Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

There are a few authors out there who I feel speak with the same voice that I would if I were to write a novel - among them Melissa Bank and Jen Lancaster.

Melissa Bank (A Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing, The Wonder Spot) speaks more with my melancholy, emo voice, whereas Jen Lancaster speaks with the voice that most of you would know - I have read her first three "memoirs" and haven't been disappointed by any of them - Bitter is the New Black; Bright Lights, Big Ass, and this, most recent one, Such a Pretty Fat.

I recommend that you read all three books, and in order, if possible, but they all tell separate stories so it is possible to read them out of order and/or only read one or two of them.

ANYWAY...Lancaster is vulgar, straightforward, and hilarious. She reminds me of the part of myself that considered putting "Direct is an understatement" as my "About Me" section of my Facebook profile. It's not so much the stories she tells as it is the way she tells them. That's not to say that the stories aren't great - but more that they aren't...out of the ordinary. Such a Pretty Fat is the story of Jen trying to lose weight and get in shape...which I think makes it a book almost any woman could relate to. Sure, maybe not all of us have embarked on months-long journies to get our health under control, but I think almost every woman I know has had a moment/day/week/month/year when she'd just LOVE to have a magic wand or a magic wardrobe to strip off the perceived extra pounds.

Here's the thing. If I don't like a book, I have plenty to say about it...but if I do, I want to pull a 3rd grade book report and say "If you want to know more, you'll just have to read it yourself."

So...go read this book. (It's a Friday. I'm lazy.)

And check out www.jennsylvania.com for a taste of this author's writing style/humor.

The Food Life: Inside the World of Food with the Grocer Extraordinaire at Fairway by Steven Jenkins

And so it is revealed...my sick obsession with reading books about food. Seriously, put anything in front of me. Books about food, books about restaurants, books about culinary schools, even straight up cookbooks. I will read cookbooks from cover to cover even if I have zero intention of ever making any of the recipes. I spend a lot of time reading cookbooks (baking cookbooks specifically) but will not review them on this blog...as I understand that the obsession that envelops my life doesn't necessarily reach the lives of others (but if you want to know the names of a few good cookbooks let me know).

So. The Food Life. You might think that this is my sneaky way of getting a cookbook onto the blog, and you'd be right. This book does in fact contain recipes, but they are more footnotes than they are the actual subject matter of the book...and so I will indulge myself.

The book centers around the grocery store chain called Fairway Market in New York City. Fairway started with one location in Harlem and has expanded to four locations all across New York. Maybe I'm alone here, but it fascinates me to read about specialty food stores. I just realized with that sentence that it may be a very long time before I find another boyfriend.

Anyway, the book is about the development of Fairway from one location to the next, and the development of the idea of "specialty food" grocery stores in general. The reason I found this book to be so interesting - and so useful - is that Jenkins explains the entire culture and reasoning behind specialty food stores. He explains the heightened quality of goods available in this type of market. He broke down the Fairway Market structure to clearly show the reader that "specialty" does not necessarily have to mean "more expensive," and in doing so, identified the characteristics he looks for in quality items from olive oils to different types of cheese, educating the reader on what to look for in their own cities and local food stores.

This book came with multiple side effects:

1. Lessened hatred/fear of New York City - I assure you that I have a very mature and thorough understanding of the city, but I maintain that NYC is not as great as everyone claims...mostly because it is loud and smelly. Anyway, as I consume food book after food book, I have come to realize that they all have a common theme...aside from The French Laundry in California, most if not all of the country's great restaurants/food outlets are in New York City. This makes a little part of me die. This book, though, is the first that made me actually consider giving up my stand against NYC and joining its fold...until I realized that I would be moving across country to live near a supermarket (please reference above statement re: not finding a boyfriend for a long time).
2. Heightened desire to remain in my apartment reading instead of socializing with other members of my species
3. Sudden intense disdain for all food in my apartment/supermarket/city/state/time zone.

In short - the book is like pornography for foodies. If you love food, you'll love the book. Otherwise, you'll probably just think I'm insane.

Other good food books you should check out:

Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter by Phoebe Damrosch

ANYTHING BY RUTH REICHL. I tore through Tender at the Bone, Garlic and Sapphires, and Comfort me with Apples. Ruth Reichl is the first author who has ever caused me to be ANGRY with her for not writing more books after I finished her last.

Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany (Vintage) by Bill Buford (centering around Mario Batali's restaurant Babbo in NYC)

The Seasoning of a Chef: My Journey from Diner to Ducasse and Beyond by Doug Psaltis and Michael Psaltis

More to come.

love the one you're with by Emily Giffin

The fact that I'm posting this less than 12 hours after I posted about the first book should tell you something...because I started this book after finishing the last post. Granted, I did almost nothing other than read all day, but still...this book was not rocket science. 

That's not necessarily a bad thing. I doubt that Giffin set out with the intention of producing a thought provoking and noteworthy piece of literature...rather I believe that she set out to produce an engaging and entertaining work...which she succeeded in doing. 

My opinion might be biased by the fact that I discovered from the book jacket that she attended the University of Virginia School of Law (Wahoowa). 

Anyway this is the story of a woman who takes the time to fully consider "What Might Have Been." The one who got away, the path not taken, etc. As a 24 year old I can't say that I really have too many paths not taken stacked up in my mind that I'd like to think about yet, but maybe someday I will understand the temptation that the main character in this novel did. The criticism that I have of this book - any maybe of Giffin's works in general (she also authored something borrowed, something blue, and baby proof) - is that I am left without a clear idea of what exactly she was trying to communicate. 

All of her novels (so far, at least) have dealt with friendships intertwined with romantic relationships and the suggestion or reality of unfaithfulness. I find myself wondering if it's a lazy trick to introduce sensation and intrigue into otherwise unremarkable stories. That said, Giffin's skill lies in her gifted narrative...the reader always effortlessly sees the story through the eyes of the protagonist, but (and this is something i appreciate) does not always agree with their choices, like them, or understand why they are doing what they are. I think it is a confidently risky move on an author's part when they make the main character less than entirely likable, as is the case in love the one you're with. 

The story was interesting but not enthralling; I found myself tempted to skip entire paragraphs of description at a time, looking ahead for more dialogue. It wasn't boring, though...a good read but one that didn't cause me to forget what time it was or how many hours had passed since I had picked it up (despite the fact that I spent all day reading it...I just don't really have a life). All in all, a solid piece of chick lit, but one that leaves you with the feeling that the author - much like the main character - wasn't quite sure of what she was going to do, what she was going to say, what she was going to mean, until the very last page. 

This Charming Man by Marian Keyes

This book is the story of the influence that one man has on the lives of multiple women...with different parts of the story told from the perspective of each of those women. 

I'm not sure yet if I'll develop some sort of rating scale to rate each book that I read relative to one another, but what I can say about this book is that I stayed up until about 3:30 this morning to finish and briefly considered not leaving the apartment to go to dinner with friends last night so I that I could continue reading. 

Is this book going to change the way you look at the world? Probably not. But it will entertain you while also introducing an idea that you may not have taken the time to seriously consider in the past. This book follows the classic Marian Keyes formula - lull the reader into a less serious cognitive state with a chick lit introduction while slyly drawing a topic with more gravity into focus. In that way, the book is indulgent in a way that other chick lit books are not - it allows you to tell yourself (and maybe others) that you're reading a book about domestic violence...when in reality you're reading a thoroughly entertaining book about relationships in which domestic violence is one of the supporting characters.  

I don't mean to criticize Keyes - or the book - for taking a less than serious look at the concept of domestic violence...rather, I support her formula because it brings important ideas into view that devoted chick lit readers otherwise may not have considered. That is exactly where Keyes' brilliance lies - you'd think that the idea of an entertaining book dealing with domestic violence would be impossible...but she doesn't introduce the serious topic until you're already devoted to the characters...and she balances gravity with levity in perfect measure to make sure you don't abandon her cause.

I honestly think that this book communicates the exact message that Keyes intended - it develops a number of characters thoroughly and independently and shows the reader how people so different can really be the same. It may not cause you to champion a local movement against domestic violence, but it will probably cause you to visit a few websites and educate yourself on the topic...which I consider to be an accomplishment. 

I think this book would be perfect for a read on a long plane ride - it draws you in and keeps you entertained, keeps you thinking...but it's not so serious or grave that it couldn't also be a beach read. Maybe I'm the only one with the antisocial reading problem, but beware of the fact that this book may cause you to sacrifice sleep...and for me, that's saying something.