What I'm Reading
Yes, Chef: A Memoir, by Marcus Samuelsson
9/11/2012
I always like reading books by/about chefs, but I've enjoyed this less than those by Anthony Bordain, Ruth Reichl, MFK Fisher, or Jacques Pepin. Samuelsson is a little too full of himself, and I rarely see much warmth or humor from him. He's intense and ambitious, often ignoring his family in pursuit of his professional goals. While he constantly whines about how he is perceived as "a black chef from Sweden," he does nothing to step out of the stereotypical role of absent father. How disappointing. He needs to spend more time working on being a decent human being than creating the perfect signature dish. (His doesn't even sound appealing to me.)
Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese
12/20/2011
Get back to me after these damn twins finally make their way into the world. Their birth is taking forever, and by forever I mean several chapters. Get out already.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
1/17/2011
Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff
12/12/2010
Honestly, this book is a bit too dense for me by the time I get to settle down and read around 11:00. I'm slogging my way through it, but it's taking me a while.
Last Night in Twisted River
John Irving
I read something by John Irving nearly every summer. One of my all-time favorite books is A Prayer for Owen Meany. I'm really looking forward to digging into this one at the beach. He includes an epigraph from my favorite Bob Dylan song, Tangled Up in Blue.
7/5/10
I had a job in the great north woods
Working as a cook for a spell
But I never did like it all that much
And one day the axe just fell.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Fun, fun, fun. Reads much like P & P, but Lizzie and Jane are skilled in the art of killing zombies. I'm 8 chapters into it. Poor Jane was beset by four zombies on her way to Netherfield and managed to kill them all...but still caught a cold.
6/27/10
Brooklyn: A Novel
Colm Toibin
So far this reads like a lesser Angela's Ashes (everything is lesser than Angela's Ashes) or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. My book club picked it, so I'm trying to be a good sport. I'll let you know if it gets better. (I've heard that it does.)
5/15/10
The Help
Kathryn Stockett
Reminds me of The Secret Life of Bees. I'm enjoying it, but it's stressing me out. Skeeter girl, you gonna get caught!
1/26/10
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Yes, I'm reading it again. I've also downloaded this one for free on my Kindle iPhone app.
1/6/10
Dead Until Dawn
Charlaine Harris
Trashy but fun, HBO's True Blood is based on this Sookie Stackhouse Series.
12/27/09
My Life in France
Kindle Edition, by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme
Um, note to author (may she rest in peace): I don't speak French. Please condescend to provide translation for non-Frogs.
12/13/09
A Christmas Carol
Kindle Edition, by Charles Dickens
Download it for free! I thoroughly enjoyed A Christmas Carol, and it takes only a few hours to read.
12/20/09
9/11/2012
I always like reading books by/about chefs, but I've enjoyed this less than those by Anthony Bordain, Ruth Reichl, MFK Fisher, or Jacques Pepin. Samuelsson is a little too full of himself, and I rarely see much warmth or humor from him. He's intense and ambitious, often ignoring his family in pursuit of his professional goals. While he constantly whines about how he is perceived as "a black chef from Sweden," he does nothing to step out of the stereotypical role of absent father. How disappointing. He needs to spend more time working on being a decent human being than creating the perfect signature dish. (His doesn't even sound appealing to me.)
Cutting for Stone, by Abraham Verghese
12/20/2011
Get back to me after these damn twins finally make their way into the world. Their birth is taking forever, and by forever I mean several chapters. Get out already.
A Prayer for Owen Meany, by John Irving
1/17/2011
Cleopatra: A Life, by Stacy Schiff
12/12/2010
Honestly, this book is a bit too dense for me by the time I get to settle down and read around 11:00. I'm slogging my way through it, but it's taking me a while.
Last Night in Twisted River
John Irving
I read something by John Irving nearly every summer. One of my all-time favorite books is A Prayer for Owen Meany. I'm really looking forward to digging into this one at the beach. He includes an epigraph from my favorite Bob Dylan song, Tangled Up in Blue.
7/5/10
I had a job in the great north woods
Working as a cook for a spell
But I never did like it all that much
And one day the axe just fell.
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
Fun, fun, fun. Reads much like P & P, but Lizzie and Jane are skilled in the art of killing zombies. I'm 8 chapters into it. Poor Jane was beset by four zombies on her way to Netherfield and managed to kill them all...but still caught a cold.
6/27/10
Brooklyn: A Novel
Colm Toibin
So far this reads like a lesser Angela's Ashes (everything is lesser than Angela's Ashes) or A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. My book club picked it, so I'm trying to be a good sport. I'll let you know if it gets better. (I've heard that it does.)
5/15/10
The Help
Kathryn Stockett
Reminds me of The Secret Life of Bees. I'm enjoying it, but it's stressing me out. Skeeter girl, you gonna get caught!
1/26/10
Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen
Yes, I'm reading it again. I've also downloaded this one for free on my Kindle iPhone app.
1/6/10
Dead Until Dawn
Charlaine Harris
Trashy but fun, HBO's True Blood is based on this Sookie Stackhouse Series.
12/27/09
My Life in France
Kindle Edition, by Julia Child and Alex Prud'Homme
Um, note to author (may she rest in peace): I don't speak French. Please condescend to provide translation for non-Frogs.
12/13/09
A Christmas Carol
Kindle Edition, by Charles Dickens
Download it for free! I thoroughly enjoyed A Christmas Carol, and it takes only a few hours to read.
12/20/09