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What Members Thought
It takes A LOT to make me (a) enjoy non-fiction and (b) laugh out loud at a book, and this made me do both, a lot. American history! Nerdy facts! This made me want to be back in AP U.S. History, and also captures the over-enthusiasm that's the heart of true geekdom really well.
Definitely my favorite of the (two) books by her I've read so far. ...more
Definitely my favorite of the (two) books by her I've read so far. ...more
I really, really liked this book. I thought Vowell did an excellent job making history fun, far from dull, and married trivia with broader reflections on American life. At times her political opinions felt a little clunky-- like they were dropped in as an afterthought. I agree with her politics, but in general I feel like the political passages actually take away from the richer, more interesting information about the people she's writing about. My mom liked the book too but, since she didn't li
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Engaging walk through presidential assassinations and the locations that still resonate with the echoes of their hostory. The audiobook is particullarly enjoyable as it is read by the author herself, adding personality to her perspective on the events.
I guess to be more accurate, I listen to her books. Her voice and writing makes me giggle, which I like but when I'm sitting on the Metro, or walking down the street, kind of makes me seem like a crazy person. Totally worth it.
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Interesting history, but I'm really incredibly totally over Sarah Vowell telling us how much she hates George W. Bush via insertions that jar the reader out of focusing on her story. I honestly think she doesn't realize how over the top she sounds because she doesn't appear to spend time with people who disagree with her politically (save her father, who I believe is a gun-totin' real American or some such portrayal in Take the Cannoli).
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Oct 12, 2007
Jami
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Sep 23, 2016
Meg - A Bookish Affair
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