The Best Book I've Read in a Long Time is "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" by Sarah Vowell. Although, since I haven't read a book in a long, long time, almost any book could be my "Best Book I've Read in a Long Time", but "The Partly Cloudy Patriot" is a dang-good collection of politically minded essays by frequent NPR commentator and Chelsean (I mention this because she's ALWAYS mentioning that she lives in Chelsea in the book) Sarah Vowell (crap, I already mentioned that in the first sentence.) Ms. Vowell is clearly very, very smart and really knows her stuff, but the whole book has the pleasant tone and easy accessibility of a conversation with someone cooking in a kitchen. Also quite likeable is that while Ms. Vowell's personal politics are easily deduced from the book (and by "deduced" I mean "you can read them") her politics come in second to her genuine love for the United States and its government. As the election draws closer, it's nice to be able to read musings on "being American" without the heavy-handed "I'm so right about this!" attitudes I've grown to expect from most junior pundits (and senior pundits, too. But I don't read much by senior pundits.)
Also, I probably really liked this book mostly because Sarah makes me think of Marsha. Wouldn't you agree, people who know Marsha?
Be Advised That while my Amazon shipment still hasn't arrived, I had an adventuresome weekend that has left me with more content to comment on than I know what to do with. I mean, I know what to do with it: I should post it. It's the "when to do it" that's more of an issue now.
2 comments:
Ok, a few weeks aga i called Brigham for a recommendation of a good book to read and he said "I hear that Sarah Vowell is pretty good." So I went out, bought the aforementioned book, and promptly fell in love. (With the book. Not with Sarah) And now, we are going to go see her at Eating it. Because it has been a long time since I had a rockstar crush, I think that my excitement at seeing Sarah Vowell live is akin to what my 12 year-old cousin felt when she went to see Britney Spears.
The point is, this book is so, so great. And Brigham is so, so great for recommending it.
-snc
But this is key: I hadn't read this book when I recommended it to Sariah, she just said she wanted to read essays and I knew that this was a book of essays. It wasn't until Sariah had read it and lent it to me that I found out that it was a good book afterall. And yes, Sarah Vowell was at Eating It tonight but plans to attend were called off at the last minute . . . but Sarah goes there all the time, so maybe next time? Or the time after it.
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