lit*chick

lobsters, oysters & thanks

Other than the titles, there was little seafood to be found in either book. Here's a brief recap.

Last Night at the Lobster, the latest offering by Stewart O'Nan, was a perfectly rendered portrait of the inner workings of a restaurant. The characters, their attitudes, their lives are all examined with care and subtlety. I recommend this one - it reads almost like nonfiction. Check your library.

Oystercatchers by Susan Fletcher - after adding it to THE END sidebar, I had to revise my 3.5 stars to 4. The reason? Another of my goals for the year, which I neglected to mention earlier, was to begin writing down quotes or passages from books I'm reading. I know, another thing to do. It makes it easier to recollect why you liked/or not a certain book, it helps in discussions, and it's just plain good to have some examples of excellent writing. Some people underline in books - go for it. When I did that here, I realized how many bits of brilliance were contained within these pages and revised my rating accordingly.

For example :

After the main character gets a small taste of joy, she reads a letter from her much beloved aunt, who is unlucky in love. "She thought, There is not one wide happiness that reaches us all, at the same time." (p.210)

Sometimes when things are going great for you, the people close to you are suffering or struggling. Because this has been happening recently, when I came to this passage it really resonated with me.

Finally,a BIG THANKS to everyone for your support yesterday regarding the online book club. I have struggled for some time with what color my parachute is, and except for becoming a professional reader my options were somewhat limited. While this isn't a job, it is my passion. And it feels good to PURSUE it. So, thank you.

The End.

2007 Booklist - The Finale

#61-96

1. Halfway House - Katherine Noel
2. Forgive Me: A Novel - Amanda Eyre Ward*
3. Agnes & the Hitman - Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer*
4. Heat - Bill Buford
5. Diary of a Real Estate Rookie - Allison Rogers
6. One Good Turn - Kate Atkinson
7. Her Royal Spyness - Rhys Bowen*
8. Department of Lost & Found - Alison Winn Scotch
9. House Lights - Leah Hager Cohen*
10. Save Me From Myself - Brian Welch
11. Flower Children - Maxine Swann
12. The End of the Alphabet - C.S. Richardson
13. Run - Ann Patchett*
14. The Used World - Haven Kimmel*
15. Letter from Point Clear - Dennis McFadden
16. Consequences - Penelope Lively
17. Up High in the Trees - Kiara Brinkman
18. Ivy Briefs: True Tales of a Neurotic Law Student  - Martha Kimes
19. The Maytrees - Annie Dillard
20. Lulu Meets God and Doubts Him - Danielle Garek
21. A Day at the Beach - Helen Shulman
22. The Faraday Sisters - Monica McInerney
23. How to Be Lost - Amanday Eyre Ward*
24. Casting with a Fragile Thread - Wendy Kann
25. Rule #2: Lessons from a Combat Hospital - Heidi Squier Kraft
26. Beautiful Miscellaneous - Dominic Smith
27. Promise Not to Tell - Jennifer Mcmahon*
28. Alexander and the 90   - Judith Viorst
29. Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones
30. The Attack - Yasmina Khadra*
31. The Abstinence Teacher - Tom Perotta
32. A Mighty Heart: Daniel Pearl Story - Mariane Pearl*
33. A Class Apart: Prodigies, Pressure and Passion Inside One of America's Best High Schools - Alec Klein*
34. God's Harvard - Hanna Rosin
35. Keeping the House - Ellen Baker
36. The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox - Maggie O'Farrell

And that's no typo. The list grew in the last few days, as the ornaments began falling off the tree in an effort to put themselves away. The hubs claims if I hadn't read #35 I could have fit in 2 or 3 extra titles.  That's so like a guy, isn't it?

If you are curious to have more details about any of the books I've mentioned (here or elsewhere) you can leave me a comment or email me. I wrote a few thoughts about #30-36 on the right side of the blog, under The End.

The End.

Recipe for a Clean Kitchen

One of my favorite genres is food lit. Essays, memoirs, and behind the scenes with chefs, critics, and people who just plain love food. And some weave recipes into their story, but that's just a bonus.  Hence, you can enjoy the book and keep your kitchen shiny.

Here are a few I recommend:

No Reservations or anything by Anthony Bourdain - I just picked this one up. I have also read Kitchen Confidential &  A Cook's Tour -both fascinating. His dry humor, adventurous eating habits, and sharp tongue make for a good read.

Garlic & Sapphires by Ruth Reichl - former food critic for the NY Times dishes on all those meals.

The Making of a Chef by Michael Ruhlman- journalist goes inside the CIA (Culinary Institute of America) to experience the training, and becomes a chef in the process. One of my favorites.

At Mesa's Edge by Eugenia Bone - east coast girl learns to love it out west and learns a lot about the region and it's bounty. This book is my hidden treasure pick.

  A Trip to the Beach by Melinda & Robert Blanchard - they have written a couple follow-your-bliss books, but this one is a keeper. Living your dream on an island brings challenges and rewards. A great getaway book for those of us stuck in colder climates.

Home Cooking & More Home Cooking by Laurie Colwin - she also wrote some good fiction, but these essays are near perfect. Grab a drink, a blanket and enjoy.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver - Her commitment to eat only local food for a year, and chronicle it is admirable, inspiring, and at times extreme.  She balances her role as participant and reporter well without condescension.

Nigella Lawson - i had to sneak this in even though they are straight up cookbooks. Each recipe has such a lush description, you can read the books straight through.  And then you may actually decide to break out the mixer.

Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser- foodie chick lit. A writer chronicles her courtship. This was a fun read - thanks Trish.

My Last Supper- 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals by Melanie Dunea. What would a chef want to eat, and who would they invite to dinner?

  Will Write for Food - for those of you inspired to start your cookbook or memoir right now.

The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages that Feature Them. I think that about says it all. Delightful.

The list is truly endless - these are just the ones I've either read or am preparing to devour.  Please share any of your favorites and I'll add them to the list.

Other titles I've found that may merit a second look: In Buddha's Kitchen, Service Included , The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry (recommended by author of Eat, Pray, Love), and Out of the Frying Pan.

To get you started, I'm giving away a copy of

leave a comment and you'll be entered in the Monday's drawing.

The End.