I am sure I am not the only one who misses our 44th president, Barak Obama, and his brilliant family. Our current president is such an idiot that I doubt he's ever graced the inside of a bookstore with his baboon like presence. At any rate, here is former president Obama's reading list for 2017. Enjoy.
POTUS 44's Reading
List: Favorite Books of 2017
President Barack
Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia shopped at Politics
and Prose in
Washington, D.C., on Small Business Saturday, 2014.
(Official White
House photo by Pete Souza)
There's a
presidential reading list after all. Although President Trump
has little to say
about his reading habits, on New Year's Eve former
President Barack
Obama posted his favorite books
from last year,
noting: "During my presidency, I started a tradition of
sharing my reading
lists and playlists. It was a nice way to reflect on
the works that
resonated with me and lift up authors and artists from
around the world.
With some extra time on my hands this year to catch
up, I wanted to
share the books and music that I enjoyed most. From
songs that got me
moving to stories that inspired me, here's my 2017
list--I hope you
enjoy it and have a happy and healthy New Year."
Obama's best book
picks are:
The Power by Naomi
Alderman
Grant by Ron
Chernow
Evicted: Poverty
and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
Janesville: An
American Story by Amy Goldstein
Exit West by
Mohsin Hamid
Five-Carat Soul by
James McBride
Anything Is
Possible by Elizabeth Strout
Dying: A Memoir by
Cory Taylor
A Gentleman in
Moscow by Amor Towles
Sing, Unburied,
Sing by Jesmyn Ward
*Bonus for hoops
fans: Coach Wooden and Me by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and
Basketball (and
Other Things) by Shea Serrano
I think this is a great way to set up a legacy of your father, by creating an online book club with his favorites.
David Bowie's Son
Launches Online Book Club
David Bowie's son,
Duncan Jones, has launched an online book club
that features his
late father's favorite literary works, Rolling Stone
reported. Its
first pick is Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd. Bowie died last
January 10.
"My dad was a
beast of a reader," Jones tweeted
"One of his true loves was Peter
Ackroyd's sojourns into the history of Britain & its cities. I've been
feeling a building sense of duty to go on the same literary marathon in tribute
to dad. Time allowing."
He added:
"Alright gang! Anyone who wants to join along, we are reading
Peter Ackroyd's
Hawksmoor, as an amuse cerveau before we get into the
heavy stuff."
Hawksmoor is one of the titles on Bowie's list of "Top 100
which appeared in
2013 on his website.
And for even more
Bowie, check out the Bowie Book Club
http://www.shelf-awareness.com/ct/uz3642037Biz35550136
podcast, in which two friends (one of them Shelf Awareness's own Kristianne
Huntsberger) read and discuss the books on Bowie's reading list.
The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson was sold to me as being similar to The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry and A Man Called Ove, both of which I loved. This particular book, however, wasn't even in the same vein as the other two, because it is apparent right from the get-go that it's biting, cynical satire, similar to the Peter Sellers Pink Panther movies and Being There, rather than being about quirky or grumpy old guy with a heart of gold. The prose, which I assume is translated, is lucid and witty, while the plot is like a round robin song, in that it builds speed from one chapter to the next, until it's zooming along at a breakneck pace. Here's the blurb:
A reluctant centenarian much like Forrest Gump (if Gump were an
explosives expert with a fondness for vodka) decides it's not too late
to start over . . .After a long and eventful life, Allan Karlsson ends up in a nursing home, believing it to be his last stop. The only problem is that he's still in good health, and in one day, he turns 100. A big celebration is in the works, but Allan really isn't interested (and he'd like a bit more control over his vodka consumption). So he decides to escape. He climbs out the window in his slippers and embarks on a hilarious and entirely unexpected journey, involving, among other surprises, a suitcase stuffed with cash, some unpleasant criminals, a friendly hot-dog stand operator, and an elephant (not to mention a death by elephant).
It would be the adventure of a lifetime for anyone else, but Allan has a larger-than-life backstory: Not only has he witnessed some of the most important events of the twentieth century, but he has actually played a key role in them. Starting out in munitions as a boy, he somehow finds himself involved in many of the key explosions of the twentieth century and travels the world, sharing meals and more with everyone from Stalin, Churchill, and Truman to Mao, Franco, and de Gaulle. Quirky and utterly unique, The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared has charmed readers across the world.
There are a number of similarities to Forrest Gump, the movie, in this book, in the sense that Allan is more lucky than smart, but he's also an alcoholic and a jerk, so his character doesn't have Gump's sweet and kind nature. Though the situations he gets himself into are laughable, the edge of cruelty and self-serving, low brow people surrounding Allan, numbed my funny bone and made me want to smack Allan and tell him to shut up instead of laugh at his foibles. Most people consider this "black" or "gallows" humor, but in this instance it just wasn't amusing, it was horrifying. Other than disliking the protagonist and all the other characters, I thought the story was just bizarre enough to keep my attention throughout the novel. I'd give this one a B-, and only recommend it to those who like bitter, cynical humor and the lionizing of stupidity.
Cormorant Run by Lilith Saintcrow was surprising and visionary science fiction, something I am not used to reading from a primarily fantasy, paranormal romance and steampunk author like Saintcrow. Her main character was just as kick-butt a heroine as Jill Kismet and Dante Valentine, but Svinga isn't the usual long haired, gorgeous, leather-clad magic-wielding martial artist who populates her other fiction. Svin is grubby, plainly dressed, has wiry, messy hair, eyes that are too far apart and huge "horse" teeth that protrude. She's also stick-thin from being starved in solitary confinement in prison for being a Rifter, going into the Rift and bringing back artifacts to sell. But Svin is smart, and a survivor, and those are what matter most in this post-apocalyptic world of greed and corruption and burgeoning fascism. Here's the blurb: Saintcrow (She-Wolf and Cub) dives into the psychologies of greed and
survival in a flawed fantastical postapocalyptic adventure. For reasons
still unknown, the Event took place, opening rifts filled with dangerous
creatures and deadly phenomena. Governments quickly stepped in to
explore, map, and exploit the rifts, despite understanding nothing about
them. This gives rise to a small group of specialists called rifters
who make their illegal livelihoods going where everyone else fears to
tread. Eighty-six years after the Event, Svin is a rifter who was
incarcerated with the worst of the worst in Guantánamo Bay. A corrupt
government official offers her freedom in exchange for leading a select
team of scientists and soldiers to the Cormorant, the holy grail of
rifting. Guided by clues left by her now-deceased lover and mentor, Svin
must keep these men safe, despite their conflicting loyalties.
Saintcrow’s skill at intermingling moments of action, thoughtfulness,
and outright horror ensures a thrilling lack of equilibrium.
Unfortunately, the book is somewhat ponderous and occasionally dense,
and multiple perspectives bring confusion rather than dimension.
Though I can understand the reviewer/blurber's opinion about the book being somewhat dense, (there is a lot going on in every single paragraph. You don't really have time to take a breath and recoup as a reader), I didn't find the prose or the plot ponderous at all, nor was I confused by multiple perspectives. Saintcrow makes it clear who is talking and when and where they are in the plot. The story arc felt similar to Aliens, the movie, with readers knowing, going in, that the military and science guys with their sexist swagger are going to be the first ones who get eaten by aliens. Fortunately, Svin lasts longer than Ripley, and she's able to send one soldier back through the Rift, while staying inside, where she knows she can survive by herself. Though there were a number of horror elements, they weren't too drippy or disgusting, so I'd give this science fiction novel a B+ and recommend it to anyone who likes unusual heroines in their science fiction.
The Society by Lilith Saintcrow is another of her paranormal romance titles (you will recall last month I read Desires, Known, a paranormal romance about a genie in a ring purchased by an innocent accountant who doesn't believe in magic). This one involves an innocent psychiatric nurse who has amazing psychic powers that she doesn't understand and only uses surreptitiously to calm and heal the mental patients in the hospital. Of course, she's petite, blond and has the perfect curvy figure and green eyes that make the "Society" agent Delgado fall madly in love with her at first sight, and, being he's a big strong man, strive to be possessive and protective of her, of course. (GAH! I HATE standard romance tropes of the weak and childish, naive and stupid {but very pretty} female protagonists who just need a big strong man to come into their lives and help them discover their true power, and worth to society/and/or the world. The big strong man also has to be completely and utterly enthralled and in love with them by the second chapter, of course.) Inevitably, the government forces of evil, who are out to kidnap and drug and brainwash all psychics into weapons, catch up with our heroes and heroine, and big strong Delgado gives himself up to allow Rowan, the psychiatric nurse, the time to escape with the last few members of The Society, a rival agency that seeks to train psychics and keep them from government enslavement. Here's the blurb:
Will she be the Society’s salvation . . . or its downfall? The black-ops government agency called Sigma broke Justin Delgado, trained his psionic talent, and turned him into a killer. Then he escaped and joined the Society, an underground resistance movement of psions determined to use their talents to bring Sigma down. Competent, cold, and cruelly efficient, he’s the best operative the Society has, a legend among the psions who fight a shadow war against an enemy that owns the courts, the press, and the police. Feared even by his own teammates, hunted by the government, and too damaged to feel anything but clinical rage, he is utterly alone—until he meets Rowan.
When Rowan Price stumbles across Delgado’s team in an abandoned house, he is assigned to make contact with her, bring her in, and keep her alive—because Rowan is one of the most powerful psychics the resistance has ever encountered. If the government gets its hands on her, she could very well mean the downfall of the resistance, because nobody, not even Rowan, is quite sure how far her talents extend.
The Society will welcome Rowan, if she can stay alive long enough to join them. Unfortunately, there’s a traitor buried in the ranks. If the Society goes down, Rowan is at risk. God alone knows what Delgado will do to keep her safe, because Rowan is fast becoming the only thing in the world he cares about . . .
Saintcrow's prose is lithe and punchy, a perfect compliment to her gymnastic plot that never slows down for a moment. That said, about halfway through the book I wanted Rowan to take a long walk off a short pier, she was so annoyingly wimpy, stupid and immature. How anyone could reach the age of maturity and not even be able to deal with their own mental processes without falling apart is just beyond me. Of course she's still living with her daddy and taking care of him, because she's a good girl, which only adds to her allure to any men she encounters. Blech. So sappy! Anyway, I would give this short novel a B-, and that is just because of the quality prose. I'd recommend it to those who like their romances simple.
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst was recommended to me as being similar to the YA fantasy fiction of Victoria Aveyard (the Red Queen series). This is a thoroughly modern fantasy, though it has a medieval setting, because the female protagonists fall in love with each other, instead of the royal men they're supposed to marry (for political reasons, of course). Here's the blurb:
Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess
Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal
the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people
from other hostile kingdoms.But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a land where magic is forbidden.
Now Denna has to learn the ways of her new kingdom while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine, sister of her betrothed.
When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, they discover there is more to one another than they thought—and soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.
But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.
Though the prose was clean and muscular, and the plot measured and well woven with detail, I still saw the major plot points coming a mile away. I could tell that the tomboyish Mare, who cares about freedom from her stuffy royal responsibilities and her horses more than anything, would fall madly in love with the beautiful, petite and very feminine Denna, who is, of course, initially afraid of horses and feels duty bound to marry someone she doesn't love, because nearly all the men around them were jerks and of course two such lonely young women will fall for one another, given time. I'll take Lesbian stereotypes for $200, Alex.
Still, there was plenty of action and magic, and I enjoyed the easy story arc, which came to a nice HEA conclusion (or at least Happy for Now). Though it was predictable, I'd give this book a B+ and recommend it to those teenage girls who are seeking to define their own sexual identity, and are looking for role models.
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