before (she did Be Frank with Me, for one). I don't love her narration. I may have done better with this one in paper because switches in time tend to trip me up in audio. Overall, it wasn't a bad book, but I do prefer more subtlety in plot and characters (the overbearing husband is too overbearing, the whiney child is too whiney, etc.) and I'm not big on books about adultery unless the characters regret their decisions and show moral growth, which neither of the characters here do. In fact, it would seem Hood is giving them reasons or excuses to justify the infidelity ("the husband really is a jerk, so it's okay"). Blech. My rating: 3 stars.

I'm a huge fan of Mary Oliver's poetry. She's an absolute wonder. She is blessed with the knowledge of the absolute importance of observation to a full and creative life. One cannot be a good writer, and certainly not poet, without being a tireless observer of the world around her and a desire to broadcast awe. Oliver is best known for her observation and deep love of the natural world, especially animals. Upstream is a collection of essays on various topics she's published over the years. The topics range from natural observation to deeply academic pieces on the lives of poets and writers. About three-quarters of the book did not interest me in the least, and the essays on poets and writers were such a slog I ended up skimming them. I almost never skim. But the pieces on animals, especially observing a mother spider and her egg sacks, taking in an injured gull, and taking in a dog who loves to run away, were wonderful. They made up for the others. So the experience felt very uneven. If you love Oliver, I think you'll like this collection, though you may find that you like some pieces more than others. My rating: 3 stars. P.S. I have to say that the cover of this book alone made me want to read it. Isn't that beautiful?

 

When the audiobook I'd originally planned to end the month listening to was no longer available, I scrambled for something of equal length and decided on Canada by Mike Myers. Yes, that Mike Myers. I figured this was a good way to learn about Canada in an entertaining way, and I was correct. Part memoir and part ode to Canada, this is Myers' way of telling us what his home country means to him. Raised in Canada by English expatriates loyal to England's (in their mind) superiority, Myers and his brothers grew up as working-class kids near Toronto. He tells us about deciding on comedy and working his way up the comedic ropes in Canada, England, and America, where his career took off due in part to Saturday Night Live and his fabulously well-received Wayne's World skit. Myers covers the important points about Canada: its culture, sports (hockey), cuisine (or lack thereof, in the case of Canada), politics, unique speech patterns, and how the citizens see themselves and their country. He makes the point that Canada seems to lack a mission statement, and furthermore, it seems not to care that it does. Canada doesn't seem to have "Canada-ness," it doesn't have much to set it apart nor much gumption to forge an identity in the world. It's America-lite. And you might say its number one export is great comedians. These things are what bothers Myers about his home country, and partly why he lives in America now. Here, Myers puts forth a thoughtful book, one worth your time if you're interested in him or Canada. Also, he narrates the audio version. My rating: 3 stars.

I made a goal to read three books of poetry in April, since it's National Poetry Month, and my third selection was a re-read from the late 1990s, Bob Hicok's Plus Shipping. I read this when it came out in 1998, and it was one of my favorite books at that time. I'm happy to say that it stood the test of time for me. Hicok writes approachable poems, yet he makes you work for them. He loves to play slyly with ideas and often sets things spinning on their ears. Some of my very favorite poems are from this book: "Over Coffee", "Choosing My Conception", and "Other Lives and Dimensions and Finally a Love Poem". I heartily recommend this book to those interested in poets you don't run into every day. My rating: 3.5 stars.

Last week I began:

And now I'm on to my yearly Jane Austen re-read. This year: Pride and Prejudice.

As well as...

 

I'm reading Inside Camp David on Kindle and White Houses and Devotions in hardcover. I'm enjoying all of them so far.

My audiobook:

I'm listening to the fifth in the Mitford series, A New Song. And other than CD number 1 skipping a dozen times (UGH!), I'm loving the return to Mitford.

What I'm reading this week (4/23/18)

Last week I finished:

I have an awful lot of reviewing to do from last week, so I'm going to try to make these short.

When Lab Girl came out, I immediately read an excerpt thinking I'd found a memoir just for me. After reading a bit of it, I felt unsettled (though I can't remember exactly why, it just felt weird) and decided it wasn't going to be a book for me after all. And then it went on to do very well. And when a book does very well, I tend to get around to it eventually (FOMO?). This one was kind of a wild ride. I'd alternate between loving it and wanting to quit it. The book alternates memoir chapters with short chapters discussing trees and how they grow. The writing is superb, and I really enjoyed that aspect of the book. I also enjoyed the fact that the author grew up close to where I did and held onto her Christian faith even while working in science (biology). I was unsettled, though, by the author's mental illness and family estrangement. Also, her lab mate, while an interesting curveball of a character, was a little too loose-cannon for my comfort. Together, the pair seemed a bit too immature, but they had fun. I just didn't enjoy their teenager-y exploits. So, while I liked some parts of the book, other parts just felt weird. If you have a high tolerance for odd stories, you'll probably like this. And, if you're a science nerd, I think you'll want to read this. My rating: 3 stars.

As you know, I love books about presidents. And I especially adore books about President Reagan. Still, I don't always expect a lot from memoirs by presidential aides, because there are so many ways they can go wrong. They are often too fawning, painting a cloyingly perfect picture of the man they worked for. Just as often, they can feel like self-service brag pieces or a way to relive the glory days when they were important people working for the most important man in the world. It's difficult to straddle the line well. And yet, I devour these books looking for a delicious morsel where it can be found. So when Movie Nights with the Reagans was released, I bought my copy right away. I was concerned that mixing stories of Reagan and the 1980s movies he watched would be gimmicky and kitschy and make for a mediocre book at best, but considering how I love Reagan stories and 1980s movies, I was more than willing to take my chances. I'm happy to say that this book really rose to the challenge. It was absolutely wonderful. All my fears about it being cheesy were met with well-crafted prose that amply weighed the plot of a hit movie (E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Back to the Future, etc.) with a corresponding issue from President Reagan's eight-year term (space exploration, Soviet relations, women in the workplace, etc.), and it never felt contrived. Written by Mark Weinberg, Reagan's special advisor and press secretary, who necessarily spent a lot of time with the Reagans, the book tells of weekend movie nights at Camp David, the presidential weekend retreat. A retired actor, Reagan never lost his love of film and sharing stories of his Hollywood career. Weinberg never puts words in Reagan's mouth, though he does quote him and give personal anecdotes that showed who Reagan was as a man. The book was both personal and professional, very well edited, and while Weinberg obviously has nothing but respect for his former boss, he never gets slobbery. I enjoyed every minute of this book, which never felt like a book written to profit on a close relationship with a powerful man. It's just what we need in today's political climate. Whether you're a fan of Reagan or not, this is a wonderful book worth the read. I highly recommend it. My rating: 4.5 stars.

I've always enjoyed Tina Fey's comedy work. Though I don't really follow celebrities' careers, especially comedians, what I've seen of Fey over the years has always struck me as funny and smart. What endeared me to her was her phenomenally funny impression of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live. While my politics are undoubtedly more aligned with Palin's than Fey's, I never saw the impression as anything other than a clever spoof by a dead-on lookalike. It never felt particularly mean to me or like it was done in a hateful way. Needless to say, the part of the book where Fey talks about this hugely successful part of her career was my favorite part of the book. But aside from that, this line alone would have been worth the price of admission: My parents raised me that you never ask people about their reproductive plans. "You don't know their situation," my mom would say. I considered it such an impolite question that for years I didn't even ask myself. This line so encapsulates my reproductive situation for the past twenty years or so I laughed out loud when I read (heard) it. Then I replayed it and laughed even harder. I listened to this one on audio because it was read by Fey herself, and I recommend the audio. I only wish this one would have been longer. It was a delight. My rating: 3.5 stars. P.S. That cover has always weirded me out.

I often suffer from irrational anxiety (is there such a thing as rational anxiety?), and it is getting to the point where I feel I need to work harder at meeting the claim and eradicating it. Since I use God as my only physician, it's natural for me to turn to prayer and Truth to solve this problem. But I've been lazy about doing that consistently. Enter Max Lucado's Anxious for Nothing. I'd been kicking around the idea of reading this book for awhile, but I was held back by the feeling that I didn't want even more to deal with by reading a book that gives a personal view of scripture rather than a spiritual one. Still, I felt led to buy it on a Kindle sale and give it a couple pages. If it made me uncomfortable, I'd abandon it. And if it helped, it helped. I'm happy to report that it helped. It really helped. Lucado uses scripture, the common ground for all Christians, and not a lot of personal interpretation, where Christian beliefs diverge, to show his readers a way out of anxiety. It's a relentlessly positive book, and not positive in a fluffy way. There's no judgment or shame or guilt, which would have made me put the book down right away. It's not preachy, and it's not decidedly denominational. As a pastor, he is used to using good analogies to drive the simple points home. I got a lot out of this book, and I plan to buy a hard copy for future reference. I recommend this book to anyone dealing with anxiety who wants to heal it using a Christian perspective. My rating: 4 stars.  

It's really hard to write reviews for books in a series. It's sometimes impossible to talk about them without giving spoilers or discussing previous books of the series in length. So I'm going to keep this short. Princess Elizabeth's Spy is the second book in the Maggie Hope mystery series. Both it and the first book in the series follow math whiz and spy-wannabe, Maggie Hope, through her close brushes with danger as she serves as Prime Minister Winston Churchill's secretary (book 1) and Princess Elizabeth's "maths" tutor (book 2). There's murder and danger and everything comes out right in the end. Through the books is a secondary plot involving Maggie finding out what happened to her mother--said to have died when Maggie was small--that took a big leap forward in this book. I listened to both on audio, though if I continue with the series, I might switch to paper as I find the audios a bit grating on my nerves. These are exciting books, and aside from the murders (never grizzly) and occasional foul language (unnecessary), rather fun. My rating: 3 stars.

Poetry confession: I own at least four of Roger Housden "Ten Poems..." books. They all have touchy-feely titles like Ten Poems to Change Your Life and Ten Poems to Open Your Heart. His latest book in the series is Ten Poems for Difficult Times. While the titles are almost unforgivable, the books themselves are often very good. Housden obviously has a love for poetry, reads it widely, and encourages close, personal relationships with individual poems. The books combine ten well-chosen poems with Housden's personal reflections on the poems' content. They're never as touchy-feely as the titles, but they often get emotional (what is poetry without emotion?), and sometimes self-serving. And they sometimes become places for Housden to lament the current state of things and give jabs at Republican presidents while they're in office. He is obviously quite liberal and assumes his readers are, too, which is just stupid. At one point in this book he recalls the 2016 election results as something that distressed everyone, and I just had to roll my eyes. But I'm used to this shortsighted and politic-centric view of America amongst poetry pontificators. I don't know why Housden thinks harboring resentment helps you through difficult times, but there you go. Aside from the moments of Self-awareness-with-a-capital-S, that make one wince, the book was enjoyable enough. I didn't fall in love with any of the poems, but that never bothers me. Try these books if anthologies leave you cold, and you're looking for a hand-chosen set of poems that encourage some interaction with the poems. It's what the books do best. My rating: 3 stars.

 

Last week I abandoned:

There was a lot of buzz in some circles for 12 Rules for Life, and I was very excited to read it, but after one 28-page chapter (which followed 30 pages of introductory material), I bailed. I want the information in the book, but it's too much of a slog getting it. It's not a bad book, it's just loftier than a pleasure read. (P.S. Dana Perino agrees with me!)

 

 

This week I'll finish:

This one isn't quite what I expected. More on that next week.

I'll also finish:

 

After 60 or so pages of Upstream, I can tell you that I prefer Mary Oliver's poetry to her essays. More on that next week, too.

And I'm re-reading Plus Shipping by Bob Hicok. This was one of my favorite books of poems in my post-college days.

 

 

My audiobook:

I've just begun Ann Hood's The Obituary Writer, which I will finish his week along with Mike Myers' Canada, which should be interesting!

What I'm reading this week (4/16/18)

 

Last week I finished

The reviews I agonize most over are for books I loved and books that everyone has read. Hillbilly Elegy is both. For some reason, this book has become a political read, and it's been billed as "the book that explains why people voted for President Trump." Those are the precise reasons I wasn't interested in reading it when it came out. I know why folks voted for President Trump, if you don't, just ask me. Add to that what has been shared of the plot on various blogs in reference to the domestic violence, so even though it was one of my favorite genres, I decided it wasn't for me. But then as often happens with extremely popular books, I decided I had to know why so much was being said about it. I bought it on a great Kindle sale, and I was sucked in on the very first page. I loved reading it. But where do I even start in reviewing it? A short synopsis: J. D. Vance is the child and grandchild of Kentucky "hillbilly" transplants in the Rust Belt (Ohio). In this memoir/social science book, he details the events of his life in the white working class environment, including domestic violence, low income, chaotic family life, and a drug-dependent parent. Vance effortlessly blends memoir with sociology, using his life and family experiences to show the problems of the white working class as a whole. I've never read a book that so expertly uses personal stories to demonstrate societal issues. This is a book I've been living for the15 years I've been deeply involved with a family of nearly identical circumstances. I nodded knowingly dozens of times when Vance explained his childhood and his mother's poor life management. For much of the book I could not figure out why this book shocked so many people; then I realized the obvious: not everyone has seen this kind of lifestyle in action. I've had a front-row seat for a long time. I wasn't shocked; seeing what I've seen, there's not much that can shock me anymore. I was just so relieved to have that part of my life explained to the world for me, because I knew I'd never have the courage (or energy) to do it myself. The way Vance told his story was the perfect balance of personal angst and anthropological distance. The violence so many bloggers alluded to was presented more anecdotally than immersively. Because the real story was not what happened to Vance growing up (the chaos, the violence, the constant change, the parade of father figures); the real story was that his childhood experience was not unique. He takes us beyond such books as The Glass Castle or Angela's Ashes and asks us how this happened and how we can fix it. This book asks for engagement. He shows where and how the government has failed its citizens with entitlement programs and where society has failed its children by not valuing work. Vance exposes some hard truths that should change the way people vote. He's saying that throwing money and even sympathy at the social problems of the white working class is not changing things for the better, but for the worse. Unfortunately, Vance is able to offer no answers. But it's not his place to. He was one of the lucky ones who survived that kind of life and became a successful man. We as Americans love these underdog stories. We love the kid who was raised by a drug-addicted mom and a gun-toting mamaw who grew up to go to Yale Law School. We also love to put people into boxes according to type and create new terminology and laws and government programs to help them. We love to blame people, but we equally love not to let anyone know we are blaming, so we hide behind our programs and know that we're good, caring people. Well, I've seen firsthand how this attitude plays out. So has Vance. I've been looking for the answers for years, as my heart breaks for those close to me who can't seem to find their way out of the cycle of chaos. I've seen how government programs make things worse, how drugs become a religion, how being in want and blaming everyone but oneself for the cause of it creates a haze of denial that doesn't dissipate for generations. I've bought a kid shoes because he had none, a coat because he had none, and watched his parents buy three cell phones because they no longer had to worry about buying shoes or coats. I've bought a laptop when someone finally completed a GED and enrolled herself in tech school, only to find out she'd pawned it a couple of weeks later. I've bailed the father out of jail for domestic abuse and faced the child who wanted to ask, why did you do that? because right then he hated his father and hated me, too. I've left church thinking I should give everything I have to solve the materials problems in this family, and I've also left it knowing that "the poor will always be with you." The only thing I've learned for sure is that blame doesn't help and neither does sympathy. So, no answers from Vance or from me, but the book did what all great books do: it started a national dialogue. It bought to light those living in society's shadows, those who are sure they are powerless because they feel hopeless. I guess frank talk is where we start. Just so long as it's not where we stop. My rating: 5 stars.

At the same time I was being blown away by Hillbilly Elegy, I was reading and being blown away by Little Fires Everywhere. This book was at the top of every list at the end of 2017, and now I know why. The book is so masterful. The plotting is so precise that it builds and builds and builds almost until the last page. It reminded me very much of the way Beartown was written, the third-person omniscient narration that gives you a taste of everyone's thoughts, makes for a complex and engaging story. It's hard to describe what this book is about, and for at least three-quarters of it, you're not even sure what it's about. Not to say the plot is being held from you, but it's still building. Overall, I guess you could say it's the story of families. There is the upper-middle-class Richardson family, Mom, Dad, Lexi, Trip, Moody, and Izzy, each with their own levels of personal awareness. There is single mom and artist Mia and her daughter Pearl who have just moved into the neighborhood and befriends each of the Richardson kids. And there is a custody battle over a little Chinese girl. This is a book where there are no absolutes. What one person takes for granted as truth or right, another whole rejects without a second glance. In other words, it's just like life. What makes a family? What's the proper way to live and provide for your children? Who has the power? What role does personal responsibility have in a family life? Ng makes us see there is so much there below the surface, and even though we're navigating this stuff every day, we don't necessarily realize we are. Don't let the plot as I've described it turn you off. It's not a book about kids, though most of the main characters are kids. It's not a book about race, though that is part of it, too. The wonder of this book is more in how the story is told and how the reader interacts with it than what's being told. I loved this book, and I'm sure to go back to read her previous novel, Everything I Never Told You. I can't imagine this one not being on my top ten list at the end of the year. My rating: 5 stars.

Awhile ago, I ran across America's First Daughter, an historical fiction novel that imagines the life of Martha (Patsy) Jefferson Randolph, daughter of President Thomas Jefferson. The ratings for this one are stellar on Amazon. You know I have a love-hate relationship with historical fiction that reimagines the life of a historic figure. On the one hand, I'm drawn to it like a moth to candlelight, on the other, I'm deeply uneasy about anyone recreating the life of someone famous (or even someone common) because you could never be completely accurate. An author's biases, then, are what I'm scouting for the entire time I'm trying to enjoy a book like this one. A side note (that's relevant, I promise): I detest when books like this put the author's notes on procedure in the back of the book. I spend the whole book wondering now how did she know that? where did this information come from? did this even happen? It drives me to distraction. Put it all up front, people! Put the skeptic's mind at ease--or allow them to bail--up front, don't make them wait for almost 600 pages to know how the research was conducted! So, that accurate history limbo is where I was stuck for 19 CDs until I was told that the information for the book came from the copious amount of letters amongst members of the Jefferson family. I knew the book was based on Thomas Jefferson's letters, but I doubted the very personal stories of Martha's life would have come from his letters. And frankly, I doubted they'd come from hers. People neither then nor now talk so openly about such private matters as what goes on in a long marriage or behind bedroom doors. Also, I was uncomfortable with how politically correct the authors were with issues of slavery and race. They seemed determined to make Jefferson out to be a hypocritical bigot and made all the "good guys" anti-slavery. Jefferson's views on slavery were never fully explored, and that was a glaring oversight for me. He proclaimed he was anti-slavery, but he kept slaves, this is what everyone knows. What we don't know is how he held those opposing viewpoints. The truth is likely more complex than "he was a hypocritical bigot." That's unfair and sloppy. The whole thing was a bit heavy-handed for me, and the pro-slavery side was not presented because it was just so obviously wrong. But this was Virginia, early 1800s, if you're going to tell the story, tell all of the story! This felt intellectually dishonest, and I didn't trust the book because of it. My other big problem with this book is how dramatic it was. There was SO. MUCH. DRAMA. I was very ready for the book to be over about halfway through. It wasn't a bad book, and if you don't have a problem with present-day authors taking liberty with those who could not or did not speak for themselves when they had the chance, it's a good story. It just wasn't my cup of tea. A note on the audio: if you have trouble with syrupy southern belle accents, you might want to stick to the paper version here. I never did get into it. My rating: 3 stars.

This week I'll finish

This book is kind of a wild ride. I'll review it next week.

And then I'll begin

I'm very excited to read this one. I feel like I could really use some good life advice right now.

Last week I began reading

Speaking of good life advice, I began Max Lucado's Anxious for Nothing last week, and I'm really enjoying it so far. I'm also just barely into Mary Oliver's Upstream, nature essays.

This week I'll continue with

 

And I'm still loving these two, esp. the Reagan book which is charming and informative.

 

My audiobook

I'm currently listening to the second Maggie Hope mystery, Princess Elizabeth's Spy. It's a fun listen.

23 2018 releases I'm most excited about

I've been sitting on this post for a long time. There are so many good books that have either just come out or are coming out later this year, that I just had to share 23 I plan to buy and read.

Next in a series

I love the Kopp Sisters series, based on a real female sheriff in the early 1900s. The fourth in the series, Miss Kopp Just Won't Quit, is due out this fall.

And my literary crush Fredrik Backman is coming out with a followup to Beartown in June, Us Against You.

I fell in love with My Lady Jane this year, and the second in the series, a reimagining of Jane Eyre called My Plain Jane, comes out in June.

And the final book in the Penderwick series, Penderwicks at Last, releases in May.

Fiction

 

I read most everything Anna Qindlen writes, although I enjoy her nonfiction more. Her newest, Alternate Side, a novel, is on my list.

I gave into the hype and ordered a copy of An American Marriage. Some bloggers say it's the best book they've read this year, and some say it's overrated. I'll let you know.

From the authors of America's First Daughter comes My Dear Hamilton, which fictionalizes the only part of Hamilton I'd have any interest in.

  

 

I've been hemming and hawing over Amy Bloom's White Houses for months. I tend not to like fictionalizations of real figures (especially when the author imagines their sex lives), but I'm also drawn to them. For the record, we do not know that Eleanor Roosevelt had lesbian relationships.

After loving The Poisonwood Bible last year, I've been meaning to read another book by Barbara Kingsolver. Unsheltered comes out this fall.

From the author of the Downton Abbey companion books comes The Mitford Murders. I'm super excited to begin this one.

Memoirs

 

I gave into the hype surrounding Educated and bought a copy. For some reason it didn't appeal to me when I looked into it when it was first released, but I've heard so much buzz about it, I have to try it.

I've gotten to like Geraldo Rivera in the past decade or so (I remember him from the Al Capone's vault and Geraldo days, which was not his best work), and I'm very interested in his The Geraldo Show about his years as a war correspondent.

Although I was never a fan of Lidia Bastianich's cooking shows, she has been on my radar for decades, so I've added her memoir, My American Dream, to my TBR.

And I've added First Lady Michelle Obama's memoir, Becoming, to my list of books to read, though I can't be sure I will.

 

 

Nonfiction

Three books about politics: Eunice (biography of JFK's sister, Eunice Kennedy), Every Man a King (about American populists), and Three Days in Moscow (about Reagan and the fall of the Soviet empire).

 

 

I've meant to read something by Lawrence Wright for some time, and when I heard about his forthcoming, God Save Texas, I decided that was the book to begin with. If I were to read the biography of any state, I'd choose Texas. Wouldn't you?

And for a lighter, girlier read, One Beautiful Dream.

Poetry

 

I love Ted Kooser's poetry, so I was excited to see he has a new collection, Kindest Regards, coming out in May.

And from the author of How to Read Literature Like a Professor comes How to Read Poetry Like a Professor. It's probably time for a refresher.

Other

 

Every spring I like to pick up a book about flowers or gardening...and then not plant flowers or garden. This year it might be Martha's Flowers.

And Rick Bragg (All Over but the Shoutin') has a new cookbook coming out, The Best Cook in the World.

What's are your 2018 must haves?