Finished up Spook by Mary Roach, an in-depth and irreverant look at the world of mediums, ghosts etc. Very funny (as she always is) and interesting, but more of a pick-up and put-down book really so it took a while to finish. Finished The People of Privilege Hill by Jane Gardam, a book of short stories (one or two featuring old characters like Old FILTH etc.). Most of the stories were very well written, but there were a few slightly odd ones in there. I think it was a bit of a vanity project for the author... Then an ILL came in: Fire on the Mountain by Anita Desai, a novel with absolutely beautiful descriptions in it of the hill station in North India where the book is located. There is a crusty grumpy old lady who lives there, glad to be alone when suddenly one of her daughters dumps her own daughter (the protag's great granddaughter) there all summer. It's how the relationship develops (or dosen't) between the two generations. Really enjoying this one bc the writing is just so good. Then, as a NF read, I have another book by Sue Hubbell, a series of essays (I think) about her country living and keeping bees. I really enjoyed her other book, so am hoping this will be similar. I also need to switch off One-Click on ama. It is absolutely far too easy to buy a book right now when I have a slow mo at work...

I finished Second Acts, and really liked it. The author obviously has his own opinions about different issues that each president faced, but what I liked the most is how much he concentrated on how the president dealt with life afterwards, and how even the president beset with major scandals or low popularity was treated with kindness and humanity in his writing. He also showed how the ex president saw his time in office, and how he saw the next office holders administration. This is an excellent book for anyone who wants a glimpse of American politics in the last 60 years, and a glimpse of the people who led us in those times. Its certainly a reminder of how our past can't help but influence our future, and a reminder that the more things change, the more things stay the same. BTW - I was esp taken by Herbert Hoovers story. I can still remember my parent's degrading comments about him (they were Depression Era children), and so all I knew were Hoovervilles. But he was an engineer who led the American effort to get food and shelter to the battered countries after WWI (this was before he was president). Truman asked him to help again with the Marshall Plan after WWII. In between that time he was basically ignored. Truman and Hoover ended up being friends, and Hoovers legacy certainly became a more complex and positive one than the one that he is usually known for. Now reading John Connely's Book of Lost Things. Loving it so far.

A Death Along the River Fleet - Susanna Caulkins (the Fleet is one of the 'disappeared' rivers of London)

How to Live with Adult Children Who Return Home...Jean Davies Okimoto