Fast and fun reads

Here for It by R. Eric Thomas is an enjoyable, entertaining and educational collection of essays. Mr. Thomas, who is new to me, is a columnist for elle magazine. He writes comically but honestly about growing up black and smart at an overwhelmingly white private school, religious and gay, and generally about not fitting in. Self-deprecating and honest. Grade A.

This is not a political book, but it is a fascinating look at the workings of the White House under multiple past presidents. It is illuminating how hard past residents of the WH worked during their terms. J.B. West and Mary Lynn Kotz do an excellent job giving context to each political climate. I am giving Upstairs at the White House A+.

For an entirely different read, Tom Cooper writes Florida Man with a combination of violence, humor and pathos. Drug running, environmental issues and Florida history combine for a blazing story. A-

Currently reading Those Women and The Discomfort of Evening.