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Christy Valentine has commented on (18) products.

The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food by Jennifer Lee

Christy Valentine, June 24, 2009

It's natural for people to be interested in learning the where, why and how of where food originates, and while authors like Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser are arguably more intellectual than Jennifer Lee, Ms. Lee brings an intimacy and personality to her debut book that is often absent from more scholarly tomes.

Sections of this book first appeared in the New York Times, which is where I first heard of it, but the complete work expounds on a lot of the concepts present in that article: where fortune cookies and General Tso's chicken originated, how little Chinese restaurants resemble authentic Chinese dining experiences, the challenges of being an Asian immigrant in the United States. It is, perhaps, a bit ambitious for Ms. Lee to attempt to address all these issues on one book, but she touches on enough of the history and humanity behind Chinese cooking in the West that it's forgivable.

Having grown up in and around Chinese restaurants, frequently running through the kitchens and begging for prawn crackers and fortune cookies as a child, it was very illuminating to read about the realities behind those golden memories, and I imagine anyone who frequently eats Chinese takeout will have a similar experience. The hardships and the luck behind Chinese restaurants are well-expressed, and the book gave me a new appreciation for the food I eat on holidays, on the run, while studying for finals, and with my extended family. It's a must for anyone interested in the story behind the food we eat and the history of American immigrants.

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I Love You, Beth Cooper (P.S.) by Larry Doyle

Christy Valentine, June 10, 2009

I wasn't quite sure what to expect from a book that features Hayden Panetierre Photoshopped on its cover (for the tie-in edition, anyway), but I think perhaps going in without expectations was the best way to do it.

Simply put, this is one of the funniest books I have ever read. It's a pretty simplistic story found in a million teen comedies: nerdy boy loves popular girl. However, Larry Doyle took a very basic, John Hughes-esque premise and turned it into a very smart, very funny mediation on adolescent love. Some of the hijinks of Denis and Beth's graduation night are ridiculously over-the-top, but the heart of the novel is Denis's realization that he has no real idea who Beth Cooper is, despite his infatuation with her. It's a very common situation, of course, but Doyle makes it poignant, without layering on the schmaltz.

Doyle's prose is simplistic, but his dialogue is fantastic. It's witty in an honest way, untainted by the too-fast style of writers like Diablo Cody. Overall, the tone of the novel- and its dialogue- reminds me of a cross between David Sedaris and Judd Apatow. It's crude, wacky, and ridiculous- but still manages to be realistically emotionally-affecting.

I can't recommend a novel more.

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The Likeness by Tana French

Christy Valentine, June 8, 2009

Tana French's follow-up to "In the Woods" maintains her flare for beautiful prose and intense mystery and suspense, though it never equals her first book. That said, this is still a pageturner of a book. It seems destined to be devoured on vacations this summer, and if you like your beach reads with a little more meat and intelligence, this is your novel.

Cassie Maddox's narration is especially wonderful, especially when dealing with the ruins of her friendship with Rob Ryan, and it's fascinating to read about how she becomes apart of the cultish group of intellectuals. It's definitely very similar to Donna Tartt's "The Secret History," another novel not to be missed, but French makes the characters and conversations her own.

The only major criticism I have with the novel is its unsatisfactory ending. Cassie makes a decision toward the end that feels very out-of-character and seems to go against her desires up until that point. In addition, throughout the novel Cassie places much emphasis upon her double Lexie's pregnancy at the time of her death, yet when the father of the child is finally revealed, French gives the subject only two lines of importance before glossing over the liaison implied.

Criticisms aside, this is one of the most fabulous mystery novels I've read in quite a while, and it deserves your undivided attention.

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The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Christy Valentine, May 20, 2009

I'm not certain which novel the other reviewer was reading, but I'm positive it couldn't be this one. Although I have never read any of Fowler's other novels, this one holds a special place in my heart as it seems filled with the pure joy of reading. A love of books is often difficult to convey in the printed form, but the characters of this novel express it beautifully. Each of the members of the book club love Austen and find something new and different to pick up on in her texts. Their individual lives, which loosely- very loosely- parallel the stories they read, add a depth to the novel that is unexpected. These women (and man) are very clearly touched by Austen's words, and rise to the occasion to defend her in front of crude, cheap paperback writers in an enviable manner. This book will encourage you to read and live the words you read.

As for those who have never read Austen before, I would still recommend the novel. The first time I read this book, my only exposure to Austen was "Pride and Prejudice." I was still able to enjoy the novel, and it prompted me to read Austen's novels on my own, and to revisit Fowler's book again afterward.

All in all, I think this is a wonderful novel, one whose title unfairly lends it to the category of chick-lit. It is, in fact, a brilliant mediation on the way the written word can affect people and rouse changes in their lives.

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Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach

Christy Valentine, May 4, 2009

Although I have never before read anything by Mary Roach, this book has made me a fan. Roach combines an irreverent sense of humor with admiration for the science of sexology that's incredibly infectious. She acknowledges the salaciousness of the pursuit, as well as its importance within the study of general biology. It's a nice balance. The book covers various inquiries, framed by Roach's own questions, and it's always engaging. The author presents the reader with just as much factual information as is necessary (perhaps just a tad more than needed in the section about pig insemination) without falling victim to too much technical language.

All in all, it's a fascinating, insightful, and very funny book that I would recommend to everyone. Well, perhaps not prudes.

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