Lit Hit List: Political Books for Super Tuesday
Happy Super Tuesday! We decided to celebrate this epic democratic day with rounding up some of our favorite political reads, both fiction and non-fiction! And to crib from The West Wing,* “no matter who you vote for, make sure you vote!”**
“The Hopefuls” by Jennifer Close This portrait of two young married couples in DC, a campaign, and the political colliding with the personal is a favorite. It packs a wallop in terms of character development, and is (in my opinion) a really fair and honest portrayal of romantic relationships. - Moira
“Primary Colors” by Anonymous (Joe Klein) | I have probably read “Primary Colors” more than twenty times, and that was before I even really knew that it was a thinly veiled telling of the first Clinton campaign. It is equal parts funny, heartbreaking, and illuminating, and I can’t believe that this is how our system really works, at limes. You all know that I love a good look behind-the-scenes, and this novel is it — there’s scandal, there’s romance, there’s dramatic deaths, and there’s James Carville. What’s not to love? - Elizabeth
“Between the World and Me” by Ta-Nehisi Coates: If you haven’t read this one yet, I strongly recommend it. Written as a letter to Coates’ son, he writes beautifully and honestly about how America was built upon the exploitation of black bodies. He writes about the falsehood of race and what it’s like to be black in America, and it’s both sweeping and deeply intimate in its look back at American history and Coates’ own life. Those of us who have benefited from systemic racism need to do better, and I hope this book will inspire you to do so, if that applies to you. -Shannon
“American Wife” by Curtis Sittenfeld | Clearly, I’m really leaning in hard on the “inspired-by-true-life” novels today, but this one by Curtis Sittenfeld is a gem. It is an amazing look at the difference in a public persona and a private life, told through a Republican first lady. It is an ambitious scope, and I think Sittenfeld nails it. Alice is one of my favorite characters of fiction, and the world that she inhabits is totally believable. It will definitely make you look at our first ladies a little bit differently. - Elizabeth
“Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women’s Anger” by Rebecca Traister: I’m a big fan of Traister’s pieces for New York Magazine, and this book was written in the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Traister explores how women’s anger has historically led to major political, social, and economic movements, and inspires those of us who were rocked by the election (although again, I think we must explore our privilege if we were), to organize. She also writes about how differently anger is received from men and women. As a woman who has been called “abrasive” before (shocking, I know), it’s a frustrating double standard and I found this book invigorating. -Shannon
“Red, White and Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston (my review here): This is a delightful romp about a hypothetical romance between the Prince of Wales and POTUS’ son. Quick, funny, sexy, and not shying away from the political, this romance is an all-time favorite. - Moira
If you like these, check out some of the other politically-minded books we’ve reviewed right here!
*If you know Elizabeth in real life, you’ll not be surprised at all to know this is one of her favorite shows.
**JK this really matters in 2020.
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