April Book Review: The Paris Wife

I realized, as I neared the end of last month, that while I was reading the epically long "Team of Rivals," I hadn't actually read an entire book in the month of April as my New Year's Resolution dictated. So I picked up "The Paris Wife," which Brad had given me for my birthday, on a Friday morning & couldn't put it down until late Saturday - luckily for me May 1st wasn't until Sunday!

Wow. What a book. The writing is beautiful & moving & crass & honest. This book tells the story of Ernest Hemingway & his first wife, Hadley. They meet, marry & move to Paris in just a few short months. Hemingway has not yet made a name for himself as a writer & the book tells of his struggles with his own ego & desire to be a famous writer & her struggles to make their difficult marriage work. Set in the roaring 1920's, fictional characters based on writers from that time appear throughout the novel - F. Scott Fitzgerald, Gertrude Stein. You may already know that Hemingway had a love for drinking & women, both of which paint a less than desirable picture of his character in this book. You're rooting for Hadley by the end, even though you know things are going to turn out badly.

If you're a Hemingway fan, this book is definitely worth a read. If you enjoy historical fiction &/or Paris, you'll enjoy the descriptions of the vibrant city in this book. If you enjoy good writing & easy reading, this book is worth picking up.

February book review: Parisians

I loved, loved, loved this book! At over 450 pages long, it takes some dedication, but it was worth lugging back and forth on the Metro in my work bag.

Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb tells the story of the history of Paris in 20 chapters. Each chapter is a different story, which takes place sometime in Paris's history. Charles-Axel Guillaumot's designing of the city. The building of the Metro system. De Gaulle's rise to power (and attempted assassination attempt). Hitler's first visit to Paris during the war. Francois Mitterrand's "fake" homicide attack, long before he was president. The student revolution in the late 1960's. The evolution of cycling in France today.

If you're a history buff or just love Paris, this book will be well worth your time.

January Book Review: Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain

I love Anthony Bourdain. I want to be Anthony Bourdain. Imagine: travel around the world with some TV cameras following you, meet fascinating people, eat incredible food. And write books. Great books. Usually.

I read my Dad's copy of "Medium Raw" while I was in Barbados over Christmas. Having read "Kitchen Confidential" at the end of last year, and really enjoyed it, I had high hopes for "Medium Raw." Which were dashed.

Reasons I loved "Kitchen Confidential":
- it was funny
- it offered true insight into the restaurant world, a world I frequent a few times a week
- it offered true insight into who Anthony Bourdain really is
- Mr. Bourdain used his usual colorful language throughout, but it didn't detract from the book

Reasons I didn't like "Medium Raw":
- it flowed horribly - each chapter was its own story
- Mr. Bourdain's colorful language showed up every two words on the page. It detracted from the book.
- it offered no insight into the restaurant/TV/cooking/celebrity chef industry, but instead offered a forum for his rants, raves and otherwise meaningless blabber.

Okay, maybe that last bullet was a little harsh. But, plain and simple, the writing was just not up to par in this book. I love a good story. I love books that I can get lost in, and read 50 pages without even realizing it. I love Anthony Bourdain in person, on TV, at Les Halles, and in his other books. I just didn't love him in this one.