The Presidents

I'm someone who likes to set a lot of Life Goals. Maybe I have too many and they'll never all be accomplished, but I like the feeling of reaching to accomplish something, or working towards something, and really of just checking it off my list!

One of my Life Goals is to read a book about each President. I first got this idea about 3 years ago. I had just finished reading Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History by Kati Marton (which was a great book) and I was in Washington, DC on a ladies weekend touring Woodrow Wilson's house where he lived after he was President. All of a sudden I realized there were a lot of President's whose lives I didn't know a lot or really anything about. I turned to my mom and said "I think I'm going to read a book about every President." Since then I have stuck to my goal and try to read 2 book a year. I have 36 Presidents to go. At this rate I'll finish in about 20 years!

I've read about the first 7 Presidents to date and I must say that it's been a very rewarding experience. Granted the first 7 Presidents are pretty famous Presidents that everyone learns about in school, but with each one I've learned something new - a little tidbit to keep tucked in the back of my head. Here are a list of the books that I choose for each President:

George Washington: A Life, by Willard Sterne Randall
John Adams, by David McCullough
Thomas Jefferson: A Life, by Willard Sterne Randall
James Madison: The American Presidents Series, by Gary Willis
James Monroe: The American Presidents Series, by Gary Hart
John Quincy Adams: A Public Life, A Private Life, by Paul C. Nagel
Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times, by H.W. Brands

Next up is Martin Van Buren. I'll keep you posted on my quest to read a book about each President. Together we'll see if I accomplish this goal and if I finish it in the 20 year time line.

On this blog I'll write about other Life Goals I have but I'd also love to hear from you. In the comment section feel free to share some of your Life Goals. Maybe your goals will inspire new goals for me or others who are reading this blog.