Keep track of all the books I read in 2009

I like his fiction better than his real life.

Graphic novel…oddly enough, about being an alcoholic. Engaging enough to read in a sitting. I gave it three stars on Good Reads.

How wonderful to read a best selling novel that is actually about something that matters. I’ve never read anything that delved into the relationships between black domestic workers and their white employers like this. I’m sure it’s just my ignorance showing. I’d like to find some oral histories on the subject.

I’ll forgive the book’s shortcomings (for instance, I never really felt that the League women were the central character’s friends) because look at what the rest of the New York Time’s best seller list is…

1. THE LOST SYMBOL, by Dan Brown
2. U IS FOR UNDERTOW, by Sue Grafton
3. I, ALEX CROSS, by James Patterson
4. UNDER THE DOME, by Stephen King
5. THE HELP, by Kathryn Stockett

Whatever it’s issues, The Help is good strong storytelling. There’s a lot of tension and I was very emotionally involved with the characters.

Everything you ever wanted to know about sex when you were in junior high, with a really horrifying Freudian bent. I read it because Betty Draper was reading it on Mad Men. It was interesting to see what the writers may have used as part of their reference to the era. Eek.

If this memoir weren’t so well written it would be really depressing. As it is, this was my second run at the book. I stopped after a while when I first tried reading it…just so much neglect in this child’s life.

It was good to read right at this point in my writing life, as Wall’s writing style is wonderful and reminded me how scenes can be written without a lot of connective tissue in between and we’ll get it. I like that a lot about this book.

I think this was my second run at this book, and I’m glad I read it all the way through this time.

I like the setting (1930s New York). Good enough read.

I liked this book a lot. It was a fun read. But I’m not giving it all five stars because Ms. Child doesn’t really reveal much about herself in it. I’m not asking for all the gory details, but by the end it began to seem quite odd that she recalls with great detail all manner of meals from years past, but doesn’t even mention the death of her Paul, who was clearly her soul mate.

Don’t get me wrong, a very good book. But not really a memoir in the sense of a book that reveals much of…more I liked this book a lot. It was a fun read. But I’m not giving it all five stars because Ms. Child doesn’t really reveal much about herself in it. I’m not asking for all the gory details, but by the end it began to seem quite odd that she recalls with great detail all manner of meals from years past, but doesn’t even mention the death of her Paul, who was clearly her soul mate.

Don’t get me wrong, a very good book. But not really a memoir in the sense of a book that reveals much of the inner workings, fears and emotions of its author.

Great idea, but sadly very slow moving. I skimmed the last half.

The best thing about this book was asking for it by title at Barnes & Noble and realizing that the young bookseller wrote the author’s name down for me because he was afraid to say it out loud.

I liked it enough to finish it, but it amused and ticked me off a bit by turns. I waited tables, mostly lunches and happy hours, in mid-range non-chain restaurants for ten years and some of Dublanica’s generalizations really irked me.

Maybe his miserable experience is partly due to the amount of money involved. For me, it was a good way to make a decent living and work 20-30 hours a week, not a 40-hour-a-week job, so that probably makes a difference too. I was always doing that othe…more I liked it enough to finish it, but it amused and ticked me off a bit by turns. I waited tables, mostly lunches and happy hours, in mid-range non-chain restaurants for ten years and some of Dublanica’s generalizations really irked me.

Maybe his miserable experience is partly due to the amount of money involved. For me, it was a good way to make a decent living and work 20-30 hours a week, not a 40-hour-a-week job, so that probably makes a difference too. I was always doing that other thing he talks about having let slip in his own life.

It kind of makes me sad that his voice is the one talking from the other side of the table, he’s so negative. There were bad days/weeks/months for me, but mostly I had a good time waiting tables.

Think anyone would be interested in my book about waiting tables at a sports bar near ABC, etc. in Century City? Elizabeth Taylor came in once. I waited on Sugar Ray Leonard and Ronald Regan’s Secret Service agents…

Great concept. Not a lot of extraneous text beyond the recipes. I have only tried one, which was making butter. There was something missing in the directions.

None the less, I plan to buy this (which I previewed from the library) and hope that the cheese recipes are fully realized. I like her simple recommendations for equipment.

Oh, and don’t make dairy based soups in aluminum pans! The aluminum leaches into the milk!