The Paris Wife - Paula McCain

This fictionalized book tracks the love affair and subsequent marriage between Ernest Hemmingway and his first wife Hadley Richardson.  They married when Hemmingway was very young (early 20's) and Hadley was approaching 30.  They live in a world that it is hard to imagine inhabiting if you are not an artist.  There is the obvious drinking, but also the affairs and betrayals. Hadley herself is much more traditional than the other artists (who include F. Scott Fitzgerald and Gertrude Stein) and believes in true love.  This will be put to the test through their bohemian lifestyle.

It was some of the little things in this book that I found particularly fascinating.  Hemmingway and Richardson were seemingly dirt poor and yet had a nanny to look after their baby.  They also seemed to take epic vacations; although these seemed to occasionally to be funded on the backs of other "trust fund" artists.

I thought that this book was a great read, one that I found it difficult to put down (also fun to learn a little more about the early Hemmingway and how his work evolved).  This is an all-occasions book! Do give it a go--it won't disappoint.

5/5 Stars

The Art of Racing in the Rain - Garth Stein

This book was suggested by a friend and fellow dog-owner.  I think that the strength of this book is that parts really do resonate with anyone who's owned a dog, from picking out your perfect match to the unexpected "acting out".  The book is told from the perspective of Enzo (a dog); the book tracks Enzo's life with his family.  There are highs and lows for this family and it is interesting to see how Enzo reacts to it all.  His frustration at being unable to communicate verbally was quite touching, and it was funny to see how he tried to make up for this with physical gestures.  This was an easy-to-read book that would be a welcome addition to your vacation reading.

4/5 stars

Cooking for Geeks

Cooking for Geeks

Title: Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Hacks, and Good Food
Author: Jeff Potter
Publisher: O'Reilly Media

ISBN-10: 9780596805883
ISBN-13: 978-0596805883

Like many of the non-fiction books that I read, this book was brought to my attention through the Skeptically Speaking podcast.  Basically, it is a book about food science.  While it does contain several recipes, it is not simply a recipe book.  It is more geared towards people who are interested in how the food we eat, becomes the food we eat.  So instead of simply saying something to the effect of "bake on the middle rack at 180 C for 30 minutes", it will tell you what is happening while it is baking for 30 minutes.  It discusses the chemical compounds and their interactions while baking, it will discuss what is happening in the leavening process, it will discuss why a steak tastes so good, when cooked medium rare.

While I did come away with quite a few tips for cooking, and I really liked learning about the chemistry behind the cooking, I don't think that there is much I would use this book for now that I have completed reading it.  The only thing that I might do, is refer back to it if I decide to wing it while baking.  (e.g. referring to the acidity/alkaline nature of fruits/veggies, and what will happen when I combine them).

I think that this book would be quite interesting for people who like figuring out how things work, rather than simply following instructions.  Actually, within the book itself, it pretty much says that it is geared towards hackers.

Long story short (too late), I liked the book, but it wouldn't be for everyone.

Let the Great World Spin

This book was very well written; however, it read much more like short stories, which never resonate entirely with me.   It takes place during the earlier 1970's in New York, during the time that Philippe Petit was doing his tightrope act across the twin towers (one of the mechanisms the author uses to die the stories together).  Essentially though, McCann tells a number of stories that are connected via the characters' relationships to someone who meets an untimely demise at the beginning of the book.  Not surprisingly, some stories are better than others.  The tale told from the perspective of a prostitute was actually among my favorites...the character was just so real.  I will say that McCann is adept at capturing different characters' voices.  This book is worth a go for those who do like the short story genre.

3/5 stars

The Sea Captain's Wife - Beth Powling

What a great book!  It was a rollicking good time on the open sea.  This book takes place during the late 1800's, when a young wife and her daughter take off on an excursion with her Sea Captain husband around the Horn of South America.  They experience everything you might imagine...wicked storms, the doldrums, hunger, pirates, and more.  If you want a book with a great narrative, and a compelling heroine, I would encourage you to give this book a try.

Brooklyn - Colm Toibin

This was a very nice story of a young immigrant, who arrives from Ireland to (you guessed it) Brooklyn.  Toibin's description of her journey across the Atlantic are excellent.  Initially unsure, she adapts quite quickly when she meets her future husband.  However, a death in the family sends her back to Ireland and it is here that she feels the pull of the old and new.  Toibin's writing is incredibly easy to read, but that does not make the story any less compelling or important.  He is simply very adept at pulling readers through the text.


4/5 Stars