My review of Kate Elizabeth Russell’s spectacular novel about abuse, trauma, and the #metoo movement.

I expected little from a biography of James K. Polk but was pleasantly surprised by this book.

Rebecca Makkai’s brilliant novel about the past, the present, and our nation’s true crime addiction.

Whoops! I missed William Henry Harrison last week, skipping right to the detestable John Tyler. I’m sure you were silently crying yourself to sleep at night, but not to worry, here it is, all 31 days of William Henry Harrison’s short and forgettable presidency.

The Turnout by Megan Abbott is an extraordinary novel about family, deceit, and how one’s repressed past can make itself known.

I write about Gary May’s biography of John Tyler - one of my least favorite people to ascend to the presidency.

This week I wrote about a beautiful novel by Mimi Herman. The Kudzu Queen takes us back in time and teaches us about kudzu (an invasive plant). She also paints an elegant, vivid portrait of a young girl becoming a woman.

This week we have Martin Van Buren, an important figure in American history, who’s best remembered as a Seinfeld punchline.

I discuss Andrew Jackson, a consequential president, and a horrible man.

John Quincy Adams - our cantankerous, abolitionist, skinny-dipping sixth president!

This week I write about the movie Children of Men, one of my all-time favorite films. I explore the ways in which it still feels current despite coming out almost twenty years ago.

This week I discuss our fifth president, James Monroe, and the pleasant surprise that was Tim McGrath’s biography on him. I expected to be bored and left enthralled!

I discuss two excellent books - Cultsih by Amanda Montell and The Girls by Emma Cline

I write about our 4th President, James Madison, and Richard Brookhiser’s disappointing biography of him.

This week I listened to one of my favorite books. It’s called The Trip to Echo Spring: On Writers and Drinking by Olivia Laing. As you could likely guess, it's a book about writers and alcoholism. She details the lives of six American authors – F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, John Cheever, John Berryman, and Raymond Carver. Each of them an alcoholic. Each an iconic writer.

My post about Jon Meacham’s excellent but brief biography of Thomas Jefferson.

I discuss reading Tom Perrotta’s brilliant novel in the age of Covid.

My post about David McCullough’s iconic biography of John Adams. Just a quick 43 more, and I’ll shut up about presidents!

I’ve been watching and (mostly) enjoying HBO’s The Last of Us. Now, full disclosure, I never played the game and as such cannot refer to that for context. I do, however, have a close friend who loves the game. He told me recently that one of the major differences between the show and the game is the relationship between Joel and Ellie. From what he says in the game Joel doesn’t show much warmth towards his “cargo,” where in the show that relationship is paramount.

My (kind of) review of Ron Chernow’s excellent Washington: A Life. 1 down 44 to go!