Category: My Reading List

Book Review: The Wilder Life

Book Review:

The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World

of Little House on the Prairie

By Wendy McClure

As a child, Wendy McClure loved the Little House books, reading them time and time again. She lost herself in Laura’s world and daydreamed about showing Laura around her own childhood world of McDonald’s and shopping malls. In The Wilder Life, McClure explores the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder and The Little House on the Prairie books. She rereads the books and most literature on Wilder and the Little House books, separating fact from fiction. She churns butter and makes prairie bread, to experience a little bit of Laura first hand. She travels around the mid-West to see where real life and literary Laura and her family lived and to experience a little bit of prairie life herself.

Impressions: When this book was chosen for book club, I was looking forward to reading it. I remember enjoying the Little House on the Prairie books, although I definitely couldn’t remember much about any of the plots or the characters. Regardless, The Wilder Life sounded like it would be interesting, and I thought a lot of memories would come back as I read about McClure’s journey into the stories and the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Not true. After two chapters, I stopped reading, promptly went to the library, and borrowed The Little House on the Prairie. While McClure’s passion for the books was clear, I had a hard time becoming engaged in her story and caught up in her passion since my memory of the books was so vague. Reading the one book definitely helped, but not enough to make The Wilder Life something special.

I found The Wilder Life too disorganized and far too train of thought to enjoy. McClure references several books throughout each chapter, making it feel like there was very little continuity. She has a tendency to jump from her present day journeys into Laura World into literary discussions of the books, commentaries on social themes present in the books (none of which she goes into in any depth), and Laura’s real life. And then she jumps back to the present again. Everything felt so random that it was really hard to enjoy.

In addition, I could see McClure’s attempt at humor be offensive to some people, particularly her comments about people she met on her travels. It didn’t bother me much, but then again, I wasn’t one of the people in the story (the End of Timers, the people who found faith and religion in the Little House books, etc.)

Now don’t get me wrong, there were interesting nuggets about Wilder’s life and her writing of the Little House books. As I was reading, I kept trying to figure out what would make the book more successful but still an autobiography (and not biography or a literary criticism) as it was intended. One thing that might have helped was if McClure delved into Wilder’s life and books in a far more orderly manner – book by book, chronological order of Laura’s life. That might have messed with the chronology of her travels, but would have helped readers who hadn’t just finished the book series. It would also have been helpful if there was an insert with some photos. McClure describes the towns she visited (i.e. Walnut Grove, Minnesota, one of Laura’s childhood homes), little museums, paintings of Laura and the Ingalls family, etc. Perhaps a photo to two for the reader to reference might be helpful in engaging the reader.

Recommendation: If you’re a big Laura Ingalls Wilder and Little House fan and have a strong recollection of the books, this book may be worth reading. If you remember enjoying the series as a child, I’d skip this book unless you reread the series before The Wilder Life.

Grade: C-

Book Review: The Invisible Bridge

Book Review:

The Invisible Bridge

By Julie Orringer

In 1937, a young Hungarian Jew, Andras Lévi, receives a scholarship to study architecture in France. Not long after arriving, he is notified by the school that Hungary is no longer offering scholarships to Jews. The anti-Jew laws have begun. Andras figures out a way to continue his schooling without the scholarship, working hard first at a local theater and later with a set builder. His free time is spent with Claire Morgenstern, a dance teacher 9 years older than him who grew up in Hungary but had lived in Paris for 15 years. Meanwhile, Lévi’s brothers – Tibor and Matyas – are pursuing their own education, Tibor at medical school in Italy and Matyas finishing high school in Hungary.

When World War II starts, Hungary refuses to reissue visas and the Lévi brothers are forced to return home. Claire Morgenstern, né Klara Hasz, returns with Andras at great risk to her life and family. As a young girl, Klara and a friend had been attacked by policemen and she ended up killing her attackers. A warrant was still out for her arrest.

The second half of the book takes place as Hungary becomes involved in WWII – switching back and forth between stories of Andras & his brothers and Klara & the rest of the family. All three brothers are conscripted into labor battalions, separated from each other and their families for most of the war. They suffer prejudice and abuse. They watch injustices taking place, and if they’re lucky, they are shown a little bit of kindness by an officer or a guard. Meanwhile, Klara, Tibor’s wife, and the rest of the family continue to live in changing city of Budapest. Curfews are imposed; food becomes scarce. They move to the ghettos; deportations start and stop. Letters between Andras and Klara trickle to a stop.

Review & Recommendation: For me, The Invisible Bridge started off a little tough. I think it took me a little while to get accustomed to the unfamiliar names and to remember the characters. While I read this book at a much slower pace than I read most others, within 25 pages or so, I found it easier to connect to the characters and became engrossed in the story.

The Invisible Bridge, Julie Orringer’s first novel that was inspired by her grandparents>, is a great tale of war, courage, family, and love. This is not a story where everyone lives happily ever after. Not every romance turns out like Cinderella. Family members fight and make up. Mistakes are made and prices are paid. Not everyone lives at the end. It’s reality. But this story reminds you not to take what you have for granted. It reminds you that a simple kindness, a small gesture, can mean the world to someone else both in times of peace as well as in times of war.

If you enjoy historical fiction, The Invisible Bridge is definitely worth reading.

Grade: B+

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2011: A Year in Review

This year, Books n’ Cooks went through a site redesign and moved to a new web hosting service. I like the new format – including the recipe/book review index and reading sidebar – but because of the new format, I can’t pull most popular posts for the year. Instead, I’ll give you some of my personal favorite recipes (there were quite a few this year) and books.

Links to reviews in bold.

IN THE KITCHEN

I spent a lot more time in the kitchen this year, than I had thought I did. I had a hard time narrowing down the list, so you’ve got about 15 of my favorite recipes here.

Appetizers:

  1. Baked Fontina: This baby didn’t last long. It’s super easy to put together but seems so classy. Serve with a giant baguette and it’ll be done before you know it.
  2. Buffalo Chicken Dip (aka Crack Dip): I’m waiting for the hubby to invite some guys over for fight night or a football game so that I have an excuse to make this again
  3. Soft Pretzels: Oh so good. One of my first experiences working with yeast. Although a little time consuming, these addictive game-day snacks were easy to make and flew off the plate.
  4. Mini Crab Cakes: Although crab is a little expensive for hosting a lot of people, these crab cakes won’t disappoint. This recipe was easy to assemble, could be cooked ahead of time, and simply reheated. I made it once this year, for our holiday party, and had several requests for the recipe.
  5. Tomato Mozzarella Tart: This is one appetizer that felt like a real treat. It was pretty light but still satisfying. Serve with a glass of wine and a side salad for a refreshing lunch with the girls.

Sweets

  1. Cinnamon or Cardamom Palmiers and White Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies are two of my favorite cookie recipes to whip up. The palmiers are super easy and look impressive. The white chocolate chip oatmeal cookies have just the right amount of sweetness, and taste great slightly cold from the freezer (where we keep a bag stashed!)
  2. The hubby and I rate the following three cupcakes as our favorite of all time (although our order differs slightly): Irish Carbomb Cupcakes, S’Mores Cupcakes (made in 2010) and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes (recipe not yet blogged). I was also surprised when I made Lemon Limoncello Cupcakes this summer, and ended up loving them. They had a nice light lemon flavor, with a burst of lemon from the filling and the candied lemon slices. Thanks to S for picking out this recipe for her birthday this summer!
  3. Homemade Vanilla Extract: Made for the first time this year, homemade vanilla extract was super easy, and cheaper than buying at the story. I now keep a couple bottles going at once so that I always have some ready. This would also make a great gift as well!

Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

  1. Herbed Baked Eggs: This recipe turned me into an egg-lover. The Parmesan and herbs turned a blah breakfast into a fantastic breakfast.
  2. Apple Almond Chicken Salad: Poor photo aside, this chicken salad was awesome. A little bit of homemade mayo, the sweetness from the apples, and the crunch from the almonds made this a winner. Wonderful on a sandwich, salad, or on its own.
  3. Grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri: The hubby and I improvised this meal after craving our friend’s Brazilian steak and chimichurri. It wasn’t the same, but it was a pretty good substitute. The salt and pepper steak had a freshness of flavor from chimichurri spread onto.
  4. Pasta with Gorgonzola, Brussels Sprouts and Candied Pecans: I have no idea what tempted me to try this recipe, since I’m not really a creamy/cheesey fan, but I really enjoyed it. The cream sauce was light, and the gorgonzola was only as heavy as you made it. I can’t wait to make this for my vegetarian brother, if he ever escapes law school for a visit.
  5. Tilapia with Cardamom and Basil: Made in my quest to use cardamom more, I loved the flavors of the cardamom and herbs on this mild fish.
  6. Roasted Shrimp with Feta and Tomatoes: The ingredients for this shrimp dish are always in my kitchen. It’ easy to throw together and wonderfully flavorful.

Soups & Sides

  1. French Onion & Fennel Soup Gratin: I can’t tell you how much I enjoy this soup. I’ve never been a big French Onion Soup person, unless I was in Canada (the soup tends to be too salty whenever I get it in the U.S.). This was amazing. I brought it to work for a friend and people were furious there wasn’t enough to share. So good!
  2. Old-Fashioned Potato Salad: There’s really only one thing to say about this. The girls and I were eating it straight out of the serving bowl while the guys were grilling. I think we ate close to half of the double batch before the guys finished grilling. Enough said. Make it.

OFF THE BOOKSHELF

2011 was a pretty slow year for me. I read over 110 books in 2010, but barely hit 80 in 2011. I think some of the books were longer, and life was just busier in general. Here are my favorite books of 2011, in no particular order:

  1. The Zookeeper’s Wife (by Diane Ackerman): Based on memoirs, interviews and historical documents, The Zookeeper’s Wife is a story about a Polish couple who owns a zoo during WWII. They struggle to keep the zoo’s inhabitants (animal and refugee alike) alive and safe as long as possible.
  2. Revolution (by Jennifer Donnelly): A young adult book that flip-flopped between past and present France as a girl struggled to overcome depression and find herself. Great story. The story should have depressed me, but Donnelly did a great job not dragging the reader down with the character. I still felt empathy towards the character, but didn’t get depressed as a result.
  3. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (by Rebecca Skoot): The “immortal cells” that were “donated” by Henrietta Lacks to science in the 1950s. This book is about medical history and advancements, black history in the Virginia-Maryland area, and the struggle of the Lacks family to understand what the cells mean to science. What I had assumed would be a boring, slow sciency book turned out to be a fabulous, easy-to-read book about a family, history, and medicine explained in layman’s terms so that even I could understand it.
  4. The Millennium Triology (by Steig Larrson): This trilogy includes the popular Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked a Hornet’s Nest. While a bit graphic, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I would compare them to many American mystery novels but much more complex.
  5. A Discovery of Witches (by Deborah Harkness): Supposedly a young adult book, this paranormal romance feels more like an adult book. The characters were much older and more mature than most young adult books, and the lengthy descriptions of alchemy and ancient texts are something that an adult would enjoy more than a young teen.
  6. Bossypants (by Tina Fey): This hilarious autobiography slipped in just before the new year. Witty and sarcastic, Fey describes her childhood and career in comedy, writing, and producing for both Saturday Night Live and 30 Rock.

With so little free time, I tend to read only books that I know I will be interested in, which is part of the reason you don’t see a lot of negative reviews on this site. Life is to short to read books that I won’t enjoy. The one exception, the least-favorite book of the year was One Day (by David Nicholls). It was chosen for my book club, and like a true champ, I powered through it. I liked the concept but hated the characters. This was the one book that I really wish I had skipped this year.

Book Review: Bossypants

Ever since commuting an hour to grad school, I’ve become an audiobook convert. I find they help me stay focused on driving. Weird, right? But the truth is, I don’t get as annoyed at the stupid drivers and the traffic. I don’t constantly glance at the clock or the GPS to see how much farther I have to go. I get absorbed in the story and actually am disappointed when I reach my destination.

I usually need to listen to a light story, otherwise I have a hard time focusing. I listen to a lot of mystery books and young adult books. It’s easy for me to get engaged in the story, and the narrators are usually pretty good. However, for my car ride home from Christmas – 7 hours with my hubby and my younger brother – I needed something that would appeal to everyone. After waiting for two months, Bossypants arrived from the library just in time for us to make our trip.

Book Review:

Bossypants

By Tina Fey

Bossypants is written (and read, if you get the audiobook) by actress, comedian, writer, and producer Tina Fey. The book is an autobiography about her life, from childhood to 30 Rock. She talks about her Greek childhood, college and her struggles to find a job, her experience as part of a traveling improv group, and moving to Saturday Night Live. From there comes 30 Rock and a side-show on SNL as Sarah Palin. All of this while balancing life at home with her husband and her daughter.

I thoroughly enjoyed Bossypants. Listening to the audiobook, it felt like Fey was simply having a conversation or telling a story. She was witty and sarcastic throughout the book. But at the same time, she brought up serious issues like the struggles she faced early on as a woman in comedy, originally a male-dominated profession. She discussed the difficult game of balancing her career in the public’s eye with her attempts to keep her own political views separate, particularly while performing in the SNL skits featuring Sarah Palin and Hilary Clinton.

Recommendation: If you know who Tina Fey is and some of her work, you’ll enjoy this book. I am not generally up on actors/actresses, movies/tv shows (I don’t watch 30 Rock or SNL), and tend to dislike stand-up comedy, but I really enjoyed this book. Fey’s personality and beliefs came through loud and clear. If you don’t know how Tina Fey is, I think you’d still enjoy the book, but you may miss some of the stories and quips (like I did in the chapter on 30 Rock).

Grade: A-

Note: If you listen to the audiobook, Fey refers to several photos that are available on pdf, that comes with the audiobook. Since I was traveling, I did not have these photos readily available. While annoying, it didn’t detract from the book at all.

Book Review: Ken Follett’s Epic Novels

Book Review:

The Pillars of the Earth & World Without End

The Pillars of the Earth Series

By Ken Follett

I was hesitant to pick up The Pillars of the Earth and it’s sequel, World Without End. You see, whenever there’s hype about a movie, I tend to be sorely disappointed. It’s less the case with books, but the hype still makes me wary about starting a certain books. What had I heard about these two epic novels (almost 1,000 pages each) ? I heard that The Pillars of the Earth was amazing, and World Without End was a let down after the first novel.

All in all, I enjoyed these two books but I didn’t completely agree with what I had heard about either book. The two books were set in England during the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, respectively. I remember in high school learning about the kings and queens, about the peasants and nobles, about the Crusades… These two books brought all of that textbook learning into context.

The Pillars of the Earth: While I enjoyed this first book, by no means did I think it lived up to all the hype. I appreciated the historical setting and the plot. The book was largely centered around the growth of a priory and town, and the efforts of its inhabitants to better their lives. The construction of the town’s cathedral played a central part in the story, throughout the book.

I appreciated the characters: monks  and a prior at a monastery who struggled to bring wealth to the town and overcome obstacles from the priory’s superiors; a builder and his children, who struggled to not only survive but to reach his goals of building one of the greatest cathedrals in England; a noblewoman whose family had fallen from their position, her struggle to support herself and her brother, and her search for happiness; and noblemen who terrified the town. Some characters were horribly crude and mean. Those characters made me thankful that I didn’t live in that time, where pillaging and rape seemed to be almost expected and accepted. But the characters that persevered despite all that was against them gave me hope. They worked and fought so hard, I was happy to see them achieve their goals and desires in the end.

World Without End: Like The Pillars of the Earth, the World Without End was not what I had heard. I heard it was very disappointing. Some even argued not worth reading. I debated about whether or not to read the novel but I don’t like not finishing series so I gave it a shot. I actually found it easier to get into, but there was most definitely a dry period in the middle of the book. I’m glad I read the second book but it definitely wasn’t as good as the first.

World Without End had the same strengths as The Pillars of the Earth – a fantastic historic perspective and very strong characters. However, the plot was a bit more difficult to get through. The construction of town landmarks – a bridge, a hospital, the rebuilding of the cathedral – continued to play an important part in the book, but so did war and the plague. It was the emphasis on war towards the center of the book that made this book drag, but once those scenes passed, the book picked up again.

Several of the characters in this sequel were ancestors of the main characters in The Pillars of the Earth. The characters were constantly overcoming obstacles to their wealth and happiness – a cruel nobleman, an unfair religious figure, laws favoring the nobility… but despite all of it, they persevered. Their dedication towards their professions, their friends, and their family were encouraging. To push so hard in the face of so many challenges is really inspiring.

Recommendation: If you enjoy novels set in the past, then these two books are worth reading. If that’s not your cup of tea, these will probably be difficult to make it through.

Grade: B-