Pages As Planes: Washington DC

After enjoying the Inauguration coverage this week, I thought it was only appropriate to fly off to Washington DC this weekend in today’s Pages As Planes! I love putting together these posts because I always discover something new. In fact, while writing this post, I found a book that I didn’t know existed and immediately ordered it! It arrives today and I can’t wait.

Anyone else find themselves emotional watching the pomp and circumstance of the Inauguration? I know Joe Biden isn’t the perfect President (does such a person exist?) but I have become totally enraptured with this family. I loved this interview with his daughter, Ashley Biden, and this one with Ashley and his granddaughters! How special to have it conducted by a former First Daughter as well.

I’ve always been fascinated with DC. I love history and I love tradition. Here are a few photos from my last visit, which I can’t believe was December 2014. Wild! My best friend Grace was living there and we did a holiday mall walk for her birthday. It was so fun (and SO COLD) but worth it. There may or may not be eggnog in that travel mug…

Check out some of these books set in DC! Not all are political dramas but definitely capture the magic of the city.

All American Girl by Meg Cabot—If you haven’t read this book yet, I’m pretty sure we weren’t friends in high school. This was my first Meg Cabot and started a long obsession with her YA. It’s about Sam, who saves the President’s life and ends up dating his son. It’s a DELIGHT.

Ready or Not by Meg Cabot—The sequel to All American Girl! This was one of the first, if not the first, sex positive book I read as a teen. Meg Cabot taught me more about safe sex than my sex ed in school.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown—I haven’t read a Dan Brown, but I’ve seen The Davinci Code obviously, and I’m tempted to read this one!

“In this stunning follow-up to the global phenomenon The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown demonstrates once again why he is the world’s most popular thriller writer. The Lost Symbol is a masterstroke of storytelling--a deadly race through a real-world labyrinth of codes, secrets, and unseen truths . . . all under the watchful eye of Brown’s most terrifying villain to date. Set within the hidden chambers, tunnels, and temples of Washington, D.C., The Lost Symbol accelerates through a startling landscape toward an unthinkable finale.

As the story opens, Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.” —From the publisher

When Washington Was in Vogue by Edward Christopher Williams— I think this sounds so good! I want to read it ASAP and wish it had been part of my school curriculum.

”Nearly lost after its anonymous publication in 1926 and only recently rediscovered, When Washington Was in Vogue is an acclaimed love story written and set during the Harlem Renaissance. When bobbed-hair flappers were in vogue and Harlem was hopping, Washington, D.C., did its share of roaring, too.

Davy Carr, a veteran of the Great War and a new arrival in the nation's capital, is welcomed into the drawing rooms of the city's Black elite. Through letters, Davy regales an old friend in Harlem with his impressions of race, politics, and the state of Black America as well as his own experiences as an old-fashioned bachelor adrift in a world of alluring modern women - including sassy, dark-skinned Caroline.” —From the publisher

The Diplomat’s Daughter by Karin Tanabe—Okay, this one doesn’t take place entirely in DC but it is about the daughter of a Japanese diplomat during WWII. It sounds complex and romantic and mostly, I just really want to read it! The synopsis is long but you can find it here!

American Princess by Stephanie Marie Thornton—I read this book in 2019 and I really enjoyed it! I have a fascination with the children of Presidents, similar to how I feel about the royals! These roles were thrust upon them. Alice Roosevelt is the daughter of famed President Teddy Roosevelt. It’s a fascinating look at the Republican Party and her relationship with Eleanor Roosevelt. Alice was difficult and strong, a little mean, but 100% fabulous. She had a lot of fashion influence on the world! I wish we could get some SMT’s of her past looks from Elizabeth Holmes!

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo—A non-political book set in DC! This was one of my favorite reads of 2020 and I think gives a great representation of the town from a young person’s perspective. Emoni is a teenage mother who wants to run her own kitchen. She is hardworking and funny, but this book will 100% make you crave mac n cheese.

Savage News by Jessica Yellin—If you’re not following Jessica Yellin on Instagram, what are you doing? I didn’t know she had a book—and it’s a NOVEL— and I can’t wait to read it!

“Natalie Savage grew up focusing her ambition on her reporting career instead of her personal life. Now her efforts are paying off. Offered the title of White House correspondent—temporarily—she knows she has the grit, the principles, the news sense to succeed. But first she must compete with a vacuous, popular frat boy for the position.

Navigating rating wars, sexual harassment and an international political crisis to prove herself, Natalie begins to wonder if achieving her dreams really means compromising on everything she stands for.

This juicy insider’s take on the fraught role of today’s press tackles head-on the #MeToo movement as well as the delicate dance between trying to hold truth to power and combating disingenuous charges of fake news.”—From the publisher

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston—I mean, this HAS to be included doesn’t it? If you are one of the few people on the planet who has yet to read this book, stop what you’re doing and READ IT.

It’s about the FIrst Son of the first woman President of the United States who is figuring out who he is and what role the First Children have in the administration. When he and Prince Henry of England get into a public scuffle, they’re left to figure out a positive PR spin that turns into something more.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfeld—I have only read one Sittenfeld Novel (Eligible) but know her work is incredibly popular. I * think * this is loosely based on Laura Bush??

“A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice Lindgren has no idea that she will one day end up in the White House, married to the president. In her small Wisconsin hometown, she learns the virtues of politeness, but a tragic accident when she is seventeen shatters her identity and changes the trajectory of her life. More than a decade later, when the charismatic son of a powerful Republican family sweeps her off her feet, she is surprised to find herself admitted into a world of privilege. And when her husband unexpectedly becomes governor and then president, she discovers that she is married to a man she both loves and fundamentally disagrees with–and that her private beliefs increasingly run against her public persona. As her husband’s presidency enters its second term, Alice must confront contradictions years in the making and face questions nearly impossible to answer.” —From the publisher

New Boy by Tracy Chevalier—This is the book I ordered immediately! I love the Hogarth Shakespeare series and I am SO EXCITED to read this book!

“Arriving at his fifth school in as many years, diplomat’s son Osei Kokote knows he needs an ally if he is to survive his first day—so he’s lucky to hit it off with Dee, the most popular girl in school. But one student can’t stand to witness this budding relationship: Ian decides to destroy the friendship between the black boy and the golden girl. By the end of the day, the school and its key players—teachers and pupils alike—will never be the same again.

The tragedy of Othello is transposed to a 1970s suburban Washington schoolyard, where kids fall in and out of love with each other before lunchtime, and practice a casual racism picked up from their parents and teachers. Peeking over the shoulders of four 11 year olds—Osei, Dee, Ian, and his reluctant "girlfriend" Mimi—Tracy Chevalier's powerful drama of friends torn apart by jealousy, bullying, and betrayal will leave you reeling.”

The Hopefuls by Jennifer Close—I used to see this book at the library constantly and I always put it down. Perhaps now is the time to pick it up!

“When Beth arrives in D.C., she hates everything about it: the confusing traffic circles, the ubiquitous Ann Taylor suits, the humidity that descends each summer. At dinner parties, guests compare their security clearance levels. They leave their BlackBerrys on the table. They speak in acronyms. And once they realize Beth doesn't work in politics, they smile blandly and turn away. Soon Beth and her husband, Matt, meet a charismatic White House staffer named Jimmy, and his wife, Ashleigh, and the four become inseparable, coordinating brunches, birthdays, and long weekends away. But as Jimmy’s star rises higher and higher, the couples’ friendship—and Beth’s relationship with Matt—is threatened by jealousy, competition, and rumors. A glorious send-up of young D.C. and a blazingly honest portrait of a marriage, this is the finest work yet by one of our most beloved writers.” —From the publisher

A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Bridget Kemmerer—No one was more shocked than I to begin this book and realize it has a strong connection to DC. Don’t question it, just read it.

“It once seemed so easy to Prince Rhen, the heir to Emberfall. Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year over and over, he knew he could be saved if a girl fell for him. But that was before he learned that at the end of each autumn, he would turn into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. That was before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.

Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother barely holding their family together while constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, she learned to be tough enough to survive. But when she tries to save someone else on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s instead somehow sucked into Rhen’s cursed world.” —From the publisher

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli—”Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can’t stomach the idea of rejection. So she’s careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.

Then a cute new girl enters Cassie’s orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly’s cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness—except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back.

There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?” —From the publisher

American Royals by Katharine McGee—Another “duh” option from me, oops! But if you haven’t read this book, I can’t recommend it enough, especially to get to it's sequel, Majesty! It’s a reimagined America with a monarchy. We follow the great great great great grandchildren of George Washington. Not sure if I put too many or too little greats, but it’s a really fun series. I liked the first book but LOVED the second book.

What are your thoughts? Do you have a favorite political book? I am definitely on this kick!