Last week I finished: Grace & Steel, J. Randy Taraborrelli Another smash by the wonderful biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli. I've read several books by Taraborrelli, and I've loved them all. They expertly straddle the line of research and gossipy stories, and while they are always long, they read fast and are never boring. This one details the women of the Bush "Dynasty" (oh how the Bush family hates that word): Dorothy Walker Bush, married to Senator Prescott Bush; first lady Barbara Bush, married to President George H. W. Bush; and first lady Laura Bush, married to President Geor ..read more

 Last week I finished: The Survivors, Jane Harper I'm a big fan of Jane Harper's books. They have become auto-buys for me, but I do like some titles more than others. The Dry, and especially The Lost Man, are favorites, and Force of Nature and this one are less so. This book finds the main character, Kieran, returning home after being away for the twelve years since a fatal accident claimed the life of his brother and a friend. On his return, a murder puts new light on that old accident. It took me a long time to get into this book. Once I was finally invested, I was pretty much a ..read more

 Last week I finished: End of Days, James Swanson Someday I'll have to do a count of how many Kennedy books, and specifically, assassination books, I've read. Dozens, I'm sure. This one has a lot of overlap with others, but what it does that few others do is to give us a good glimpse into Lee Harvey Oswald, his actions, and his days in custody. It was worth it for that information. My rating: 4 stars. White Dresses, Mary Pflum Peterson This one has been on my TBR for years, but two things kept me from reading it: a prejudice against books that only come out in paperback (doesn't it s ..read more

 Last week I finished: The Four Winds, Kristin Hannah Okay, if you're still on the fence about reading this one, I'm not sure I'll be a whole lot of help. I think it's safe to say that Kristin Hannah is not really my kind of writer. While I don't find her a bad writer, I do find her writing...problematic. This is the second book I've read, and after not loving The Great Alone (read my review here), I thought I'd give her one more try. In short, The Four Winds is the story of a family during the Great Depression, and what they do to survive during the Dust Bowl. I know I'm in the vast ..read more

 Last week I finished: David and Goliath, Malcolm Gladwell I'm a big fan of Malcolm Gladwell, and this is Gladwell at his best. This book explores the relationship between people and groups with power vs. people and groups with little power, and the tipping point (though he never recycles the term from his previous book) at which what seems logical becomes the flaw that turns a Goliath into an underdog. I highly recommend this one. The audio, narrated by the author, is very good, too. My rating: 4 stars. Whale Day, Billy Collins Another stellar poetry collection from Billy Coll ..read more

Last week I finished:  The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie This re-read did not disappoint. I can see why it's a favorite among Christie fans. It had a wonderful twist, and even though I remembered the twist (in fact, guessed at its coming the first time I read it), the story still stood up to re-reading. I read it this time to see how the story was put together. I think this book should be taught in creative writing classes. It's wonderful. The thing I'm in awe of about Christie's work is that she doesn't waste a word, and nothing is superfluous. My rating: 4 stars. Living ..read more

 Last week I finished The Lazy Genius Way, Kendra Adachi I was seeing this book all over on book vlogs and Bookstagram, and when I looked into it, it seemed right up my alley. In it, Adachi talks about the 13 ways to be "lazy about the things that don't matter and genius about the things that do." It's an empowering book, and I found it encouraging and helpful. It's a good one for all women because you get out of it what you bring to it. You decide what matters to you, and Adachi tells you how you can more easily make time and space for it in your life. I will say, though, that the prin ..read more

 Last week I finished: The Last Tudor, Philippa Gregory I'm enjoying my delve into Philippa Gregory's vast number of royalty books (see another review here). I should probably be reading them in order, as I know so little of the history of English monarchs, their succession, and intrigue that it's hard to follow from one to the next, but I limped along here until I got it. This is the story of the last three Tudor Princesses, Jane (as in Lady Jane Grey who was on the throne for only nine days and is considered one of the first Protestant martyrs), Katherine, and Mary. The books are fas ..read more

Last week I finished:  What Makes a Marriage Last, Marlo Thomas & Phil Donahue I enjoyed this book. It's a long one, just over 600 pages, and it takes you through interviews with 40 famous couples. It was sometimes obvious that the couples were friends of the authors', which was kind of cute. I have lots of observations and quibbles with this book--how can you not after 600 pages--so I'll start with quibbles. Quibble one: it's not the best writing. There's a mix of interviews and explanatory paragraphs with quotes from the celebrities being interviewed, but the explanations are ..read more

Last week I finished: Big Stone Gap, Adriana Trigiani Ya'll, this book was just not for me. I listened to the audio, read by the author. My hopes weren't particularly high, but I'm not sure it even reached those. I have nothing against "fluff" or romance, but it has to be well-written fluff or romance, and this just wasn't. I know a lot of folks love this book and the southern fiction series it starts, but count me out. My rating: 3 stars. Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire, Jen Hatmaker This is a re-read for me. I read the book last year, and this time I listened to the audio, read by the a ..read more