Readers' picks
Readers' picks
I'm rereading The Education of H*Y*M*A*N K*A*P*L*A*N, a compilation of Leo Rosten's stories, most of them written more than 50 years ago, of immigrant learners in the American Night Preparatory School for Adults. Rosten writes lovingly of Hyman Kaplan and his fellow students as they struggle with the mysteries of the English language. – W.N. Butler, Naples, Fla.
I picked up Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama. I've always assumed a living politician's autobiography or memoir would be self-serving political pablum but I'm finding this book engaging: it's well written by a seemingly authentic person who understands that the world is a complicated place. – Anne Payne, Jacksonville, Fla.
I'm devouring Revolutionary Spirits: The Enlightened Faith of America's Founding Fathers by Gary Kowalski. Who knew that John Adams believed in extraterrestrials or that Ben Franklin was a polytheist? The book shines a fascinating light on the complex creeds of the men who made the United States the most technologically advanced, as well as the most religiously diverse, nation in history. – Rhiana Bams, Sackville, New Brunswick
My first Maisie Dobbs mystery was discovered on a used-book shelf. What a find! Maisie is a young English detective working in London, in the aftermath of World War I. Along with her intriguing mystery plots, British author Jacqueline Winspear tells another story: what daily life has become for the ordinary people who survived the Great War. I just finished An Incomplete Revenge. I had to read it straight through. – Alice McDonald, Boulder, Colo.
Kisses From a Distance by Raff Ellis is a very well-written book about the American immigrant experience. Parts of the book reminded me of the immigration scenes from The Godfather Part II. The volatile Lebanese temperament makes for some pretty funny scenes. – Dan Watkins, Sebastopol, Calif.
Journals: 1952-2000 by Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., is an engrossing personal account of this political era, revealing the author's closeness and influence with the Kennedy family. – Bill Hill, Tampa, Fla.
WHAT ARE YOU READING? WRITE AND TELL US AT kehem@csps.com
