Books Set in North America; Washington, D.C.

Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, by Nina Totenberg (2022)

The title of this book would lead the reader to think that it is about Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  It is, but it is also about Nina Totenberg.  There was far too much about Nina Totenberg and I would have liked more about Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

The book is about friendships of all kinds.  Nina talks about her friendships with her husbands, other reporters, other judges and justices.  With few exceptions, the friendships she discusses are well-known people, name-dropping.

There are many parallels in the lives of Ruth and Nina.  Both women were children of Jewish immigrant parents.  Both women were leaders in their respective fields, both women used their positions to help shape the political discourse of American society.

They were friends for over 50 years.  They first met in the early 1970s when Nina was reporting on the Supreme Court and Ruth was arguing a case before the High Court.  Slowly, over time, they became fast friends.  We only see snippets of Ruth in this book, however.  For this reason, I could only give this book 3 stars.  I wanted more Ruth and less Nina.

Read:  March 27, 2026

3 Stars

Books Set in North America, the United States, Washington, DC

The Camel Club, by David Baldacci (2005)

The Camel Club is a 2005 political crime thriller novel featuring a group of eccentric Washington, D.C. misfits who uncover a vast government conspiracy after witnessing a murder.  They team up with Alex Ford, a Secret Service agent who is on thin ice with his boss.  Together, they all must work to prevent a national security crisis.  

Read: March 18, 2026

4 Stars

Books Set in Europe, Ireland

In the Woods, by Tana French (2007)

This mystery novel is narrated by Adam Robert Ryan.  He and his Murder Squad partner, Cassie Maddox,  are investigating the murder of a young girl, which took place in the same woods where Ryan was the victim of a crime as a young boy.  

When Ryan was 12-years old, he and two friends were victims of a mysterious crime.  His two friends disappeared, and Ryan was found covered in blood.  His family moved away from the village, and he dropped Adam from his name, and became known as Rob Ryan.  When he is assigned to the murder case years later, he did not recuse himself from the case.  The proximity of the new crime triggered vague memories from his own past.

This novel is well written and kept my attention.  I really liked the interaction between Ryan and Maddox as we follow the current murder as well as Rob's mysterious past.

This was Tana French's first novel.  I will definitely be looking for more of her books.

Read:  March 3, 2026

4 Stars