How Did You Get This Number

Sloane Crosley is back again with How Did You Get This Number, another batch of essays. (Okay - this is one of the ugliest book covers I have seen in a long time. Somebody did her a disservice here!) Some are more personal than others - such as the one about how her bad sense of direction is actually a spatial learning disorder and how it provides her with challenges in everyday life. Then there are others such as being a bridesmaid in Alaska - where there is indeed an encounter with bears.

This book does not have as much of the laugh out loud snark as her first one did (see previous review), but it again provides one with a glimpse into urban life in the twenty-first century. I think one of the most thought provoking tales was the story in which she explained how she was getting some new furniture for her apartment. Apparently it was off the back of a truck. But he was such a nice shyster! (Only in New York City!) It really does say something about extreme shopping for discounts, and how far is one willing to draw the line between getting a deal and stealing.

I really enjoy her voice and am looking forward to the next batch of essays. And hopefully you will too. A fun read.

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work

Tim Gunn, Tim Gunn, Tim Gunn. Just saying his name makes me squee! I love the man! He is one of my favorite parts of Project Runway (PR) and he is just a classy guy.  I knew I would like this book right away, after all I did like his last one - see former review .

Gunn's Golden Rules: Life's Little Lessons for Making It Work by Tim Gunn with Ada Calhoun is a fun book if you are a fan of Tim and PR. It is a wacky mixture of PR gossip, behind the scenes info, and a mini memoir of Tim's life and career. And he tries to teach/remind us that good manners will get you far. And if that doesn't work - karma - might do you in...

But really it does not sound like he had a great home life growing up. It appears that he is enjoying his fame for what it is worth, but does not take it too seriously.  I think that is the secret to his success as a mentor on PR. He knows what it is like to be the nerdy kid in the room, and he relates to the designer's struggles.

Just when you are thinking the book gets a little too serious, he will come out with some snarky comment or PR gossip to keep the reader interested. A fun book. Definately a frothy one. And if your a fan of the man - a must read. We love you Tim Gunn!

Delizia! : The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food

Hmm, my blog seems to have morphed into food and fiction! Seriously I do read more - I'm just behind in the blogging! But brace yourself for some pasta cravings...

Delizia! : The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food by John Dickie is a foodie book as well as an explanation of the growth of the city states of Italy. Each chapter focuses on a city or region and the how that city contributed (and during what time period ) to the 'national' cuisine.

Fun facts you can bring out at parties:

- French food was highly influential in Italy during the 1700s and 1800s. There was a leaflet campaign "insulting the wealthy for adopting French eating habits."

- Rome was the gastronomic capital of Italy during the Renaissance.

- Bologna had a Guild of Sausage - Makers fight to keep their standards for making mortadella.

- Marco Polo may have claimed to have brought over noodles from China (very much debated in this book) but what he did bring was spices and heavily spiced dishes were considered good for digestion. This trend lasted until the 1700s.

- The Margherita pizza is named for Queen Margherita of Savoy. While she visiting in Naples in the 1880s, she asked to try pizza and she was given three different kinds. The she one chose to eat was the one with basil and tomatoes. It was eventually named for her.

I love the ease with which Dickie combines his stories about food and history. I think this book would be a great one to read before taking a trip to Italy. Or a trip to your favorite Italian market. A fun, frothy and yummy read indeed!

If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince?

It isn’t easy being the new kid in the school, or in the house. Sophomore Lucy Norton is left in her new home with her stepmother and her evil twin stepsisters by Lucy’s bi-coastal working father. Feeling ostracized in the house and isolated in her new high school, she takes refuge in her art class. Inspired by an older classmate Sam’s painting, she thinks he’s a jerk in person, but her opinion changes after he invites her to a show at an art gallery. Lucy finds herself struggling to find her identity and place in the world when she has an assignment to create a self portrait. But when a basketball game comment in the cafeteria attracts the attention of Connor, the star of the varsity team, Lucy suddenly rises in social status. She gets a date and some new girlfriends who are plugged into the school’s gossip feed. Will she remain the art aficionado or become part of the “in” basketball crowd? Is Connor really her prince?

Melissa Kantor's  If I Have a Wicked Stepmother, Where's My Prince? provides her independent narrator heroine with the wit and sarcasm to have the reader identify with her. She allows Lucy to show us the humor in her uncomfortable home and school life - “It’s so Brothers Grimm.” As she tries to maintain her bond with her dad, she feels that her stepmother is changing everything. This is a good account of a created family trying to adjust to their new life together. It is a charming story of a contemporary teen dealing with the change and uncertainty that being in a new environment can bring. This book shows that having different and creative talents can be a beneficial and positive experience.  Kantor does a great job at updating the Cinderella fairy tale. A fine frothy read for young adult collections and a fun read for adults too.

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Sherman Alexie's book The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, is a wonderful coming of age story. Junior lives on the Spokane Indian reservation and has found that he needs a better education than what he is receiving in his community. He takes the great leap to attending an all white high school in a neighboring farm town.

As he learns to adjust to his new classmates and they to him, he is being called a traitor by his friends on the "rez." He discovers that this is a year of challenges both in his personal life - several family tragedies - and his school life - competing with his old school on the basketball court.

Alexie provides the reader with a great lead character who takes his punches but still manages to keep his sense of humor about life and himself. He challenges the reader to think about the strength it takes to go against the grain and make changes to your life. Ellen Forney provides the illustrations that add so much to the story and provide the reader with more insight into Junior's character and his cartooning. Take a chance on this National Book Award winner. It's a fun read for both teens and adults.

Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table

Did you ever have a book that made you just want to put it down and run into the kitchen to make a dish? Or in some cases to go trotting to the telephone and call for take out? This is that book. It made me go and make a gumbo immediately after finishing it. I suppose if I were super wealthy I could just make a reservation to go down to New Orleans for a weekend. Sounds like fun to me. A trip to just eat! How decadent!

Sara Roahen has a way with words, food and the people who make it. Her book, Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table is perfect for anyone who is interested in the food culture of New Orleans. And she is a Midwestern raised gal - an outsider to the town - and she admits it. She was there for several years during her husband's time in medical school and she wrote a food column for a local paper. This allowed her to look at their food culture from a different perspective.

Each chapter takes us on a unique trip to look at gumbo, crawfish, pho (there are a lot of Vietnamese fishermen in the area), chicory, and Monday red beans and rice among other classic and traditional ethnic dishes. She brings us the story of the wonderful characters and cooks who are carrying on the traditions of the food. For example, the section she devotes to the family who has a huge neighborhood St. Joseph's Day table is just touching. And she makes the reader care and worry about this family when they can not be found after Hurricane Katrina.

I guess that is what is also special about this book. Roahen gives us a before and after Hurricane Katrina view of this food culture. We find out what restaurants have rebuilt and what cooks have been lost to New Orleans' memories. She's a very good writer and this is another great book that I discovered from a excerpt that was in the Best Food Writing of 2008. A very fun read, but don't forget the red beans and rice, or gumbo or ...