David Litt’s memoir, Thanks Obama: My Hopey, Changey White House Years, begins with his work as a campaign worker in Ohio and follows his career as a speechwriter to the President. It’s witty, insightful, self-deprecating, full of interesting information about the Obama White House, and, despite the ups and downs of working for the government, ultimately hopeful–even about the era of Trump, and we all need a little hope right now.
I haven’t read any reviews yet of Lynne Rae Perkins’s Secret Sisters of the Salty Sea, but I think I need to find some because I really don’t know what to think about this book. It’s sweet and very gentle, the story of a family’s beach vacation. I wanted to love it, because I love Lynne Rae Perkins, but not enough happened for me to stay engaged throughout.
Wow. Lita Judge’s illustrated verse novel about Mary Shelley is magnificent. To be fair, it might be hard to write a bad book about Mary Shelley, because the material is so rich, but I think Lita Judge outdoes herself with Mary’s Monster. The artwork is so atmospheric and the verse captures Mary’s grief and strength. I read this in one sitting and then wished I had slowed down and savored it.
the dirigible plum 
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