Have you ever read a book that you loved so much that the books you read after it, however good they might be, couldn't be considered amazing? This happened to me with A Place for Us. I've read several books I really enjoyed since A Place for Us, but simply because they were read after Mirza's amazing debut, they didn't receive the full love and attention I owed them. Some of my favorites since July have included Commonwealth, A Gentleman in Moscow, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and To All the Boys I've Loved Before. A Gentleman in Moscow will most likely end up in my top 5 for 2018. So, while I may not read a book I connect with as much as A Place For Us for a very long time, I know I should keep sharing about the books I have really enjoyed since that great read. I'll start with my most recent read, Jo Piazza's Charlotte Walsh Likes to Win, which I thought was a fun, smart look at a Senate race in the United States.
Charlotte Walsh appears to have everything - she's a top executive for a hugely successful Silicon Valley technology company with a doting husband and three little girls. Having everything isn't enough for Charlotte, because Charlotte Walsh likes to win, and she wants to win a Senate race in Pennsylvania. She and her family pack-up and move back to her childhood home in Elk Hollow, PA to begin her race against the popular incumbent, Ted Slaughter. What ensues is a dramatic, nasty political fight that seems scarily realistic compared to what we see here in the United States every two years. The book takes place in 2018, two years deep in Trump's America, and Walsh is here to fix it.
I love a flawed main character, and Charlotte Walsh is anything but perfect. Her limits will be revealed as she battles Ted Slaughter for a seat in Congress, and you might be surprised (or not at all) at just how far she is willing to go for a victory. Her political campaign isn't the only area she'll face conflict, as she works through marital issues with her husband, Max, and an addiction problem with her brother, Paul. You see Charlotte at her breaking point more than once, but her will to win will always push her forward in the pursuit of victory.
If you're interested in politics and the drama surrounding a campaign, particularly for a woman, you might enjoy this book as much I did. The story is quite timely, as the political climate feels very realistic to what we are experiencing today. Heading into yet another election season this fall, this book is a fun complement to what you'll be seeing on your news feed as campaigns like Charlotte Walsh's heat up.
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