It is the Roaring Twenties. The 'modern woman' is emerging. She needs a safe place to live. That's where the hotel that is the title of this book comes in: The Barbizon: the Hotel That Set Women Free, by Paulina Bren. While there are some descriptions of what it looked like, inside and out, mostly this reads like mini-biographies of the women who called it home. (The research to do this is mind boggling!) Some were well known from the day they moved in, others arrived with just a suitcase, searching for more out of life. See how many you recognize!

I enjoy books with short entries about interesting subjects, it's a great way to learn 'little bits' about lots of things. Here's a book like that, but with a twist! Overstated: a Coast-to-Coast Roast of the 50 States, by Colin Quinn, does include bits about the history of the state, but also brings up some of the not so good stuff, too, along with sometimes scathing descriptions of the folks who live there. I took it all tongue in cheek and for the most part enjoyed it. I wish I could have heard the author giving some of these roasts as then I would have had his voice (and rhythm patterns) in my head.

Reading Hermit With Dog