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? The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine. A psychological thriller about envy. Amber had a ho-hum lower middle class upbringing but felt she deserved more. She wanted the life rich and beautiful Daphne Parrish enjoyed. And so, in a very methodical and creepy way, Amber sets out to insinuate herself into Daphne's life.
I'm not very deep into it yet, but so far it feels very Lifetime/Hallmark. Amber is sure lucky, and Daphne is sure dumb. I hope it draws me in deeper, because I like the premise.
2. What did you recently finish reading? America's Reluctant Prince by Steven M. Gillon. An interesting and thought provoking biography of JFK, Jr. There were things I liked, things I didn't like, and something that was missing.
I'll address the last one first, top of mind for me as we approach the first anniversary of my dear friend Henry's death. I realize that John Kennedy Jr. was much loved by his friends and that's why I want to know: Aren't you mad at him? It was John's recklessness that ultimately killed him and took the lives of his wife and sister-in-law. Aren't you pissed? In all I've read about JFK, Jr., none of his friends ever admits those feelings. My Henry got on his bike, rode home in the dark after too many glasses of wine, and collided with a van. He sustained a traumatic brain injury and was never the same again. I didn't love him any less, and treasure the life lessons his TBI taught me, but oh! I was mad at him and still am at times. I miss Henry and he didn't have to leave me the way he did. Don't John's friends ever feel that? Gillon was an insider, a racquetball buddy who had access to many in John's circle. I wish he'd taken that question on.
Now here's what I liked: I learned that John was prescient in business matters. In 1999, he wanted to take George magazine to "the worldwide web." It would reduce publishing expenses and save the cost of mailing issues to subscribers. He would have been one of the first editor/publishers of a major glossy mag to do this, but found little enthusiasm from investors for his idea. I wish he was here to say, "Told you so!" As bright as he was about business, he was that naive about politics. He was shocked and confused by how ugly and personal the GOP got during the Clinton impeachment scandal. Oh, John, I'm glad you're not here for MAGA.
What I didn't like: Carolyn-as-bitch. Even though Gillon includes many warm anecdotes about how sensitive and caring Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was to John's cousin and members of the George staff, he also quotes unnamed sources about her coke use, infidelity and single-minded pursuit of John. It felt more than a little misogynistic, especially since Gillon is a legit historian, not one of your run-of-the-mill Kennedy scandal mongers, and historians don't tend to rely on unnamed sources. Also, Carolyn is not the one who ended the marriage. John did, in the most definitive way possible. See above.
3. What will you read next? I don't know.
