What I have read July

I am linking up with Modern Mrs Dary's quick lit.  Check out what everyone is reading. My reading has picked up. 

View from the East Wing by Jill Biden 

Our book club prides ourselves on reading books from all sides of the Political Spectrum.  I found this one just ho-hum.  Some of the members called it fluffy. I do think the last chapters are the best.  I didn't realize that Dr Jill Biden taught at community college while being First Lady. It is written in vignettes, and the flow is not the best. I read this on my kindle.

We also had an author meet.  I thought it was a great discussion with the former first lady and I enjoyed it immensely.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

I was sent this by my friend. The main character, Natalie, is basically unlikeable, and I agree with that assessment. This follows a trad wife who tries to make her life look perfect with the cattle ranch and making things from scratch. However, there is a other side to the story and Natalie is thrown back into the 1800's. The story is a trainwreck you can't turn the pages fast enough to find out what happens. This book has gotten plenty of buzz.

The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

This is a book club book and historical fiction. The story follows 2 young girls who become friends in Tehran. It is about growing up as a woman in Tehran during Iran's turbulent history. The different choices each makes and the consequences of their choices. This was a fabulous book. I can't wait to discuss.

What I Read and What I have DNF in June

I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit.  Check out what everyone else is reading.  This summer reading has been a bit about quitting books unfortunately. 

We Are Mighty by Sharon McMahon

Sharon McMahon came out with a picture book based on her adult book The Small and the Mighty.  It is beautifully written and illustrated.  I have talked about Claudette Colvin, and she is featured in here as well.  I took a picture of the book by someone who I consider small and mighty in our community of Artesia, NM - Sallie Chisum.

Have you ever been in a reading pattern where you pick up books and just can't finish them or lose interest.  Well I have been in that pattern recently.  So, I thought I would share those books and why I didn't finish and if there are a time and place to revisit them.

Chain of Ideas by Ibram X Kendi

This was one of our extra book club reads.  I did make it through 50/130 chapters and read the epilogue.  The chapters are small, but the book is 510 pages. We had an author talk but no book discussion. It is well researched and about replacement theory and zero sum.  I get the concept it was just too much and without discussion I found it a chore. I don't think I will be revisiting

Her Hidden Genuis - Marie Benedict

I have read a few of her books.  I made it only 18 pages.  The historic fiction book highlights Rosalind Franklin and her work on DNA.  I could revisit this book but wrong time for me. I have read Carnegie's Maid, The Other Einstein, The Only Woman in the Room.  I thought those were good reads. 

When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn

I was a little bit on a Bridgerton kick, but I only made it 146 pages, and I just put it down.  I am positive I will go on another Bridgerton kick. I like these books for a lighter read. 

Who Needs Friends by Andrew McCarthy 

I never even cracked this book. I just thought it was a book about friendship.  I not sure if I will revisit.

What I Read in April

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's quick lit.  Check out what everyone else is reading.

1929 By Andrew Ross Sorkin

This book covers the 1929 wall street crash. It compressively pulled together all the information of those involved. The wealthy men who were running the markets.  The crash wasn't a quick event like we were taught in school. This was a book club book and it is hefty read. It is so well written and almost reads like a who done it.  

Rabbit Holes

I couldn't help but google a bunch of stuff

Charles Mitchell's Mansion in New York

bifurcation

Tammay Hall

Smoot Hawley Tariffs

Book Flight

Someone in our book club suggested reading Kirsten Hannah's The Four Winds along with this.  It is a much easier read and a good story about the dust bowl. I believe this was in Modern Mrs Darcy's Summer Reading Guide 2021.

What I Read March

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs. Darcy Quick Lit. Check out what everyone else is reading.

To Sir Phillip, with Love by Julia Quinn

This is part of the Bridgerton series that has been made into a series on Netflix.  I am a big fan. Eloise is one of my favorite characters.  Her specific love story hasn't made it to the series yet.  I read the book in a day. It is a bodice ripper so if that is not your jam this book isn't for you.  I did not read any other books in the series but have watched the Netflix series.  This was a good palate cleanser from the other nonfiction books I have read.

To Die For: A Cookbook of Gravestone Recipes by Rosie Grant

I have been following along on Instagram Rosie's journey to record all the graves that have recipes on them. She actually visited the graves and brought the recipe.  More than that she met the families and wrote their loved one's story.  I love how food unites us.  It made me think about what recipe I would put on my gravestone.  It probably would be my go-to cookie "World's Best Cookies".  I loved the stories and I can't wait to try these recipes.

What I Read in February

 I am linking up with Modern Mrs Darcy's Quick Lit. Check out what everyone is reading. 

Wards of the State by Claudia Rowe

Claudia Rowe does a great deep dive of foster care mainly through the lens of Washington State. Claudia discusses in depth why the correlation between foster care and future imprisonment.  That poverty is not neglect and why even with insufficient/neglectful/abusive fair far better staying with their parents. I think this a discussion about foster care that needs to be had. I think there is a prevailing view that children need to be removed but does the state do a good job. This is another broken government system. The statistics are startling.

107 Days by Kamala Harris

This was our book club book.  I probably wouldn't of have read this one on my own. I think what made the most impression on me was first. Kamala was just living her Vice President life when she got the call that she was running. She was getting up to make pancakes for her nieces.  Secondly, civil rights activist Claudette Colvin passed away recently and she gave up her seat on the bus before Rosa Parks. Claudette Colvin, a teenager at the time, did not know she was going to make history. There is nothing that Kamala did that wasn't going to make history. This book is the result that good, bad, indifferent Kamala was going to be making history. I think there is more pressure to get it right. I feel I have a much better idea who Kamala is than I did during the election. When you have only 107 days to run there is almost no time to run successfully. I am looking forward to the discussion and the author meet.