What I'm Reading

I would highly recommend The Residence... it's an easy read -- just 250 pages or so and it was interesting to see a different, more personal side of the First Families. What surprised me most is that from Kennedy to Obama, the president the staff loved the most was George Sr and Barbara. I wouldn't have guessed that. The author speculates that it may be because the Bushes were  used to servants and so they were at ease with the staff.

I found the sections on 9/11 interesting... I didn't know (or didn't remember) that Laura Bush was on her way to Capitol Hill to testify on some family act and she was stuck there for a while. Also, I had heard gossip that during the Clinton scandal that Hillary screamed and threw stuff at Bill and this was confirmed. Nixon's last days were also sad. In any event, it's a good read.

I decided to stay in Washington DC and stay historical with my next read. I almost didn't buy this because Cokie Roberts is too conservative for me at times, but I saw her talk about this book a few times and she is really passionate about the women.

So here it is.... all I've read so far is the prologue, and here's what Amazon says:

In this engrossing and informative companion to her New York Times bestsellers Founding Mothers and Ladies of Liberty, Cokie Roberts marks the sesquicentennial of the Civil War by offering a riveting look at Washington, D.C. and the experiences, influence, and contributions of its women during this momentous period of American history.

With the outbreak of the Civil War, the small, social Southern town of Washington, D.C. found itself caught between warring sides in a four-year battle that would determine the future of the United States.Sifting through newspaper articles, government records, and private letters and diaries—many never before published—Roberts brings the war-torn capital into focus through the lives of its formidable women.