I'm usually a straight fiction kind of girl. But lately, I've been delving into memoirs and biographies quite a bit. There are some seriously interesting people that are writing books these days. And without really meaning to, I read 5 books this month about those very interesting people.
"A Fine Romance" by Susan Branch: I don't really need to tell you about this one because I spent an entire day's post gushing about it. But, again, it was amazing!
"Talking as Fast as I Can" by Lauren Graham: I read "Someday, Someday Maybe" by Lauren last year and loved it. So I've been anxiously awaiting her next book, and this one did not disappoint. Whereas her first book was fiction, her second book is an autobiography of her life so far - From Gilmore Girls to Gilmore Girls. Ha! It was pretty much perfect, and a super quick read. She wrote a lot about her upbringing and what got her into the business. Then she went into her life during Gilmore Girls. In the best chapter, she binge-watched all episodes and talked about what was going on during each season - her hair, her wardrobe, what was happening behind the scenes. Her quirkiness and sense of humor really shined through, and you can just tell, that having a cup of coffee with her would be a blast!
"The Only Street in Paris" by Elaine Sciolino: I've been wanting to read this one since it came out but I was being cheap, so I had to wait until it came out in paperback. Even though I hated Paris, I have this weird fascination with books written about it. Don't ask. Anyway, Elaine Sciolino was an editor at the New York Times in Paris for a lot of her career - making me very envious (I think if I could live there a bit with an awesome job at the Times, I just might like it more...) So her account of the Rue de Martyrs was really a love story to her little corner of Paris. She really seemed to understand that what makes a place great is the people that are in it, so she took the time to highlight her friends and family that share her street. It's a great book, and I'm super sad that I didn't get to see this street when I was there. I'm pretty sure I would have liked Paris a bit more if I had.
"One for the Books" by Joe Queenan: What was supposed to be a funny book with a clever title all about books turned out to be a very sarcastic, very snobbish book about all the "great" books one man has read in his lifetime. I was definitely not a fan! He's a great writer, but he almost insults readers that don't have his time to read or choose to read page-turners rather than the classics - which is funny, since he's not writing any great literature here. If you like reading about books, you might like it. But if I were you, I'd go for "So Many Books, So Little Time" by Sara Nelson instead. Much funnier and much less pompous.
"Voracious: A Hungry Reader Cooks Her Way Through Great Books" by Cara Nicoletti: Another book I was waiting to come out in paperback. And I can't believe I waited so long - it was wonderful! She is a pastry chef, a butcher and an English Major who loves to read. Her focus is on food in literature - seriously? I can't believe that's an actual focus - why didn't I think of that in college? Anyway, the book follows her life story through the books she loved at the time. And after each book, she shares a recipe for something delicious that's mentioned in the book. While I haven't tried any of the recipes yet, the stories were delightful!
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