Summer Reads

I read a lot more nonfiction during the summer. There’s just something about sitting outside while reading about something new that makes summer more enjoyable and relaxing for me. I have noticed lately that I keep gravitating toward memoirs and biographies when I think about what I might want to read this summer. As I look at my bookshelves, I see so many memoirs and biographies of celebrities sitting on my library wishlist in my Kindle library. On my bookshelves, so I think that this summer is going to be all about celebrity stories.

This summer, I’ll read biographies of actors, authors, politicians, chefs, and more. The last one I read was about two authors, so I think the next one should be about someone who shines in a different spotlight.

I’ve decided that I’ll start with Savor, about Fatima Ali, a rising star in the culinary world who died of cancer before her 30th birthday. She began creating this book during the last months of her life. After Fatima died, her co-writer teamed up with her mother to finish the story. It weaves Fatima’s memories, stories, and her mother’s telling of their family history. I’m only about halfway through, but learning about her family’s life in Pakistan has been fascinating, and I cannot wait to finish reading the rest of her story.

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Pearl Harbor

Today will continue to live in infamy if we continue to teach the younger generations about the events that happened at Pearl Harbor on this day in 1941. Here’s a list of books to help you do just that. The first three are aimed at kids, but they’re great reads for adults too.

I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor

What Was Pearl Harbor?

Early Sunday Morning (Dear America Series)

Unknown Valor, by Martha MacCallum

At Dawn We Slept, by Gordon Prange

All the Gallant Men, by Donald Stratton

Brothers Down, by Walter Borneman

Seven Days of Infamy, by Nicholas Best

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Kansas Bound!

It’s moving week!! That’s right, my family is off on a new adventure as we are moving to Kansas! I know it doesn’t sound like it could be very exciting, but we have been hoping for this move for the last 15 years and the stars have finally aligned for it to happen. 

So, because I am a big fat book nerd (which I hope you’ve come to realize by now) and I love biographies, I went searching for some interesting biographies of some of the famous names that have come from the Sunflower State. 

Full disclosure: I have not read any of these yet, but you can bet I’m going to do what I can to get my hands on some of them before too much longer. So, let’s find out who is from Kansas, each with a link to a biography!

Gwendolyn Brooks – writer from Topeka

Buster Keaton – actor/comedian from Piqua

Langston Hughes – writer from Lawrence

Charlie Parker – musician from Kansas City

Hattie McDaniel (I can’t wait to get a copy of this one, I love Hattie McDaniel) – actress from Wichita

Cassandra Peterson (better known as Elvira Mistress of the Dark) – actress from Manhattan

Dennis Hopper – actor from Dodge City

Bob Dole – politician from Russell

And for a fun little side note, did you know that Jeff Probst who hosts Survivor is not only from Kansas, but has a series of kids books?! I had no idea until I started looking into famous Kansans. 

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LGBTQ Learning

I love reading biographies and memoirs. I love the look into someone’s life that is more vulnerable and intimate than what we see on social media or the roles they play on screen. There are some wonderful books out about famous members of the LGBTQ community. 

These are not necessarily stories about their coming out or their advocacy, but stories about who they are as people and the things they have gone through in their lives. They have loved, lost, and succeeded. Some have incredibly amazingly supportive families, and others are estranged from theirs. These are people who did not let the boundaries of being bisexual, or gay, or transgendered keep them from achieving the goals they had. For some, those social boundaries made them work harder to get where they have in life. 

I have not read all of these, but I have read some of them, and the others are on my to-read list. If you are looking to branch out in your biography reading and learn about a few of the wonderful people that make up the LGBTQ community these books are a great place to start.

People of Pride: 25 Great LGBTQ Americans
Not My Father’s Son — Alan Cumming
Without You — Anthony Rapp
Happy Accidents — Jane Lynch
Dispatches From the Edge — Anderson Cooper
Over the Top — Jonathan Van Ness
The Power of Adrienne Rich –Hilary Holladay

I will be the first to admit that I have a long way to go to adding more LGBTQ stories into my life. So, what have you read that you think I need to dive into? Who has a story that I need to read? 

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Children of the Empire

Children of the Empire by Michael Farah is the history of Queen Victoria’s children and grandchildren. It is probably the most in-depth book about her heirs that I have come across. And being a lover of all things British monarchy related I have read quite a few.

Because there were so many children and grandchildren to come from Victoria and Albert’s marriage, there are a lot of them who get lost in the history books. Even as much as I read about the British monarchy’s history, I still learned new things from this book. Many people, myself included, forget just how high up the ruling ladder her children climbed. It is easy to remember those that stayed in England, and of course, the Romanovs are hard to forget, but I had not realized that the first queen of Norway was one of Victoria’s granddaughters. This far extending across Europe through the marriages of Victoria’s children has helped to shape what we know as modern Europe.

What I appreciated most was that Farah included the emotional side of each person. He made sure to talk about how they (probably) felt and not just what they did. Victoria’s reign was long and long-reaching due to her many children and their international marriages across Europe. The roles picked up by her heirs were just as crucial to European and world history as the queen’s role was.

The formatting is unusual as it takes each person and essentially has them tell their own life story. Each segment is short like it could be a presentation being given. They reminded me of the presentation essays that my son has had to write for living history museum projects. This shortened format makes it a perfect book for when you only have a few moments to read (in the school pick-up line, waiting at the doctor, etc.).

This is definitely a worthwhile read for anyone interested in the history of the British monarchy or the history of Europe as so much of Europe over the last 150 years has been ruled by one of Queen Victoria’s heirs.

Eleanor in the Village

Eleanor in the Village is a short biography talking about the influence of Greenwich Village on Eleanor Roosevelt. Her friendships there formed a lot of her political opinions and encouraged most of her causes. 

Eleanor began spending time in Greenwich Village after she discovered her husband’s affair with Lucy Mercer. While it pained her to learn of their relationship, it also set her free in a way and allowed her to focus on her passions. Franklin and Eleanor’s marriage never romantically recovered from this affair, but divorce was not an option. So they remained married for the business side of things, but they respected each other’s opinions enough that their relationship became a political force to be reckoned with. 

Without Eleanor’s time in the village and her relationships with the people who lived there, many policies and changes made during Franklin Roosevelt’s presidency would not have happened. Eleanor was a strong voice in his administration and his policies. She is the reason that women began getting leadership and cabinet appointments.imagine how long it would have taken for women to hold those government and leadership positions if Eleanor had not pushed Franklin to do it.

This is just a small glimpse into her life, but this portion of her life is a major factor into who she became as a woman, wife and political example. 

This book is short, a few hours to read it. The chapters are small but many, which also makes it easy to read a chapter when you have a moment in between all of the other things that keep you busy during the day. I enjoyed reading it, and learning more about one of our most influential first ladies. It would make a great addition to any reading list focusing on the Roosevelt administration.

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Trudging Through

Lately, I’ve been struggling with books. Even things that should be right in my typical box are just not working for me. I have trudged through or walked away from what feels like a lot of books lately. One of which is touted as one of the best books to look forward to this year. These books were back-to-back reads or books I walked away from. 

American Rose: A biography filled with stage performers and scandal, this should have been an exhilarating read for me. I was so excited to finally dig into this book, as it has been on my shelf for a couple of years, but I ended up disappointed. The time jump formatting between chapters made it difficult to stay focused on the entire story. 

Final Revival of Opal and Nev: The premise of this book captured my attention. The formatting is an interesting way to write and read a book, and while it was a struggle to get into the flow of it, it worked for the effect the author was going for. However, I just could not for the life of me get into the story. I felt like I was trudging through mud trying to read it. This should have been a quick read for me and it takes days for me to get through a chapter because I cannot get hooked. I have heard a lot of rave reviews about this book and I know it is one of the most anticipated releases for 2021 (it comes out next week) which makes my disappointment greater, but it is also a reminder that not every book is for every reader.

The Vines: The Vines is an intriguing mess of a story. It covers generations of doctors and secrets. There is a long history of disease coupled with lies throughout each character. But I trudged through this mess of a story just to be disappointed in the ending because there is absolutely no reconciliation of the problems that drove the plot. I am sad that it takes a second book to finish the story because I feel like this one was much longer than it needed to be and still wasn’t finished.

There is also Rhapsody which I talked about a couple of weeks ago. Which makes four books in a row that have been exhausting instead of enthralling. 

I have become frustrated and exhausted. I love reading so to have so many lately that just don’t fulfill my needs is a confusing problem for me. This many back-to-back let downs is something I have never encountered before so I’m nervous to pick up a new book for fear of more disappointment. 

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Strong Women, Strong Stories

It is no secret that I love to read biographies. There’s just something about getting a peek inside the life of someone who you see all over the news, or social media, or your history books. But they are also a great way to learn about stories that you’ve never heard of before.

So, in honor of Women’s History Month, I’ve put together a list of women’s biographies and memoirs that I have read over the last few years and have really enjoyed.

Becoming, by Michelle Obama
I have talked about this book before, and I usually try to not duplicate, but this is one of the best books I read in 2020. This was a place where she could really be true to some thoughts she has over the pieces of her life that have made her who she is. Many of us look at the first ladies and see the position that they are in, but here we get to see who Michelle Obama is outside of that role.

Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948
Madeleine Albright
Full disclosure, I have not read this one yet. It has been on my to-read list forever, and I finally got a copy for myself so I’m hoping to get to it by the end of the year. But considering that Albright started life in war ridden Europe and worked her way up to United States Secretary of State I am certain this will be a fascinating read.

Dear Abigail: The Intimate Lives and Revolutionary Ideas of Abigail Adams and Her Two Remarkable Sisters, by Diane Jacobs
This book probably took me about a year to get through, but it was enlightening. The letters have not been updated with modern spelling which is part of what took me so long to read through it all. I loved the vulnerability that was shown on the pages. It was nice to get an insight into Abigail Adams and her struggles with life as a politician’s wife at the beginning of our country.

The Diary of Anne Frank
I am certain that you have heard of Anne Frank and her family’s story. As a young teen she and her family went into hiding in Amsterdam while trying to escape the Nazis. During their time in hiding Anne kept a diary which was found by a family friend after they were ultimately arrested. That friend kept hold of the book until after the war and Anne’s father went on to publish it as a book.

Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books, by Azar Nafisi
As Americans we tend to forget how privileged we are, but this book can help to put that perspective back into view. We are quick to take things for granted, and this book is a well written reminder that we are a lucky society full of people.

The Women of the Cousins’ War: The Duchess, the Queen, and the King’s Mother, by
Philippa Gregory
I love Philippa Gregory. Hands down when asked my favorite author hers is the first name out of my mouth. She has written an amazing series of fiction books covering the British Monarchy from the War of the Roses through Elizabeth I. Thankfully for monarchy nerds like me, she put together all of her research into a biographical book of the women at the center of the War of the Roses, also known as the Cousin’s War.

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The Princess Spy

Aline Griffith was an American OSS spy in Spain during World War Two. The Princess Spy, by Larry Loftis, tells Aline’s story from recruitment into the OSS until she died in 2017. I quickly got lost in this book. The writing reads like a novel more than a biography, so it is a very smooth read and easy to find yourself turning pages to see what she does next. 

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Aline’s work for the OSS required her ability to access Madrid’s elite social circles. While working her way through Madrid’s upper social circles Aline met Luis, who happened to be one of the wealthiest men in Spain and the heir to the title of The Count of Romanones. After President Truman shut down the OSS, Aline and Luis married, and she spent the rest of her life living in Spain, with a few extended trips back to the United States over the years.

While her spy exploits are impressive, it seems her life became more exciting after her marriage. She went on to be a writer, while her husband became a reasonably well-known painter. And her social circle became a who’s-who of the worldwide wealthy, including close friendships with Wallis Simpson and Audrey Hepburn. 

Now, I am a history nerd. I read a lot about World War Two and the British royal family. So, I struggle with the fact that Aline worked so hard for years to help the efforts to defeat Germany and then became a very close friend with Wallis Simpson, who was a known German sympathizer before and during the war. Of everything Aline did in her life and career, this keeps nagging at my brain and makes me feel a bit uncomfortable.

I loved being able to read about a woman during the war. Often, the biographies we are given are of the military and political leaders, and it is nice to see that someone has realized that readers need to hear about the women. I love that Loftis wanted to bring to light a story of the work done by a woman during the war. Aline’s supervisors knew that her work was critical to ending the war in Europe, and they did what they could to give her that recognition.

Anyone who likes to read will find this book to be engaging. From feminists to World War Two buffs, and everyone in between.

A girl’s favorite books

My daughter turned 17 yesterday. And in typical mom fashion I began reminiscing over her life and how much she has changed in all of those 17 years. In the midst of my nostalgia I put together a list of her favorite book series from over the years.

Biscuit:
The never-ending adventures of Biscuit the dog were some of the first books my daughter read on her own. There was an endless cycle of them in our house during her preschool and early elementary years. 

Junie B Jones:
These were the first chapter books my daughter got into. It didn’t hurt that Junie B looked a bit like my daughter and they had the same spirited behavior.

Hunger Games:
I have lost track of how many times my daughter has read these books since they entered her radar. These were the first books that she took to critiquing the film adaptations of. 

Harry Potter:
Yet another series that I cannot keep track of how many times they have been read. I have never been able to get into the Harry Potter books, but they seem to be like a comforting presence for my daughter, like spending time with an old friend.

Diary of Anne Frank:
My daughter discovered this book around the 4th grade. At this point in her life, she had a small knowledge of our family’s Jewish heritage and since Anne was not that much older than her it is not surprising that she picked it up. She has read this book every year since then, and I have a feeling that she will do that for the rest of her life. 

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