This week's non-fiction prompt:
Three ways to join in this week! You can either share three or more books on a single topic that you have read and can recommend (be the expert), you can put the call out for good nonfiction on a specific topic that you have been dying to read (ask the expert), or you can create your own list of books on a topic that you’d like to read (become the expert).
I hesitate to call myself an expert on any one topic, but I do love a good memoir about our First Ladies.
Non-Fiction November is hosted by Julz Reads this week. Stop on over and check out the other great recommendations.
One topic I love to read about is our First Ladies and the First Families. I've read almost anything I can get my hands on about the presidents and their families. My most recent reads include: Sisters First by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Bush, What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton, Lady Bird and Lyndon: The Hidden Story of a Marriage That Made a President by Betty Caroli (that I'm reading right now), Betty Ford by Lisa McCubbin and Barbara Bush by Barbara Bush. Becoming by Michelle Obama just arrived at my doorstep on Tuesday, and I'm looking forward to that one as well.
I've loved books about presidential families for a long time. I didn't have a lot of opportunities to read them while I was growing up, but a friend of mine recommended Upstairs at the White House: My Life With the First Ladies by JB West. She read (and re-read) it many times when she was growing up. I love this book, too, and think my oldest daughter will really enjoy it.
A more recent look at the First Ladies is First Women: The Grace and Power of America's Modern First Ladies by Kate Andersen Brower. I loved this look at the first ladies, even though it didn't necessarily reveal anything new to me. For whatever reason, I am fascinated by these women and their unique perspective to history.
I've read other first lady memoirs that I've enjoyed, along with some historical fiction about first ladies that I've loved.
If you've got more titles I need to add to my TBR, I'd love to hear them.
3 comments:
I've had a fascination with the First Ladies as well. And I've read a couple of the books you mentioned. I think I initially got interested when I was reading those biographies of famous Americans when I was in grade school. They had orange covers. I'm pretty sure I read one about Martha Washington. I know I read one about Clara Barton (not a First Lady, of course). And I read a book about Andrew Jackson's wife when I was a teenager - can't remember the name. Anyway, I've also seen the gown exhibit at the Smithsonian a couple of times - have you seen that? It's so very interesting.
I love reading about women in history, but for some reason I haven't read much by or about any of our first ladies. I'd particularly like to read First Women, because I loved the author's The Residence :) Great list!
You've mentioned some of my favorites! I love reading about the presidents and first ladies, too. In the spirit of the J.B. West book -- I really loved the books by A. Merriman Smith -- especially "Thank You, Mr. President: A White House Notebook." I raved about it here... http://unrulyreader.com/mr-smith-goes-to-washington/
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