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!

A Beautiful Mess by Ali Berlinski

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

about book:

 Imagine what your life would be like if you laughed through all the mayhem. Ali Berlinski is an expert on making complicated family relationships and messy situations comedic. A biracial child of divorce, Ali grew up between two coasts and two families. With a gay deaf brother, ex-nanny step mother, and celebrity ex, it's no surprise that her personal life served as the fodder behind her first book, a beautiful mess.

Through personal anecdotes Ali explains how laughter helped her to embrace the lighter side of heartache, her stepmother's cancer, and even depression. Her story reminds us that sometimes we all need a little help laughing at our problems. Ali Berlinski will help you say yes to your mess.

my thoughts:

Love! Love! Love! I loved A Beautiful Mess by Ali Berlinski!  It was the perfect read for a rainy day - it picked me up and made me think about some things that I hadn't thought about in ages.  I found myself quite reflective as I thumbed through the pages and kept on reading about this woman's journey of self-discovery.  It was easy to identify with her on a personal level, because I've also had to deal with questions about my ethnicity, identity.  And, who hasn't endured heartbreak with a guy who you just can't seem to let go of, because he feels like he's THE ONE, but deep down you know he's not.  Oh, and the family drama - well, who doesn't have enough of that in their own family?  Of course, mine isn't as heartbreaking as Berlinski's, which I'm super grateful for.  

The author's openness about such personal experiences was refreshing and inspiring.  Her book of essays was filled with humor, emotion and raw honesty.  The topics she wrote about are all ones we can relate to, which makes reading this book feel as if you are having a chat with a good pal over a cup of tea.  I found myself engaged with this book from start to finish.   On a side note, I have noticed some people complaining about the part in the book where Berlinski bashes Elizabeth Gilbert's book Eat, Pray, Love - I have to admit that I didn't mind that part at all.  I wasn't a huge fan of that book and can understand Berlinski's dislike for it - especially, considering the fact that every time she mentioned her plans to move abroad and write, everyone would mention Gilbert to her (as if she was going to copy Eat, Pray, Love).  I just think its funny that people took such offense to Berlinski not being a fan of Gilbert - wasn't this supposed to be a book of personal essays, which means it consists of personal opinions?  So, if she didn't like the book, she didn't like it - big deal!  And, even if she was just jealous of Gilbert, so what?  Its crazy the things that people are sticklers about, isn't?  But I digress...

The bottom line is that I loved this book!  I enjoyed the book's candor and humor.  I found it to be a quick and short read that really gave me food for thought.  I would most definitely recommend A Beautiful Mess to fans of essayists and memoirs. 

To find out more about the author Ali Berlinski, check out her website.  

I would like to thank the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book.

The Secret Life of a Submissive: A True Story by Sarah K

about book:

the TRUTH really is HOTTER than FICTION

Sarah K is a writer and a level-headed single mother.  But when she meets Max - a charming, handsome and deliciously brooding - she senses things are about to change.  Max is a Dominant.  And he wants Sarah to surrender to him in every way.

In this explosive true story, Sarah takes us on her erotically charged journey to becoming a submissive.  Before long she can't stop herself, yielding to Max's every desire, pushing her mind and body to their limits.  Pleasure and pain become her world - and she's addicted: to the adrenalin, to the sensation, to Max himself.

And now she's in serious danger of giving in to the ultimate temptation: falling in love...

Evocative, witty, thrilling and told with complete honesty, The Secret Life of a Submissive will enthrall you, amaze you and leave you begging for more.

my thoughts:

Let me just start by saying, "Wow!"  This book truly shocked and unnerved me.  I found myself horrified at some of the scenes described and couldn't help but feel angry, confused, and completely speechless at times.  I've read novels about BDSM before, but for some reason those books never bothered me.  Then again, those books were fiction, and so I found them to be more of a guilty pleasure type of read.  However, this time round, I was reading a nonfiction story about the author's own personal experience with a Dom/Sub relationship and it was definitely not what I had expected.

Sarah writes erotic fiction novels and has always wanted to do more than just research the subject matter for her books - she's wanted to experience it for quite some time.  When she was young, she married an older man and they had children.  They had a rather unfulfilled marriage and wound up divorcing.  Newly single, Sarah decides that its time to start dating, and so she joins a BDSM site to see if she can find someone to show her the ropes.  She meets up with quite few duds at first, but finally hits pay dirt with Max.  He's been a Dom for quite some time and is happy to enter into a BDSM relationship with Sarah.  He draws up the contract and they both agree on safe words.  And soon enough, Sarah is experiencing firsthand what it means to be punished for disobeying her Master.  We read about her nervousness, insecurity, shock, and awe about the new world she has decided to become a part of.  There is spanking, collars, caning, dog bowls and just so many things that will make your jaw drop.  It really was quite an eye-opening read.

In fact, I'm still digesting the story.  There was just so much to take in that I found to be rather unsettling.  Some of the scenes were just too violent and degrading that I couldn't help but wonder what the hell I was reading.  It just horrified me that beating someone equated to pleasure - how was that possible?  I know that a contract was signed and that Sarah agreed to these things, but I still got upset by what I read.  Don't get me wrong, the entire story was not filled with scenes of violence - there actually were some light bits in there (Sarah hanging out with her girlfriends, wandering around Paris with Max, questioning her feelings for Max, going on bad dates, etc.).  I enjoyed Sarah's humorous and candid tone - she made relating to her so easy (well, some of the time).  I suppose that in the end, I did enjoy getting to know Sarah and this journey she went on - it was definitely an unforgettable one.   Plus, the writing was great, the characters were fully realized ( I wonder why?), and the subject matter was extremely fascinating.  Oh, and I did get a happily ever after ending - Sarah wound up meeting someone and falling in love.  She's now happily married and occasionally dabbles in a bit of BDSM (with her husband).  Overall, her relationship with Max helped her open her heart to a new world, new experiences, and new people. 

I would recommend The Secret Life of a Submissive to fans of BDSM novels and anyone interested in nonfiction books (specifically ones about sexual relationships). 

Thank you to TLC Book Tours and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.