November & December book reviews

Penguin Drop Caps 

I have a bit of pretty book obsession (in addition to just generally purchasing more books than I can read). After six or so months of saving up Amazon Rewards points and carefully tracking the ever-changing price, I purchased my very own long sought after set of Penguin Drop Caps, "a series of twenty-six collectible hardcover editions of fine works of literature." And after six or so months of them looking beautiful in my living room (and acknowledging that I've only previously read three of them), I decided to set about reading them all. And by reading, I likely mean listening to audiobook versions while the expensive pristine copies stay on the shelf. They are too new, and I spill too much. 

First up is one of my all time favorites (and one I've reread too many times to count), Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. It's still wonderful, and I shortly read it again. I highly recommend the audiobook version narrated by Rosamund Pike. 

Next up, Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. This was my first Bronte novel, and I GET IT. I want to read them all. Thandie Newton's narration is excellent.   

C is for Willa Cather's My Antonia. I took several American West history courses in undergraduate/graduate school, but don't recall preciously reading any of her work. My Antonia is the third of Cather's pioneer trilogy, but I didn't feel out of place reading out of order.  

D is for Charles Dickens' Great Expectations. This is the second time this year I've reread a book that I first read for ninth grade literature, and the results were similar. I didn't care for Great Expectations (or Catcher in the Rye) as a fourteen or fifteen year old, and I felt the same twenty years later. Silver lining: my annoyance with Pip inspired some faster times on the rowing machine. 

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Breaking Free: How I Escaped Polygamy, the FLDS Cult, and my Father, Warren Jeffs by Rachel Jeffs

I am a regular reader of the 'escaped from polygamy' genre, and though this one isn't the best I've read (The Sound of Gravel sets a very high bar), it is especially emotionally engaging. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and of course came to the most graphic description of sexual violence inflicted upon the author by her father as I was shopping for Thanksgiving dinner at Costco (sorry to my fellow shoppers for my grimaces - they were not directed at you). 

Collusion: Secret Meetings, Dirty Money, and How Russia Helped Donald Trump Win by Luke Harding 

This book is a good compilation and analysis of what we know (and what we don't) from a reporter with experience in Russia. It's informative, clarifying, infuriating. 

Lord John & the Brotherhood of the Blade, Lord John & the Hand of Devils, and The Scottish Prisoner by Diana Gabaldon 

I finished the Lord John series while new episodes of Outlander were still airing and upon finishing the Season 3 finale regretted that I didn't save it for #Droughtlander. Season 4 feels far away and may require some rereading, as I have now exhausted Gabaldon's catalog. 

Harry Potter

I finished HP #4-7 in November, reread Cursed Child, and had every intention to not start all over again until a moment of weakness on Christmas Eve when I opened Sorceror's Stone. Again. I saw a Twitter conversation few months ago about returning to books you find comforting/relaxing/etc. when the outside world is creating anxiety and stress, and several folks cited returning to Harry Potter over the last year or so. Apparently I'm not alone in retreating and refueling at Hogwarts. 

September & October book reviews

On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century by Timothy Snyder

As someone who devoted most of their working life to preserving and interpreting history, I agree with Snyder's assessment of American exceptionalism: "Americans risk of stressing its uniqueness is that it allows people to dismiss any learning from history." This work is a significant step towards rectifying that deficiency, with twenty lessons we can use to preserve our union. 

This is a short read (128 pages), so it felt a little dishonest to count towards my Goodreads Reading Challenge (but I did anyway). This is a book I know I will return to, and one that I strongly encourage you to read. 

Al Franken: Giant of the Senate by Al Franken

I listened to most of this on a very long road trip with my husband and the last few chapters on my own. I have enjoyed Franken's tv appearances and speeches, appreciated his Judiciary Committee questions, and read one of his earlier books, but didn't know that much about why he ran for the Senate or really anything about Minnesota politics. There's a good mix of politics, personal biography, and campaign drama.  

What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton

I finished this book in four days (started it at midnight the day it was released) and honestly, I'm still processing it (just as I'm still processing the election, almost a full year later). I needed this account -- not only to have so many things I felt echoed by the author, but to hear the reflections of the first woman (and the only person) to have had this experience. I'm going to one of her book tour events in December, and will hopefully have something cogent to say by then because we're MEETING HER. It's a focused, funny, raw, and engaging read, and I highly recommend it.

Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson by Jeff Guinn

I read Guinn's most recent book, The Road to Jonestown, and was so impressed with his writing that I picked up Manson. I knew very little about Manson and the related homicides going into this book and was pleased that the work focuses not just on Manson and the Family, but the cultural context to the events. 

Written In My Own Heart's Blood (Outlander #8) by Diana Gabaldon 

According to my Goodreads account, I started this book on June 10, 2014 and got through about half of it before running out of steam. I picked it back up in September (not remembering a ton of detail about where I left off) and finished this October. The ending is strong and left me looking forward to the next book -- whenever that may happen. But for an eighth book of a usually 800+ page per book series, there are now a LOT of characters of which to keep track. And a lot of characters that might not be your favorite, but you have to get through to get back to the good ones (Claire). 

Seven Stones to Stand or Fall by Diana Gabaldon

As I was so enchanted by reentering Gabaldon's world, that I immediately started her most recent (June 2017) collection of short stories. I had read a few of these as individually released novellas, but was happy to be introduced to Lord John as a stand-alone character (he hasn't been one of my favorite characters in the Outlander series). Which then, of course, led to me starting the Lord John series of novels. 

Lord John and the Private Matter by Diana Gabaldon

While reading this book at bedtime, I laughed out loud at a mention of a "privy member," and my husband asked what had made me giggle. So of course, this book is now known as "Lord John and the Privy Member" in my house. And all subsequent Lord John books (I'm currently reading the second in the Lord John series). Sighs. 

Since Labor Day, I finished the Harry Potter series, and then started it over again -- I'm on Goblet of Fire. Again.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Summer Reading

Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West 

This book is brilliant, funny, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. Upon finishing the audiobook (narrated by West herself), I was honestly tempted to start again from the beginning (something I thought when I finished Tina Fey's Bossypants, which I've now read multiple times). I highly recommend it. 

The Sound of Gravel: A Memoir by Ruth Wariner 

I've read a lot of raised in polygamy memoirs (seriously), and this is by far the best. It is beautifully written, the story is heartbreaking, and the ending is hopeful. This is one of the best memoirs I've ever read. 

Who Thought This Was a Good Idea?: And Other Questions You Should Have Answers to When You Work in the White House by Alyssa Mastomonaco

I learned, when I was almost finished, that I am NOT the target audience for this book (women 18-25) and concurred -- this was not a good book for me. I love Mindy Kaling's writing, and though this book is very obviously modeled on Kaling's style, it falls short (for me). 

The Case for Impeachment by Allan J. Lichtman 

I finished this book in early June, and in what is our new normal feels like a lifetime ago (administration-wise). It felt out of date at the time and would feel even more so at this point. If you've been avoiding current events and don't know much about past presidential impeachments, it is an informative read (though out of date). 

Attempting Elizabeth by Jessica Grey 

This book was included in my KindleUnlimited subscription (that I have since cancelled because I don't think I was using it enough to justify the cost), and I don't think I would have read it otherwise. As always, I enjoy Jane Austen spinoffs, and this premise is unlike others I've read. A silly, fun read. 

How to Be Married: What I Learned from Real Women on Five Continents About Surviving My First (Really Hard) Year of Marriage by Jo Piazza

My husband and I listened to this audiobook during our five week twenty-one state RV road trip (a trip our marriage very happily survived). I enjoyed the premise (traveling the world to learn about how different cultures approach marriage), but felt the book lacked the deep cultural dives I was expecting and relied too heavily on the author's personal experience. My husband was happy when it ended. 

We are almost finished with Al Franken, Giant of the Senate and are nowhere close to finishing The Eye of the World (which I'm even further behind on, as husband has read it before and I kept falling asleep ... :\). Next road trip! 

I've been re-reading the Harry Potter series (again. For the ?? time) and finished Prisoner of Azkaban, Goblet of Fire, Order of the Phoenix, and Half-Blood Prince between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 

May book reviews

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger 
I read this book twenty or so years ago, and I did not care for it at all. Upon this (re)reading, I can appreciate the writing, but remain underwhelmed. No book can be for everyone. 

Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance 
I finished this book a few weeks ago, and I'm still conflicted on how I feel about it. Vance is a compelling narrator for his life story, but is perhaps not the best messenger to contextualize the larger cultural experience. Or as Alec MacGillis notes in The Atlantic, "his passages of general social commentary could have benefited from longer gestation, and are strongest when grounded in his biography." If his book were simply memoir, I would have taken more away, but it tries to be more and read "like works in progress." 

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard 
Millard's first book, River of Doubt, is much-beloved by my NY book club, and I was happy to come across her latest release. I will readily admit that the bulk of my exposure to Winston Churchill has been limited to his role in World War II and his characterization in The Crown. I knew nothing of his military or writing career. In Hero of the Empire, Millard writes an adventure story of Churchill's capture and escape during the Boer War. 

I listened to the audio version, and was happy to hear the familiar voice of Simon Vance. Many will recognize him as the narrator of Steig Larsson's Millennium Series, and I spent the first few hours wondering when he was going to describe Winston Churchill procuring a coffee or sandwich. 

The Plot of Hack America: How Putin's Cyberspies and WikiLeaks Tried to Steal the 2016 Election by Malcolm Nance
This book has been sitting on my Kindle since its release date (10 October 2016), but I just recently compelled myself to read it. I will be digesting it for awhile. The background on why Russia chooses certain individuals as targets and how they are recruited (knowingly or not) is incredibly instructive in our current climate. And the seemingly prescient nature of Nance's larger message is ... terrifying. 

April Book Reviews

The Polygamist's Daughter by Anna LaBaron ** (2/5) 
I've read a lot of raised in polygamy memoirs at this point, so my lackluster reaction to this one may have more to do with the inherent repetition of the genre vs. something lacking in this particular story. It is the first I've read by (spoiler alert) someone who escaped as a child and avoided entering plural marriage herself. It is well written, but there are better works in this genre.  

Darcy and Anne by Judith Brocklehurst *** (3/5)
I enjoy the occasional Pride and Prejudice continuation, and this one is one of my favorites. It is told from the perspective of Anne de Bourgh, a quiet character in P&P who is fully fleshed out and endearing in this jaunt. A quick, easy read for Austen fans who are okay with breaks from canon. 

How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn **** (4/5)
This read may seem like putting the cart before the horse re: my lack of kids (this is not an announcement), however, I think this book includes good advice for anyone cohabitating with your partner and navigating the (hopefully) shared burden of maintaining a household. The author is in an opposite-gendered couple, and the book is written from that perspective. 


The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo ***** (5/5)
This book was on one hand painfully infuriating (much like the 2016 presidential election) and on the other, cathartic. I was struck by Marcie Bianco's take, so I will share part of it here: 

In culture, controlling the narrative is key to gaining authority. That is why women have historically been denied the right to control their narratives, along with their lives and bodies. Hillary Clinton’s experience was all women’s experience, magnified on a national scale. The problem is that the people who should read Bordo’s book are the very ones who will not read it—no matter how seductive the title appears to misogynists and the Hillary-haters chanting “lock her up.”

In this regard, Bordo’s book is bound by the same sexist constraints that hemmed in Clinton: Falling back on mindless misogynist tropes and narratives is economically more efficient than actually paying attention to, and deconstructing, them. Throughout the election, people did not judge Hillary Clinton for themselves, but let the misogynist media do it for them

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn **** (4/5)
Because the one thing that most folks recall about Jonestown is to "not drink the Kool-Aid," the best use of my public history degree here is to note that the drink brand used was Flavor Aid, not Kool-Aid. And that some family members of those who died in Jonestown find that joke hurtful, something I had never considered before. 

This focus of this book is rightfully on the life and work of Jim Jones and The Peoples Temple leading up to their ultimate demise. Years ago, I saw a good documentary on Jonestown that briefly introduced this aspect, but focused on the more dramatic harrowing last day. I didn't know about the group's commendable social contributions in Indiana and California (elderly care facilities, drug rehabilitation program, and more). I had also only seen the characterization of Jim Jones at the end of his life, before he was consumed by power and heavy drug use. I mention these things not to discount the ultimate destructiveness, but to note the fullness of this portrayal. 
I enjoyed Guinn's writing style and now have his book on Charles Manson on my to read list. 

Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly ***** (5/5)
I saw the film Hidden Figures before reading this book, and though I typically hate seeing a film version before reading the original work, in this case I don't think the order detracted from either. I am sometimes distracted by historical inaccuracies in movies, so this may have been the right order for this one (for me).

March in Books

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
I finished this books a few minutes after midnight on March 1, so this one probably really belongs in February's post. My book club read (and liked) Larson's Isaac's Storm several years ago, and I have had this one on my list for awhile. Now's a good time to gain better context on Nazi Germany, and this work provides a fascinating lens. 

Blitzed: Drugs in the Third Reich by Norman Ohler
I pre-ordered this book back in December and had forgotten about it until it arrived in the mail -- that's my excuse for reading two Nazi books in a row (I've also started adding reminders in my calendar when I pre-order books). 

This book, from the cover to the contents, is trippy. Since writing a paper about Hitler for 8th grade social studies (and also with English?), I will admit that I have not done much World War II military history reading. Ohler is a novelist and for a first work of non-fiction (and a translated one at that), there are some rough spots, however, I highly recommend the book. 

For my archivist friends, Ohler's description of archives (and an actual individual archivist!) is refreshing/humorous:  

Inside there is an overwhelming sense of confusion. Finding documents isn't easy; there are simply too many of them ... To help you find your way through the holdings, there are catalogues, computer hubs, and most importantly, the personal help of archivists, who effortlessly manage to cope with such complicated German specialist terms as Reichssicherheitshauptamt. 

From the very outset Paul Brown ... dampens my hopes of finding everything about Hitler's personal physician here ... History, in Brown's view, always remains one thing: speculation drawing on the most relevant possible facts. Historical truth isn't something he can offer me.

Yup. 

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
I think that I have now exhausted the backlog of Kinsella books I've neglected the last few years and this will be the last one for awhile. I haven't read a lot of Young Adult lit lately, and it was a nice compliment to all those books about Nazis. This one also deals with mental health recovery in a refreshing and approachable way, and I enjoyed it. 

The Boy Is Back by Meg Cabot
I have read Cabot's other "boy" books, and this one follows the same text message/chat/email/journal formula (which facilitates a quick read - I read the whole thing in an evening). I heeded to the sage advice of multiple Amazon reviewers and ordered a (used) paper copy, avoiding the poorly formatted digital version. 

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 
I'm not sure how I've never read this book before. This one is a Kindle Unlimited (digital and audio - I listened to Claire Dane's narration). Hulu is releasing an adaptation on April 26; I know I haven't seen it yet, but I'm already glad I read this one first. 

The best laid plans

The week before we intended to embark on our many-thousand mile RV trip, our plans were halted (postponed?), and we booked a last-minute flight to New York instead. The best laid plans ... a lot of times don't happen! Though I was disappointed (I put a lot of work into getting everything for the RV together), I was excited to visit New York. We've only been back once since I moved away two and a half years ago, and I've been missing my friends (and work) there. And the RV is ready to go for the next adventure, so the work wasn't wasted ... I'll just have to wait a bit.

Tim was busy in meetings, so I had time on my own to see friends, visit some of my favorite spots in the city, collect stamps in our NPS passport, and even see a weekday matinee. After years of working near Times Square and seeing matinee crowds lining up as I headed back to the office (and never attending one myself), this felt especially luxurious.

I was so happy to see this one, long on my wish list.

The recently renovated Rose Reading Room and one of my favorite spots in the city. I spent a lot of hours doing research and studying for the Certified Archivist exam here.

The Stonewall National Monument - if you are hoping to get a Stonewall passport stamp, head to Federal Hall or the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace until there is a more permanent presence at the monument.

The docent at the Theodore Roosevelt Birthplace commented, "you'd be surprised at how manny people RUSH through here just to get a stamp." I promised him that I'd been on the tour before and stuck around to watch the video again. I can't stop myself from answering questions, so it's better for everyone if I don't repeat tours.

The new "Fearless Girl" of Wall Street.

I lived less than a mile from the Federal Hall Memorial for five years and never went inside. I finally made it!  

There were a LOT more people interested in Hamilton's grave than the last time I visited. Hmm, I wonder why ...

The window at Strand Books, a truly magical place. I went to a bookstore and didn't buy ANY books (because I didn't have enough room in my bag). As always, there wasn't enough time to see everyone or everything I would have liked. I also failed to procure bagels for a friend (again, no room in my bag. Sorry, Michelle!). We'll be back for a few days in May, so until next time ...