Once again, I'm a little overwhelmed by the number of book reviews to write, so I'm going to try to keep these short.
Last week I finished:
I'm a sucker for any book about U.S. presidents, and one about presidents residing in the White House is my reading sweet spot. I've owned Upstairs at the White House in book and electronic form for ages, and I've finally read it. I don't know what I was fearing, because this book delivered. It was breezy and conversational, intimate but never gossipy, respectful, and a load of fun. I loved every moment and word of this book. Written by former White House Chief Usher J. B. West in the late 1970s, this is the story of presidents and first ladies from Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt through the first part of Richard and Pat Nixon's White House stay. The Chief Usher position is basically a catchall of tasks pertaining to managing the White House (from food to housekeeping to staffing to decorating to keeping within the budget) and catering to the needs and desires of the first family. West discusses what it was like to work for each first lady, how their personalities and styles differed, as well as a little about their husbands' presidencies. He covers such life-changing events such as the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the ending of World War II, the death of FDR, the assassination of JFK, the extensive Truman White House renovation that basically gutted the inside of the mansion, as well as the removal and installation of each new family on Inauguration day at precisely 12:00 noon. I believe that many of the books I've read about the White House have probably used Mr. West's account as a resource, as many stories here I've read elsewhere. It is a wonderfully intimate and respectful look at what it's like to serve (and decorate with) the first ladies of mid-20th century. I learned a lot about first ladies I don't know much about such as Mamie Eisenhower and Lady Bird Johnson. I was charmed, and I highly recommend this read. My rating: 5 stars.
This year I've had a voracious appetite for audio fiction. I'm always on the lookout for good stories to listen to, and if you are too, try Eowyn Ivey's To the Bright Edge of the World. She's known for The Snow Child, which is about a couple who build a child out of snow who later comes to life. Since I'm not a fan of magical realism, I'd avoided this book though I know many who love it. Well, after listening to To the Bright Edge of the World, which has magical realism elements, too, I may have been won over. This is the well-told story of an 1880s exploration to the Alaskan territory, specifically, following the Wolverine River. The expedition consists of only three men, but they meet many indigenous Indians along the way, some with fantastic stories. For the most part, the book stays in reality, so someone like me who isn't fond of magical elements can be pulled into the adventure and is allowed determine what is fact, what is fable, and what could possibly be chalked up to starvation and ailing minds. I was unsure if the meta elements of book would lend itself well to audio since the story is told entirely through the Lieutenant Colonel's journal while on expedition, his wife's journal back in Vancouver Barracks, Washington Territory, the modern-day correspondence between the Colonel's descendant and an Alaskan museum director, as well as various ads, museum exhibition notes, etc. The audio was very well done. With the use of different voices, you don't miss the visual parts of the book at all (though of course they are included on the CDs). Everything about this experience made it a good one. I found the book well-written, the characters original, the magical elements easy to take, and the pacing impeccable. I highly recommend this one to all. My rating: 4.5 stars.
And now for something completely different: Greg Gutfeld. If you're unfamiliar with Gutfeld from his various shows on FNC, including The Five, The Greg Gutfeld Show, and his older Red Eye, I'll try to describe him for you. He's sort of like that guy in your high school class who was hilariously astute, was set apart by a certain physical feature (in Gutfeld's case, height, or lack thereof), who was edgy, tuned into pop culture and politics, and who freely shared his strong opinions with others, often to his own detriment. You know the guy. He probably sat behind you in Civics class. (Do they even have Civics class anymore?) And you probably would have admitted to having a crush on him if doing so wasn't a little risky. On his shows, he delivers punchy, funny, and very pointed monologues taking presidents, politicians, and folks in the entertainment industry to task. Ideologically, he's a conservative libertarian. This is a collection of his monologues from The Five, a political panel talk show, and the content is divided into broad categories such as identity politics, Hollywood, Islamic terror, the environment, the campus, etc. In the book, he interrupts his monologues to offer updates, apologies, and critiques on his old ideas or jokes. I loved this book, but then, I never miss an episode of either of his shows. I appreciate his analysis and sense of humor. Though I don't always agree, I like the way he thinks and the way he forms and presents arguments. Highly recommended if you are willing to be challenged in your ideological opinions. My rating: 4 stars.
Speaking of FNC. Before her loud, ugly departure from the channel following sexual harassment allegations, Gretchen Carlson was one of its stars. Getting Real is her first memoir, written before leaving the channel (after leaving, she penned Be Fierce about being sexually harassed in the workplace). In it, she tells about growing up in Anoka, Minnesota, the granddaughter of a Lutheran minister, the daughter of the owner of one of the oldest operating car dealerships in America. She was a violin prodigy and was expected to be one of the most talented female violinists in the world. She became Miss America in 1989, about the time the pageant turned the corner toward making the competition more about talent and platform than appearance. After her year traveling the country with the crown, she completed Stanford Law, then embarked on a television journalism career, which eventually landed her on Fox and Friends and with her own afternoon show. She talks about all of this as well as her husband, kids, and her faith. It's a pretty straightforward celebrity memoir. I feel that I know her better after reading it. I could have done without a few of the "prodigy" reminders, and I was annoyed each time she assured me she was a confident woman (if you say it, are you?), but over all, it was a good book. My rating: 3 stars.
Up next:
I'm looking forward to this one.
My Kindle read:
I put One Beautiful Dream aside. For the second time. I guess it's just a little too crazy/chaotic to interest me right now.
So I finally settled on Through My Father's Eyes, Franklin Graham's biography of his father, the late Billy Graham.
My nighttime reads:
I'm enjoying Carry On, Warrior for the second time.
I've been reading Priest Turned Therapist Treats Fear of God a couple poems at a time, and I am liking it more than I'd thought I would, even if I was jarred by seeing the C-word in a poem.
And I'm loving Rose Kennedy's Family Album, too. That family was something else.
My audiobook:
I'm now listening to the third in the Maisie Dobbs series, Pardonable Lies.
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