Summer Reading

No sewing tonight as I used up all my energy buying out Whole Foods (or at least that's what it seemed like...). The kitties are happy as they now have treats for the treat jar and I am happy to have some food in the house. So as I'm eating some veggie quesadillas, I thought I'd post some books I've read in the past month or so. Everyone has their own taste in books but I can tell you that I really enjoyed all these books and I recommend them if they sound interesting to you.

I read a lot (roughly a book every two weeks maybe more maybe less) and I read rather quickly so here goes:
A great book about the Great War. At nearly 800 pages, this one did take me awhile to read. Not your dry history book, this book explained the politics leading up to the war, biographies of all the leading political and military figures, life in the trenches, and life on the homefront as well as troop movements, stalemates, and battles. A good overview of the whole war.
Next up was Renegade: The Making of a President by Richard Wolffe. If this isn't your cup of tea scroll ahead to the next book.

If you are still here, this book was a wonderful insight into the campaign and it was fun to relive all the excitement with none of the anxiety about the outcome. I share *karendianne's admiration of Richard Wolffe. My friend Suzanne (no blog) would like this book and I think anyone who is interested in the campaign and wants to know more about our president would also enjoy this book.

Next up is My Life in France by Julia Child

A quick read. If you watched Julia Child on TV like I did, when you read this book you can hear her voice telling the story. If you liked Dan Aykroyd's impersonation of Julia Child on Saturday Night Live, you may hear that too. This book explains how Julia got into cooking and became the renowned cookbook author and teacher that she was. For about 5 minutes I wanted to run out and buy her cookbooks and start mastering the art of French cooking just like in the book Julie and Julia, but I thought better of it. The last time I was in DC, I saw Julia's kitchen in the Museum of American History (along with 500 other people squeezed in the small space) so it was fun to read about her buying the cookware that ended up in the Smithsonian. I read Julie and Julia a long time ago when it first came out and if you haven't read either of these, read them both before you see the movie.
My current read is Simon Schama's The American Future: A History. I adore Simon Schama's BBC documentaries, especially "The Power of Art". I am about halfway through the book and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I'll give a review when I finish.

I often get asked how I read so much with working two jobs, quilting, etc. etc. etc. Well I read between jobs, on breaks, before bed every night, and read more than I watch TV. I never go anywhere without a book in case I'm stuck somewhere. Time management and multitasking I guess.