Decision Points by George W. Bush

About the Book: President George W. Bush describes the critical decisions of his presidency and personal life. Decision Points is the extraordinary memoir of America's 43rd president. Shattering the conventions of political autobiography, George W. Bush offers a strikingly candid journey through the defining decisions of his life.

In gripping, never-before-heard detail, President Bush brings readers inside the Texas Governor's Mansion on the night of the hotly contested 2000 election; aboard Air Force One on 9/11, in the hours after America's most devastating attack since Pearl Harbor; at the head of the table in the Situation Room in the moments before launching the war in Iraq; and behind the Oval Office desk for his historic and controversial decisions on the financial crisis, Hurricane Katrina, Afghanistan, Iran, and other issues that have shaped the first decade of the 21st century.

President Bush writes honestly and directly about his flaws and mistakes, as well as his accomplishments reforming education, treating HIV/AIDS in Africa, and safeguarding the country amid chilling warnings of additional terrorist attacks. He also offers intimate new details on his decision to quit drinking, discovery of faith, and relationship with his family.

A groundbreaking new brand of memoir, Decision Points will captivate supporters, surprise critics, and change perspectives on one of the most consequential eras in American history—and the man at the center of events.

First line: It was a simple question. "Can you remember the last day you didn't have a drink?" Laura asked in her calm, soothing voice.

My thoughts: I decided to read this book to hopefully understand President Bush's perspective on things. I was attracted to this one because of the way it was written, each section focusing on specific decisions and the history leading to those decisions. I liked that it was written in an easy to understand way.
As I read I found his decisions to be well considered and intelligent. Thinking back I know I didn't always agree with his policies and the same thing was true as I read of them in this book, but by the end of each part I feel that I understood how he made his decisions and why it made sense at the time. The glimpses into his private family life were at times very moving.

This was a facinating look into the life of a president. Just think of the job any president has, the burdens he holds on his shoulders. Each president has to bear these burdens, run the country, help others, and keep his family close. This helped me see how Bush did all that.

Dreadnought by Cherie Priest

Synopsis: Nurse Mercy Lynch is elbows deep in bloody laundry at a war hospital in Richmond, Virginia, when Clara Barton comes bearing bad news: Mercy’s husband has died in a POW camp. On top of that, a telegram from the west coast declares that her estranged father is gravely injured, and he wishes to see her. Mercy sets out toward the Mississippi River. Once there, she’ll catch a train over the Rockies and—if the telegram can be believed—be greeted in Washington Territory by the sheriff, who will take her to see her father in Seattle.
Reaching the Mississippi is a harrowing adventure by dirigible and rail through war-torn border states. When Mercy finally arrives in St. Louis, the only Tacoma-bound train is pulled by a terrifying Union-operated steam engine called the Dreadnought. Reluctantly, Mercy buys a ticket and climbs aboard.
What ought to be a quiet trip turns deadly when the train is beset by bushwhackers, then vigorously attacked by a band of Rebel soldiers. The train is moving away from battle lines into the vast, unincorporated west, so Mercy can’t imagine why they’re so interested. Perhaps the mysterious cargo secreted in the second and last train cars has something to do with it?
Mercy is just a frustrated nurse who wants to see her father before he dies. But she’ll have to survive both Union intrigue and Confederate opposition if she wants to make it off the Dreadnought alive.

First line: Down in the laundry room with the bloody-wet floors and the ceiling-high stacks of sheets, wraps, and blankets, Vinita Lynch was elbows-deep in a vat full of dirty pillowcases because she'd promiseh - she'd sworn on her mother's life - that she'd find a certain windup pocket watch belonging to Private Hugh Morton before the device was plunged into a tub of simmering soapy water and surely destroyed for good.

My thoughts: This is the third book in the Clockwork Century series by Cherie Priest. I read the first one, Boneshaker, last year and really enjoyed it. I liked this one just as much. I found the alternate history senarios to be facinating. At 400 pages this Civil War steampunk thriller didn't lack much to qualify for the Chunkster Challenge. This book went very fast for me, kept me on the edge of my seat with the action. Mercy Lynch, the main character, was a treat. I enjoyed getting to know her and meeting all the people along on her exciting journey west to see her dad. I only wish we had learned more about Theodora Clay, she is a mystery. A young woman escorting her eldery aunt west, she is knowlegable about guns and shooting but we are never told why. Maybe she'll show up in another Priest book. This was a fun read. If you like Steampunk or would like to dip into the growing Steampunk mini-genre, you should try this book.

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Quote: It's funny what they say about men in uniform - how people think women just can't resist 'em. Fact is, I think we're just pleased to see a man groomed, bathed, and wearing clothes that fit him.