Mastering the Art of French Eating

I recently read a wonderful book called Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris by Ann Mah. I loved this book! It really made me want to return to Paris someday. I enjoyed the way Ann described the various dishes that she learned to make and that she included the recipes at the end of each chapter. If you plan to travel to France or even just in your dreams, this book is for you!

Also, Ann has a great website - check out www.annmah.net.

Sterling's Gold

I recently read a fun book for Mad Men fans called Sterling's Gold: Wit and Wisdom of an Ad Man. This is a very quick read since there are only a few lines (Roger's quips from Mad Men) on each page. Some of his lines are quite memorable and I enjoyed reading them especially since the show isn't on the air right now.

Here are some of my favorite lines -

"I told him to be himself. That was pretty mean I guess."

"Like the song says, "Enjoy Yourself, It's Later Than You Think."

"Not to get too deep before the cocktail hour, but do I need to remind you of the finite nature of life?"

This book will probably only appeal to fans of the show. You have to imagine the way the actor delivers these lines.

John Slattery as Roger Sterling

 

Another great book - Defending Jacob

I read a very compelling book in about four days called Defending Jacob by William Landay. It's been quite awhile since I read a legal thriller and this one is an excellent return to the genre for me. I hesitate to use the phrase page turner again but that is truly apt here. There are quite a few twists and turns to the story and it kept me guessing until the end. William Landay belongs in the pantheon of powerful lawyer turned authors such as Scott Turow and John Grisham. You will not be disappointed by this book.

 

 

Mad River

I recently read a very good book called Mad River by John Sandford. This is the sixth book in the Virgil Flowers series. It was the first Virgil Flowers book I've read (I don't have a problem reading a series out of order) and I now plan to read more in the series. This was a real page turner. I couldn't wait to see how it was going to end. I think they should turn this series into a TV show. I know I'd watch it!           

Parenthetically, the author John Sandford was born in Cedar Rapids, Iowa which is near my hometown. He and his late wife, Susan, attended the University of Iowa which is my alma mater. Sadly, Susan died of breast cancer in 2007. 

If you enjoy detective stories, I highly recommend Mad River.

I am currently reading another great book called Defending Jacob by William Landay. It's a legal thriller and I can't wait to see how it ends!

 

 

Read!

A friend of mine posted this  -


Here's hoping we can improve those statistics!

The Cuckoo's Calling

I recently read a wonderful book by Robert Galbraith called The Cuckoo's Calling. In a word, I thought this book was brilliant! I liked it even better than The Casual Vacancy which was also written by J.K. Rowling (Robert Galbraith is a pseudonym). This is a detective story about the death of British supermodel Lula Landry, nicknamed Cuckoo, which may or may not have been a suicide. Her brother John has hired down on his luck detective Cormoran Strike to prove that Lula did not commit suicide. I loved Cormoran and his temporary secretary Robin and am thrilled that this is the first in a series. I can also see it as a movie - Hollywood take note!  Since I enjoy crime fiction and also love novels that are set in London, this book was right up my street! It's a very well written and compelling book and I highly recommend it.

Check out www.robert-galbraith.com for answers to frequently asked questions such as:

1) Why the author chose to write a crime novel and why she used a pseudonym:

"I’ve always loved reading detective fiction. Most of the Harry Potter stories are whodunits at heart (‘Order of the Phoenix’ is more of a why-did-he), but I’ve wanted to try the real thing for a long time.
As for the pseudonym, I was yearning to go back to the beginning of a writing career in this new genre, to work without hype or expectation and to receive totally unvarnished feedback. It was a fantastic experience and I only wish it could have gone on a little longer."

2) Where the title comes from:

"The title is taken from the mournful poem by Christina Rossetti called, simply, A Dirge, which is a lament for one who died too young. The title also contains a subtle reference to another aspect of the plot, but as I can’t explain what it is without ruining the story, I’ll let readers work that one out."

3) Why the novel was set in London:

"Both my parents were Londoners and I spent a lot of time there during my childhood and teens, visiting relatives. I lived there in my twenties and still love the place. You could write about London all your life and not exhaust the plots, settings or history."

Twitter Update

In a previous post, I talked about how much I enjoy Twitter. At the time, my account was protected and you had to ask to follow me. I have since changed that and now anyone can follow me without having to ask. If you are interested, you can find me at Joy@joyfulng when you log on to www.twitter.com. Hope to see you there!