At Thanksgiving, this book was sitting on the coffee table. I've been curious about what all the fuss was about. Read the first two chapters, giggled a lot in places where I probably wasn't supposed to and was horrified at the very bad writing, among other things. Curiousity satisified. No longer interested.
Then, I had to try to avoid telling my cousin, who was thrilled that I was reading it, how I really felt.

For years, I've been told I _must_ read this book. I had always hesitated because it was gigantic. I chose it as a plane book for a trip in October and finished it this past weekend--just over a month.
First, everyone was right. It is well worth reading, even though reading it is a bit of a commitment. I didn't just learn about LBJ--I learned about Texas in the early 20th century. There is a richness and depth to this book that few biographies or histories have. Parts of it are simply lyrical and engrossing. During the trip, I would frequently share bits and pieces with my companions. That being said, there were times when I wish the editor had a slightly firmer grip on the red pen. Thorough doesn't even begin to cover it.
Texas has very mixed feelings about LBJ (my grandmother really hated him), and this book lays the groundwork for the complicated career of LBJ. I feel like I've learned more about Texas politics than I've ever known before.
It only takes you to the 1941 Senate race. I have a feeling that one of these days, I'll read the other volumes but not anytime soon.
Highly recommended for political junkies.

Somehow, I was just expecting more--more humor and wit and charm. While a perfectly enjoyable book, it just didn't always work for me.
A few fun characters, but much of it felt forced.

In a perfect world, I would be neighbors with Sarah Vowell. We would hang out and drink and talk about history and be snarky. Alas, since I am not a stalker fan and this is not a perfect world, the chances of this happening are slim, so I'll stick to her books.
Vowell's latest isn't my favorite of hers (I think that would be Assassination Vacation), but it's still well worth reading for history/pop culture nerds like me. She takes a look at the Massachusetts Bay colonists--what being a Puritan really means, how Puritan and Pilgrim are not interchangeable, and all the various debates about faith and the Elect.
Where Vowell shines is when she connects the past with the present--how damaging the "city on the hill" imagery has been to other countries, how we learn about Pilgrims and Thanksgiving, and what's left of our Puritan past. The flow and rhythm of the book is wonderful--no chapters, just breaks, to interupt the rhythm.
Four stars for the following reasons:
I have never been hugely interested in this time period. But that's my own fault.
And it's just not quite as funny as her other stuff. Though I certainly laughed in places.
Highly recommended.

Picked up an autographed copy while I was in CA. . .

While none of Maguire's books seem to compare to Wicked, I did enjoy this one far more than the sequel, Son of a Witch. The interaction and flashbacks between Yackle, a mysterious witch who cannot die, and Brrr, the Cowardly Lion, had wonderful layers of meaning. There were finally some answers, and plenty of room for another book.
While light on action, it was still a page turner. My only complaint is one of my own personal issues--it's been a while since I entered this world, and some past details were a bit fuzzy. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read all of them in a row.

That shiny gold medal on the cover makes me expect more from a book. Though I liked the characters, I was never in love. The writing was okay, and parts of it were wonderful. But I was frustrated at the lack of communication and how separate the adults and the children were in this group. There is always a divide between adults and children, but this seemed a bit ridiculous.

After seeing the recent movie adaptation a few weeks ago, I realized I probably haven't read this since I was a kid. Stayed up way too late last night getting into it.

This book is such a delight. Set in the depths of the Depression, this book has a touch of reality thrown in with the pure fantasy of becoming stars. The girls felt real to me, and I really devoured this one. Stayed up late several nights to finish it. One of these days, I'm just going to have to buy it.

I was so torn while reading this book. It is a terrible book, yet I couldn't put it down.
The writing is wooden and heavy-handed. The characters are fairly one-dimensional. You can see where the whole thing is going miles away. The whole thing went on too long. There were times I would just sign and roll my eyes. It felt like an entirely different writer from Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants. And yet, I stayed up late three nights in a row reading it.
In a way, it reminds me of Lurlene McDaniel books from my childhood--boys and friendships/sisters and serious illness and death. Those weren't good books either, but I still read them.
I think the only explanation for why I didn't stop reading this 50 pages in is flat-out guilty pleasure. And boy, do I feel guilty for finishing this when I know there are so many better books sitting on my to-read list. . .

When I closed this book late last night, all I could say was "wow." Written as a letter/confession of Sarah Carrier to her granddaughter 50 years after the Salem witch trials, there is exactly the right amount of foreshadowing and reflection. At first, the story is a fairly typical story of a family in the colonies, but soon there are threads and gossip and hatred that one knows will grow into the witch trials. When the hysteria finally takes over, the speed at which people are accused and thown into horrid conditions in a prison consume you. I was angry and thoughtful and shook my head many times as I read. It is masterfully written, with exactly the right pace andmix betwee the horror and the humanity of a story like this.
I am no expert on this time period, but I think this book captures well how a little bit of fear and gossip can take over a community. An added bonus: the author is a descendent of Martha Carrier, the mother in this book. And she's a local author--not just Dallas, but my part of Dallas. I might have seen her in a grocery store!
Highly, highly recommended. It is not an easy book, but it's something that almost everyone should read.

for January book club. . .
As someone who has been an Alcott fan for many years and who has now visited Orchard House twice, the broad outlines of Louisa and her father's life were well-known. But that doesn't mean there wasn't much to discover in this biography.
Matteson masterfully weaves together the stories of the Alcott family. Though the focus is certainly on Bronson and Louisa, there were stunning portraits of the rest of the family, in particular, Abba May Alcott. Bronson must have been an extraoridinarily frustrating man to live with, and yet, Louisa would not have been half the woman she became without these struggles.
Highly, highly recommended. I certainly have newfound respect for Louisa's work and am looking forward to our upcoming discussion.