What are you reading?

[Chef Ladybug]

I'm reading "The Unbearable Lightness of Being." Haven't gotten to the supposedly erotic part yet... but I assume good things come to those who wait

What have you guys been reading lately? Recommend it?

[Free Rider]

I was going to post about the book I finally started reading last night... Kitchen Confidential. It's super! Not at all like what the reviews said (perhaps the reviewers only read other reviews). I really like the book and, in fact, would like a chat with the author.

One of my favorite sets of books are The Emigrant books by Vilhelm Moberg: The Emigrants, Unto a Good Land, The Settlers, and The Last Letter Home. Should be read in order, about Swedish immigration into Minnesota.

[Mezzaluna]

The last book I read was the final Harry Potter book. I have re-started London by Edward Rutherford, which I began years ago but never had the chance to finish. I have The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury from audible.com | Download books, magazines, newspapers and radio shows on my MP3 player as well.

Then there are the culinary-related books. I recently bought The Art of Eating by M.F.K. Fisher.

[foodnfoto]

I'm currently reading Imperial Life in the Emerald City by Rajiv Chandrasekaran about life in Baghdad's Green Zone. OMG could anything have been bungled so completly?

I'm also reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Really good and very entertaining.

I keep jumping back to 1491 by Charles Mann-fascinating! I especially like reading sections about what foods the indigenous peoples of the Americas grew and ate. I'm trying to grow my beans and corn in the same way they did, by letting the beans climb up the corn stalks while improving the soil that the corn depletes-seems to be working.

[Chef Ladybug]

I read "The Martian Chronicles" back in high school. I love Ray Bradbury. Saw the movie "Fahrenheit 451," based on his book with the same title (which I also read), not too long ago... probably last month. Didn't like the casting though I understand the logic behind it.

[shroomgirl]

short humorus stories throughout the 20th century from the New Yorker.....
Pajamas something or other....

The other book I'm picking up and putting down is a compliation of speeches verbatium from again the 20th century. This book is outstanding.
RFK's speech to 600 African Americans 3 hours after MLK was killed, followed by Ted Kennedy's eulogy of RFK several months later.
Orson Wells apology for his War of the World's show
Mai Lei Masacre trial shtuff
Helen Keller's praise of communism
etc...what I really love about the book is that it's not someone's paraphrasing but the original speech. I'll get the title tomorrow

[MuskyHopeful]

Not long ago I finished The Pest House, by Jim Crace. It's a love story of sorts set far in America's future. The main characters are walking across a rather blighted landscape hoping to get to the coast where they find a ship to take them to glorious Europe. They find more hope in each other.

Now I'm reading Mara and Dann, by Doris Lessing. It's the story of a brother and sister making their way north across a blighted and drought stricken Africa thousands of years in the future. I have the sequel, also, and my go right into that.

Both were written by highly skilled English authors and are not your run of the mill science fiction. Some feel that Doris Lessing is deserving of the Nobel Prize for literature.

Throw in The Road by Cormac McCarthy, and you have a heck of pessimistic trilogy.

I have 1491 by Charles Mann, and need to dig into that one. That's a bruiser, though, and I'll need to be ready. I also want to read Collapse by Jared Diamond. Non-fiction next on the list I think.

Kevin

Reading Is FUNdamental.

[allie]

I'm reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon. It's currently the last book of the Outlander series. I have really enjoyed these books and already can't wait for the next one!

Next on my list are:
The Maytrees by Annie Dillard
The Last Summer (of You & Me) by Ann Brashares
Once Around the Track by Sharyn McCrumb

[Mezzaluna]

Wow.... a lot of us share interest in the same genres. Kevin, the Crace and Lessing books sound very good.

I just downloaded the final Jane Austen title I didn't have: Northanger Abbey. I don't really like gothic novels, but this is supposed to be her send-up of them. (I can't wait to see "Becoming Jane", the movie about Austen.)

I wasn't much of a reader until I found the Tolkein books. After that I couldn't get enough. Except for cookbooks, historical biographies and historical narratives, I don't read much non-fiction.

[ChefRAZ]

Being a ROCKER,( its in my blood ) So the book I read on the plane ride home. was "Inside Out " a personal History of pink floyd.by nick mason.what a suprising book. Not only does it explain a lot of things that I've always wondered about.It is funny and has lots of great photos. If you like rock, and wonder why the band broke up, or want to see some old pictures of the band I'd check it out.




Nick Mason says: 'I started making notes for this book in 1994. We had just finished a world tour, and for the first time in many months I was not involved in trying to stuff another bundle of free T-shirts, tour jackets, hotel soaps and towelling robes into my suitcase. With a certain amount of leisure time beckoning, I thought it might be time to start dealing with the questions I'd been asked for thirty-odd years - "How did the band get its name?", "Where's Syd?" and "What's it really like?". It's only taken ten years to come up with some answers.
kudos NICK.

[foodnfoto]

Hey Musky
The great thing about 1491 is that is was originally written as a series of editorial articles, so each chapter is kind of self-containing; meaning, it's not important that you read it from beginning to end. It helps, but is not necessary.
I have read most of the book, but largely out of sequence and it's still fascinating.
Pick it up and start reading anywhere.
Your whole notion about pre-Colombian life will be turned on its head.

[Chef Ladybug]

I wonder if this thread has already been started by someone else. I hope the moderators take care of this and combine this thread with the original one if another one like it exists. Wasn't too sure if my renewing an old thread would go over OK with you guys.

[Mezzaluna]

Chef Ladybug, it's fine to resurrect older threads- we do it often. This may have been discussed earlier, but this community is constantly growing, so "old" threads are "new" again. Whether you re-start an existing thread from long ago or start a new one, either way is fine.

[shel]

Originally Posted by Free Rider

I was going to post about the book I finally started reading last night... Kitchen Confidential. It's super! Not at all like what the reviews said (perhaps the reviewers only read other reviews).

What did the reviews say?

I read Kitchen Confidential a couple of months ago. While it was an interesting biography of Anthony Bourdain, it was also rather eneven in its editing and the way it was written. Much of the book seemed to drone on about Bourdain's personal problems and demons (which, while not very well written gave good insight into the guy). However, there were a few chapters that really gave a good feel to the action in the kitchen. I could feel the tension and pressure and excitement in those chapters and passages - it was as if someone else was writing those parts of the book.

KC is a worthwhile read, that's for sure.

[shroomgirl]

July 2000, Tony was our featured celebrity on Cheftalk....we had Q & A about Kitchen Confidential.....initially it was written for people in the industry who were in the NE....small regional book.....

I hosted an industry only potluck in STL while he was tourring....he is a gem.
Amoungst the food writers, tall white hat CC chefs, ball cap wearring independent chefs there was an adoring dishdog who was a total groupie.
Anyway Tony invited this older lifer (appearred mid-50's but looked like he'd lived hard) to NYC, showed him around town for a few days etc...just treated him royally. That was HUGE. Just magnaimus. This man will have that adventure to tell the rest of his life. I'll never forget the act of kindness....
he can do no wrong in my book.