Reading Catch Ups

I am still working through Barbara Bush' Memoir which is nothing short of delightful reading. I've always admired Barbara Bush and this memoir with excerpts from her diary follows her persona to a t. There is absolutely nothing negative--she almost wears out the word, "wonderful" but more on it later. Meantime because Barbara's book is so thick, I also read another book & dumped another book.

"Our Lady of the Forest"by David Guterson is a dump. After drearily plodding through 97 pages I could take no more. This is not as bad as his previous book that I dumped but it is still not worth reading like his S"now Falling on Cedars." Two flops and a hit for this author. The story takes place in WA about a teen aged runaway, Ann Holmes, who is a mushroom picker in the forests and who sees the Virgin Mary. There is a new young priest who of course is involved in reviewing her visions and ecstatic postures. Who knows where that relationship will go as the author has several hints of the priest perhaps lusting. I did not want to waste anymore time with it. Too many good books await my eyes. This book is in the donation bag for our local library book sale.

"Laura Bush An Intimate Portrait of the first Lady" by Ronald Kessler. And yes I know that Laura Bush is no longer the first lady. I had this one on the shelf pre-election. It is ok. Some interesting photos but nothing overly revealing. Her passion for literacy, libraries and reading are stressed. Laura could just as easily have continued to be a librarian , a school teacher and be as satisfied with her life. She is devoted to her old school friends and the most loyal friend, wife, mother, daughter. We learn that Laura was a thrifty shopper, non materialistic, not at all extravagant and not at all prone to spoil her girls with expensive designer outfits. Laura sees no need for any of that. A very sincere, unassuming woman, Laura retreated to reading when at Kennebunkport with the Bush clan. Her actions at time, remind me of Jacqueline Kennedy with the boisterous Kennedy clan. There is a bit about how Laura convinced George W to give up alcohol but not too much detail. The book presents Laura as what we saw, a background lady who knows herself and is inner directed. A very literate lady who can discuss "The Brothers Karamazov" at the drop of a hat. A quiet woman who occasionally still bums a cigarette. It's an ok read. But I'm not keeping this book either.