What do Presidents read?

What books do Presidents of the United States read? Well if you ever wanted to know what Presidents Obama and Clinton have read, check out this article right here. Apparently President Obama's reading tastes has the same effect on book sales as Oprah's reading tastes.


I am no President but I am reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society and I highly recommend it even though I have just reached page 109.

It's about a writer named Juliet and the whole story is a collection of letters. Somebody on the island of Guernsey contacted Juliet about a book by Charles Lamb. He mentioned in his letter something about a roast pig leading to the start of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society during the period of the German occupation of the island in the 1940s. Naturally, Juliet had to write back to find out what was the connection between a roast pig and a literary sociey. Juliet decided that she wanted to write articles about the society so all the original members began writing to Juliet to tell her their perspective of the society and about the books they read. All wrote except one, Elizabeth, who is supposed to have been imprisoned by the Germans on the continent and though the war has ended, up to page 109, no one knows her fate. Juliet also got letters from Adelaide and also Clare Saussey. Their letters demean the members of the society.

In the meantime there seems to be a little romance growing between Juliet and a brash American publisher.

Monkey Hunting: A Novel

I am reading Cristina Garcia's Monkey Hunting, published in 2003, about a Chinese man who thought he was going to Cuba to work and get rich but instead was enslaved. The story covers 4 generations of Chen Pan's family from China to Cuba and to New York and Vietnam. Crude language in parts but interesting story. Read an Excerpt here!

Book Club Pick: An epistology

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society: A Novel is the suggestion for June. It is an epistology. If this word is new to you; think of the word "epistle". The novel is mainly a collection of letters. Setting is the British Island of Guernsey during the mid 1940s. I don't recall learning that the Germans occupied Guernsey during the war so I am interested in reading this historical fiction and epistology.

Elizabeth Edwards' Resilience

Lately, it seems that every news medium is interested in Oprah's interview with Elizabeth Edwards. Edwards is now promoting her new book, Resilience on various talk shows. Elizabeth's and John's wedding photo posted on the Oprah website is gorgeous, by the way. So unfortunate that the focus on the couple and the adultery episode will always be referred to as "North Carolina's long-running soap opera".

Book Buzz: Sisters & Husbands & More

I read Sisters & Lovers some time ago so I was very interested in the USA Today article about Connie Briscoe and a sequel called Sisters & Husbands.

USA Today's May 7 issue is also highlighting other new books:

My Remarkable Journey by Larry King

The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson

South of Broad by Pat Conroy

Julie Garwood on YouTube

Just got an email from Julie Garwood with a youtube link promoting her book, Fire and Ice. Isn't it "cool" to have video previews of novels just like we have previews of movies? See what readers on amazon think about the book.

Book Club Selection May

We chose Straight by Dick Francis. hope to start reading this weekend. We meet on May 15.

I am now reading Dean Koontz's new book, Your Heart Belongs To Me. It is holding my interest so far but I am eager to know what the subtext is. He writes a lot about the subtext or deeper meaning of a novel. This has a low rating among readers in epinions.com and on amazon.com but so far I am deeply involved in the book.