In the books...

It's time to catch up on reading...

Just finished: An American Wife, by Curtis Sittenfeld, perhaps better known as the author of Prep. This fictionalization of a White House marriage is fascinating as it progresses through time from the first person perspective of the 17 year old teenager who travels and travails to become First Lady. At times the writing is uneven, but once I "did" two miles on the treadmill, I was hooked and raced through the rest of the book.

In early February, I re-read The Great Gatsby as it was part of DDs IB English curriculum. I last read it in the 70s! I was surprised at the details I hadn't remembered, and glad that I didn't have to read it for the same level of detail that DD must for class.

Her next assignment is August Wilson's play, Fences, and I'm struggling with that one. I have a difficult time reading black vernacular. It may be a fascinating play in production, but I can only read it a mile at a time on the treadmill!

I See You Everywhere by Julia Glass, better known for the Three Junes. A rather restless family, with sibiling rivalry, set in Rhode Island and ... All in all it was a pleasant read, if not a perfect novel.

On the nightstand: No Vulgar Hotel : the desire and pursuit of Venice by Judith Martin (aka Miss Manners) with Eric Denker. It's always nice to tour Venice, but I'd rather read a Commissario Brunetti mystery (by Donna Leon).