"The Sweet Life in Paris" - David Lebovitz

Published by Broadway Paperbacks in 2009

Another foodie delight! I seem to have an accidental habit for picking up books written by cooks who happened to start their careers within blocks of my current home.  Lebovitz was a pastry chef at Chez Panisse (a fancy Berkeley restaurant that I still haven't convinced myself to go to given the outlandish prices.)  After his partner died he decided that a change was necessary and moved his life to a small one bedroom flat in Paris.

The book chronicles some of his adventures, with less panache than Reichl in my opinion, but the recipes he throws in for flavor seem to hit a little closer to home.  In fact, while reading this book I made one of the recipes and was surprised at how simple and delicious it was!

Quotes:
"serve with a chilled glass or fillette of white wine, such as Muscadet, Sancerre, or Sauvignon Blanc.  Enjoy, by yourself"
- Regarding his warm goat cheese salad recipe

"you need to clamp my mouth closed and massage my neck to get that hyperthick stuff down my throat -- like forcing a dog to swallow a pill"
- Regarding most parisian Hot Chocolate

Rating:
writing **
recipes ****

"Johannes Cabal: The Necromancer" - Jonathan L. Howard

Published by Anchor Books in 2010

I picked this book up on a whim as it had some great cover art, thinking that would be as far as the fun would go was my mistake! This turned out to be an unexpectedly good find that blended sci-fi with a little Gothic humor in just the right combination.

The cover quote states that it is "wicked and inventive" and I agree completely.  A carnival comprised of the undead, lead by a necromancer and his vampire brother.  Their goal is to retrieve 100 souls in a years time as a wager with Satan.

The best part is that it isn't until the last page that we learn the true reason for the whole quest and Johannes Cabal's real goal.  Very fun, I will have to read more of the series!

Rating: ***

"Granta 117 - Horror"

Published in 2011 by Granta Magazine

"Horror is everywhere" and this collection of short stories shows that it isn't always something that goes bump in the night.  Authors ranging from Stephen King to Will Self give us sneak peeks into the many forms that Horror can take in our lives.

While some were not quite my style, a majority of the stories were exciting and engaging, urging me to just read "one more page."

Rating: ***

"Smoke and Mirrors" - Neil Gaiman

Published in 1998 by Avon Books Inc.

A series of short stories (unrelated to one another) all by author Neil Gaiman.  Some of them are entertaining others are confusing and strangely written.  After having read "Stardust" I was prepared for his style of writing but was hoping that in short story form it would be more appealing.  Sadly, I was mistaken as there is no single point in this collection that stood out as particularly amazing.

His writing lacks details, and I personally find it less than exciting.

Rating: **

"A Confederacy of Dunces" - John Kennedy Toole

Published by LSU Press in 1980

The main character of this strange and intriguing novel is Ignatius J. Reilly, a corpulent 30-something who still lives with his mother.  An extremely educated man, Reilly never put his learnings to use and after an unfortunate car accident he is forced to find a job.  His menial work combined with his ridiculous concepts of how time should be spent to be prosperous in society mingle to make a tale that is a comedic jaunt around New Orleans behind a Hot Dog cart.

I really enjoyed this novel.  The writing was sharp and funny, and Toole wrote wonderful dialogue that makes the characters come to life on the pages.

Rating: ****

"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" - Jonathan Safran Foer

Published in 2005 by Mariner Books

Oskar is sure that the key he found in a vase is a final message from his father, who died in the September 11, 2001 attack on the Twin Towers.  He pledges to find it's meaning and embarks on a journey through Manhattan with his upstairs neighbor Mr. Black.  The story includes writing from the perspective of Oskar, his grandmother (through letters to Oskar) and his grandfather (through letters written to the Son he would never meet.)

I personally enjoyed the story but was not blown away by the writing.  Sadly, this was also my experience with Foer’s novel “Everything is Illuminated” as well.  Maybe I just don’t like his style, maybe its something else, I don’t know.  In this case, I found the characters to be lacking in life.  As if no matter how hard I tried, they just didn’t seem real or likeable.

Quotes:

“But there was always work to be done. We spent our lives making livings.”

“…Our lives are like skyscrapers.  The smoke rises at different speeds, but they’re all on fire, and we’re all trapped.”

Rating: ***