These are the two books I finished in January:
Assassination Vacation, Sarah Vowell - This book is enthralling, I cannot put it down, which is odd for me and non-fiction books. The book discusses the author's research of the first three presidential assassinations - Lincoln, Garfield and McKinley - and goes on a pilgrimage of sorts to see the artifacts of these assassinations. It is kind of a bizarre topic, but gosh, she knows her history and I have learned so much. She draws connections between the politics of those days of yore to modern times and now I really want to go around to see all of the historical places she talks about. The author has a very quirky sense of humor and is very engaging. This is not at all a dry history retelling, but is sprinkled with anecdotes and observations and I just could not put it down.
Peony in Love, Lisa See - I have read a number of books by Lisa See including Snow Flower and the Secret Fan and, more recently, Shanghai Girls. I loved both of these books and really enjoyed reading about such a different culture. These books talk about different times in Chinese history and give a lot of insight into the lives of women during those times. Peony in Love was not my favorite. The main character dies about a quarter of the way through the book, which then goes on to discuss her life as a spirit and the interactions she has with the human world. I don't mind fantastical elements in my literature, but I never felt like this book decided what it wanted to be and it did not resonate with me. But if you're a fan of Lisa See's work, it's a quick read and certain aspects were very interesting.
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