Flowers and bee

Flowers and bee

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Relish: My Life in the Kitchen

I think this may be the first graphic novel I've written about here. I'm not a graphic novel fanatic. I like what I like. And I find with graphic novels - that sometimes I like the art and hate the story or vice versa. And then after reading some titles, there is my occasional thought of why did they choose to make this book a graphic novel? It is a lot of work!!  Words and pictures! But sometimes those elements can be a powerful combination.

With my previous experiences in mind, I look at graphic novel memoirs with an skeptical eye. But then I discovered Lucy Knisley's latest book Relish: My Life in the Kitchen. I was immediately charmed by the art - quirky, colorful, not too stylized - so I was hopeful while flipping through the pages. And then I read her story.  She tells the tale of growing up with a foodie family in New York. Mom worked at Dean and Deluca, then went on to catering and farmer's markets. Dad was a gourmand. Food was seen as a powerful element in their family, sometimes bringing them together when other forces (time, distance, divorce) separated them.

Her chapters show various stages of her life and the food dishes that have left a place in her timeline, and she has chosen to share with us, the reader, her experiences. And some of them are awkward and funny - aren't all teenage years?


And then there are the recipes. I really thought the recipe graphics after each chapter were great - even when I knew that there was no chance I would ever make the dish. (I think that Knisley would make a great cookbook illustrator!) To me, she brought across the idea that cooking was fun.

So I love this book. But I love the art - it appeals to me, and her story is familiar to anyone who has read a few foodie memoirs. Or those who remember an awkward adolescence and trying to find your place in the world.. And then there is the Chicago angle, that was a surprise. But most important thing (to me) when reading a contemporary memoir is - are you still interested in finding out what is happening currently with that writer? Are you going to look them up? I was still interested, and I did here.

It is a fun frothy read. And I'm looking forward to her other works.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Deadly Sisterhood - Ladies of the Renaissance

Have I been in a Renaissance mode lately? Yep. (Just ask me about the different Italian city/states.) While reading Blood and Beauty, I realized that I did not have enough background on who was who during that turbulent time period in Italy.

So when wandering the shelves of my local library I found this title, The Deadly Sisterhood: A Story of Women, Power, and Intrigue in the Italian Renaissance, 1427-1527 by Leonie Frieda. This was a perfect non-fiction match for the Borgia book. Not only does Frieda write about Lucrezia, she writes about her sister-in-laws and the other ladies that were affected by Borgia battles.

And don't let the title fool you, Frieda focuses on the princesses - but their lives are invariably attached and intertwined with the men in their families. She tries to let the women tell their own tales through their letters and writings. And what a cast of characters: Isabella of Este, her sister/rival Beatrice, Caterina Sforza (with her three marriages,) and the women of the House of Medici. Oh yes, and  Lucrezia too!

We learn about the family battles, the gossip, the alliances, the intermarriage, (the fights for choosing a Pope) and how many of these wealthy women influenced the culture around them by sponsoring artists or writers and in Isabella's case - becoming a shrewd art collector. And supporting their husbands, children, and city states along the way.

While to some this may seem a dry history topic, I found Frieda's book to be well written and the stories are fascinating. Truth is often crazier than fiction, and these people lived their lives to the fullest.(Keeping track of the affairs alone can be difficult!)  And since they are all connected via marriage or alliance, the family trees at the beginning of the book were very helpful. I found myself eager to read what happened next in these family sagas. Who needs People magazine when you have the Houses of Medici, Borgia, Sforza, della Rovere, Gonzaga, Aragona and Este? A fun frothy read.