Destiny of the Republic

I borrowed Destiny of the Republic:A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard from my mom for my adult book club. The book description says, "James Abram Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, a renowned congressman, and a reluctant presidential candidate who took on the nation's corrupt political establishment. But four months after Garfield's inauguration in 1881, he was shot in the back by a deranged office-seeker named Charles Guiteau. Garfield survived the attack, but become the object of bitter, behind-the-scenes struggles for power—over his administration, over the nation's future, and, hauntingly, over his medical care."

This book was fascinating! I loved reading about this story because I knew pretty much nothing about Garfield beforehand, and there was so much interesting stuff. The author portrayed the characters so well--I loved Garfield, hated Guiteau, etc. I forgot to blog about this book when I finished it a couple months ago, so I don't have as much to add here as I would have if I wrote about it right after. But great book! My mom loves this author and recommends more of her books, so I'll probably read another one soon.

Rating: * * * (3/3 = Loved it)

The Curse of the Mummy

I got The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun's Tomb by Candace Fleming from the library before we went on vacation to Egypt. It tells the story of the archaeologists and financers who found King Tut's tomb as well as the stories behind the curse surrounding it.

This was a fun read, especially since I read it after we visited Egypt and saw King Tut's mask and sarcophaguses. I liked following Howard Carter and the other individuals involved in the discovery of the tomb.

Rating: * * (2/3 = Liked it)