The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (Books & Banter and Evening Edition book clubs)
This is one of those books that I would not have read if not for book club. My library system selected this book as our Community Read and so I made both of my book clubs read it. If it had not been for these facts I would have stopped reading after the 3rd chapter. The story is so crazy and unlikely that it's just not an enjoyable read. There are a few interesting characters - the least of which is A.J. Fikry. Yet somehow he becomes the hub of this small island community even when he tries so hard not to be. Overall, I didn't really like it, but if you force yourself it is a quick read. I'll be interested to see what my book club members think about it.
Farm Anatomy by Julia Rothman
This is a unique book - part cookbook, part farm dictionary and primer. Rothman basically goes through every possible aspect of life on a farm with beautiful illustrations that identify all the tools, plants, animals, buildings, etc. that you might find on a farm. There are also quite a few recipes throughout, but it's not exclusively a cookbook. If you're unfamiliar with farm life this would be a good introduction. This is a fun and beautifully illustrated book.
Voracious: a hungry reader cooks her way through great books by Cara Nicoletti
I loved this book! It combines two of my passions - reading and cooking. The author always loved both reading and cooking and was inspired as an adult to start a blog about recipes inspired from books she loved. That blog turned into this book and it will make you want to re-read some old favorites and try out some new recipes. She divides the book into three sections - childhood, adolescence and college years, and adulthood - all with recipes she created based on food found in favorite books she read during those years. She has a few pages about a particular book and why she loved it and then a recipe inspired by that book. It's a very quick read and I was definitely inspired to try some of her recipes and I think I'll also be paying closer attention to food scenes in books I read. Overall, a great book for a foodie reader!
Lizzy & Jane by Katherine Reay
Elizabeth left her family's home in Seattle after her mother's death and never looked back. After culinary school she was living her dream as a head chef in New York City. But, when her restaurant starts struggling Elizabeth realizes that she's lost her spark. Her older sister Jane is dealing with breast cancer, so she decides to take a break from her restaurant and help out her sister. Their relationship has been strained since their mother died and they both blame the other. After a few weeks back in Seattle Elizabeth realizes that she finally has the chance to make things right with her family, but does that mean leaving her beloved restaurant or can she have both?
There were parts of this book that were great, but overall it was a slow read and there were a lot of parts that were terrible and changed the flow of the story. I finished it because I was so far in that I wanted to know what happened, but I always know when it takes me a long time to finish a book it's because it's not great. No matter how long you fly through a great book and wish it was longer. I was glad to be done with this one - OK, but definitely not great.
There were parts of this book that were great, but overall it was a slow read and there were a lot of parts that were terrible and changed the flow of the story. I finished it because I was so far in that I wanted to know what happened, but I always know when it takes me a long time to finish a book it's because it's not great. No matter how long you fly through a great book and wish it was longer. I was glad to be done with this one - OK, but definitely not great.
Life from Scratch: a memoir of food, family, and forgiveness by Sasha Martin
Sasha Martin had fond memories of the first years of her life with her mother and older brother Michael. They didn't have much money, but that didn't stop their mother from showing her love for them through food. Some of Sasha's earliest memories involve cooking with her mother and brother. Then when Sasha was six and Michael eight - social services removed them from their mother's home and life was never the same after that. They lived in a few foster homes before their mother asked a family friend with money to take them in. Nothing was ever explained to the kids and they both suffered emotionally from being taken away from their mother with no explanation.
Fast forward twenty plus years and Sasha is married with a young daughter. Because food was always connected to happiness for her she decides to cook her way through every country in the world. One country per week with recipes and a write up on her blog Global Table Adventure. This was a way for her to connect food to her new family and also try to open up her husband and young daughter's palates. After a year or so her blog begins to get more media attention and towards the end of the project she ends up hosting a huge feast for her community to celebrate and share all the food she cooked throughout this journey. Sasha shows how food can celebrate and create family. She had a rough childhood, but managed to work through it through her love of cooking and food and learning to share that with both her family and a larger community.
Fast forward twenty plus years and Sasha is married with a young daughter. Because food was always connected to happiness for her she decides to cook her way through every country in the world. One country per week with recipes and a write up on her blog Global Table Adventure. This was a way for her to connect food to her new family and also try to open up her husband and young daughter's palates. After a year or so her blog begins to get more media attention and towards the end of the project she ends up hosting a huge feast for her community to celebrate and share all the food she cooked throughout this journey. Sasha shows how food can celebrate and create family. She had a rough childhood, but managed to work through it through her love of cooking and food and learning to share that with both her family and a larger community.
The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
Geraldine Brooks is one of my favorite authors, but I can honestly say I wish I hadn't read this one. Brutal is the word that keeps coming to mind every time I try to describe it. It's a fictionalized account of the life of King David from the Bible, so there were also some things that I didn't appreciate as a Christian - mainly the depiction of David and Jonathan's relationship as homosexual. The book is told from Nathan's perspective as David's prophet and spiritual adviser. But, the whole book was just brutal - war, murder, rapes, incest, betrayals - it was horrific. There really wasn't much redeeming in the storyline at all, it was a hard read.
As a Christian I think we often want to sanitize the Bible, especially the Old Testament. But, these people didn't just live hard lives - their lives were brutal. Women were nothing and were bartered and sold and often raped repeatedly throughout their marriages. Fighting was up close and personal with swords and knives. Wars were constantly being fought and loyalties changed. I will say this book did a good job of describing what the reality of life was in that time - brutal, even for royalty. There was mention of God and how He had chosen David, but a lot of the spiritual aspects of David's life were very toned down. Overall, I really wish I hadn't read this book - there was SO much terrible violence and while I'm sure it accurately reflects the time period, but it was ROUGH.
As a Christian I think we often want to sanitize the Bible, especially the Old Testament. But, these people didn't just live hard lives - their lives were brutal. Women were nothing and were bartered and sold and often raped repeatedly throughout their marriages. Fighting was up close and personal with swords and knives. Wars were constantly being fought and loyalties changed. I will say this book did a good job of describing what the reality of life was in that time - brutal, even for royalty. There was mention of God and how He had chosen David, but a lot of the spiritual aspects of David's life were very toned down. Overall, I really wish I hadn't read this book - there was SO much terrible violence and while I'm sure it accurately reflects the time period, but it was ROUGH.
A Gift from Bob by James Bowen
Another Bob book! James Bowen didn't have a great childhood and most Christmases were spent traveling with his mother, when all he really wanted was to spend quality time with her. When he was an addict he never cared what day it was, but now that he's clean and has Bob he realizes that he does have something to celebrate at Christmas. In this book Bowen recounts his Christmas with Bob in 2010. It was the last Christmas that they would struggle financially, but he didn't know that at the time. While trying to make enough money to pay utilities and food through the holidays with hopefully a little extra for a few gifts, Bowen and Bob have a few true Christmas miracles that really highlight just how much they had to be thankful for. Plus, they get to enjoy celebrating the day together. This is a really quick and heartwarming read. Highly recommended for any cat lovers and Bob fans!
A Fireproof Home for the Bride by Amy Scheibe
Emmy Nelson grew up in small-town Minnesota on a farm in the 1950's. Her life is simple and she works hard and knows what's expected of her. From the age of 12 her family planned for her to marry Ambrose, the older son of a wealthy neighbor. But a chance encounter with Bobby has Emmy reconsidering her plans with Ambrose and when Ambrose shows his true colors to Emmy she breaks all ties with her family and strikes out on her own. Soon Emmy and Bobby are dating and she has an exciting job at a local newspaper. When racial tensions start to rise in her community, Emmy realizes they might be tied to her own family history. Emmy has the face the reality of her family history and decide what course she wants for her own life. This is a classic coming-of-age story with a very relatable and likable heroine in Emmy. The end of the book is pretty dramatic and I didn't see it coming, but in hindsight you can see that the story line is slowly gathering speed toward this crazy end. A quick read that would make a great pick for a book club!
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