Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fun, as always. Looking forward to more Harriet Vane.

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American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fascinating, controversial president. The middle third of the book was the best part for me. The expansion of presidential powers and the formation of the presidency as we know it today is spun out as Jackson battles Calhoun, Clay, and congress. However, to get to this part of the book, you have to endure the never-ending battle over John and Margaret Eaton. Frustrating and boring. Frustratingly boring. Meacham does a good job, but he has some writing quirks that got annoying at times. It also seemed like the Indian Wars and eventual removal weren't dealt with as fully as I would have liked.

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A Monstrous Regiment of Women by Laurie R. King
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a bit up and down for me, but I still loved the main characters. And, it was entertaining enough to pull be right along. A fun read.

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Wine Wars: The Curse of the Blue Nun, The Miracle of Two Buck Chuck, and the Revenge of the Terroirists by Mike Veseth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great read. Veseth doesn't get snobbish about wine or deep into economic theory. It is essentially the story of the global wine market, but the cultural/sociological component of the tale was the most interesting part to me. Learning about grocery giants like Costco and Trader Joe's was fascinating. He writes in a conversational style and suggests wines for you to taste along the way. I learned a lot and I feel a little more confident about approaching the wine wall at the grocery store!

Full disclosure: Veseth is a professor at the college where I work.

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Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

You know, after all the hubbub surrounding Weiner's criticism of the media's coverage of Franzen's Freedom, it is interesting how similar these two books are. I've always been a fan of Weiner and bristled a bit about the chick lit label (which she has completely embraced). Weiner and Franzen write about similar things. A couple going through life's troubles and how it impacts their families and friends. Fly Away Home is called chick lit and Freedom is called a great American novel. Go figure.

p.s. I liked both books.

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The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A lot of fun. A Sherlock Holmes story told from the perspective of his new, female partner. Very engaging, great characters. I'll definitely continue to the second book in the series!

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The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America by Erik Larson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great intertwined stories of a major public project (the World's Fair in Chicago) and an insane serial killer. Creepy and awesome. And a true story, too!

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