Silly rabbit, coffee tables are for books!

Just yesterday, I spent too much time looking at some of the new "coffee table" books that were hanging out waiting to be processed. There are two things that will almost always pick up to examine: books that are large and glossy, and cookbooks. If it is a large, glossy cookbook, you may have to pry it out of my hands. Yesterday's treasures were both about interior decorating.

Timeless Elegance is a gorgeous book. Ooohing and Aaahing started on page one, and didn't stop until, well, the end. Even though I paid little attention to the text, and can't tell you a thing about this book other than it has GREAT pictures, I think I got out of it all I was ever going to get. I'm not sure who a book like this is geared towards: Interior designers? Easton groupies? Someone thinking about re-doing their own home? All of the above? I could sit and stare at this book for long periods of time, and I could see using it to refer back if I was looking for a certain..... something to do to my own home. But, would I buy it? Just to show on my coffee table? (2 people are currently waiting for our 1 copy)















A Passion for Interiors is another book roughly in the same vein as the one above. An idea book. Looking through it made me happy, but what would I do with it if I owned it? Would a book like this, in this economy, ever sell for the list price of $60? Will it sell for the Amazon price of $37.80? More importantly, do people want to own a book like this? (1 person on hold; 2 copies)



I'm fascinated by the idea of coffee table books. They are, more often than not, absolutely beautiful. A lot of money, time and talent go into making them into showpieces, and it definitely shows. I call them picture books for adults. (Great display idea, btw!) Purely coincidence, then, that I came across this NYT link from last week about coffee table books. Going through the list of books in this article, I placed about three holds for books I can't wait to look at:




Richard Misrach: Destroy this Memory (about Hurricane Katrina)

Detroit Disassembled -- Andrew Moore

Obviously, I've been watching a little too much Detriot 187! But, I was there a few years back watching a Tigers game and, honestly, I became curious about the city. The stadium was gorgeous (of course, since it is practically new!) but the surrounding area left a lot to be desired. Once you cross the border into Windsor (?) it is like a new world.

The New York Times Complete Civil War 1861-1865 The Civil War is one of those things where I think I have an interest, until I discover that I don't. We'll see how this goes.

If the library wasn't available, or if the library had chosen not to buy these books, would I shell out my own money just to look at them? I don't think that I would. Where would I keep them? What would I do with them after I'd satisfied my curiosity? Does anyone out there buy, for keeps, coffee table books? I'd love to hear from you!

Review: In the President's Secret Service

In the President's Secret Service: Behind the Scenes with Agents in the Line of Fire and the Presidents They Protect by Ronald Kessler


My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Parts of this book were so good I didn't want to put it down. Yet, there were some parts that were so boring I skimmed the pages. There were some good insights into the Secret Service, and the history of the organization was wonderfully done. But, at times, the book took on a gossipy tone which, while fun to read, didn't really add much to the core content. On the other hand, that is probably what will move books because we have an unquenchable thirst for gossip about....well, everyone.

What I found most amazing about this book was how stupid some of my fellow citizens can be when it comes to how (and how not to) behave in regards to people who enjoy Secret Service protection. Most of the things that are detailed in the book had me saying "Really? Someone would really be that dumb? Seriously?!" The book passes a lot of it off as mental instability/illness and I'm sure some of that is true. But there seems to be just a lack of common sense in these anecdotes as well.

As always, readers have to decide for themselves how much of it they're going to believe. When you're dealing with real people, especially real people who aren't around to defend themselves anymore, you take it all with a grain of salt. I can't remember what I said to half the people I saw last week. Do I really believe all of the reports in this book were remembered correctly from 10, 20, 40 years before? Not necessarily. And, there is always bias involved when you have people reporting what other people may have done or said. That's just how things go. But, taking that into account, I believe you can still get the gist of the Secret Service job and a sense of how they felt about the particular people they were assigned to guard. If you're a political history buff, or have an interest in the secret service,you'll probably want to check this one out.

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Review: I Love a Man in Uniform

I Love a Man in Uniform: A Memoir of Love, War, and Other Battles by Lily Burana

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
You all know how I feel about memoirs: don't trust 'em. Not my fault, I've been hurt before. BUT, I found this book absolutely charming, brutally honest (sometimes more than I think I needed to know) and very entertaining. It starts off strong, giving you a picture of the "perfect" Army Wife and then Burana tells you she is not that woman. Usually, the best compliment I can give to a memoir is that it "reads like fiction". This, to me, means that it isn't slow or overly detailed or dry like some memoirs, but is fast paced with snappy dialogue like the best fiction books. This book is fast paced with snappy dialogue, but you never get the feeling that it isn't real. There is always something there, lingering in the background, that tethers you to the reality that this is someone's life.



The Iraq War looms large over this book. First in anticipation of Major Mike going, then while he is gone, and then when he comes back. Burana was mostly very respectful of the Army, both as an institution and the political leadership thereof, so if you're looking for a book that bad talks the military, or something along those lines, best to move along. It doesn't happen here. What you get here is a wonderful insight into her life as an Officer's wife, and the adjustments she had to make. The chapters on West Point were fascinating and informative, but there was also plenty of humor to be found in the book. I'd always wondered what real Army wives think of the show Army Wives for instance. (She is an addict. Like me.) And calling the military "Uncle Sugar" cracks me up for a reason I still cannot identify.



One of my favorite parts came near the end where Burana, sick about the atrocities at Abu Ghraib, came face to face with Donald Rumsfeld at the Army-Navy football game.

"Shifting back and forth, I weighed the possible outcome of saying something to her husband, and no matter how angry I was over the hell that Rumsfeld and his crw had wrought, all I could envision were my words casting a long, dark shadow over my husband. For all my fury and indignation I would not win this war with a personal attack, and by Rumsfeld on the spot, I would be serving no one but myself. What he did to our contry might be unforgiveable, but so, too, would be turning a football game into my own personal bully pulpit. My husband committed to a vocation of selfless service and sacrifice. I would match his sacrifice with discretion. For the first time in my loudmouth life, I chose impassioned silence."

I'm glad she chose to break that silence to write this book. Very well done.


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Review: I'm Down

I'm Down: a memoir by Mishna Wolff

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
I'm skeptical about memoirs now. It wasn't just James Frey that made me skeptical. Since then, there have been many memoirs, both published and unpublished, that have proven to be false. So, while I very much liked this book, I'm not at all convinced that it was true. The beautiful thing is that it doesn't matter. If it is true, great. I can't wait to read the rest of the story. If it isn't true, great. I can't wait to read the rest of the story.



The writing was engaging and it read like fiction. It moved along fast and there weren't really any lulls to skim through. I almost wish this book was fiction, because that would make the narrator a lot more reliable. When I was reading this, I kept thinking "This is how YOU saw it. But I wonder how it really was." Which isn't to say, of course, that she deliberately lied. But, if these things are happening to you, then of course you're going to spin them with your own interpretation. That, and you're only privvy to the conversations you had access to.



The other thing was that the book ended too soon. Unless she's planning to do another one, and maybe she is, I thought it ended way too early. What happened in high school? What happened with her parents? What happened post high school? I know it was supposed to be about her "growing up" but it just seemed to end in an awkward place. I wanted to know more. I suppose wanting to know more is the best compliment you can give a memoir.



If you're planning to read this book (and from the cover how could you NOT want to read it) don't expect any deep philosophical answers about race relations (or anything else) from it. Expect to be entertained, and you won't be disappointed.


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Review: Act like a lady, think like a man

Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man: What Men Really Think About Love, Relationships, Intimacy, and Commitment by Steve Harvey

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
The best thing about this book was that when men saw me reading it, they would get ALL KINDS of bent outta shape. Seriously. I mean, they took it personally. That only made me want to get through it faster to see what the hell Steve was telling because men were nervous.



The first part of this book reads like a relationship manual from 1950. I understand where he's coming from, but I couldn't relate. My mind doesn't work that way. A friend of mine agreed that it did sound a little bit dateed, but she also said "it gets better."



It did. I love the part encouraging women to "get some standards." It's sad that people need to be told that but, obviously, they do. I'm glad to hear a man say it. But, it is also kind of sad that Harvey sets up men as these brainless little creatures who will only act right if you make them. I just can't believe that is true. Sure, there are people who will try to get away with whatever you're willing to let them get away with. I get that. But surely, SURELY, there are some men out there who don't need to be put in check from the starting line. Surely there are some men out there who have standards of their own and don't need you to dictate yours in order to act accordingly.



All of that said, it was an entertaining book and a quick read. I would recommend it to people who are interested, but take it, like any other "self help" book, with a salt shaker.


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Review: Wishful Drinking

Wishful Drinking by Carrie Fisher

My review

rating: 3 of 5 stars
You know, this wasn't a bad book. Parts of it were hilarious, in fact. Fisher has a warped sense of humor, and if the book catches you in the right mood, you will find yourself laughing out loud. And, she certainly knows how to laugh at herself, and her situation, and everyone around her. What you won't find in this book is a lot of the things you want to know, especially if you're picking up the book anxious to hear every detail about the filming of a certain SF trilogy. Granted, that was but a few moments out of Fisher's 50+ years, but still.



The beginning of this book is nearly incoherent. It could be that I was tired, but I found myself reading the first ten to fifteen pages over and over and OVER again. WTF did she say? The sentences don't seem to work together. The pages don't seem to work together. The thoughts don't seem to work together..... Things straighten up soon after that, the ship rights itself, and the rest of the book is a quick page turner.



And when I say "quick" I mean just that. Clocking in at under 200 pages, you might be able to read this one during commercial breaks while you watch tv, surf the net and talk on the phone at the same time!



Bottom line: Give it a read if you're interested. If you like it, great. If you don't, at least you haven't wasted that much time out of your life.


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Review: One Bullet Away

One Bullet Away: The Making of a Marine Officer by Nathaniel C. Fick

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
"Memoirs" have taken a bad rap in the world of publishing lately. So much so that you have to wonder if you can believe anything that anyone says is a "true story." This is why I was heartened to see the semi disclaimer in Fick's book that he tried his best to make it as accurate as possible, but if something is wrong, it wasn't intentional truthiness to blame.



The book itself is wonderful. The topic isn't wonderful, of course, but the descriptions and the narrative is very good. He doesn't go easy on himself either, which is refreshing. There is great detail on the things people most want to know. And, though you know, of course, that Filk holds some things back, you get a very full picture of what life was like for him, and his Marines, going through all the phases of this story.



If you're interested in military memoirs, I recommend it. If you're looking for a print version of Full Metal Jacket, you might want to take a pass.


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Review: Unto the Daughters

Unto the Daughters: The Legacy of an Honor Killing in a Sicilian-American Family by Karen Tintori

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow. I kept waiting for the part where the author admits this is entirely fictional and none of the awful she describes actually happened.



That part never came. It seems completely unbelievable to read this with 20th and 21st century eyes. But, this book is about more than just the uncovering of the ugly family secret of an "honor killing" but a history of how this family came to America. And a social history of immigrant families. It is fascinating, and I can't recommend it highly enough, even for people who SWEAR they don't like history.






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