WWW. WEDNESDAY asks three questions to prompt you to speak bookishly. To participate, and to see how other book lovers responded, click here.
PS I no longer participate in WWW.WEDNESDAY via that link because her blog won't accept Blogger comments. I mention this only to save you the frustration I experienced trying to link up.
1. What are you currently reading? Richard Nixon: The Life by John A. Farrell. Here's the thing about Trump: he's so awful that everyone else moves up a notch. Nixon served in wartime even though, as a Quaker, he didn't have to. He never disparaged veterans the way Trump mocked John McCain. He never splashed his visage on the side of federal buildings the way Trump (and authoritarians and dictators) do. He didn't ignore the sovereignty of governors by deploying federal troops onto residential streets. When faced with the end of his Presidency, Nixon somehow managed to avoid leading an armed insurrection on the Capitol. So there's that.
Since the Nixon era now feels like The Good Old Days, I figured it was time to revisit the man and his Presidency. I enjoyed Farrell's fair but unflinching view of Ted Kennedy's life and career, and I hope I'll learn a lot from this book.
This book and I have a conflicted history. My friend Henry bought it for me for Christmas 2017, the last holiday we spent together before his accident changed everything. His friend owned the bookstore and he was supported her after Hurricane Irma by giving me a $100 gift certificate. What fun we had that day. Henry couldn't believe I chose a book about Nixon (among others). I finished the Grafton book and the Bobby bio and had begun to read the Nixon book when Henry had his accident and the book – which still had its Key West bookmark – made me too sad. I abandoned both books till now. It's time. I'm going to finish this one and, hopefully, get to Bruce before the year ends.
Here is post about the day we bought these books
2. What did you recently finish reading? Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam by MC Beaton. My response to this addition to the series – #10 of 33 – is mixed. I read these mysteries for more than whodunit. I like Agatha, the deeply flawed, often grumpy heroine who turns to sleuthing because, frankly, she's bored after retiring from PR agency life in London. I like the country life as vividly painted in these books, filled with quaint names and eccentricities and customs and secrets.
In book #9, Agatha went on vacation to a small rural town. Beaton introduced us to a new setting a new cast of characters with affection and specificity, but Agatha herself felt a little "off." She not only didn't feel like the character I got to know, I didn't even like her anymore.
This time around, Agatha is back to being Aggie (God, how she hates Aggie!). I'm glad because I missed her. But the setting, the village of Fryfam, feels less charming than weird and goofy. There are too many new characters and none of them is memorable.
I hope when I return to the series for #11, Beaton will address both sides of the equation.
3. What will you read next? I don't know. Nixon is going to take a while.
