I prefer real books, thank you.

I just finished this excellent book, Team of Rivals, by Doris Kearns Goodwin.  Having grown up in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, I am a huge Civil War buff.  What an amazing piece of writing - research.  I often felt like I was sitting in the meetings with Lincoln's cabinet.  The conversations held during that most fraught filled period of history were actual words, in quotes, said by those who lived and breathed and changed the course of our history. Truly amazing...certainly a well researched work!  I can't imagine the hours, days, weeks and months that went into writing this well documented book - the commitment to such a work.  I learned a great deal more about the Union Generals that I had not known...who knew McClellan was so arrogant.  He had lofty ideas about war but didn't seem to actually want to fight or pursue the enemy.  Lincoln came to life in a new and vibrant way.  Ms. Goodwin focuses more on him as a genial man; quick witted, full of laughter, always with a wonderful story on his lips.  As opposed to the brooding man, oppressed with morbid thoughts of his own death I've so often read about.  I very much enjoyed the journey, growth of the very close knit friendship between Lincoln and Seward - intense rivals and then close friends.  And I was saddened at how the lives of most of Lincoln's cabinet were so negatively affected by his assassination.  It was a refreshing look at this most beloved president.  I highly recommend it.

I'm kind of ashamed to admit that I started this book in the fall of 2009.  My husband had this great idea that he would buy it for me on an "e-reader".  I fumbled and fumed with that e-reader until this spring, one cold March day, when a paperback copy of this book appeared on my doorstep.  A gift from my husband.  I was only about 1/4 of the way through the e-reader when the book arrived in March of 2011.  I had laid the e-reader down more than I picked it up to read the book.  I found myself finishing several other really great "books" I had bought that fall sitting by my bedside.  When I finally held the Team of Rivals book in my hands it didn't take me much at all to finish it off. 

It's been said and bantered about that e-readers are the wave of the future.  Some talk that perhaps libraries and bookstores will be a thing of the past?  I sure hope not...I love books.  I love libraries and bookstores, the smell of books, the feel of books.  I like being surrounded by books; every bookcase in my house are gloriously overflowing with books...

So hear's to a good book!