True Gretch: What I learned about Life, Leadership, and Everything In Between

 

True Gretch: What I learned about Life, Leadership, and Everything In Between    176 pages

From trailblazing Michigan governor and rising Democratic star Gretchen Whitmer comes an unconventionally honest, personal, and funny account of her remarkable life and career, full of insights that guided her through a global pandemic, showdowns with high-profile bullies, and even a kidnapping and assassination plot.

This was a quick and interesting read. I seriously like this woman!!

Sway by Adriana Locke

Sway by Adriana Locke -- 340 pages

BARRETT LANDRY has it all.
Power, prestige, and plenty of women, the dapper politician’s life is pretty phenomenal. But in the midst of the biggest campaign of his life, he needs to focus. The last thing he can afford is a distraction.

ALISON BAKER is a work-in-progress.
As a single mother to HUXLEY, she’s rebuilding life on her terms. She’s focused on family, faith, and a future for her son that can’t be taken away. Putting her child first means not being careless, no matter what.

A chance encounter forces Barrett and Alison to redefine what they really want out of life. But everything comes at a cost...and sometimes, even for love, it’s a price too steep to pay.

 

The President Is Missing by Bill Clinton and James Patterson-513 pages

It took a while for me to get drawn in...but once the action starts it is nonstop.  Makes you wonder how many times the American people are totally unaware of the dangers that confront our country.  I was honestly surprised that I liked it.  

The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson

 

The State of Us by Shaun David Hutchinson - 408 pages

They thought they were enemies.  They thought they could never be friends -- after all their parents are running for president against each other.  But that was before they were forced to spend time together and discovered they had more in common than anyone thought.  Slowly their friendship turns into something more.  But nobody can know about their relationship.  It could ruin both of their parents' campaigns.  Then someone discovers the truth and threatens to tell everyone . . . 

Overall I enjoyed this book.  The main characters of Dean and Dre were interesting and made you want to root for them.  The politics were also kind of interesting.  However, the political stereotypes and caricatures were a little much at times.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston - 424 pages

Alex's mother is running for re-election as president of the United States.  So it is a major incident when he gets into a public spat with Henry, the Prince of Wales.  To fix the problem, they are forced to stage a truce and "become" friends.  What starts out as a fake friendship soon turns into a real friendship.  Then it turns into something more.  But will they be able to have a relationship without ruining the re-election campaign?

This book was on several best of 2019 lists.  I'm glad I picked it up to read.  I really enjoyed it.  The characters were interesting and drew you into the story. 

Dying of Whiteness by Jonathan M. Metzl

Dying of Whiteness: How the Politics of Racial Resentment Is Killing America's Heartland by Jonathan M. Metzl --- 342 Pages including Acknowledgments, End Notes and Index.

Metzl uses three case studies to investigate why so many poor and working class white Americans support government policies that undermine their own health and well being when politicians promise such policies will preserve white privilege and control. Even when the actual effect of these policies only deepens the divide between the wealthy elite and everybody else (regardless of race), working class whites cling to their illusion of privilege in the face of their own diminished lives. 

Metzl asks how did the politics of racial resentment become so powerful that it has overwhelmed even the basic instinct of self-preservation? To find out, he spent eight years talking to voters in Missouri, Tennessee and Kansas,  asking them to explain political actions they supported: repealing gun laws in Missouri; refusing to participate in the ACA and Medicaid expansion in Tennessee; slashing taxes and funding for infrastructure, education, and health programs in Kansas.   The answers he got are sobering and a testament to the damage still being inflicted on our nation by the legacy of racial animosity.

Dr. Metzl is a professor of sociology and psychiatry and director of the Center for Medicine, Health and Society at Vanderbilt University. A nationally recognized expert on gun violence and mental illness, Dr Metzl grew up in Kansas City, and has family ties in Missouri and Kansas. He lives and works in Nashville, Tennessee.

Click HERE to read the * review from Publishers Weekly.

Click HERE to read the review from Kirkus Review.

Click HERE to read the review from Vox.com.

Click HERE to watch an interview with the author on PBS.

Click HERE to read a review from the Minneapolis Star Tribune.  

Resilience by Elizabeth Edwards

Resilience: Reflections on the Burdens and Gifts of Facing Life's Adversities by Elizabeth Edwards, 213 pages

I am not sure if any other book has made me cry at every turn of the page.  Maybe, it is because this was written in 2009 and I know how her life ended in 2010.  I don't know another women who could have gone through all the adversity she went through with such grace and character and the utmost respect from concerned family, friends, and strangers.  She probably endured the most painful event any parent could hope to never have to face, the death of her first born child Wade in a car accident in 1996.  This one event affected her life traumatically.  Her and her husband, future presidential candidate John Edwards, decided to have two more children at a later stage in their lives.  Then, while her husband was consumed with politics, she discovered she had breast cancer.  She battled the breast cancer only to have it come back a few years later as terminal cancer.  If that wasn't enough of a blow she discovered her husband cheated on her and fathered another child.  The pain Elizabeth Edwards suffered demonstrates resilience to the likes of which I have never witnessed before.  This was a very heartfelt and inspirational book.

Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution by Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution by Bernie Sanders, 226 pages

I knew a little about what Bernie Sanders platform was before I read this book, but this book definitely goes into more detail. This book is written to a young teen/teen audience to try to persuade them how they can make a difference in the future of our country and politics.  He goes into to great detail of raising the minimum wage, tax reform, and Wall Street.  Bernie provides detailed graphs and illustrations.  In the back of the book is a very helpful glossary.

Soumission by Michel Houellebecq

Soumission by Michel Houellebecq, 300 pages

Houellebecq is a well-known author in France for writing about controversial topics, and Soumission is perhaps the greatest example of this. Published incidentally on the day of the Charlie Hebdo attacks, this narrative envisions a Muslim political party rising to power in traditionally secular France. The narrator is a literature professor at the Sorbonne, and struggles to understand his role in the rapidly changing society.

If possible, it is best to read this in the original French. Translators have taken their own approaches to the novel and changed certain aspects according to their interpretations, and often don't exactly align with Houellebecq's tone. Houellebecq is purposefully ambiguous, an unreliably unreliable writer in whose works it is nearly impossible to pinpoint his true thoughts. Is Soumission intended to be Houellebecq's fears of the future, or a critique on modern society and our inclinations toward fear-mongering? At times racist and misogynistic, Soumission will probably not become anyone's favorite book, but it makes for good discussion and will certainly make readers think.

A Man Rides Through by Stephen R. Donaldson

A Man Rides Through by Stephen R. Donaldson - 627 pages

A friend gave me this book to read in college.  I absolutely loved it at the time.  It was the book that got me reading fantasy novels.  So when I came across it again the other day at the library, I decided to pick it up and see if it was as good as I remembered.  I still enjoyed the book.  I immediately got engrossed in it.  However, this time reading it I was struck by how many twists there were in the story.  It seemed like there was a new plot twist every 20 pages or so.  It was a few too many.  I was also struck by the fact that the main character was female - uncommon for a fantasy book from that time.  She was written as being both the hero and the victim - so it was a little confusing at times.  For example she had to continuously remind herself to think which annoyed me as a reader.  Female leads are usually written better than that now - although for the time it was a good step.

Queen Anne: Passion of Politics by Anne Somerset

Queen Anne: Passion of Politics by Anne Somerset - 640 pages

Billed as a biography of England's Queen Anne, the queen who followed William and Mary after the Glorious Revolution, it is really a story of England throughout a tumultuous period as readers gain a greater than textbook understanding of the political situation of the times. The book also serves as a story of relationships.  In the early part of the book, we read as much about her sister, Mary, as we do Anne.  In the latter half, we learn as much about her ladies-in-waiting and husband as we do Anne.

Overall, I found the book more suited for research and not casual reading.  Often, more detail was presented than was actually needed.  We could easily lose 1/4 to 1/3 of the text without losing context, causing the book to be a tedious read.

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb - 313 pages

This is the first in the Eve Dallas series by Nora Roberts.  They are futuristic mystery novels.  In this book, she investigates when someone starts killing licensed companions (a.k.a. prostitutes) including a senator's granddaughter.  Through the investigation she meets businessman Roarke and becomes involved with him.

America Again, by Stephen Colbert

America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't, by Stephen Colbert, 240 pages

The title pretty much sets the tone for this follow-up book of political-based humor.  I thought this one was even funnier and better than Colbert's first book.  Whether Colbert is discussing food (he doesn't trust tapas- it promotes "gastro-socialism"), healthcare, the economy, or jobs, he proves that he has a team of very skilled and humorous writers.  Witty and well-produced.

American, You Sexy Bitch by McCain and Black

America, You Sexy Bitch: A Love Letter to Freedom by McCain and Black - 352 pages

An Ambien induced Twitter conversation leads comedian Michael Ian Black to propose to Meghan McCain that they write a book while going on an RV trip across America to try and find the middle ground among political extremes.  The result is a hilarious melding of two very different perspectives on politics and the state of the country.  Be prepared for lots of drinking, a few swear words and even a trip to Branson!  This book is laugh out loud funny and I came away with a whole new respect for both authors.

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan, 341 pages

This book is sort of an adaptation of The Scarlet Letter, but set in a dystopian future America run by fundamentalist Christians.  When Hannah Payne is discovered to have had an abortion, she is forced to wear red.  But in this world, "criminals" like her are genetically altered so that their entire body turns the new shade and then let out into the world to survive.  Hannah must find her way in a society that knows her crime at a glance and shuns her for it.  She must also learn to resolve her feelings towards her ex-lover, Aidan Dale, Secretary of Faith and revered pastor.  This book is aimed at adults, but could also be of interest to some young adults.  The themes of religion and politics, modern feminism, and prejudice of every kind sound like they would be oppressive, but they make it a thoroughly thought-provoking read.