Dad's Book Club: Go Set a Watchman and The Wright Brothers

So, Dad and I swapped books for our birthdays this year (which happen to be only 10 days apart, by the way...) I got him a book that I really enjoyed listening to while training for the marathon: The Wright Brothers. He got me a book that he wanted to read: Go Set a Watchman. In honor of our great thinking alike minds, here's a bit about my experience with each one:

I absolutely adore "To Kill a Mockingbird." I mean, who doesn't? This novel should be read as what it was intended: a draft, a study, an experiment that led to TKAM. Harper Lee is still hilarious, still an exceptional story teller with quippy dialogue and moments that fill you with nostalgia for your own growing up years. I love the way she retold some horrifyingly embarrassing moments from Jean Louise's childhood. All in all, fun to read, good laughs, and a nice appendix piece for TKAM. Obviously, it's not the most polished work of literature. Quite frankly, I'm not entirely sure I understand what she was getting at with Atticus and Jean Louise having the fight of their life in his office... did Uncle Jack really set it all up? Was Jean Louise really discovering herself or just discovering that her "Finch" background is both an advantage and an excuse? Who can really tell... but in the mean time, the anecdote about the "falsies" discovered on the high school marquee was pretty much my favorite. I missed Jem... but I suppose it would have been too much for Scout to have two great men in her life...

I loved listening to this book as I was running.  It's rare that I enjoy a non-fiction book, but this one was inspirational and interesting. I loved learning about Kitty Hawk and the family dynamics of the Wrights. Those boys were protected from so many things, so many close calls avoided. I love that they were emphatic about not working on Sundays. Their determination was amazing. Their ideas were incredible. Great to listen to, and Dad says it's also good to read.