June Reading

I can't claim that my June reading has been eclectic as you can see by the pile of biographical writing that I've been plowing through. I read the Cronkite biography by Douglas Brinkley two years ago. I pulled it out around the 70th anniversary of D-Day, since Brinkley's description of wartime London in June of 1944 was so compelling. It was a poignant look at that exciting, yet scary time. I enjoyed reading about those days again.

Margaret Thatcher has always been on my list of interesting political figures. Her autobiographical account of her years as prime minister in the UK started out rather dry. I did learn that Number 10 Downing Street was run with far fewer staff members than The White House in those years, but, then, the British have royalty to pay for, too. I'm having a hard time getting focused on Margaret and those years in England, but my bookmark is moving.

"Hard Choices," Hillary Clinton's new volume of her account of the four years she spent as secretary of state should bring some reflective moments since the years she writes about are like yesterday. I especially admire her toughness, a trait that women are chided for, while men are seen as coming by toughness naturally. I expect that I won't always agree with her but the book should be a great read.

On top of the pile is a little book that my sister Heidi Hayes has been recommending on her Creatavita blog. The book is "Manage Your Day-To-Day" and it is about focus and discipline in daily habits. Since I'm a great one for losing myself on Facebook, this little book is reminding me to put down my smartphone and pick up my paint brushes or my knitting.

The June reading will become the summer reading, I'm sure, as the days in the garden and nights spent by the lake shore require some quiet moments. As you can see, I have quite a few pages ahead of me.