Janet Mills
1. Out of Order – (Stories from the History of the Supreme Court) by Sandra Day O’Connor. The Supreme Court had a rough start having no permanent home, moving from New York City to Philadelphia and finally to Washington, D.C. The justices had to be circuit riders that continued until the end of the nineteenth century. When the circuit became larger, new justices had to be able to reach all new states. As the caseloads became larger with more than 1,000 cases on their docket, Congress decided to have the justices remain in Washington. It was thought that remaining in Washington would fall under “pernicious influence of Washington lawyers” and they would lose all connection with ordinary people. Another lesson the court learned was to ask the attorneys writing long essays to limit the petition to just 9,000 words. Over the years the time has been shortened even more. Justice O’Connor has an entire chapter on the customs and traditions of the court. She writes at length on a few justices and on the four women who finally were made justices in the last years. The appendix lists the Declaration of the United States, the Constitution and all of the Amendments. This is a very readable book that all Americans need to read to learn from or to jog their memory.
2. True Love – 24 Surprising Stories of Animal Affection by Rachel Buchholz. Rachel Buchholz has been for many years collecting all the animal pictures included in this little book. Many of the photos have a poem, saying or other media on the page opposite. Just a few of the animals listed in this special book are a manatee named Rosie, polar bear cubs that stay with their mother for up to three years, pandas, raccoon brother and sister and young Tukidale sheep. This charming book would be a perfect gift for you to read to your grandchildren.
3. Good Prose – The Art of Nonfiction – Stories and Advice from a Lifetime of Writing and Editing by Tracy Kidder and Richard Todd. This story begins in the offices of The Atlantic Monthly where a young writer was looking for an assignment. Richard Todd was an editor who encouraged him. From that article grew a lifetime association. Kidder was working on a book and with Todd helping won the Pulitzer Prize. This was the beginning of a long relationship between the two. Good Prose explores the three major nonfiction art forms – narratives, essays and memoirs. They discuss ways to write to make the story interesting. Also, they discuss other authors and changes that were made to make the writing better. This book offers guidance to the professional and the beginner and is a perfect companion to anyone who loves to read and longs to write.