Archive for the 'Books' Category
October 31st, 2007 by Blythe
Special Topics in Calamity Physics
by Marisha Pessl
I should not read something that starts off sounding like a knockoff of one of my favorite books. This is an ambitious story, but it was never going to be as good as I wanted it to be, and it really fell apart at the end.
Heat by Bill Buford
Another side of Molto Mario, shown by a writer who spent over a year in his kitchen, keeps the pace quick. Mario stories are interspersed with the author’s later experiences as an apprentice chef and butcher in Italy. Pick it up if you are a FoodNetwork junkie, especially one who loves Italian food.
September 30th, 2007 by Blythe
The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain
Good for a Bourdain junkie like me. No new material – just a collection of articles he’s written over the past few years – so if you’ve never read his books before, his first foodie memoir would probably be a better choice. I enjoy his unparalleled ability to poke fun at himself.
August 31st, 2007 by Blythe
The Post-Birthday World by Lionel Shriver
It was nice to read a novel that lived up to its intriguing, “Sliding Doors”-type premise. Not a quick read, but worth my time.
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith by Anne Lamott
A collection of her salon.com columns, written during the buildup to the Iraq war. She reminds me that smart liberals can be faithful Christians.
July 31st, 2007 by Blythe
Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
How does he manage to make me so uncomfortable simply by using foreshadowing? A good story with an interesting twist.
My Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud’Homme
The perfect follow-up to Julie and Julia. What a sharp, funny, interesting woman she was.
June 30th, 2007 by Blythe
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
It’s not often that historical fiction feels like a beach read, but this one did.
The World According to Clarkson by Jeremy Clarkson
I read this for a book group. Half the group found him funny and the others agreed with someone who said he and Anne Coulter should be locked up in a cave together to wallow in the hate. I just think he needs to have a margarita and cheer up.
The Making of a Chef: Mastering Heat at the Culinary Institute of America by Michael Ruhlman
A foodie’s delight. Not as funny as his buddy Tony Bourdain, but probably more accurate. Make sure your fridge is full before you read it, because you’ll feel suddenly hungry every time you pick it up.
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
I just adore slender novels that pack character and story and education into every sentence. This novel about Vietnam and war and love makes every word count.
May 31st, 2007 by Blythe
Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell
James Michener called this book the “shortest long novel I have ever read.” At over 1,000 pages it’s a time commitment, but worthwhile for dense story and a heap of information about the American south during and after the Civil war. I don’t need to tell you that it’s even better than the movie.
Tuscany and Umbria Rough Guide
Italy Lonely Planet Guidebook
April 30th, 2007 by Blythe
My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Chick Lit meets John Grisham meets Michael Crichton. The premise of its story is interesting, but it reads like an emotionally manipulative knockoff of The Client.
The Tender Bar by J.R. Moehringer
I treasured this memoir about boyhood, manhood, and fatherhood in Long Island. I didn’t want it to end.
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I’ll give it credit for making me think about sprituality and good food, but her choice to address the reader directly felt forced and simplistic in places.
March 31st, 2007 by Blythe
The Big Rumpus by Ayun Halliday
I tried to read this before Theo was born and thought it was boring. Now I think it’s hilarious. Raising kids as a normal human being (vs. those families in The Nanny Diaries) in New York. Plus, her husband wrote “Urinetown: The Musical.” Possibly during potty-training?
Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Other Stories by Truman Capote
Capote was, by most accounts, a talented, unhappy and manipulative man. His stories, especially “A Christmas Memory,” reveal someone who knew all about love and its many guises. He also knew all about how to write a great sentence.
March 5th, 2007 by Blythe
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter by Kim Edwards
Compelling story, especially just after having a baby. I can’t recall reading another book featuring a main character with Down Syndrome.
A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke
Good for a laugh, a fun read for anyone who enjoys Brits and/or France. The blurbs call Clarke the anti-Peter Mayle; they’re right.
Secrets of the Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg
Some useful information if you can get past the condescending tone.
January 31st, 2007 by Blythe
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Good Grief by Lolly Winston
I hesitated to pick this up because I thought a book about a young widow couldn’t be the light read that matched my mood, but somehow it was a little goofy.
Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper
OK, I’m a fan, though after seeing enough of his press appearances for this book I felt like I didn’t get much new from reading it. He’s had an interesting career already, though. (No surprise that he doesn’t mention his stint hosting reality show The Mole.)
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
Wonderful character voices, contemplating love across time and cities. Melancholy but hopeful.
A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby
I always think Nick Hornby is funny, and here he makes suicidal Brits (plus one American) slightly ridiculous but lovable.
