The King's Curse by Philippa Gregory, 2014
The King's Curse is about the 3rd or 4th Gregory book that I have read.  She brings the world of 15th Century royalty to life.  The power, drama & sex (especially when the story involves Henry the VIII.

The story is told from Margaret Pole's, Countess of Salisbury's, point of view.  She is a Plantagenet/York, a family feared by the Tudors.

The cousin of Henry the VII's wife, Margaret becomes the governess for future king Arthur, Prince of Wales.  With Arthur's early death from the Sweat, Arthur's younger brother Henry VIII becomes the next in line.

In and out of favor of the royal court, Margaret is thrown into poverty after the death of her husband.  With the ability to regain a place in the court for herself and her son if she betrays Princess Katherine, Author's widow, from Spain, Margaret chooses to remain faithful to her friend and former charge.

Once Katherine marries Henry VIII after his father's death, Margaret is brought back to court and bestowed lands and titles.

Unfortunately, as Henry VIII becomes more paranoid and obsessed with fathering a male heir, those close to him are mercilessly sent to the Tower and charged with treason for the barest offense.

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close, 2016
Captures DC perfectly.  Captures marriage and couple-friendships perfectly. 
Midwestern Beth is married to Matt, whose family fashions themselves after the Kennedies. 
Matt grew up knowing he wanted to run for office and purposefully abstained from any questionable behavior while growing up to prevent any embarrassment when he ran for office.  A friend's husband that I knew in DC behaved the same way.
New to DC, Beth and Matt befriend Texans Ashleigh & Jimmy. 
Despite having a very "DC" relationship, Beth appreciates Ashleigh & Jimmy because they are the rare political couple who can talk about other things besides politics.
When Matt signs on to run Jimmy's campaign, the stress of the campaign, especially a failing one, becomes too much for everyone involved.

July

July was a busy month.  I got new responsibilities at work that required me to travel to Cincinnati and I was in the midst of dealing with renting out an apartment for one of my mom's rental properties.

I had read Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan, but forget to note it in this blog.  The book is hilarious.  My husband even found it hilarious, even if Gaffigan though not his style of humor.

With five (FIVE) children, Gaffigan has many great stories about becoming a parent & trying to raise a family in NYC.  His diagram outlining sleeping arrangements for his family in a 2 bedroom apartment are funny as well as awe-inspiring.

I may have read another book in July, but for the life if me, do not recall which one.






Mission Hill by Pamela Wechsler, 2016
Found this post in draft mode & finally getting around to adding beginning of September...

After reading about the refuge camp Dadaab, I needed something lighter.  Mission Hill was the perfect transition. A la the Spencer for Hire series, Mission Hill is a Boston crime book with the against-the-grain-loner-hero being Abby Endicott, chief of the District Attorney's homicide unit in Bah-ston.

Filled with Boston landmarks,interesting twists and a seemingly predicable ending, Mission Hill surprises.

Abby is a Boston Brahmin with access to the most exclusive private club include Beacon Hill, including her family's trust fund.  Among her colleagues in the DA and Boston Police department, Abby struggles to keep her designer clothes, original art work and first edition books inconspicuous.

Her rebellion to her blue blood, Harvard Law school roots include working in the very non-glamorous DA's office and dating Ty Clark, a musician boyfriend previously arrested for possession of marijuana.

A flawed character haunted by the murderers that she has prosecuted, Abby struggles to make smart decisions in her personal life from her family to her relationships.  As a DA, her cop "partner" is Kevin Farnsworth as they investigate the murder of fellow DA Tim Mooney.

Wechsler is writer for the endless number of Law & Order shows and her book reads like an episode - short chapters, fast pace and twists. 

August

Modern Lovers by Emma Straub, 2016
Very New York City story about 2 families who are raising children in Brooklyn.
Liberal arts educated group of friends who are now middle-aged parents.
Like the fact that one of the main characters, Ruby, is African-American and not a big deal.
The other main characters & college friends include mid-western raised Elizabeth with good manners who discovers city life & can never go back to her old pace of life and her husband Andrew, trust fund baby raised in NYC.
As marriages carry on for 20+ years, their children Zoe and Harry embark on a romance.
Fun, unique story with humorous & creative ending.
Had started Straub's The Vacationers, but could not get into so tentatively picked this up.





Here Comes The Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn, 2016
Although recommended by a few sites, I initially was not going to pick up Here Comes The Sun.

Set in Jamaica, the novel tells the story of island native Margot who works at The Palm Star Resort, worlds away (figuratively) from the shack that Margot lives in with her mom Delores and sister Thandi.


A powerful story of growing up poor, mean and ignorant, Margot's neighbors live a tough life and she is driven to pull herself from such a life.

Working long hours and willing to sleep with the Palm Star Resort owner to keep her job, Margot's focus is to provide an education for her sister Thandi so that she can become a success and support both Margot and Delores.

Stories of Delores's harshness, Thandi's struggle to fit in with her wealthier and lighter classmates & Margot's raw ambition makes Here Comes The Sun a page-turner where in the end, everything blows up.

Taliban Shuffle by Kim Barker, 2012
Flying back after a business trip to Cincinnati, I wanted something for the plane.  After spending a few days in an area surrounded by strip malls & high way, I was ready for something meaty to read.

I had also been reading a lot of memoirs.  None of the fiction, non-fiction or biographies in the bookstore of the Cincinnati-Kentucky International Airport (probably the smallest international airport in the US) caught my attention.

Wanted to learn more about Afghanistan, I picked up Taliban Shuffle.  Filled with details about a country that I know nothing about, the book was a fascinating read.

Barker talks about the lack of cohesion or even a plan to enable Afghanistan to govern itself after drawing the country into war and destroying so much.  Each country was responsible for a geographic area or social area of rebuilding Afghanistan, with the Italians responsible for the judicial systems.

Having read The Italians, I understood the point that Barker was trying to make, that Afghanistan really had no hope.

Witty and self-aware, Barker's novel is a seamless combination of personal memoir and portrayal of present day Afghanistan & Pakistan.


The Ramblers by Aidan Donelley Rowley, 2016

Overly dramatic & predictable, but very readable.  Dramatic topics are a bit deeper, covering items such as mental illness, divorce and loneliness.

Clio Marsh, Smith Anderson & Tate Pennington are Yale graduates in their early 30s struggling to overcome their first world problem emotional issues in Manhattan.  Also, an ode to New York City.

Next time I am in NYC, I would love to explore the Rambles in Central Park.