United States of Arugula: How We Became A Gourmet Nation

The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation by David Kamp is the entertaining study of how the American palate has grown since the start of the last century. He uses James Beard, Julia Child, and Craig Claiborne as his starting points. The book revolves around what happened before they were on the scene and then what happened during their "foodie" reign and then aftermath of their influence on how America eats.

It is fascinating to see how much Kamp manages to fit in his book. Everything from the East Coast restaurant scene, to the latest cookbook craze to the trickle down effect of gourmet food for the masses. He touches on the rise of French restaurant cooking in the U.S., to the Alice Waters/California effect, then to other international cuisines, and then the "Chef as a rock star" - thanks to the rise in food media coverage including the Food Network.

Even if you are not a true "foodie" (- would love it but can afford it!) this will take you on a study of the rise of your favorite cuisines and the wackiness of food trends. Kamp writes very well and this history of what and why we eat, is a whirlwind read from start to finish. Excellent!

I'm Just Wild About Harry

I've been a bit obsessed with Harry Potter recently and have been having marathon reading sessions! What can one say about Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows? J.K. Rowling has definitely put her final (?) stamp on the Harry Potter saga.

First - you must have read the other six books to appreciate the winding up of sub plots and themes that are in this one. There are so many things that run through these books. Much more than just a "simple" children's story. I will not provide spoilers (I think), but sweeping generalizations of the story.

The concept of explaining death and loss - how people cope with it, face it, fear it and rebound from it. Growing up and "coming of age" is deliberate through the books. Learning that your heroes and parents aren't perfect and may have made mistakes in the past. How your choices do effect your future. The concept of family - whether the one that you are born into, or the one that you have created for yourself. The books touch on how one can change, for good or bad. How one can escape from the patterns of life that you have created for yourself. How first impressions are not always correct, and people have multiple reasons for not telling the truth. Learning that the world is not just in black or white - there are many shades of gray. Oh and yes, there is the wonderful magical world that Rowling has created.

So read away and get caught up in her characters, their troubles and triumphs and the wizard war that will decide their futures. Does she answer all our questions? Most stuff. Will she write more, who knows? But let us be damn grateful that she wrote these. Excellent read.

Good Little Wives

In the book, Good Little Wives by Abby Drake - it started with a facelift...

Want to know how the other half lives? Do you love the trials and tribulations of desperate housewives? Or want to know all about the ladies who lunch?

Welcome to the world of New Falls where a husband's murder shakes up the whole town. Was it his ex - whose calls are not returned by her former "friends"? Was it something or someone else? As the trophy wives begin to investigate, they learn that everyone has been keeping secrets in this NYC bedroom community. Are they really friends to each other at all?

Witty dialogue and a fast pace keep the mysteries moving along. It takes a while to warm up to the characters, some have more appalling secrets than others, but overall a fun quick read. Something fun to look at the next time you're at the spa or on vacation. A fine debut.

I read an advanced copy- it comes out in Sept.

The Virgin River Series

Robyn Carr has written three great books in her Virgin River series. They are Virgin River, Shelter Mountain, and Whispering Rock. Can you read one with out the other? Yes, however they are very interconnected, and I think you will grow to like these characters and town so much that you will want to read them all.

Carr sets her story in a small town in Northern California's mountain regions. It is a place of refuge for her characters but this town is not perfectville. She starts in the first book Virgin River with the story of Melinda and Jack. Melinda is a midwife-nurse practitioner who is looking to start over. She is drawn there by an ad placed by one of the town supporters. She finds that the ad is a bit deceiving. The current doctor is unaware that she is coming, and the rent-free cabin that was promised is a mess. But she finds she is drawn to the patients that need her expertise. And she is drawn to Jack, an ex Marine who runs the local watering hole and food establishment. Jack falls hard but soon realizes that Mel has secrets of her own.

(I should interject that these books go into great detail about "birthing babies" both good stories and unfortunately bad. If this is something that you can not handle - you might want to pass on this series. Having had an obstetrics nurse for a mother - I did not have a problem with it. All these scenes are handled with with great care, but may not be for you.)

Shelter Mountain is the story of Preacher and Paige. He is the somewhat scary looking, but shy, ex Marine who is Jack's business partner and chef. She arrives in Virgin River with her son in tow, trying to escape her abusive husband. Their story of learning to trust each other is great.

Whispering Rock features the story of Mike and Brie who is Jack's little sister. Mike is Jack's Marine buddy who was shot up in his job as a LA cop. He's been recovering from his injuries in Virgin River while Brie has a traumatic life event to recover from as well.

These stories have wonderful characters who are trying to get over some of the lumps in life that have been delt to them. But Carr makes these characters very real. They are not perfect, they make mistakes, have setbacks and continue on and their stories continue throughout the series. She puts some of them in very trying positions. Sometimes the reader is a bit taken aback - maybe you don't want to go down that road - but go. She writes so well that you feel she will take care of you and the characters on the journey. And she writes with humor and grace.

I have not felt this gushy over a contemporary romance series in a while. I was bit surprised myself that I like these as well as I did. They aren't what I would usually pick for myself. So try 'em - maybe you will love them too. A great read.

Revisiting Little Women

Have you ever read a book and wanted to know about a character that the author did not give a great detail about? Geraldine Brooks' Pulitzer prize winning book March takes the story of the father from Louisa May Alcott's Little Women and brings his background and his Civil War experiences to light.

I think it helps if you have read the earlier book, because Brooks manages to match her book with Alcott's time lines. We find out about Mr. March's battles, his placement at a plantation where there are freed slaves working for their wages, and his job of teaching them to read. We also find out in flashback how he first traveled in the south and how he made his early money before he moved to Concord and met and married Marmee. We find out the reason why the family finances have gone down hill and the girls are sent out to work.

But we also see his lack of prejudice and conviction of principles, in a time and place when that was very rare. He struggles with these demons and struggles to make a difference to his students.

The second half of the book is told from Marmee's perspective, when March is injured and in a hospital in Washington D.C. Who is this man she has been married to? Why hasn't he mentioned the real conditions in his letters? And what surprises are in his past? Will they survive this latest crisis of faith and love?

Alcott based her characters on her own family and Brooks uses Bronson Alcott as her basis for March. She manages to make her characters come alive, and her prose is sparse but engaging. I think you can enjoy this book with out having read the original, but she has done such a great job of melding the stories you might want to try reading Alcott's original.

A very good read.

Summer Reading Can Be Frothy

Taking a break from more serious minded stuff while I wait for the new Harry Potter!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke
The first mystery in the Minnesota based Hannah Swensen series. Fun town folks and a lead character I can relate to. Kind of a cosy - but with so many bodies around town - maybe not!
Worth a look.

I Love You to Death by Amy Garvey
3 romance short stories that happen to have a bit of mystery thrown in. My favorite was the blind date that ended up dead. Fun appealing characters - not too developed, but a quick frothy read.