As I began “From the Corner of the Oval” I really wanted to like it. Here was an insider’s perspective on the Obama administration and what it’s like to work as a political stenographer. It was the perfect mix of personal and political. The first pages grabbed me right away as I cannot help but love a novel that begins with grammatical rules (which, for the topic of the novel, makes total sense). And as I continued reading about Beck’s first days at the White House and as she illustrated the difficulties of learning the ropes and learning your place, I really liked the book. It felt like Beck and I were at a bar discussing her political career over a pair of White Russians. Beck Dorey-Stein is likable and a narrator (as a millennial) I can truly relate to. We were all sold this dream to go to college, get a degree, and you’ll be fine! But we’re not fine, we’re struggling. The novel is just one example of that struggle.

I loved reading about Beck’s run-ins with Obama in the gym and around the White House. I loved seeing a president that I admired depicted in such a friendly, carefree way. I loved seeing Obama as a human and not as POTUS.

SPOILERS SPOILERS: With all that said, what I disliked about this novel was the amount of space that Beck’s personal, romantic affairs took up. When we first meet Jason, I was excited. I am a huge fan of YA at heart, so I thought that being able to see a little bit of that genre peek it’s head into an autobiography might be fun. Maybe this could be both a novel about falling in love and politics…but soon, this fun fling went south and being inside Beck’s head as she lost respect for herself and fell into Jason’s arms over and over again – allowing him to make her feel as though their sex life was her fault – rang too true to my own life that I couldn’t stand it. We all know a Jason, we all probably have a Jason in our life, and to see one illustrated in “From the Corner of the Oval” just made me want to skip past all of Beck’s glorious writing to the next happy part.

Aside from that, I fell in love with the nerdy side of Beck who made constant references to Frodo and his ring, Darcy versus Wickham, and swarms of Death Eaters (when she states that Jason not knowing who Voldemort was should have been a huge sign to run made me literally laugh out loud). I fell for the Beck who was on a path to self discovery as she navigated the White House waters and made amazing, numerous friends and found mentors. At the end of the day, one of the novels resounding themes was; What do I want my life to be? How do I live my best life? And I think that, at the end of the novel, Beck was well on her way to figuring out what that would be for her in a post-Obama world.

Would recommend.

Favorite Quotes (I did read an ARC, so quotes are subject to change):
Steve Jobs: “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.”
(Connecting the Dots)

“That’s the incredible thing about parents. They’ll love you even after you’ve told them flat out that you’re a terrible human being.”
(Bloopers)

“…POTUS grabs my attention when he says the narrative of history is long, and ‘We just try to get our paragraph right.’ Life is short and this world is big. Get your paragraph right.”
(We Just Try To Get Our Paragraph Right)

Funny , entertaining, and also sad, "From the Corner of the Oval" gives us a look into the authors life as stenographer for the Obama Presidency and what it was like in his inner circle. This was a quick and good read. I enjoyed it. I would recommend it to others.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest and unbiased opinion of it.

I have to admit, I'm not a huge fan of Barack Obama and the work he did as President. When I started this book and determined this book would be about his world, I almost stopped reading. I'm glad I didn't. Beck does a fantastic job of telling the story, mostly unbiased. She lets you know how she felt about some policy, but mostly just got us into the crazy world of being in the Presidents circle. She made it interesting, deep, and hilarious. It sounds more like living in a high school 24/7 with these young adults figuring out the world they live in. But I feel like most of us adults feel more like high schoolers still figuring out the world, then adults who have it all together. I recommend giving this book a chance.

I enjoyed the writing in this book. The stories were funny and entertaining. What I wasn’t expecting was the heartbreak in this book. The end was so depressing. The book just made me long for better days.

COMPULSIVELY readable, this was the perfect blend (for me) of politics and interesting personal memoir with relationships (romantic and platonic). highly recommended to everyone interested in the obama presidency but who also likes just a really really good read.

my one complaint is that i thoroughly disapprove of her not hooking up with one of the (platonic) men (dude, he was obviously the BEST) and i really question what she's like personally based on a few TINY snippets where i feel we got to see some of the obsessive and not-so-endearing personality traits not glossed over and presented as hilarious, smart protagonist writing her own story and presenting it how she likes.

From the Corner of the Oval is not what I expected. Beck Dorsey-Stein worked as a stenographer in the Obama administration. This means that she was one of a handful of people who’s job it was to record and transcribe every public meeting, interview or statement made by Obama. This also means that she spent an awful lot of time in close proximity to Obama and his entourage, including traveling through the US and around the world on Air Force One. I expected Dorsey-Stein’s book to be about the inner workings of the Obama White House as seen by a close observer. There is some of that, but much of the book is taken up with the author’s youthful and turbulent love life. Throughout much of the book, she is lovesick and hungover as she hankers for the attention of the wrong man, who is one of her coworkers and a senior member of the administration. But, oddly, I still quite liked it.

My favourite parts were definitely Dorsey-Beck’s unadulterated admiration for Obama. When Obama does make an appearance, the author does a great job giving tidbits of insight into his solid character, seriousness and sense of humour. At this stage in my life, I cannot relate to the chaos of the author’s personal life — and it’s hard to understand what would motivate her to write a book primarily focused on her messy love life — but at some level, I still found her endearing and found myself whipping through her story. It’s a bit of an odd book, and I’m not sure who I would recommend it to, but my 4 star rating is an honest assessment of how readable this one was despite its flaws.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.

Beck Dorey-Stein writes with humor and wit as she discusses adjusting to the political way of life in Obamaworld. She has an engaging writing style that really flows well. In this book she highlights her job as a stenographer in Obama's administration, discussing press conferences, domestic and international trips, and her personal life as well.
Think of this book as a cross between The West Wing and Sex and the City, with more of an emphasis on the latter.

Beck talks about forging lifelong friendships and experiencing failed romances. She tries to balance a chaotic, stressful work life with a personal life that is less than ideal. She exposes her naivete and numerous bad decisions for all the world to see.

On the subject of her job, Beck delivers candid peeks of Obama serving the country and on the campaign trail, relationships with the white house staff, and behind the scenes glimpses of working in the administration.

This book is not just about President Obama, so don't let that decide whether you read it or not. Beck gives an insider's look from her corner of the Oval, the part she played in the administration, and the way here life was shaped because of it. I believe she delivers a good message that anyone interested in politics will appreciate.

I received this as a free ARC from Spiegel & Grau, Random House Publishing Group on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

ARC/Early Reader's Copy
My favorite White House memoir is Alyssa Mastromonaco's Who Thought this Was A Good Idea. This book didn't really hit the same stride for me. The behind the scenes look was very interesting but the heavy focus on the author's romantic relationships was just not all that interesting. I think the writer was best when focusing on the actual day to day workings of a lower level employee at one of the most famous workplaces in the world.

This book was SO much fun to read! It wasn’t political and heartfelt but also felt like a season of Sex and the City set in D.C. I want to know more!

I really enjoyed reading this book. The book follows the author through her late 20's an into the beginning of her 30's, and I could really relate to her evolving. At first, I was convinced this chick was a hot mess, and I wish she would have come to her senses quicker, but I'm sure that she wishes that as well. Additionally, I loved getting an inside peek into what it's like to work inside the White House. While there's no hot gossip about POTUS, and the names are changed, it was still very eye-opening and compelling. My only complaint would maybe be the ending - I would have liked to know exactly how her career at the White House came to a close.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Beck Dorey-Stein's upfront and in-your-face memoir of life as a stenographer in the Obama administration. Beck joined the team through a Craig's List ad and found herself off and running around the world recording every speech and presentation the president made. With battered luggage in tow she learned the ropes of the job making friends, mistakes and memories along the way.

It was a pleasure to read about Beck's view of life inside the Obama White House. She was usually able to put a positive spin on situations. However there were also some very trying times for our nation and Beck did not shrink from eloquently writing about those.. She seems to have captured the sense of purpose and teamwork that was the driving force of that much missed administration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for allowing me to read this advanced copy and provide a review.

I loved this book! While I admit I’m nostalgic for the Obama White House, this book was way more than that for me. It reads more like a great novel than it does a memoir. It tackles life, healthy and unhealthy relationships, staying true to yourself, and truly discovering who you are. I haven’t stayed up late reading a book in a while but I had to force myself to stop reading this one so I could get some sleep.

From the Corner of the Oval is the EXACT book you want to read for all the revealing scoop inside the Obama Administration White House and what it would be like to work inside. We see what it's like to work alongside the president, travel the world and hang out with other staffers. MINUS the boring political swill and old school players in Washington, DC. OK, well there ARE technically players, but of a "sleep me with and then don't talk to me for months" kinda way.

It's not so much about the inner workings of Obama's administration - you aren't going to learn any federal secrets or inside Obama family scoop - but follows one young woman's journey working in the depths of the white house on a super-low rung of the totem pole, as she builds some pretty fun relationships and interactions between the staffers.

Beck Dorey-Stein is living in Washington D.C. at an all-time career low (out of work teacher) when through of all things - a vague Craigslist ad - is hired as a stenographer in the Obama White House. She is totally out of her element and finds herself navigating the DC elite, finding out who she is and what she wants from life and making WAY TOO MANY HORRIBLE mistakes in love.

I LOVED getting all the inside looks to what a day could be like in the White House from a 20-somethings' perspective. She zooms all over the world in Air Force One following POTUS to just about every speaking engagement he had throughout almost his entire administration. She has several fun interactions with him, and sees and experiences high and lows of our country and our world that she will never forget. All the while, she is navigating falling in love and trying to find where in this world she fits in.

She has a really fun group of friends and I thought every character in the memoir deserved some more attention. I do wish there was a bit more development or backstory of some of the people she is closest to, but we mostly learn about Beck's life here. At some points you can feel how hard she truly tries to make relationships work, but it gets really intense and a bit annoying, and you're like "Get your Sh*t together already woman!" But that's the story - Beck is trying to get her Sh*t together and it's a fun journey to follow!

There's some super colorful language - so if calling Congress a 'Bag of D*cks' is not your thing... be forewarned! I personally enjoy a good F-bomb every now and again, so it only made the story more light and fun. I TORE through this. It's fun, and fascinating, and I wanted so much more!!

Pitched as "The West Wing" meets "The Devil Wears Prada," this memoir by one of President Obama's stenographers was a truly unique insider's look at life in the White House during the Obama presidency. Beck Dorey-Stein was a former English teacher in DC looking for a job when she came across the Craig's List ad that ended up changing her definition of what "normal" would look like for the next five years. As a member of the team recording and documenting the President's public words, Beck flew on Air Force One, was in the presence of world leaders, and had a front-row seat to history in the making. Her personal life, however, was in complete and utter shambles as she continually made choices that made me want to shake her by the shoulders sometimes. Yet she shares it all, and for that, I praise her honesty even if those parts of the narrative had a tendency to be a bit repetitive and tedious. A must buy for public library collections!

From the Corner of the Oval is a funny, informative, and eminently relatable memoir. Beck Dorey-Stein, White House stenographer, does a job most of us never see and have never heard about. She takes us behind the scenes in the Oval, on Air Force One, and even in the West Exec Parking Lot. As she navigates her job and sidelines her writing, she falls for a bad boy who seems perfect, if only to her. She takes us inside that relationship, or her part of it, as well, with brutal truth. Especially today, when so many of us are still reeling from the shift to Trump after President Obama, this book is a public service, an entertaining read, and a voice from out there telling those of us who are shaking our heads so hard they might soon fall off that we are not alone.

Well, this is certainly a dishy and fun memoir. It’s about one of President Barack Obama’s stenographers. Beck has been out of work for a few months when she responds to an ad on Craigslist (of all places!) and gets called on an interview. The job listing makes no mention of where she’ll be working, just that she’s got to be a good typist. And she is one and so she easily gets the job. She flies through her background check because she had previously worked at Sidwell Friends School (and even bumped into one of the Obama girls by accident at one point). A great summer read!

Memoirs can be hit or miss, and this one is a hit. Through this well-written book, I learned about Obama's' stenography team and their interactions, as well as their personal lives. Best part of the book - perhaps the epilogue.

From the Corner of the Oval had the potential to be a fantastic book. It is a great coming of age book that women especially can enjoy. You have the learning more about oneself, struggling with male relationships and figuring out how to balance work and a social life especially in a very demanding job. It is an inside look from the bubble the surrounds the President. Not only an insiders view of what traveling with the President is like but also a unique perspective of real events that happened. The writing is engaging and draws you in. All the makings of an enjoyable read and as long as you share the author's views on Republicans it is. The author, while claiming to not be political, does not hold Republicans in high regard and makes that clear. Other then that it is clearly an enjoyable read.

The setting was the best part of this book. From an insider's look at the White House, Air Force One and all the duties of the President of the United States was definitely a great learning experience. The personal life of this character however was frustrating to say the least. Poor choices, cheating, language, etc put me off on this one.

I love behind-the-scenes stuff and am a bit of a political junkie, so this was perfect for me. A little too much of the inappropriate boyfriends (Beck makes the wrong choices over and OVER again, which gets hard). But a fun enjoyable read!