American Wife

American Wife (Thorndike Press Large Print Core Series)
$32.95

The Erotic Silence of the American Wife
$12.95
Item was exactly as advertised. Not as good information as I had hoped for, but is filled with useful information. Item was sold with "notes in the margins," which is why I bought this particular one, and they were helpful.

The Perfect Wife: The Life and Choices of Laura Bush
$16.95
After thoroughly enjoying 'American Wife' by Curtis Sittenfeld, I decided to pick up this book. I was hoping for more juicy details on the life of Laura, but the book was still interesting. It dragged a bit at parts, but overall was a quick read with some interesting insight. I particularly liked reading about the twins. Despite the author's fondness for Laura, you can tell she has issues with the way the Bush's raised the girls. To be honest, her account gave me a negative view of the twins - their entitled attitudes and spoiled behavior.

American Wife: A Novel (New York Times Notable Books)
$15.00
After reading this book, I've decided that things like the NY Times Book Review is sort of like the literary equilvalent of the Billboard Charts. It seems more and more these days, "sexy", "easy" artists are the most popular. A fiction book based on the life of Laura Bush will draw readers in much like a flashy pop video. But when you really look (or read), you realize it's not much more than a cotton candy trying to convince ou that it's good for you. I read "Prep" by Sittenfeld and enjoyed it; "The Man of My Dreams," not so much. I gave "American Wife" a chance because I too was drawn in by the luster of it all. But I was no more then 20 pages in when I realized Alice/Laura was the same character as the main characters in Prep & Man (I can't remember either of their names)--neurotic, overly focused on minute details that bogs down the narrative, obsessed with sex (seriously, were all these sex scenes necessary??) I really cannot believe how well-reviewed this book was. I guess, just like in the music world, you have to look past the fanfare to find the artists with real substance.