Describe your new book: This book is the story of my life — the ups, the downs, and the music. If someone were to write your biography, what...
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I read many appalling things in this book; my mouth literally dropped open a few times. I found myself often considering how cruel people can be, in all kinds of situations. But, I laughed, too - out loud. I found the dialect sticking with me throughout the day; I would stand at the sink doing dishes and "hear" Minny and Aibileen. I do not pretend to be fluent in any Southern dialect but thought the author did a fine job of keeping it consistent. I'm sure the situation was much, much worse for many at that time but that this offered a good balance of the good and the bad within individuals trying to co-exist. I think the book has done a good service. Also, it was well-written and flowed impeccably well. The book did what I expect any good book to do: it entertained me while running me through a gamut of emotions.
Erotica for foodies. With a nod to Proust, Barbery's food critic, on his death bed, relives the finest joys and most poignant sorrows of his life through the emotion and memory that food evokes, all the while trying to remember that one taste...what was it? I needed a cigarette afterward, and I don't smoke.
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(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
I love that Lorrie Moore gets paid to write in the style that she does. I cannot tell you what that style is. I only know that it appeals to me. And, as we know, nothing makes better fiction than the truth, especially the truth that we tell ourselves all these little lies, and we continue to act out these lies even while knowing we are not doing anyone, especially ourselves, any good by living falsely. This is the best Self-Help book I've read.
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(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
First off, you will laugh at much of this if you have ever worked for incompetent people and had to bite your tongue so as not to come off as too much of a know-it-all (or, in the eyes of a lesser-educated employer, a smart ass). This is the tale of a seemingly unattractive (in both manner and physique) concierge of a Parisian apartment building that is filled with well-to-do families and their oft-ignorant and snobbish opinions; this is also the tale of a 12-year-old who endures life with her family in same said building and in heartbreaking fashion explains why she plans to commit suicide on her next birthday. The two narrate the story in turns. I personally had to set the book down after every chapter or two in order to digest what I had just read. I would go back and re-read passages. I did not want this to end. I loved having it around to look forward to each night. Endings don't often catch me off guard. This one did. The afternoon I finished it, my young son asked me if I had been crying. Sure enough, I had been. I honestly felt as though a friend had left me. Read this for all of the philosophical life-condemning and life-affirming gems contained within. I envy that it can still unfold, brand new, for you.
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(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
I have borrowed this from the library so many times now I just had to get my own copy. Even my 10-year-old says "Yum!" when he walks by the open book on the table. Never a lover of legumes, even though I know they are good for me, but a sucker for fine food photography, I decided to try the Tuscan White Beans with Sage and Garlic. My oh my! Not only are they great with just a hunk of crusty bread rubbed with garlic and a glass of red wine (me) but they apparently totally rock with a rare tenderloin (DH) - and, again, a glass of red wine. Sage continues to grace my windowsill, and a beautiful glass jar of pretty white dry cannellini beans now has a permanent place on our kitchen counter. Easy recipes and good food that's good for you; the author also includes wine and beer suggestions with each recipe.
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DebZ has commented on (8) products.
The Help by Kathryn Stockett
DebZ, March 3, 2012
I read many appalling things in this book; my mouth literally dropped open a few times. I found myself often considering how cruel people can be, in all kinds of situations. But, I laughed, too - out loud. I found the dialect sticking with me throughout the day; I would stand at the sink doing dishes and "hear" Minny and Aibileen. I do not pretend to be fluent in any Southern dialect but thought the author did a fine job of keeping it consistent. I'm sure the situation was much, much worse for many at that time but that this offered a good balance of the good and the bad within individuals trying to co-exist. I think the book has done a good service. Also, it was well-written and flowed impeccably well. The book did what I expect any good book to do: it entertained me while running me through a gamut of emotions.Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery
DebZ, January 25, 2012
Erotica for foodies. With a nod to Proust, Barbery's food critic, on his death bed, relives the finest joys and most poignant sorrows of his life through the emotion and memory that food evokes, all the while trying to remember that one taste...what was it? I needed a cigarette afterward, and I don't smoke.(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
Self-Help (Vintage Contemporaries) by Lorrie Moore
DebZ, May 8, 2011
I love that Lorrie Moore gets paid to write in the style that she does. I cannot tell you what that style is. I only know that it appeals to me. And, as we know, nothing makes better fiction than the truth, especially the truth that we tell ourselves all these little lies, and we continue to act out these lies even while knowing we are not doing anyone, especially ourselves, any good by living falsely. This is the best Self-Help book I've read.(1 of 1 readers found this comment helpful)
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
DebZ, January 26, 2011
First off, you will laugh at much of this if you have ever worked for incompetent people and had to bite your tongue so as not to come off as too much of a know-it-all (or, in the eyes of a lesser-educated employer, a smart ass). This is the tale of a seemingly unattractive (in both manner and physique) concierge of a Parisian apartment building that is filled with well-to-do families and their oft-ignorant and snobbish opinions; this is also the tale of a 12-year-old who endures life with her family in same said building and in heartbreaking fashion explains why she plans to commit suicide on her next birthday. The two narrate the story in turns. I personally had to set the book down after every chapter or two in order to digest what I had just read. I would go back and re-read passages. I did not want this to end. I loved having it around to look forward to each night. Endings don't often catch me off guard. This one did. The afternoon I finished it, my young son asked me if I had been crying. Sure enough, I had been. I honestly felt as though a friend had left me. Read this for all of the philosophical life-condemning and life-affirming gems contained within. I envy that it can still unfold, brand new, for you.(2 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
Gourmet Vegetarian Slow Cooker: Simple and Sophisticated Meals from around the World by Lynn Alley
DebZ, September 4, 2010
I have borrowed this from the library so many times now I just had to get my own copy. Even my 10-year-old says "Yum!" when he walks by the open book on the table. Never a lover of legumes, even though I know they are good for me, but a sucker for fine food photography, I decided to try the Tuscan White Beans with Sage and Garlic. My oh my! Not only are they great with just a hunk of crusty bread rubbed with garlic and a glass of red wine (me) but they apparently totally rock with a rare tenderloin (DH) - and, again, a glass of red wine. Sage continues to grace my windowsill, and a beautiful glass jar of pretty white dry cannellini beans now has a permanent place on our kitchen counter. Easy recipes and good food that's good for you; the author also includes wine and beer suggestions with each recipe.1-5 of 8next