Description (from the publisher): In this candid and gripping account, President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions that shaped his presidency and personal life. George W. Bush served as president of the United States during eight of the most consequential years in American history. The decisions that reached his desk impacted people around the [...]
Summary The Duchess by Amanda Foreman was originally published under the title Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire. The book was a New York Times bestseller, and was eventually made into a 2008 film starring Keira Knightley as Georgiana Cavendish. One can only assume that the book’s title was changed to draw in movie fans who might [...]
Former president George W. Bush’s memoir Decision Points goes on sale today. I hardly ever read these things (I made it about 1/4 of the way through Clinton’s massive tome before giving up), but I put myself on the waiting list for the audiobook version from my library. There’s no question the press lambasted Bush [...]
Summary: Published in 2000, this memoir from Cybill Shepherd and ghostwriter Aimee Lee Ball describes the actress’s life from the time of her childhood in Memphis through her turbulent years in Hollywood, where she was best known for her roles in The Last Picture Show, Moonlighting, and Cybill. Among the topics Shepherd discusses are her [...]
Summary: Having read and enjoyed Chelsea Handler’s previous two books, Are You There, Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea and My Horizontal Life, I was looking forward to getting some more crazy stories and laugh-out-loud antics in the comedienne’s third (and reportedly last) literary effort, Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang. This book pretty much follows the format of [...]
Summary: This is the official memoir of Laura Welch Bush, former first lady of Texas (1995-2000) and of the United States (2000-2008). Like all memoirs, it begins with some background information about her parents and her childhood, which was spent in the small town of Midland, Texas. Interestingly, George W. Bush also grew up in [...]
Summary: In this memoir, Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former North Carolina Senator and vice presidential nominee John Edwards, writes about the various adversities she has faced in her life and talks about some of the ways she’s found to cope with the adversities. Edwards begins by talking about her father, an ex-Marine and the strongest [...]
Summary: This is a book I selected because of its place on the New York Times Bestseller list, where it has appeared, disappeared, and reappeared ever since its hardcover release in 2008. I do not watch Chelsea Handler’s show, but I was curious about why her books do so well. I previously read My Horizontal [...]
Summary: I’ve never been much of a tennis fan, but when Andre Agassi burst onto the professional tour in the late ’80s-early ’90s, even I couldn’t help but notice. He had wild, two-tone hair, wore hot pink lava spandex under denim shorts, and could play tennis. I started watching Agassi’s matches, and always pulled for [...]
This book sat atop the NY Times Bestseller list in the Nonfiction category for weeks and weeks and weeks, so I decided to pick it up and see what the fuss was all about. It turns out the book is a biography about Greg Mortenson, a climbing aficionado who was once rescued after a disastrous [...]