All Hail the Queen

Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of  Modern Monarch
Sally Bedell Smith

I’m sure a large majority of young girls grow up wanting to be a princess and the ideas is certainly shoved down young girls throats almost everywhere you turn, however as we get older reality comes into play and most girls grow out of it. Until Kate Middleton came along.  I began following the Kate/William fairy tale since probably 2005 and I remember their breakup in 2007 because it closely followed a personal breakup. Then just like Kate, we reconciled and were married (although much sooner than Wills and Kate. Since the wedding (which I woke up early to watch), I’ve had sort of a weird obsessions with the royals. I’ve watched several PBS royal documentaries and became interested in Elizabeth the II and her reign. Here is the story of a young lady who for her childhood had no idea that this would be her future. It’s still a sort of fairytale ( at least from my perspective) I’ve always had been intrigued by her action during WWII ( back to the war again) and her life overall. When I first saw the book, I have to admit I was turned away by the sheer size, but after getting it in the much less intimidating eBook format, I gave it shot. I expected to read the beginning and the end and skim through the middle, but after I started reading, I just kept going. It was fascinating and I loved how the book was written. The middle did get a little boring ( so many primer ministers to remember) and sometimes it seemed tedious, but other than that I founds this a fascinating read and look into the life of the Queen.

This book fall on the series spectrum of biographies and at times, it felt like a British History lesson which I enjoyed. I also enjoyed the little tidbits of the Queen’s personality that while I’m sure they were carefully vetted were interesting and made her seem like anyone else’s grandmother ( well almost).

This is the first book I’ve ever read regarding the monarch and Elizabeth and I was not disappointed. The only thing that did shock me about this was that Diana was portrayed in a very negative light. Having not paid much attention to the monarch after Diana’s death and being fairly young during the marriage and subsequent divorce, I never had any inkling that Diana was seen as unstable by the media. By the time I came along, Diana was the Humanitarian she is portrayed as today.

Anyway, this book can seem intimidating- long and full of history, but it actually moves in a faster pace for most of the book and is enjoyable read. Of course it stops short of divulging any information about Kate’s place in all of this, so if that’s what you are after than skip this. However, if you are interested in the monarchy/British history than this is an excellent start.

The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty

The Senator and the Socialite: The True Story of America's First Black Dynasty

Lawrence Otis Graham

Okay, so when Book Club number one picked this for their July meeting I was like WTF. I like Graham and have enjoyed his two previous books. In fact, I liked Our Kind of People so much I wrote my freshman thesis around the idea of dark vs. light, AND I got an A! However when I went to the bookstore and saw this book- I was like “Oh no”. It’s big- 480 pages and $27.95. Then I found out Mr. Graham would be there, so I plucked down the money and decided to skim through it. Then I got hooked and read the whole thing in a week- in between bridesmaid’s duty for a wedding that weekend- so you know it was pretty serious/good.

When you saw me, at the David’s Bridal, at the seamstress, at the traffic light on the way to the rehearsal dinner- you saw me reading this book. Even my mom commented on how consumed I was with this book. That’s how good it is.

Graham tells the story of the first black senator that nobody (I knew) knew anything about, Bruce Blanche and the dynasty, his family created and the rise and fall of the family. This book was good and juicy- it almost felt like fiction, then I would remember that it wasn’t and it would be that much better /real. Do not let the size of the book or even the fact that its nonfiction deter you. It is worth every one of its 480 pages. I would go as far as to describe this book as incredible. This a book that every African American family should have on its bookshelf and we should all be knowledgeable and stop letting other people decide what part of our history we learn about.( Sorry about the rant! )

In addition, I also got to meet Mr. Graham at the book signing and listening to him, enhanced the experience of this book for me. I even wrote a list of questions and he answered them!

This book touched on so many areas (and people) and at times it could feel a little repetitive, but that is because it’s a generational story. I don’t want to give too much away but I’ll try to sum it up. It’s a story about a family- taking place from reconstruction until now (at the end of the book, Graham tries to contact the remaining descendents) and their rise, fall and changes they went through. That doesn’t begin to describe it, but I think that between the title and this it should be pretty clear.

My verdict- Great Book- must read and a when you are done, share it!