This book helped me be more engaged with what I eat and drink, and with the world around me. It gave me new perspective on what it means to pay attentThis book helped me be more engaged with what I eat and drink, and with the world around me. It gave me new perspective on what it means to pay attention, and even more appreciation for wine experts and some of their why's.
If you like Runaway Bride and the grand finale scene with the eggs and you also enjoy wine, I can't recommend this enough. ...more
Delightful. The edition I have from 1944 isn't on Goodreads but it's the prettiest book I own and I bought it for $12 at Dog Eared books and I love itDelightful. The edition I have from 1944 isn't on Goodreads but it's the prettiest book I own and I bought it for $12 at Dog Eared books and I love it. ...more
I read a lot of Dorothy Parker in my 20's, and bought this edition at a used book store in New Jersey near my brother's wedding.
She held up even moreI read a lot of Dorothy Parker in my 20's, and bought this edition at a used book store in New Jersey near my brother's wedding.
She held up even more than I expected in my 30's. I caught myself laughing out loud so often, and was so charmed by stories like "The standard of living" and cringed at how relatable ones like "I live on your visits" are eighty years later. I just wish I had highlighted more quips. Delighted....more
I see why this book won the Pulitzer, it's a structure I hope to emulate some day, showing all the connections between people, and I hope reading thisI see why this book won the Pulitzer, it's a structure I hope to emulate some day, showing all the connections between people, and I hope reading this will have made me a better writer, but I absolutely couldn't stand any of the characters. That's better than being indifferent to them, I guess. ...more
I've heard so much about Lauren Groff, so I was excited to read my first of hers after finding it at a Little Free Library. I can see what the hype isI've heard so much about Lauren Groff, so I was excited to read my first of hers after finding it at a Little Free Library. I can see what the hype is about, she is so talented. I didn't love any of these characters, but they were all so nuanced and the writing so good that I really enjoyed this as a work of art. ...more
In addition to a fascinating historical record, this book was an unexpected reminder to be compassionate, and to consider questioning capitalism in itIn addition to a fascinating historical record, this book was an unexpected reminder to be compassionate, and to consider questioning capitalism in its current form:
"...the 'demand' is there, and it's got to be supplied. Only don't blame the women that supply it. Everybody supplies some demand-the demand that happened to hit them hardest when they were weakest." ...more
I read "The Flamethrowers" because I enjoyed "The Mars Room," and Kushner impressed me when she spoke about the latter in San Francisco half a year agI read "The Flamethrowers" because I enjoyed "The Mars Room," and Kushner impressed me when she spoke about the latter in San Francisco half a year ago.
I slogged through this, disappointed. Reno's naiveté felt too obvious to be sincere, incredibly annoying. The plot is predictable, and the far too many contexts that were supposed to make this affair feel more significant by proximity (1970's Italy; 1970's New York; manufacturing in the aftermath of WW1, particularly in Brazil; concentrated wealth; trauma as art) were not fleshed out in the right ways for me, especially when told through Ronnie Fontaine's or other characters' long, pretentious rants.
That said, so much of the writing is great, and this book could've been something that resonated so much more with me, if put in the hands of a different editor.
I can't think of a single character I liked all that much, other than Gorgonzola, a French bulldog who lives on an Italian villa and graces us with his presence for about half a page. ...more
Oh my JVN! His memoir exceeded all my expectations, and, like JVN, I always have high ones. He helped me remember:
* If I'm not surrounding myself witOh my JVN! His memoir exceeded all my expectations, and, like JVN, I always have high ones. He helped me remember:
* If I'm not surrounding myself with a team that believes in me and my growth, WTF am I doing? I wish I had read this book _years_ ago. * To base my self-worth on how I treat myself, not how others treat me. * To try to choose self-love over self-harm every day, starting with my internal dialogue.
And unexpected things resonated: * A gratitude to being exposed to a "certain level of excellence", and the sadness of acknowledging that excellence, while it works for other people, isn't actually good for your own mental health. * [On childhood] "They don't know how to self-soothe; they only know how to soothe their parents' nervous systems."
And he's been through and opens up about so much here, which I find brave. I left this book knowing more parts of JVN, and loving all of them even more. ...more
Has its flaws but it really does live up to being about the pursuit of pleasure and "taking our own measure, making our own peace" in our lives and I Has its flaws but it really does live up to being about the pursuit of pleasure and "taking our own measure, making our own peace" in our lives and I guzzled this escape from my troubles. ...more
To me this book was half-baked, which can be good like cookie dough sometimes, but to me it went over more like soggy pancake.
It had a lot of potentiTo me this book was half-baked, which can be good like cookie dough sometimes, but to me it went over more like soggy pancake.
It had a lot of potential for me, someone wearing an evil eye bracelet she bought for good luck in Tilos as she types, but I felt more like I was reading character notes than an actual novel: one character has a traumatic childhood in Washington state; two characters wrestle; one writes poems. None of these things feel fully or neatly explored to me.
Rape, pregnancy, and violence also seem to happen just because. These are the kinds of characters who don't care about the consequences of their actions and seem to be horrible people on purpose without any sort of evolution, which works for some readers but not for me.
I'm also fresh from reading intimate novels told from a single perspective, and was not feeling the narrative or timeline switches at all.
I have to hand it to Hoffman on the one-liners though. The commentary on passports and countries as blood spilled over, temples made by slaves, Boyfriend of Navas, etc.
I'm sure there's something lovely and profound in the book I just wasn't in the right headspace or place to get. ...more
Easy to gobble up. Everyone loves this book so much even though the characters are all so hatable. Maybe because they are so hatable. Or because of thEasy to gobble up. Everyone loves this book so much even though the characters are all so hatable. Maybe because they are so hatable. Or because of the brilliant way Sally Rooney writes the interactions between characters and how those relationships with each other inform who they think they are, especially who Frances thinks she is.
That said I caught a whiff of Phantom Thread at the end of the book which anyone who knows me well knows I can't stand.
I did very much appreciate that the trauma a female body can uniquely experience becomes a thing that is explored in a way I'd never seen in books before.
I guess I can claim my Wellesley degree now that I've read my first Nora Ephron.
I know the profile on Helen Gurley Brown was supposed to be damning, I guess I can claim my Wellesley degree now that I've read my first Nora Ephron.
I know the profile on Helen Gurley Brown was supposed to be damning, but I actually loved the quote from her about just getting things done.
I laughed out loud at so many witticisms, like, "He's a rational man. He knows there's no use blaming God."
That said, some paragraphs don't age well, namely, every time Ephron tries to talk about rape, and I appreciate that the revised edition I read included a new introduction by her that basically says, "Welp, I've grown since then!" ...more
I thought this whole thing was just brilliantly done. I liked the concept already, and if I had known the time period...but I'm glad I did not. A lastI thought this whole thing was just brilliantly done. I liked the concept already, and if I had known the time period...but I'm glad I did not. A last page I saw coming but still gasped over.
I was in with the concept but curious how it would handle privilege and she did in fact do it well: "...I was born into privilege, I'm not going to throw that away. I'm not a moron."
And so many quips like that give us insight into the unnamed character who I would've wanted to be friends with as much as she wouldn't have wanted to be friends with me:
"I yawned, hating her." "...subconscious understood the value of convenience. Amen."
All the scenes with Dr.Tuttle are cringeworthy and I loved them. A lesson in how to write someone hatable.
Moshfegh is also exceptionally good at details, in so many places and specifically in helping us get to know her characters, like the sentence about Reva and how she'd clearly saved certain bags to look like she had money, and how narrator noticed that in the first place.
My favorite books manage that balance between cynical and sweet, and Moshfegh does that so well throughout, which I wasn't expecting, to be honest. Will be one of my favorites from the year. ...more
I liked the idea of this book so much more than the book itself. Lots and lots and lots of violence against women and children, with no clear resolutiI liked the idea of this book so much more than the book itself. Lots and lots and lots of violence against women and children, with no clear resolution or conclusion. I also didn't find Zambrano's teenage girl perspective believable. I found her thoughts oversimplified and therefore unrealistic. ...more
Overall, I enjoyed this ambitious book and thought it was well crafted. Romy Hall is about to start a lifelong prison sentence after attacking her staOverall, I enjoyed this ambitious book and thought it was well crafted. Romy Hall is about to start a lifelong prison sentence after attacking her stalker, and the different prisoners and bystanders help tell her story, set in northern California.
I read too many books about San Francisco. But part of why I do is because I love the thrill of recognizing the city. There must be a word for this in a language that's not English.
I could see the parts of the Haight that came up, the trains out from the sunset. I've heard the rant about not calling it Frisco, and even recognized the name of an obscure northern town because one of my roommates dated a firefighter who lives there.
Who I don't know: the people working at places like the Mars Room, or living on the streets of the Tenderloin. This book helped me (hopefully) have more empathy for people who have and who will throw water bottles at me when I'm walking home alone.
Kushner tells the kind of stories within stories that I'm a total sucker for, even the heavy-handed sheep farmer anecdote about how we learned to count. The surprise, daring perspective at the end. And Sammy. That I wanted to be an entire book of its own. Betty LaFrance and her man, too. It did almost feel like too much crammed into one book, like it was trying to say so much about class and gender and post 9/11 America through one too many voices, when at the time: "The war was private. It was between each man and his computer." I'm grateful this book at least made me think about, "What would it have been like to be in prison that day?"
I also loved Chapter 23, about country music and Nixon, and think it could stand on its own as cultural criticism, like something out of 'I love Dick." It made me glad I read "Woman Walk the Line" so I can enjoy country music while also acknowledging its flaws.
Kushner also succeeded in writing pretentious, hatable characters. I questioned if Gordon was needed, but maybe he was as a reflection of myself in a book that helped me think outside of it. I would recommend. ...more
I'd always wanted to read this and when I saw that my new beau had a copy on his shelf I 1) had to borrow and 2) had a feeling he'd be a keeper.
I reaI'd always wanted to read this and when I saw that my new beau had a copy on his shelf I 1) had to borrow and 2) had a feeling he'd be a keeper.
I read this on the way home on a long international flight, and it absolutely served the purpose of entertaining me enough to keep me awake to not miss connections. A breezy read and Carrie's dry humor is a delight. ...more
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