The XX Factor: What women really think.

Laura's Memoir? No, Thanks.

Thanks for sharing news of Laura Bush's memoir. I'll admit, I've always liked Laura. I don't think it's fair to project our hopes and dreams onto another woman just because she's married to the president. (Meghan's excellent post about Michelle Obama sums up my feelings well.) Yes, it's a position that offers much power, but if a first lady is not comfortable doing big things in the glare of such a bright spotlight, she's not going to be very good at it. Her more traditional first lady role of working to improve literacy and raising awareness on breast cancer and heart disease might not be world-changing, but it suits her.

As for her book, well, I rarely buy memoirs. I find them generally self-indulgent and not terribly revealing. Did we get all the dirt on Bill and Monica in his memoir? Doubtful. If there's anything to be said about Laura's stated intention to write a book that is "positive ... with a minimum of criticism," it's that, well, the honesty is refreshing. So, no, I won't buy it. The vast majority of the reading I do these days is children's picture books, but, if I have energy enough at the end of the day to do more than curl up with my remote and whatever's on the DVR, I'm going to sit down with a novel. (I figure I'm only two or three years behind on the NYT best-seller list.) Would I love to know what life was like in the White House for Laura, and for George, the last eight years? Sure. But I would never expect it to come from Laura.