Review: Our Revolution: A Future to Believe in

Our Revolution: A Future to Believe in by Bernie Sanders
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have always identified as a Democrat. I am pro-union, pro-choice, and tend to be fairly liberal when it comes to social issues. While I did not agree with everything President Obama did, overall, I was pleased with what he was able to do while in office. However, even I found myself disillusioned with my political party going into the 2016 election season. I had heard of Bernie Sanders prior to him running for president but was only vaguely aware of his policy stances. I knew he was an independent from Vermont and that his ideas were "progressive," but I didn't know specifics. Throughout the primary season, the more I listened to Bernie Sanders talk about various issues and challenges facing our country, the more I found myself agreeing with him. I appreciated his straight-forward and frank assessments of our country and his detailed plans for solutions. He was a breath of rationality in what felt like a circus act.

This book has two parts. The first chronicles Bernie's decision to run for office and his campaign for president. What I found to be so remarkable about Bernie's campaign was that is was very much a grassroots effort. He did not accept any money from PACs and all the money raised was from individual donors, averaging something like $23.00 a person. I have a big problem with the Citizens United decision and the role that money plays in our elections. I was disappointed to see other Democratic candidates, such as Hillary Clinton, spend so much time in fancy fundraisers instead of talking to average citizens. Like many Americans, I feel like big business and wealthy individuals have more say in our government because of their political contributions. I agree with Sanders that true campaign finance reform is needed. I appreciated the way he chose to run his campaign and feel that it should serve as a model for reform.

The second part lays out Bernie's agenda for transforming the country. Among the issues he addresses are money in politics, Wall Street, the decline of the middle class, health care, higher education, climate change, criminal justice reform, and corporate media. What I appreciated about this part of the book is that Sanders not only laid out the issues, supported by verifiable facts, but he also gave detailed solutions to the problems. So many politicians will speak ad nauseam about the troubles facing the nation but they never offer any solutions or detailed plans.

Regardless of whether or not you agree with his policies, I believe that we need more people like Sanders in Congress. People who remember that they are public servants who work for the American people and refuse to be beholden to the 1%. People who use logic and facts to create real solutions to problems and don't waste time arguing and talking in circles. People who are willing to "reach across the aisle" and cooperate and compromise to pass legislation that benefits ALL Americans, not just the businesses and top earners. Only then will real reform be possible, and our Democracy is in need of some serious reform.

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Review: The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House

The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White House by Kate Andersen Brower
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book has a very Downton Abbey feel to it as it explores life in the White House, not through the lens of the First Family, but through the lens of the many service staff members that make the White House run. Brower interviewed several White House staff members and combined these insights with archival research to write this narrative.

The White House is a six-floor mansion, with 132 rooms, 35 bathrooms, 28 fireplaces, three elevators, and eight staircases and its employees are responsible for cleaning, repairing, and maintaining it all, on top of preparing everything from hors d’oeuvres for intimate gatherings to meals served at elaborate state dinners.

It was interesting to see everyday life in the White House through the eyes of apolitical people who support the First Families and whose first priority is not politics, but service. The stories they told were funny, touching, and told with a great deal of humility and respect.

The one thing that bothered me was that this book contains several stories that are also included in Brower's book, First Women. I read these two books back-to-back, so that might be why I was so cognizant of the overlaps. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and learned some facts that I didn't know before, so all in all, a successful reading experience.

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Review: First Women: Inside the White House with the Modern First Ladies

First Women: Inside the White House with the Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have always been fascinated by First Ladies and the roles they play in their husband's administration and in history. Brower's book takes a look at modern First Ladies spanning from 1960 to today, including Jacqueline Kennedy, Lady Bird Johnson, Patricia Nixon, Betty Ford, Rosalynn Carter, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Hillary Clinton, Laura Bush, and Michelle Obama.

The book is based on interviews with White House staff, friends, and family, as well as personal correspondence. It explores how these different women defined the role of "First Lady" for themselves, including navigating the transition of power, managing the White House, their own personal crusades, raising children in the public eye, their personal relationships with their husbands, dealing with the tensions between the West Wing and the East Wing, protecting their family's legacy, their relationships with each other, and facing national crises and tragedies.

It was an interesting read and readers who like history or political books will enjoy it.

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Review: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo by Amy Schumer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always have a mixed reaction to Amy Schumer. While I find her funny most of the time, sometimes she crosses over into the bit too crass for me. I did not find this book to be crass at all, in fact, I was surprised by how truly funny, insightful, honest, and vulnerable it was, not because I don't think Schumer is all of those things, but because it wasn't what I was expecting.

Mixed in with funny stories about her childhood and how she got started in comedy, which is what I was expecting to read, are some truly candid stories about her experiences with her father's illness and abusive relationships, which I wasn't necessarily expecting as I did not know much about Schumer's back story before this book. The result of this mix is an honest, humorous, and humanizing narrative (how's that for alliteration!) that is real but doesn't take itself too seriously.

Schumer does an excellent job narrating the book and I recommend the audiobook highly. It almost felt more like participating in a conversation rather than listening to someone tell their life story. If you're a fan of Schumer's or enjoy autobiographies by celebrities I would give this one a go.

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Review: The Engagements

The Engagements by J. Courtney Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was an interesting narrative because it has a lot of moving pieces. It starts by chronicling how the diamond became the hallmark of the marriage/relationship market. Thanks to clever marketing campaigns by the De Beers family, the diamond has become the "go-to" stone for engagement rings and become status symbols for relationships here in America. Throughout the narrative, we return to the story of Frances Gerety, the copy editor in charge of the De Beers account, and follow the diamond's evolution from the 1940's through the 2000's.

Against this backdrop, we follow five love stories from different time periods. We meet Evelyn, who has been married to her husband for forty years. Delphine, who marries for companionship only to be swept up into an affair that doesn't last. There's James, a paramedic who works the night shift, who feels constant pressure knowing his wife’s family thinks she could have done better. Kate, partnered with Dan for a decade, who doesn't plan to ever marry and is helping with her gay friends' wedding. All of these stories explore marriage and the role of the diamond through different lens and decades.

What I found to be most creative is how Sullivan brought all of these seemingly divergent stories that are so different and take place during different time periods all together. For me, it was not immediately obvious what was going to be the connecting thread, but I was quite impressed when it finally came out. It was quite creative storytelling.

The audiobook was a long one to listen to, as the print book is over 400 pages, but I did not find it hard to sustain my attention throughout the listening experience. I would definitely recommend checking this novel out.

2016 Reading Challenge: A book with a blue cover

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Review: The Magnolia Story

The Magnolia Story by Chip Gaines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Chip and Joanna Gaines. Fixer Upper is one of my favorite HGTV shows to watch. I love Chip's goofy personality and Joanna's style. I love that they are faith and family oriented and their personalities appear very genuine. I've seen interviews with Chip and Joanna, so I knew a bit about their backstory, but I was interested in learning more.

I liked the structure of the book. It's mostly Joanna's telling the couple's story, but Chip jumps in throughout the book. Different fonts are used for Chip and Joanna, so it was easy to keep track of who was "speaking." Even though I have been a fan, I was surprised by things. For example, I didn't realize that Joanna does not have a background in design and that she is largely self-taught. I was also unaware of the many business ventures Chip has been a part of.

The humor and personality that Chip and Joanna display on their TV show is the same as what comes through in this narrative. It's a genuine and honest retelling of their relationship, struggles, and adventures. If you are a fan of their HGTV show, you will like this book.

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Review: The Language of Flowers

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 Stars

I have a love/not love so much relationship with this book. I won't say love/hate relationship because there was nothing about the book that I hated, just somethings that I didn't love so much.

Here's what I really loved about this book...First, I loved the premise. I loved that the main character, Victoria, was able to communicate using flowers. It was just an interesting juxtaposition - this character who had such a traumatic childhood using the one beautiful thing - flowers and their meanings - from her childhood to communicate and find her place in the world. Secondly, I liked how the story wove several narratives together, many of which had "full circle" moments, which added a lot of depth to the novel as a whole. Overall, I found the book to be well written, perhaps a bit too long in some places, but a tremendous effort for a first-time author.

Here's what I didn't love so much...here's where you might want to stop reading because of spoilers...

(view spoiler)[I had a hard time with the character Victoria. I was totally on board with her and her character until she found out she was pregnant. I did not like how she handled her whole pregnancy and subsequent abandonment of her child. For me, she made assumptions and acted selfishly. She didn't even give Grant a chance to support her through becoming a mother, she just assumed he would abandon her. She turned her back on many of the offers for help from her boss and friends and refused to accept the help they were offering. She isolated herself and then became angry when she failed. I get that she fell into the patterns of her upbringing, but when someone throws you a lifeline and you refuse to grab onto it, you can't be mad at them because you drown. I lost a lot of sympathy for this character and because of that, it made it a little tough to get through the second half of the book.

I also had issues with the ending. I felt more for Victoria and Grant's daughter at the end then for any of the other characters. She was abandoned by both her mother and father, both of whom were simply perpetuating their own childhood experiences. I didn't like that their daughter became the second chance for Elizabeth, who also messed up. I appreciate that the three of them were trying to work it out at the end, but it just felt disingenuous to me. There just wasn't enough redeeming factors to help me regain the connection that I lost and it kept me from really being able to love this book. (hide spoiler)]

I think this one is worth the read. Overall, it is a beautiful story about broken people and their journies back to wholeness. I wish some things had turned out differently but I would still recommend the novel.

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