Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents

by Pete Souza
Scott County Library hardcover 238 pages
genre: photojournalism, politics

I didn't like this book nearly as much as Souza's Obama. I appreciate the juxtaposition of Trump's tweets with Obama's demeanor and behavior, but this wasn't as joyous a book as the first one. I find Souza's late-to-the-game understanding of "shade" to be humorous. I also liked that there were some photos I'd not seen before. It would have been disappointing if it were just a re-hash of what's already been published. Overall, I liked it but wouldn't want to own it.

Obama: An Intimate Portrait

by Pete Souza
Hennepin County Library hardcover 346 pages
genre: photojournalism, presidential history

I almost bought this at Costco for $30 but waited on the list at the library for over two months instead! I love Souza's work and the way he captured many of the moments and moods in President Obama's White House. This is a lovely book and it made me appreciate Obama's personality and leadership even more than I did before looking at it. I think he is a kind, thoughtful, intelligent, caring human being with a fun sense of humor.

Souza took millions of photographs over the eight years of the Obama WH! (Literally, millions.) I don't know how he decided on these, but it's a wonderful book.

Every Good & Perfect Gift

by Sharon K. Souza
Hennepin County Library paperback 367 pages plus author extras
genre: Christian fiction, relationships

DeeDee (Doris Day) and Gabby (Angel) are best friends from the moment they meet as kids. DeeDee is dynamic and daring. Gabby is careful. They marry a pair of good friends who start their own software business right out of college. DeeDee decides she wants to have a child before she is forty, after having declared herself someone who never wanted to become a mother. Fertility issues ensue.

I thought the book would be perfect for a woman struggling with fertility or fascinated by every aspect of pregnancy. That does not include me. I thought DeeDee was overbearing and selfish. I thought Gabby was a wuss who needed to live her own life.

I marked a bunch of pages, but I don't really feel like writing about this book. We had a good discussion at book club last night. Most of the women liked it better than I did. I liked the husbands and laughed at some of their lines. The scene where Gabby's dad dies made me sad. I loved Sonny's prayer!

Page 171 - Love how Gabby described her mom's Bible and talked about wanting her own Bible to be as worn-out! Amen! Her mom was wonderful and commented on how she wished she'd had a friend like Gabby in her life.

In the author section, under the question of what she wants readers to take away from this book, Souza says (in part), "I've experienced the truth of Proverbs 18:24: 'There is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.' In her darkest moments, Gabby learned that the Lord reaches out to us in compassion, spanning the gap between our need and His Provision."