June 30, 2009 Books!

Finished reading:
Plum Wine by Angela Davis-Gardener - I enjoyed this book. It did a great job weaving history, romance and mystery into a story line that also presented the Japanese perspective on our major worl conflicts.
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See - I didn't really enjoy this book. It was interesting but I didn't think the ending fit with the rest of the story. I think I also had a hard time with the way the sisters evolved after all the triumphs and tragedies.
Harry Truman's Excellent Adventure by Matthew Algeo - I happen to love folksy Presidential books and this one fits the bill. It is adorable - especially if you remember road trips during the early 50's - no AC, windows rolled down so the hot air blowing in your face could cool you off, radios with limited tunes, sitting up front with your parents but still not being able to see "out" because the dash board was a massive view blocker and best of all - legs sticking to the car seat! I loved it all! That's the place this book took me too - except it threw in Harry Truman and Bess. The author threw in a little history just to keep you aware of the place this marvelous trip stood in history. It's a great read!
American Lion by Jon Meacham - another President book. I enjoyed it - not a folksy book - but I am always interested in anything about Andrew Jackson. This book explained much concerning the social/cultural/political thinking of the time. They thought differently back then - sometimes that was good, sometimes not - we get to look it all over now and judge with our viewpoint. It's good to read books that remind us of that our reality was not their reality.