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Low end of the pick scale. The stories from White House residence staff were interesting, but Brower was all over the place. My two favorite sections had themes — children in the WH and how residence staff dealt with traumatic events like 9/11 and Kennedy‘s assassination. In many ways, Brower turns the staff members into saints. No staff member ever talks out of turn. All staff members respect and care for the families they serve. Really?

This was so interesting! Full of sweet stories and surprising revelations from the White House resident staff. Covering multiple decades and presidents, I especially loved hearing about the caring relationships between the first families and staff. The author also explored the history of how the house staff system came about, race, and respect. One juicy stories too. Really fascinating, great on #audio Highly recommend!

This was a surprisingly fun little book! I listened to it for this month‘s FOTL meeting. The book covered the second half of the 20th century through the Obama administration, with the most detail given by staff who served the Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton families. Very interesting story of LBJ‘s shower obsession, which I‘ve now run into in 3 different books! Unique perspective on the Kennedy assassination and 9/11 from the ⬇️

I was pretty surprised by how much I enjoyed this read! I learned so much and thought she was able to put together many stories in a way that created one large narrative.

Fresh bedtime non fiction.

I read this for an upcoming IRL bookclub in which I was considering skipping since I wasn‘t feeling a Whitehouse tell-all. The publishing date was pre-Trump, I decided to give it a go. It gave respectful voice to the service staff working from the Kennedy‘s through the Obama‘s. These are unique experiences and deserve documenting. The George H Bush‘s seem to leave the staff with the fondest of memories - LBJ, not so much! #ReadTheUSA2020

Trying to catch up on old reviews. This book was a lot of fun - breezy, informative, gossipy but not mean. The book looks at staff experiences in White House residence for the Kennedy administration through the Obama administration. Each chapter is a different facet of staff life or values (like discretion or loyalty) and includes stories from all of those presidencies. Continued below.

An interesting read about modern day discretion and professionalism.
#audiobook

Cross between People Magazine and history. 😆 I felt a little like I was a voyeur, peeping in the windows of the WH. 👀

Give me your best FICTION reads from 2018; I‘m off to the bookstore tomorrow looking for something new to read! ❤️📚

I read this and loved it - it‘s oddly insightful and a fascinating read! If you‘re tempted, it‘s on Kindle sale at the moment 😊😊😊

Backstairs at the #white house, back in the day. #readingresolutions

I had 3 old (I‘m talking like high school graduation 8 years ago) Barnes & Noble gift cards in my desk. I never remember to take them when I go, so yesterday I put them in my purse and made a special B&N trip. They had no $ on them, but I got these 2 off the clearance rack so I didn‘t spend a lot. Then today when I got home, there were B&N coupons in my mail. Surely that‘s coincidence right? It can‘t have gotten to my house in barely 24 hours?

My favorite thing about this was how the narrator has a perfect voice for every person, from elderly African American former butlers to Nancy Reagan and Bill Clinton. The book itself is good too! She crafts a strong narrative from numerous interviews, and the peek behind the scenes is so fun. #audiobooks

I am soooo ready for this. I think I've uncovered a new wheelhouse of mine - behind the scenes with political staffers and other employees. Yessss

There were some really interesting stories in here. Tons of fun facts to tell at a party, however the way they were strung together was subpar. It read like random stories organized into general topics. It could have been really great if there had been a narrative there.

Absolutely fascinating account of the people who make the most famous address run from day to day.

Can a book be both boring and gossipy? Turns out, yes. Didn't love the narration and the final straw was the mispronounciation of Rosalyn Carter's name (and the narrator is a southerner, I believe). Nope.

These are the two I'm in the midst of...Loving The Chaperone and have just been skimming different stories in The Residence. Enjoying both!

I was lucky to have a hard time deciding on favorites this month! None of my December books were less than "very good." Thanks to my comic binge & the holidays, I read a lot more in December. I struggle on how to count comics. The shortest was a vol. of 122 pages & the longest was a compendium of 3 volumes at 1088 pages. I counted each physical book as 1 title due to tracking on Goodreads. How do you count comics? #DecemberReads #comics

A well done inside look at the White House in modern times, and the people who make the White House function. The timeline is primarily the Kennedy years through 2014, though there are a few references as far back as the Truman administration. There are flaws inherent in this type of work--all the info is dependent on memories in a secretive atmosphere, so there is no reliable way to verify what we're reading is accurate. I still love it!

This was a good audio book listen. It is a fascinating glimpse into the nuts and bolts of the White House and how the domestic staff serves the First Families. It helps to humanize our presidents & provides intriguing insights in both mundane and historical events. Also, I knew LBJ was "eccentric", but boy howdy... Photo: Nancy Regan with exec. pastry chef Roland Mesnier. #audio

Whew! I have been in a pretty long post-election funk - really couldn't even read. This is the first book that came up on my library hold list once I started paying attention again. It made me feel hopeful, as if .... no matter WHO is in the White House, the people who take care of the president (whoever that is) and his family keep things on an even keel. ((small comforts))

The Residence is a great audio book to listen to while preparing Thanksgiving dinner. I'm really enjoying it. This photo is a Thanksgiving spread at the White House. Interesting fact: Presidential families have to pay a monthly food bill! #litsycooks

This one looks intriguing...

This was an almost perfect book to listen to. Karen White's performance as narrator was spectacular. Kate Anderson Brower provides an insightful, thoughtful, and dignified description of life in the White House. I especially enjoyed the chapters discussing race, the 1st ladies, and the 1st children. Highly recommend!

Where can I find a recording of Jackie O's tour of the White House?

The last real conversation I had with my dad before he died was about life in the White House. We watched George W Bush's inauguration together. Since then, I've made it a point to learn what I can.

Fascinating book - so many "behind the scenes" things to read about. The stories about JFK's assassination and 9/11, and how the residence workers were affected by these events, made me cry. However, I did NOT need to know that LBJ called a certain body part "Jumbo". Ha!

I love to throw a little non-fiction into my usual fiction mix. I love Presidential history so I'm finding this to be a quick read. Kind of "dishy" in a prim & proper way.

Even though I have two book club books to start I'm going to try this one! Since my daughter has an internship in DC & living there this summer I'm suddenly fascinated with DC. Any suggestions are welcomed!

Behind the scenes at the White House....our 'first families' at home.