by Barbara the Bibliophage | Oct 19, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
Julián Castro is another of the 2020 Democratic Presidential candidates. But his 2018 book, An Unlikely Journey, isn’t about the campaign. It contains no specific platforms or policies. Instead, it’s one man’s unique origin story. Unless you count that his identical...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Oct 12, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
When I finished Blowout by Rachel Maddow, I had to wash all the residual oil slick off my skin. The book is just that immersive in the oil industry. Not to mention a different kind of Kremlin-based, Putin-esque oiliness. Wow, this book contains nothing less than a...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Aug 20, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
Sarah Kendzior has been blogging, writing, and working as a journalist since the early 2010s. Her book, The View from Flyover Country, gained prominence after the 2016 election because of her insightful tweets about the rise of the 45th President. Clearly, I’m just...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Aug 2, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
Andrew McCabe tells the story of his FBI career in The Threat: How the FBI Protects America in the Age of Terror and Trump. And the last two main elements of the title are the salient points in his story. First, he fills us in on the way the FBI changed in order to...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Jul 12, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
I confess. It wasn’t easy to read this Seth Abramson book. I spent a lot of it feeling down, depressed, and angry. But what we need is clarity, and Proof of Collusion: How Trump Betrayed America is absolutely crystal clear.It explains exactly how Trump has been...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Jun 29, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
Elizabeth Warren is a fighter, whether in her personal life or for middle class Americans. From the very beginning of her law career, she’s been researching and making a difference for regular folks like you and me.As the author of many books, Warren has plenty of...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Jun 26, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
Bernie Sanders writes and publishes unabashedly campaign-related books. Where We Go From Here is definitely that, although it was published before he officially entered the 2020 Presidential race. Essentially, it discusses his activities from the time of the 2016...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Apr 1, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (pronounced “boot-edge-edge”) is just five days younger than our youngest son. If that doesn’t make me feel old, I don’t know what would. But I think he makes up for lack of years in genuine smarts and concrete executive experience. (Mayors and...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Mar 23, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
E.J. Dionne and Joy-Ann Reid edited this volume of selected speeches by President Barack Obama. The 27 speeches date from 2002 to 2017, and include some well-known and some more obscure moments. Each speech has an introduction from the editors that puts in context,...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Mar 20, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
I purchased this group of essays, edited by Bandy X. Lee, M.D., M. Div., in 2017. However, this month was the perfect time to read them. The issue of President Donald Trump’s psychological makeup has been making more headlines and tweets than ever. In fact, it was his...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Mar 17, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
In the U.S., most potential Presidential candidates write a memoir about their lives prior to declaring their candidacy. Kamala Harris published just such a book in 2018. It’s a rundown of her life until now, with strong emphasis on her personal political philosophy...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Feb 17, 2019 | RELAX: Memoir, RESIST: Politics
Native New Yorker David Litt was politically aware enough in college to volunteer for Barack Obama’s first Presidential campaign. Then he moved to Washington, D.C. and tried to get a job after graduation. After an internship, he networked himself into Obama’s White...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Jan 21, 2019 | RESIST: Politics
I bought this compilation of essays, edited by Dennis Johnson and Valerie Merians, shortly after the 2016 elections. I was wondering just what the title says, “what do we do know?” And, then I put the book on my shelf because I was feeling too many raw emotions....
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Dec 29, 2018 | RELAX: Memoir, RESIST: Politics
It isn’t easy to be the 9 zillioneth reviewer of Becoming by Michelle Obama. But here I am, wondering how I’ll make this an original and meaningful review.Let’s get the basics out of the way. I loved this book, and am especially glad I listened to the audiobook. While...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Oct 27, 2018 | RESIST: Politics
Jon Meacham is an author, historian, professor, and commentator. He has the long view on the politics of today’s world. And he explains what that means in his latest book, The Soul of America. His premise is that our country has had many previous bouts of unrest, with...
by Barbara the Bibliophage | Oct 17, 2018 | RELAX: Memoir, RESIST: Politics
Beck Dorey-Stein is a charming and funny young woman, as is her book, From the Corner of the Oval. The day after I finished her book, I met Beck at the Harrisburg Book Festival. She joined former speechwriter and fellow author David Litt on the stage, while...
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