Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush

Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush - 238 pages




The former first daughters share intimate stories and reflections from the Texas countryside to the storied halls of the White House and beyond.


Born into a political dynasty, Jenna and Barbara Bush grew up in the public eye. As small children, they watched their grandfather become president; just twelve years later they stood by their father's side when he took the same oath. They spent their college years watched over by Secret Service agents and became fodder for the tabloids, with teenage mistakes making national headlines. 

But the tabloids didn't tell the whole story. In SISTERS FIRST, Jenna and Barbara take readers on a revealing, thoughtful, and deeply personal tour behind the scenes of their lives, as they share stories about their family, their unexpected adventures, their loves and losses, and the sisterly bond that means everything to them.

Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini

Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini - 419 pages

Mrs. Lincoln's Rival is the third of Chiaverini's nonofficial "Women of the Civil War" series (Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker and The Spymistress being the others).  In this novel, the woman followed during the war years is Miss Kate Chase, daughter of Salmon P. Chase who first served as Lincoln's Secretary of the Treasury then Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  As Mr. Chase was a widower, Kate, his eldest daughter, served as his confidant and lady of the house.  Also detailed is Kate's friendship with Lincoln's secretary, John Hay, and her turbulent courtship and marriage to Rhode Island governor turned senator William Sprague.

This book was okay, but it "felt" more like a soap opera and I think Chiaverini made Kate overly wise, as Kate was only 17-22 over the book's course.

Alex Cross, Run  by James Patterson
     Alex has just arrested a wealthy man with a proclivaty for teenage girls. No surprise, that he is out on bail and looking for revenge. Meanwhile, he is called to crime scene where a young women is found hanging. And, she has recently given birth. Before even getting a chance to investigate the young woman's death another one has been found.  D. C. has become panicked at the thought of a serial killer on the loose. If that weren't enough, Alex Cross is being watched. Who and why does someone want him dead?
407 pages  

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson

Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson, 364 pages

This is James Patterson at his best.  The kidnapping of the President's children and the threat of terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C. are very believable contemporary themes.  A fast moving read.