The Whole Fromage: Adventures in the Delectable World of French Cheese by Kathe Lison

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

The French, sans doute, love their fromages.  And there's much to love: hundreds of gloriously pungent varieties - crumbly, creamy, buttery, even shot through with bottle-green mold.  So many varieties, in fact, that the aspiring gourmand may wonder: How does one make sense of it all?

In The Whole Fromage, Kathe Lison sets out to learn what makes French cheese so remarkable - why Franc is the "Cheese Mother Ship," in the words of one American expert.  Her journey takes her to cheese caves tucked within the craggy volcanic rock of Auvergne, to a centuries-old monastery in the French Alps, and to the farmlands that keep cheesemaking traditions alive.  She meets the dairy scientists, shepherds, and affineurs who make up the world of modern French cheese, and whose lifestyles and philosophies are as varied and flavorful as the delicacies they produce.  Most delicious of all, she meets the cheeses themselves - from spruce-wrapped Mont d'Or, so gooey it's best eaten with a spoon; to luminous Beaufort, redolent of Alpine grasses and wildflowers, a single round of which can weigh as much as a Saint Bernard; to Camembert, invented in Normandy but beloved and imitated across the world.

With writing as piquant and rich as a well-aged Roquefort, as charming as a tender springtime chevre, and yet as unsentimental as stinky Maroilles, The Whole Fromage is a tasty exploration of one of the great culinary treasures of France.

my thoughts:

How awesome does this book sound?  Cheese, cheese, and more cheese! Delish!  Plus, we get to learn all about it and can finally tell the difference between brie and Camembert.  Oh, and its all about French cheese, which everyone knows is AMAZING!!  So, what more could I ask for in a book, especially during Paris in July 2013?  Suffice it to say, I'm ready to dive into Lison's engaging and funny stories about all the travel and adventure she embarked on to learn about the "Delectable World of French Cheese."   I plan to sit myself down with a nice cheese platter, a huge glass of wine, and this lovely tome.  Talk about a nice way to spend my Saturday.  I can't wait!  And yes, I know that today is that last day of Paris in July, but I figured I could always post about a book that I shall be reading for the challenge, even if I'll be doing so after the challenge is over.  After all, who doesn't love to read about France and cheese?

Here are some blurbs from the back of the book declaring what a wonderful book this is for foodies:

"Reading The Whole Fromage is like enjoying an illicit raw-milk Brie. Kathe Lison follows her nose across France to explore the country's wild obsession with cheese…If Joan Didion had fallen tastebuds over heels for French cheese, then she might have written this book." —Tenaya Darlington, author of Di Bruno Bros. House of Cheese

 "A mouth-watering read."—New York Post

 “Marvelous. Chockfull of humor, story-telling, passion and adventure, Kathe Lison’s cheese journey through France reads more like a novel than a true story. Plus, it conveys such a 'you are there' feeling that by the time you finish you’ve managed to take an entire trip without leaving your living room.”—Laura Werlin, author of Laura Werlin's Cheese Essentials
 
 "France is a cheese-driven country, and this book gets right to its pungent, creamy heart." —Stephen Clarke, author of 1000 Years of Annoying the French

Oh and check out Kathe Lison's, The Whole Fromage on Pinterest here. 

Thank you to Crown Publishing and Broadway Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

Love All: A Novel by Callie Wright

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:


In the spring of 1994 in Cooperstown, New York, Joanie Cole, beloved matriarch of the Obermeyer family, unexpectedly dies in her sleep.  Her passing forces her husband, Bob, to move in with daughter Anne, her husband Hugh, and their two children, Teddy and Julia.  With three generations of the family under one roof for the first time—and each member hiding secrets from the others—tensions run high.  Adding to the family’s troubles, Anne cleans out her parent’s home and finds a battered copy of The Sex Cure, a thinly veiled roman à clef from the 1960s.  With the rediscovery of this scandalous book (the real life publication of which shook the small village of Cooperstown) the family’s secrets come rushing to the surface.  

Love All is an addictive and moving debut about love, fidelity, sports, and growing up when you least expect it.

my thoughts:

Get thee to a bookstore and pick up a copy of Callie Wright's fantastic debut novel, Love All.  Believe you me, you will be so happy you did.  I'm serious!  This book is EXCELLENT!!!  It is a compelling, character-driven novel about a dysfunctional family that you won't want to stop reading about.  Or at least, I didn't want to stop.  I found myself easily engaged with each character as I learned more and more about their worries, problems, and pasts.  It was hard to tear myself away at times (like when I had to eat, sleep, work), because I wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen to the Obermeyers - I was hooked!

Love All is the perfect book to escape into.  It is the story of an everyday family living their messy lives in a small town called Cooperstown. We have a workaholic mother, a cheating husband, a lovesick teenager, a moody grandfather, and a teenager afraid of leaving the comforts of home for college.  It pretty much resembles a typical family (well, except for the cheating spouse I would hope).  However, that is what makes this book so intriguing - you could be reading about your own family or your friends.  Of course, I doubt that any of us have to deal with a book being written about any of our sordid affairs, right?  Well, unfortunately for Anne's parents' they did.  You see, when Anne was a kid, her father was a bit of a ladies man and it wasn't a secret from his wife. And it just so happened that an author who knew the gossip of the town wrote a tell-all book titled, The Sex Cure.  Marriages were ruined, people left town, the author's house was vandalized, and mistrust ran amok as a result of this book.  However, Anne's dad was lucky, because none of his affairs were called out in the book.  Except that he wasn't that lucky.  This book instigated an uncomfortable time for him at home with his family and he hated the book for it.  So, when the book shows up nearly thirty years later in his granddaughter's hands, well, lets just say that things go from okay to worse mighty fast.

Now, I know that I didn't really divulge any major details about the story lines, but that's because I didn't want to ruin anything for you.  I just really think that this is the type of book you have to read for yourself to find out what happened - its such a worthwhile read.  And, believe me, you are going to love this book.  So, definitely go out and get yourself a copy of Callie Wright's novel, Love All.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this fantastic book!

The Diving Pool: Three Novellas by Yoko Ogawa

about book:

From Akutagawa Award-Winning author Yoko Ogawa comes a haunting trio of novellas about love, fertility, obsession, and how even the most innocent gestures may contain a hairline crack of cruel intent.

A lonely teenage girl falls in love with her foster brother as she watches him leap from a high diving board into a pool - a peculiar infatuation that sends unexpected ripples through her life.

A young woman records the daily moods of her pregnant sister in a diary, taking meticulous note of a pregnancy that may or may not be a hallucination - but whose hallucination is it, hers or her sister's?

A woman nostalgically visits her old college dormitory on the outskirts of Tokyo, a boarding house run by a mysterious triple amputee with one leg.

Hauntingly spare, beautiful, and twisted, The Diving Pool is a disquieting and at times darkly humorous collection of novellas about normal people who suddenly discover their own dark possibilities.

my thoughts:

OMFG! Once again, Yoko Ogawa has made me fall in love with her writing.  I'm serious, its true.  I heart Ogawa's writing.  It is just so fracking fantastic that I can't help but find myself completely spellbound by her beautifully elegant words.  She just knows how to write in such a delicate way about the most creepy, ugly, and disturbing things - it just blows my mind.  I swear, her writing always leaves me in awe - and The Diving Pool was no exception.

Ogawa has written three novellas that are intriguing, unsettling, and incredibly haunting. I found myself obsessed with the first story titled, The Diving Pool.  Its about a teenaged girl named Aya who is is love with her pseudo-brother Jun.  They live in an orphanage that is run by Aya's parents.  As we learn more about Aya and her infatuation with Jun, we also begin to see a different side to Aya.  She has a cruel streak that is fierce and her victim is a toddler named Rie.  Aya places Rie in an urn and listens to her cry; she feeds her a rotting pastry; and she sends Rie to hospital - its unsettling to read about, but you can't help but keep turning pages.  I found it to be a truly fascinating read about the battle within Aya as she struggles to get a handle on these malevolent feelings that somehow seem to be a reaction of sorts to her romantic feelings for Jun.  Its just an amazing story.  As for the other two novellas - Wow!  In the Pregnancy Diary, we have two sisters, one is pregnant and the other is fanatical about recording a diary of her sister's pregnancy.  At first we just read about how any smell of food makes the sister sick and so she isn't eating.  But then grapefruit jam makes an entrance and the next thing you know she can't stop eating grapefruit jam.  She is eating it by the ton it seems.  The thing is that grapefruit jam is possibly toxic...hmmm...and yet, more and more of it get made.  I'll just leave it at that.  In the final novella, Dormitory, we have a woman who is getting ready to move to Sweden with her husband - she's just waiting for him to tell her its time.  Her days are spent ignoring his email lists and sewing patchwork for a quilt.  One day she gets a call from a cousin she hasn't seen in ages and the next thing you know, she is helping him move into the old boardinghouse she lived in during college.  She begins to visit her cousin at his new place, but he's never home and so she winds up hanging out with the landlord.  However, it starts to get a bit scary when her cousin NEVER seems to be home and then the landlord is confiding about the real reason his boardinghouse is empty.  This story makes you jump to extremes rather quickly and I loved it.

I know I didn't give a lot away for each story, but how could I - they were short!  Plus, these are the types of stories you need to read for yourself in order to appreciate.  They are eye-opening, thought-provoking, eerie, brilliant, and the epitome of a what a short story should be.  You will love them!!

Hurrah! I finally read something for JLC7!!  This month was short story month and Ogawa's book The Diving Pool was the perfect choice for the challenge.  And now, I'm off to finish reading Jeannette Walls' The Silver Star - it is AMAZING!!!

The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers

Look what I got just in time for Paris in July 2013?  The Cleaner of Chartres by Salley Vickers!  Now, I've never read a book by Vickers, but I have heard great things about her work.  So, of course I excitedly agreed to read this book - especially after I read the book summary:

"From the author of Miss Garnet’s Angel, a story of the redemptive power of love and community in the famous French cathedral town

There is something very special about Agnès Morel. A quiet presence in the small French town of Chartres, she can be found cleaning the famed medieval cathedral each morning and doing odd jobs for the townspeople. No one knows where she came from or why. Not Abbé Paul, who discovered her one morning twenty years ago, sleeping on the north porch, and not Alain Fleury, the irreverent young restorer who works alongside her each day and whose attention she catches with her tawny eyes and elusive manner. She has transformed each of their lives in her own subtle way, yet no one suspects the dark secret Agnès is hiding.

When an accidental encounter dredges up a series of tragic incidents from Agnès’s youth, the nasty meddling of town gossips threatens to upend the woman’s simple, peaceful life. Her story reveals a terrible loss, a case of mistaken identity, and a cruel and violent act that haunts her past. Agnès wrestles with her own sense of guilt and enduring heartbreak while the citizens piece together the truth about her life."

Sounds pretty mysterious and intriguing, eh?  Well, it is.  Or at least it has been (so far).  Its a rather slow-going book, but I like that.  I'm enjoying dipping in and out of it, as it flips back and forth in time revealing bits and bobs about the elusive  Agnès Morel.  I like the long descriptions of the Cathedral, Chartres, the inhabitants and their own personal stories (or gossiping).  Its making for quite the perfect lunchtime read. I find myself transported by Vickers' writing so much so, that when I head back to work, my mind is still with  Agnès and her worlds.  I say worlds, because in one chapter you read about  Agnès, the heavily sedated mental patient; while in another chapter you get  Agnès, the cathedral cleaner who works odd jobs and keeps to herself.  You can't help but be fascinated by this young woman, who you keep reading about, but don't really know.  So far I have learned a few things though: she was a foundling, she was raised by nuns, she had a baby that was given up for adoption (or sale?), she is quiet, she is a hard worker, she is very secretive, and she may or may not have stabbed a nanny.  Talk about keeping me on my toes - I'm starting to wonder which  Agnès I'll be reading about in the end.  All in all, I'm thoroughly enjoying this book and looking forward to reading more of it tomorrow. 

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!!

Lotería : A Novel by Mario Alberto Zambrano

about book:

With her older sister Estrella in the ICU and her father in jail, eleven-year-old Luz Castillo has been taken into the custody of the state.  Alone in her room, the young girl retreats behind a wall of silence, writing in her journal and shuffling through a deck of Lotería  cards - a Mexican version of bingo featuring bright, colorful images.

Neither the social worker assigned to her case nor her Aunt Tencha, who desperately pleads for her niece's release, can cajole Luz to speak.  The young girl's only confidant is her journal.  Within its pages, Luz addresses an invisible higher power, sharing her secrets.

Using the Lotería cards as her muse, Luz picks one card from the deck with each shuffle.  Each of the card's colorful images - mermaids, bottles, spiders, death, stars - sparks a random memory.  Pieced together, these snapshots bring into focus the joy and pain of the young girl's life, and the events that led to her present situation.  But just as the story becomes clear, a breathtaking twist changes everything.

my thoughts: 

Mexican bingo aka loteria - wow! Talk about a blast from the past!  I used to love playing loteria when I was a kid. We'd use pinto beans as our markers and play 2 to 4 cards at a time.  I only ever played 2 cards at the most - I didn't think I could handle more.  We played for money and the pot would usually be around $100.  Of course, everyone was always too busy chattering to one another to really pay attention to the game.  Except me, I was laser-focused, because I wanted to win BIG!  Cripes, I'm getting nostalgic just thinking about it.  And, I think that's why I loved Zambrano's book, Lotería - it reminded me of my childhood, my family, my culture (except for the bad stuff that happened to Luz and her family).

This book felt like home to me and I enjoyed every minute of it.  I loved reading about Luz and her sister, Estrella.  Their love-hate relationship felt real and authentic to me.  Like any sister knows, there is always two sides to one story and that is a huge part of the book.  Luz knows the truth, but refuses to acknowledge it, whilst Estrella is willing to tell others and try to get help.  Its hard to watch these two fight over the ugly realities occurring all around them - their dad beating their mom, their dad beating them, their dad's alcoholism, their mom leaving them, and the sad truth that life is not getting better - it seems to be getting worse!  And, then there is Luz's truth - the one she refuses to talk about.  The one she writes about in her journal that she keeps under her bed.  You see, Luz's dad is in jail, her sister is in the hospital (and then the cemetery), and Luz is being held in custody.  Counselors and Tencha try to get through to Luz, but no one can.  So, she flips through a deck of loteria cards and writes down the memory that each image sparks.  She writes these memories that reveal the good and the bad of her world.  Each card leads us readers to a new character in Luz's life story or to a new memory.  It is through these short stories (vignettes, really) that we learn the awful truth about what happened to Estrella.  Its a twist you don't expect and that will leave you shocked and beyond saddened.

Lotería is a well written book that is comprised of vignettes (a la Cisnero's The House on Mango Street).  Except that Zambrano uses loteria cards to inspire each vignette in his book, which I think works perfectly for Luz' story.  She's young, terrified, and doesn't know what to say or do - these loteria cards bring a sense of normalcy, familiarity to her (something she desperately needs).  Also, I found Zambrano's descriptions of the foods, music, people, and their lives to be spot on in so many ways - I felt he really captured aspects of the Mexican culture.  I also loved how he threw in Spanish phrases here and there - it added a dimension of authenticity to the story.  I say that, because that is how I talk - English, with bits of Spanish thrown in (depending on who I'm talking with).  I feel like Zambrano created something special with the character of Luz - he told a dark story through a child's eyes and that somehow made it all the more tragic and real.  Because though Zambrano's story is fiction, so many of the things he wrote about ring so true.  This is one book that I won't be forgetting.

I would most definitely recommend Lotería anyone and everyone looking for a good book to read.  You will not be disappointed!!

Check out the TLC Book tour schedule to read other reviews of this fantastic book: Lotería

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!

The Never List: A Novel by Koethi Zan

(Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!)

Jennifer and Sarah are BFFs.  They do everything together, including making a long list of nevers called the "never list".  Something tragic happened to them in their youth, so they have decided to live by this coda of rules that will keep them safe.  As years pass, the list gets longer and the girls get more diligent about their safety.  However, once they are in college, they start ignoring the "never list" and just embrace the college experience.  They go to parties, drink, and have fun.  But they do always remember to hire a taxi service to pick them up - they know not to drive drunk (though they never drive) and not to walk home inebriated late at night.  What they don't expect is that the car service they have been using all year long would turn out to be their biggest mistake.

After a party one night, the girls get into their taxi.  However, this time they quickly realize that this taxi isn't like their usual ones.  But by then its too late - pepper spray and cell phones won't help them now.  The girls are drugged and taken down into a cellar where they are held captive with two other girls.  Horrible things happen to all four of them as they await their inevitable tragic end.  Years go by and darkness enshrouds them, and hope ceases to exist.  And then one day they are free.  Well, all except for Jennifer who didn't make it out of the cellar. As for what happens to the girls after they get out, well, lets just say that identities change, letters are received, secrets are revealed, and truths are discovered.  Of course, nothing is as shocking as when you learn about Sarah and the way she chose to survive down in that cellar - your jaw will drop! 

The Never List is a riveting read that will have you flipping pages and checking to make sure your doors and windows are locked.  Its a book that will creep you out with its ripped from the headlines story, because as we all know - these types of things do happen.  I swear to you that I could not get any sleep the night I finished this book - I kept waking up from nightmares. Of course, that won't stop me from urging you to pick up a copy and give this book a read.  It is just so damn good - you won't help but be captivated by the story.  And the writing is terrific - its full of suspense, mystery, and intense moments that will have you gasping out loud in horrified shock.  I was on the edge of my seat the whole time I read this book and I kept biting my nails (I was so stressed out with anxiety over what would happen next).  I've even started to think about creating my own never list - one that will have "Never get in the car!!" emblazoned at the top.  So, yes, I would most definitely recommend Koethi Zan's debut novel, The Never List.  It is a must read!!

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley!!

Indiscretion: A Novel by Charles Dubow

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

Harry and Madeleine Winslow have been blessed with talent, money, and charm.  Harry is a National Book Award-winning author.  Madeleine is a woman of sublime beauty and grace.  The Winslows play host to a coterie of close friends and acolytes eager to bask in their golden radiance, whether they are in their bucolic East Hampton cottage, abroad in Rome, or in their comfortable Manhattan brownstone.

One weekend, Harry and Maddy meet Claire, who eagerly falls into their welcoming orbit.  But soon her reverence transforms into a dangerous desire, and she no longer remains one of their hangers-on.

A story of love, lust, deception, and betrayal as seen through the omniscient eyes of Maddy's childhood friend Walter, a narrator akin to Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby, Indiscretion is an irresistibly sensual page-turner.

my thoughts:

Riveting!  This book had me hooked from the first page and would not let me go.  I found myself staying up all night reading it and almost getting to the end (which of course got me mad that I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer - darn sleep!).  Of course the next day at lunch I devoured the final pages and just couldn't stop thinking about it.  The love, betrayal, loss, and sadness within this book just really hit me hard.  I found myself smiling as I read about this golden married couple, The Winslows - they were smart, successful, happy, and so in love.  That when I read about the infidelity, I got so angry and hurt - I felt for Maddy and the unraveling of her family.  And, when I read the end I just cried and cried - I was beyond sad.  Even now, as I write this post, I'm not sure what to write, except that I loved this book. Its a book that you must read in order to experience the full measure of happiness, anger, hurt, and sadness that make this story so unputdownable. 

Indiscretion lured me in with Walter's vivid, detailed descriptions and revelations - he had this voice that just engaged me from the start.  I couldn't help but get caught up in his narration of this timeless tale of love, betrayal, and tragedy.  In fact, I almost felt as if I'd heard this story before, only with different characters - it was familiar and old.  Except that Dubow's writing made it different somehow - he made you fall in love with Maddy, Harry, Johnny, and Walter.  And, he made you feel as if you were the only one privy to these secrets, these truths that Walter was sharing.  Dubow writes in such an intimate manner, you feel almost like a voyeur as you read certain scenes, but you can't help but keep reading.  After all, who doesn't love a bit of gossip, a bit of sex, and family drama - especially, when it isn't happening to you.  Of course, the tragedy at the end just breaks your heart and you wish you weren't reading about it, but by then you are so deep in the book - what can you do, but keep turning pages.

I would most definitely recommend Charles Dubow's Indiscretion to everyone - it is a book that will sweep you away with its excellent storytelling!  

Here's the TLC Book tour schedule: Indiscretion.  Check it out!

Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!!

Review: Late Lights by Kara Weiss

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

After spending his teens in juvenile detention, Monty is released to find he has nowhere to turn except back to the friends of his youth. But neither B.J. nor Erin know how to have him in their lives anymore. As kids, B.J. and Monty shared the anguish of being forgotten children, playing basketball and wandering the streets, but B.J. has since aged out of her tomboy persona and into a sexually-confused woman in an adult body she doesn’t understand, particularly when Monty is the first guy to view her as a woman. Although Erin Broder never gave up on her friendship with Monty, she doesn’t know where he fits into her upward-bound life, which is filled with professional parents, varsity track, and an Ivy League destiny. To the Broder family, young Monty was a charity case, a kid from the wrong side of Tremont Street, a novelty friend they hoped Erin would outgrow. So what happens when she doesn’t? With sharp language and unflinching honesty, Kara Weiss depicts a complex reality where adolescent friendship is less like a two-way street, more like a six-way interchange with broken signals.

my thoughts:

I like short stories, novellas, and vignettes.  Jhumpa Lahiri, Yoko Ogawa, Haruki Murakami, Kurt Vonnegut, and Sandra Cisneros are some of my favorite authors because of their short storytelling prowess. So, when I was offered the chance to read Weiss' new book, Late Lights, I jumped at the chance.  Described as interlinking novellas depicting the raw ugly reality of growing up neglected, conflicted, and abused I was ready to fall in deep with this book.  It took me under an hour to get through the stories and afterward I was left feeling a bit disappointed. 

Weiss writes about a trio of childhood friends who are no longer really friends.  They have been growing apart for quite some time - Monty is a juvenile delinquent who was locked away, Erin is heeding her parent's advice and attending college, and B.J. is surrounded by unruly brothers and a cloud of depression as she struggles with gender identity issues. As each story unfolds, you wind up with bits of information about each character and their roles within a fractured friendship that just won't seem to end.  I have to be honest and admit that I can't really understand how these three were ever friends - they all seem so self-involved that I'm surprised they ever even wanted friends.  And though I did feel badly at times for Monty, Erin, and B.J., I ultimately found it rather disheartening to read about how each one seemed intent on sabotaging their own futures.  I found their stories to be rather predictable and wasn't at all surprised by the way things turned out for each one.  In fact, that was the problem I had with this book - the formulaic feel of each story and the stereotypical depiction of each character.  There was no getting lost in a story with this book - I found myself flipping pages quickly in anticipation of the end. Overall, this book was not my cup of tea. 

However, I don't want to dissuade you from this book, because you might wind up loving it.  So, here's the link for the book tour schedule of Late Lights - Check it out!!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Books, books, books...Vol. 3 (more short reviews)

I am a reading machine and I just can't stop.  So, here are some quickie reviews of some of the awesome books I've recently read:

Eat The City by Robin Shulman
about book:  New York is not a city for growing and manufacturing food.  It's a money and real estate city, with less naked earth and industry than high-rise glass and concrete.  Yet in this intimate, visceral, and beautifully written book, Robin Shulman introduces the people of New York City - both past and present - who do grow vegetables, butcher meat, fish local waters, cut and refine sugar, keep bees for honey, brew beer, and make wine.  In the most heavily built urban environment in the country, she shows an organic city full of intrepid and eccentric people who want to make things grow.  What's more, Shulman artfully places today's urban food production in the context of hundreds of years of history, and traces how we got to where we are.

In these pages meet Willie Morgan, a Harlem man who first grew his own vegetables in a vacant lot as a front for his gambling racket.  And David Selig, a beekeeper in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn who found his bees making a mysteriously red honey.  Get to know Yolene Joseph, who fishes crabs out of the waters off Coney Island to make curried stews for her family.  Meet the creators of the sickly sweet Manischewitz wine, whose brand grew out of Prohibition; and Jacob Ruppert, who owned a beer empire on the Upper East Side and the New York Yankees.

Eat the City is about how the ability of cities to feed people has changed over time.  Yet it is also, in a sense, the story of the things we long for in cities today: closer human connections, a tangible link to more basic processes, a way  to shape more rounded lives, a sense of something pure.

Naturally, most food and drink consumed by New Yorkers hundreds of years ago was grown and produced within what are now the five boroughs.  Yet people rarely realize that long after New York became a dense urban agglomeration, innovators, traditionalists, migrants, and immigrants continued to insist on producing their own food.  This book shows the perils and benefits - and the ironies and humor - when city people involve themselves in making what they eat.

Food, of course, is about hunger.  We eat what we miss and what we want to become, the foods of our childhoods and the symbols of the lives we hope to lead.  With with and insight, Eat the City shows how in places like New York, people have always found ways to use their collective hunger to build their own kind of city.

My thoughts:
Urban agriculture.  Those are the two words to describe what this book is about.  Written in a fun and informative manner, this is one nonfiction text that you will just eat up.  Seriously, its that good!  I would have thought a book about food and the ways in which urbanites are trying to produce it would be boring, but then I would have been wrong.  This book is far from boring - it is captivating!  This book shows us how history, determination, agriculture, city life, and food all connected to make one hunger-inducing read.  You will love it!  Definitely a must-read for foodies, history buffs, and fans of agricultural books.

Buddy: How a Rooster Made me a Family Man by Brian McGrory
about book:  At least on the surface, Brian McGrory has it all figured out - a plum gig at the Boston Globe, season tickets to Fenway, and a classic town-house condo in Back Bay.  Best of all, he has the finest companion to enjoy it with, his wise and wonderful golden retriever, Harry.  But a dog's life can only go so long, and when Harry dies, things change.  Brian begins to realize what's missing, and it's someone he's known all along: Pam, Harry's veterinarian.  With Pam, though, come accessories exotic to the city-loving bachelor: a home in suburbia, a yard with grass, two young daughters, and a sprawling cast of animals headlined by a vocal, portly, snow white rooster named Buddy.  Buddy loves the women of the house and, with full run of the yard, fiercely delights in protecting them.  Brian,on the other hand, quickly becomes public enemy number one.

It all proves deeply unsettling - the long commutes, the absence of his treasured morning walks along the Charles River, and, of course, the lurking diabolical rooster.  But just as Brian reaches wit's end with his new, loud life, he begins to see things in his archenemy that he knows he needs for himself.  Strong and content, devoted to what he has rather what might be missing, Buddy has it all figured out.  Will Brian learn the secret to family harmony or find himself packing?  With luminous writing and expert comic timing, McGrory brings to life a classic story of love, acceptance, and change as one man's nemesis becomes his madcap mentor.

In the tradition of Marley & Me and Let's Take the Long Way Home, Buddy is a wise and poignant tale of finding your way in life - and how wonderful that can be when you have to fight for it.

My thoughts:  This is the type of book that will leave you will a smile on your face.  Heartwarming, funny, and honest, this memoir takes us on Brian's journey as he comes to the realization that he is indeed a family man kind of guy.  This book will make you laugh out loud and have you rooting for Buddy the rooster all the way through.  Read this book if you are a fan of memoirs involving pets and family life - you will be so happy you did!

Being Flynn by Nick Flynn
about book:  Nick Flynn met his father when he was working as a caseworker in a homeless shelter in Boston.  As a teenager he'd received letters from his father, a self-proclaimed poet and con man doing time in federal prison for bank robbery.  Being Flynn tells the story of the trajectory that led Nick and his father onto the streets, into that shelter, and finally to each other.

My thoughts:  A memoir that focuses on the ways in which parents influence every aspect of your life - the damaging way such a relationship can impact you.  Written in a poetic manner, this book jumps back and forth in time, which can be a bit unsettling at first.  Overall, I found this to be an interesting read and found myself seeking out Flynn's poetry.  I would recommend this one to fans of Flynn, memoirs, and books about familial dysfunction.  On a side note, this book was made into a movie starring Robert De Niro.

The Third Miracle by Bill Briggs
about book:  Part detective story and part courtroom drama - with a touch of the supernatural - The Third Miracle exposes the secret rituals and investigations the Catholic Church undertakes to determine sainthood.

In January 2001, at a Catholic convent in the Indiana woods, a handyman named Phil McCord made an urgent plea to God.  McCord's right eye was a furious shade of red and had pulsed for months in the wake of cataract surgery.  He had one shot at recovery: a risky procedure.  Dreading the operation, McCord made a spontaneous request of God: Can you help me get through this?  When McCord awoke the next day, his eye was suddenly and shockingly better.  Many would argue that Mother Theodore Guerin, the long-deceased founder of the convent had "interceded" on McCord's behalf.  Was the healing of Phil McCord's eye a miracle?

Top Catholic officials would convene a tribunal to examine the handyman's healing to verify whether his recovery defied the laws of nature.  They would formally summon McCord, his doctors, coworkers, and family to a basement room at the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.  They would put this alleged miracle on trial, all in an effort to determine if Mother Theodore should be named the eighth American saint.

In The Third Miracle, journalist Bill Briggs chronicles the Church investigation and offers a window into the secretive Catholic saint-making process.  Briggs goes inside the closed-door drama as doctors are grilled about the supernatural, priests hunt for soft spots in the claim, and McCord comes to terms with the metaphorical "third miracle."  As the inquiry shifts from the American heartland to a jury at Vatican City in Rome, Briggs probes our hunger for everyday miracles, the Catholic Church's surprisingly active saint-making operation, and the eternal clash of faith and science.

My thoughts:  Fascinating look into the saint-making process.  We get to find out the cost, time, and effort that is put into confirming a miracle has not only occurred, but that the person involved deserves to be canonized.  Talk about a thorough investigation!  I felt like every person was put on trial by the Catholic Church.  This book was part drama and mystery, mixed in with a bit of the supernatural.  I would most definitely recommend The Third Miracle - you won't want to put it down!

Fight Song: A Novel by Joshua Mohr
about book:  When his bicycle is intentionally run off the road by a neighbor's SUV, something snaps in Bob Coffen.  Modern suburban life has been getting him down and this is the last straw.  To avoid following in his father's missteps, Bob is suddenly desperate to reconnect with this wife and his distant, distracted children.  And he's looking for any guidance he can get.

He embarks on a quest - one weekend in the life of an overweight game designer who, through his seventy-two-hour odyssey along a suburban yellow brick road, meets a motley crew of strange and wonderful characters who eventually help him discover his fight song and the way the back to a meaningful life:  There is his distant wife Jane, who ignores him while she trains to win the world record in treading water; a magician/marriage counselor who has been crying for nine years; a janitor-cum-rock star who plays in a Kiss cover band and sings only in French; a muscle-building fast food worker who also doles out phone sex over the drive thru menu intercom; and Coffen's unstable neighbor, and old high school quarterback with 'Hail Purdue' stuck in his head that sets Bob on a weekend journey that will change his life.

A call-to-arms for those who have ever felt beaten down by life, Fight Song is a quest for happiness in a world in which we are increasingly losing control.  It is the exciting new novel by one of the most surprising and original writers of his generation.

My thoughts:  Funny book about a man struggling to get through his life in middle-America suburbia.  Seems almost farcical at times - the people and events are just too crazy to be true.  I found myself laughing out loud and getting lost in Bob's story - definitely the perfect lunch time read (or at least it was for me - made the rest of my day more bearable).  Would definitely recommend to fans of fiction, specially comical stories.

So, what do you think? They all sound good, don't they? Well, they are - and I loved reading every one of them!  And, now I'm off to start a new book - Where'd You Go, Bernadette?  I hear its an excellent read and I'm itching to get started.  Ta for now and happy reading to you!!

Thank you to the publishers for providing me with copies of these fantastic books!!

Swissted: Vintage Rock Posters Remixed and Reimagined by Mike Joyce

about book:

Swissted takes rock concert posters of the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s and remixes and reimagines them through a Swiss modernist lens. The result is some of the coolest images you’ve ever seen! The book features 200 posters, all microperforated and ready to frame. Or keep them bound in one collection as an art book. The foreword is written by legendary design critic Steven Heller.

Posters are from legendary indie, alternative, and punk bands such as Jane’s Addiction, Blondie, the Beastie Boys, the Clash, the Pixies, Green Day, the Ramones, Devo, the Sex Pistols, Dead Kennedys, Public Image Ltd., Sonic Youth, the Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Hüsker Dü, Danzig, the Replacements, Fugazi, the Lemonheads, Pearl Jam, Pavement, Superchunk, They Might Be Giants, Guided by Voices, Sugar, Sleater Kinney, Violent Femmes, Iggy Pop, Fishbone, Nirvana, and many, many more!

my thoughts:

Talk about a rockin' good book to flip through.  I spent my Saturday poring over these vintage posters from bands I loved and obsessed over during my teens and college years. In fact, looking at the R.E.M. poster reminded me of  how awesome their music is, that I'm now listening to their cds on my way to and from work. 

Pretty groovy posters, eh? I'm thinking of framing a few.  I just loved the colors, graphics, and bands that Joyce chose to use for this project.  His modernist renderings are excellent!  This is definitely one book I would happily recommend to fans of music - you will just love looking at all of these blasts from the past!!

Thanks to Quirk Books for providing me with a copy of this book!

Paris in Color by Nichole Robertson

Check out this lovely gem of a book I've fallen in love with - thanks to Meredith, who wrote about it last year on her blog, Dolce Bellezza.

Paris in Color is a wonderful book filled with vivid, colorful photos of Paris.  From black to red to green to blue, you will quickly fall in deep with this book.  I did.  I found myself getting lost in this book all last weekend and enjoying every minute of it. 

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Amazing photos, eh? I like the ones in the green, as green is my favorite color.  Although I love the photo of the kiss from the ones in black.  Which do you like? 

If you want to check out more photos by Nichole Robertson, or learn about her wonderful book, Paris in Color, then check out her fantastic website, Obvious State. 

REVIEW & GIVEAWAY: The Exiles: A Novel by Allison Lynn

about book:

Nate, a mid-level investment banker on Wall Street, and his longtime girlfriend Emily can no longer afford their cramped apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Tired of trying to keep up with their jet-set friends, they jump at a job offer for Nate in Newport, Rhode Island – complete with a bucolic, small, and comparatively affordable new house. They pack their belongings tightly in their Jeep Cherokee and head north to start a new life. Yet less than an hour after arriving in Newport, the car is stolen and they’re left with nothing but the keys to their empty house and their bawling ten-month-old son.

my thoughts:

Introspective read about an unlikeable couple struggling to come to grips with some unfortunate realities.  Nate and Emily are unable to remain in Manhattan, because money is beyond tight.  So, when Nate is offered employment in Rhode Island, the couple packs up their house and grab their son and head up north.  Almost immediately things go wrong - their car containing all of their personal belongings has been stolen!  With a wailing baby, limited funds, and HUGE secrets weighing them down, the upcoming holiday weekend doesn't look so good.  Nate is worried that he has inherited the Huntington's disease gene and passed it along to his son.  Emily is stressed out with guilt over her recent theft - she stole a painting from some affluent friends.  And the baby, well, he's a baby, but he's feeling the uncomfortable tension emanating from his parents.  Talk about unhappy times.

In The Exiles, Lynn explores several issues that are extremely relatable:  financial, medical, and the uncertainties of life.  You can't help but find yourself getting caught up in Nate and Emily's dramas, and even find yourself empathizing with them as they grapple with facing the ugly realities and truths that seem to enshroud them in a bleakness.  This book just seems to go from unhappy to bad to worse in under a nanosecond, but somehow I think it all fits in with the tense and cloudy atmosphere of the story.  I found myself riveted all the way through and really enjoying Lynn's fantastic writing.  She really knows how to capture a moment and bring it to life with just a few sentences.  And her characters are portrayed in a realistic light - they are flawed, selfish, and unraveling.  This is definitely one book that I would happily recommend.  It is a worthwhile read for fans of character-driven stories, fans of fiction, and fans looking for a new author to get hooked on.

Here's the TLC Book tour schedule for The Exiles - Check it out!!

GIVEAWAY:  Thanks to the publisher I can offer one lucky reader the chance to win a copy of Allison Lynn's terrific new book, The Exiles.  All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me you want "in" for the giveaway.  Oh, and don't forget to leave your email address( so I can contact you if your name is chosen as the winner.)  Last day to enter is July 28th! Open to US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Film Review: Le Divorce and Before Sunset

Bonjour! It is time for Paris in July! To kick things off, I've been listening to my French music non-stop and I am loving it.  Of course, I might love it more, if I had an inkling as to what they were crooning about.  Nonetheless, I am enjoying the musical delights of Tiersen.  And, to get even more excited about Paris in July, I've watched two lovely films: Le Divorce and Before Sunset. One is a comedy and one is a love story, both are set in Paris, and both are unforgettable.

In Le Divorce, we have a film about family, love, a painting, and Paris.  Isabel Walker has traveled to Paris to check in on her older sister, Roxy (who is married and pregnant with her second child).  Eager to embrace French culture, Isabel is excited about the prospects that Paris is sure to bring.  However, once there, she is confronted with a depressed and suicidal sister who has just been dumped by her cheating husband - not exactly a warm welcome.  And, things get even more complicated when her brother-in-law's mistress' husband tries to insinuate himself into her and Roxy's lives by stalking them.  Plus, Isabel has found a new job, a sort-of boyfriend, and a married man to keep her occupied.  Oh, and the painting of St. Ursula that hangs in Roxy's home may or may not be a real La Tour - which brings the whole Walker clan out to Paris (plus, an attempted suicide).   All the while, Roxy is dealing with her husband's meddlesome family about a divorce that she is adamantly against.  Sounds pretty crazy and kind of ridiculous, right?  Well it is, and its not.  Thanks in large part to the stellar cast of actors in the film, this movie is a surprisingly sweet treat to watch.  Oh, and of course, it helps to have Paris be the backdrop amidst all the drama.  The Eiffel Tower, those ubiquitous scarves,  a red Hermes handbag, delectable dishes, chic apartments, and country estates - what more could I want?

In Before Sunset, we finally have the long awaited reunion between Jesse and Celine.  Fans of Before Sunrise know that the couple met on a train and wound up spending the night wandering the streets of Vienna.  They planned to meet up six months later, but as the movie ended we were left wondering if a reunion ever took place.  And, now thanks to Before Sunset we have our answer.  Turns out that Jesse made it to Vienna in December, but Celine did not (her grandmother passed away and she was at her funeral).  Suffice it to say, Jesse is relieved to find out that Celine didn't purposely ditch him, and Celine is delighted to find out that he showed up as promised.  Of course, that was nine years ago and a lot has happened since then.  As the couple gets reacquainted with one another, and the day starts to fade into night, Paris surrounds them.  They wander around the city, visit a cafe, take a boat tour of the Seine River and wind up listening to Nina Simone at Celine's bohemian-styled apartment.  French music plays softly in the background at times, and the lush beauty of the gardens and cityscape provide a romantic tinged feel to the whole film. I felt like I was visiting Paris while I watched Jesse and Celine visiting with one another.  Now, I don't want to give away the plot, so I'm not going to say what transpires between Celine and Jesse, but just know that you will have a smile on your face as the credits roll. 

So, yes, I would most definitely recommend Le Divorce and Before Sunset to everyone.   I know that they aren't really French films, but for me they showcase the beauty of Paris quite nicely - the cobblestone streets, Notre Dame, chic Parisians, lovely parks, the Seine River, cool cafes, and the feeling of possibility that the city seems to possess.  I found myself wishing I were wandering around the City of Light, wearing an expertly knotted scarf, and taking in the beautiful scenery surrounding me.  Plus, the films felt like the perfect way to kick off Paris in July. 

And now, I'm off to read something for Paris in July - I'm torn between The Cleaner of Chartres, Gourmet Rhapsody, and The Whole Fromage.  Hmm.  What do you think?

GIVEAWAY & REVIEW: The Last Cameliia: A Novel by Sarah Jio

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

about book:

On the eve of the Second World War, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.

More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?

my thoughts:

Love, love, love!! I absolutely loved this book! It had mystery, drama, love, England, and flowers! What more could I ask for? Plus, it had the perfect mixture of past and present.  Jio did an amazing job of weaving Flora and Addison's stories together.  In fact, the way she connected the characters to the house and one another was fascinating.  Plus, I loved learning about the camellia - I even wound up googling Middlebury Pink.  I will admit to enjoying Flora's story a bit more than Addison's - I couldn't help it.  Flora's just had this emotional pull that I felt Addison's lacked.  Also, I identified with Flora more - working to help her parents out was something I could relate to.  Aside from the characters, I found myself easily engaged with Jio's story and would not put it down for anything (well, except for work and the drive home, but then I picked it right up and didn't stop reading.)

So, what exactly is this book about?  Well, its about a young woman named Flora who travels to England to become a nanny.  Only, its not just kids that she will be keeping an eye on.  Nope, Flora is on the look out for a rare flower that she hopes will provide the financial means necessary to take care of her parents.  As for Addison, she's a woman with a past who has been dodging phone calls lately.  Seems her past is about to catch up with her and in a bid to leave it behind, she tells her husband that a trip to England is just what they both need.  Of course, a change in location doesn't mean that you can escape your problems - in fact, it seems to make them even bigger.  Sounds intriguing, eh? Well, it is!  And, of course it all takes place in England (I heart that country) - in one of those huge, stately manors that has hidden staircases, too many rooms, and beautiful gardens.  Now, I'm not going to say what goes down, or who is responsible for what, because I don't want to spoil anything for you.  However, I will tell you one thing - the butler didn't do it. Har har har.  Seriously though, you will enjoy reading this book and you will love the surprise at the end. 

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio is one book that I would wholeheartedly recommend to fans of Jio, women's fiction, and novels in general.  You will absolutely fall in love with this book - I did!  In fact, I still can't believe that I waited so long to read Jio - what was I thinking?

Oh, and if you don't believe me, then check out these other reviews of the book: The Last Camellia

And now, I'm off to order the rest of Sarah Jio's books.  Happy reading!!

GIVEAWAY: Thanks to the publisher, FIVE lucky readers can win a copy of this FANTASTIC novel!! All you have to do is leave me a comment telling me what your favorite flower is.  How easy is that?  Last day to enter is July 17th!  Open to US/Canada residents only.  Good luck!!

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!

Restrike: Coleman and Dinah Greene Mystery No.1 by Reba White Williams

(Thank you to the publisher and TLC Book Tours for providing me with a copy of this book!)

 about book:

Money and murder go hand in glove in the rarified art world of Reba White Williams’ exciting first novel, Restrike.

Cousins Coleman and Dinah Greene moved from North Carolina to New York after college to make their mark on the art world: Coleman is the editor of an influential arts magazine and Dinah is the owner of a print gallery in Greenwich Village. But their challenges are mounting as one of Coleman’s writers is discovered selling story ideas to a competitor and The Greene Gallery is in the red because sales are down.

When billionaire Heyward Bain arrives with a glamorous assistant, announcing plans to fund a fine print museum, Coleman is intrigued and plans to get to know Bain and publish an article about him. Dinah hopes to sell him enough prints to save her gallery. At the same time, swindlers, attracted by Bain’s lavish spending, invade the print world to grab some of his money.

When a print dealer dies in peculiar circumstances, Coleman is suspicious, but she can’t persuade the NYPD crime investigator of a connection between the dealer’s death and Bain’s buying spree. After one of Coleman’s editors is killed and Coleman is attacked, the police must acknowledge the connection, and Coleman becomes even more determined to discover the truth about Bain. In an unforgettable final scene, Coleman risks her life to expose the last deception threatening her, her friends, and the formerly tranquil print world.

my thoughts:

Reba White Williams' debut novel, Restrike is a must-read!  It is the epitome of a cozy mystery - one that had me all curled up, clutching a cup of tea, and staying up till the wee hours of the night.  And I loved it! I found myself easily engaged with cousins, Coleman and Dinah - two successful women making a name for themselves in the NYC art world.  Some backstabbing and sabotage is par for the course, but when both women find themselves embroiled in a murder mystery, well, the stakes suddenly get a lot higher. 

You see, a man named Heyward Bain has brought some excitement into the art world - he's planning on opening a print museum and has been buying rare pieces lately.  However, one of the sellers winds up dead and something is starting to smell rotten in the house of Bain.  So, with their sleuth caps on, Coleman and Dinah dive into the seedy underworld of the art world (you know, where forgery, theft, and murder occasionally occur) and start investigating Bain.  Who is this mystery man, with his rare prints and dashing good looks?  Hmm.  Suffice it to say, intrigue and drama ensue.  And, the mystery remains intact until the very end.  Yep, I couldn't crack it any sooner and believe you me, that drove me crazy! I'm usually good at figuring out, "Who done it?", but not this time round.  I'll just say this - the ending left me gobsmacked (did not see that coming!)

So, yes, I would happily recommend Restrike to all fans of mystery novels - you will love this one! And, luckily for us, this is the first book in the Coleman and Dinah Greene Mystery series.  I can't wait for the next one!  Until then, I'll be reading Sarah Jio's, The Last Camellia.  Happy reading!!

Here's the link to the TLC Book tour schedule of: Restrike.  Check it out! 

 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book!