We should constantly be reminded of what we owe in return for what we have.

Back in January, Masterclass had an all access pass on sale for all of their classes. I bought it, thinking 2020 was going to be my year of learning and change.

Oh hindsight. You so funny.

Since I've been stuck at home for over 2 months, I have delved into Masterclass classes and discovered Doris Kearns Goodwin had a class on Leadership (viewed through FDR, Johnson, etc). Kearns Goodwin is a presidential historian and I remembered being interested in her interviews on The Daily Show (The Jon Stewart version). But I never read any of her books.

I'm halfway through her class and decided to see if the library had any e-books available (I miss going to the library the most). I ended up with No Ordinary Times as an audiobook. I really enjoyed it. I knew little about FDR and Eleanor, really just the basics.

This book covers their relationship and the US's entrance into WWII. We learn a great deal about how Eleanor basically wrote the book on how modern (most modern) First Ladies would act: the causes they take on, the public appearances, and their dedication to America. In this case, Eleanor also had to act as an FDR proxy when the President could attend in person. Paralyzed by polio, he relied on Eleanor to report back to aid in his decision making.

I would say they were a great team.... and they were, but affairs and such always cause problems. The Roosevelt's were no exception.

FDR did a lot in his unprecedented four terms as President (term limits were set shortly after). His fireside chats, the New Deal, helping our allies defeat Hitler, etc. Eleanor was no slouch either in the human rights arena.

It's very interesting to compare the past Presidential decisions, Congressional decisions as well, to current day. It's also interesting to know that the New Deal was protested against, but is common day now. It's also interesting to compare the current COVID stimulus with the New Deal as well.  History is just damn interesting.

FDR - Fireside chat

Fast Facts about Eleanor

Once In A....

Here's another review I swore I wrote, but, in reality, I just discussed it with a friend. Am I losing it? Probably. I both need to interact with people and do not want to be around people. What strange times.

I quite like Jack Reacher, even if his circumstances are a bit unbelievable. In book #24, Reacher sees an old man, with an envelope full of money, fall asleep on a bus. He also spies a rapscallion who is eyeing the envelope. When the old man gets off at his stop, so does the rapscallion. And so does Reacher.

Reacher thwarts a robbery and, in his insistence on helping the old man home, is now eyebrows deep in gangsters and mafia goings on. How does he do this?

The old man is actually using the money to pay back a loan shark, and, for some reason, Reacher decides to act as the old man to get more info. We get the back story on why this old couple hits up mafia loan sharks in the first place (it feels slightly incredulous) and it must hit Reacher's sympathy bone, because he stays on to help them out.

A waitress comes along for the ride in taking down all of the mafia. Again...what?

If you disregard the credibility of such a story and you choose to go on the ride without thinking, this is an excellent book with an abnormal amount of violence, even for Reacher.

This is our story

I'm surprised I didn't write a review for Ashley Elston's book This is Our Story. I felt like I did. Maybe I just wrote it in my head and never actually put fingers to keyboard.

Today is a beautiful day in the Midwest. Windows are open, sounds of people out in their yards floating in. It's a great change of pace from the locked up (safe at home) dreary days of the past 2 months. I hope everyone is well and staying healthy.

I think this book was recommended by the Book Riot podcast but darned if I can find it! Either way, it was a pretty good story as listened via audiobook through the library. I'm fairly certain it's a YA book as the main characters are High Schoolers and, while the plot was more adult, it felt young.

Kate Marino is a senior and works as an intern at the DA's office (where her mom works). The River Point Boys are a group of five super wealthy and, naturally, handsome boys. They go into the woods for a hunting party, but only four boys come out. Who killed Grant? None of the boys are talking. And being from wealthy families, they don't have to.

Mr. Stone, the DA, ends up with the case and is ordered to get the boys off since the families are such good donors. Sad, but true. Mr. Stone, however, along with Kate, decide to dig in and see if they can get enough evidence to prosecute Grant's killer.

As Kate digs in, we find that Grant is a not so stellar guy and several people actually had motive to get rid of him.

I read it too long ago to remember a lot of the details but while it's called a thriller, I don't think that's true. It's a good mystery, a little unbelievable that a teenage girl gets as far as she does, but was fun to listen to and I ended up bingeing the last bit for the Whodunit.

Interview with the author