I’m reading Reichl’s life backwards. Last year I read the excellent Save Me the Plums, so this year I decided to go back to her previous book, about her work as the restaurant critic for the New York Times. And while I enjoyed this one a bit less, Reichl is still an engaging and thoughtful…
This book is Pan’s memoir of a year when she decided to challenge herself to live like an extrovert. She explains that there’s nothing wrong with being an introvert, only she’s an excessively shy one (a “shintrovert” as she calls herself), which means she’s probably missing out on friendships and career opportunities by not engaging…
I picked up this book partly because I saw Zauner interviewed on the Daily Show, and partly because it was recommended in Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Summer Reading Guide. I was intrigued by the title and the subject — it’s a book about family and loss, about being biracial and the daughter of an immigrant, and…
In the last month or two, I seem to have gravitated towards books about mental health issues, both fiction and nonfiction. This seems fitting, since May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In nonfiction, I read David Chang’s memoir Eat a Peach, Jenny Lawson’s fantastic Broken (In the Best Possible Way), and I’m currently reading Bessel…
The first time I heard about this book, I was struck by how much it sounded like my own family. Neumann grew up in Venezuela, but her father was born in Czechoslovakia. He survived the Holocaust but never talked about it, and she grew up not knowing any of his family, except for her father’s…
I spent a lot of time this month participating in Nonfiction November, so I thought instead of the usual monthly wrap-up I’d post some mini-reviews instead. These three books address issues related to science, religion, and the intersection of the two. I recommend all three. The Story of More by Hope Jahren (audio by the author):…
This is a book I think most of us should read, though it’s definitely not an easy read. In 2015, Chanel Miller went to a party at Stanford. Two guys found her unconscious on the ground near a dumpster, with a guy on top of her. When they yelled the guy ran, so they tackled…
I’ve been recommending this book a lot lately, especially to my friends with daughters. There aren’t that many books out there that feel fresh and original, and this one did. First, a major disclaimer: I am NOT the target audience for this book. It’s a bit hard to fairly review a book written by a…
Regardless of whether you like Star Trek, whether you’re Japanese, or whether you read graphic novels, you should pick up this book. George Takei never fails to impress me with his humor, his knowledge, and his passion for telling a story. He brings all of those things to this graphic depiction of his childhood experiences…
It seems fitting to discuss a book about therapy the day after Thanksgiving, a holiday that raises so many complicated family issues — though hopefully yours was lovely! This book has plenty of buzz already without my review, but I loved it. It’s unlike most books I’ve read, in that it’s an inside look at…
This month is Nonfiction November, a celebration of all things nonfiction. I’ve read some fantastic nonfiction this year and I’m proud of myself for reading more nonfiction than I used to. I enjoy this event because I get so many good nonfiction recommendations for next year. Each week will be a topic hosted by a different blog. This…
This is my first time reading Reichl, and I found this book fascinating and thoroughly enjoyable. Reichl describes her background and what led her into cooking and then restaurant critiquing, but most of the book is spent describing her years as the editor of Gourmet Magazine. I was never a reader of the magazine, but…
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