Books from the Backlog - The Apprentice

Today I'm linking up with Carole from Carole's Random Life of Books for Books from the Backlog.  I really enjoy the chance to feature a book that's been hiding in the piles of books for far too long!

Goodreads:  The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen by Jacques Pepin

Blurb: In this captivating memoir, the man whom Julia Child has called "the best chef in America" tells the story of his rise from a frightened apprentice in an exacting Old World kitchen to an Emmy Award winning superstar who taught millions of Americans how to cook and shaped the nation's tastes in the bargain.
We see young Jacques as a homesick six-year-old boy in war-ravaged France, working on a farm in exchange for food, dodging bombs, and bearing witness as German soldiers capture his father, a fighter in the Resistance. Soon Jacques is caught up in the hurly-burly action of his mother's café, where he proves a natural. He endures a literal trial by fire and works his way up the ladder in the feudal system of France's most famous restaurant, finally becoming Charles de Gaulle's personal chef, watching the world being refashioned from the other side of the kitchen door.

When he comes to America, Jacques immediately falls in with a small group of as-yet-unknown food lovers, including Craig Claiborne, James Beard, and Julia Child, whose adventures redefine American food. Through it all, Jacques proves himself to be a master of the American art of reinvention: earning a graduate degree from Columbia University, turning down a job as John F. Kennedy's chef to work at Howard Johnson's, and, after a near-fatal car accident, switching careers once again to become a charismatic leader in the revolution that changed the way Americans approached food. Included as well are approximately forty all-time favorite recipes created during the course of a career spanning nearly half a century, from his mother's utterly simple cheese soufflé to his wife's pork ribs and red beans.

The Apprentice is the poignant and sometimes funny tale of a boy's coming of age. Beyond that, it is the story of America's culinary awakening and the transformation of food from an afterthought to a national preoccupation.

Why It Needs to Come Off the Shelf:  Pepin is such a fascinating man and such a talented chef and this book has been sitting on my shelf for way too long.

Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston - Cozy Mystery Review

Goodreads: Murder, She Wrote: A Body in Boston by Jessica Fletcher and Terrie Farley Moran

Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)
Source:   Publisher

Description:  Jessica Fletcher has dinner with her old pal Harry McGraw and gets pulled into a puzzling murder case.

Invited to deliver a lecture at the Boston Public Library, Jessica Fletcher excitedly makes plans to see local friends. Naturally that includes dinner at Gilhooley’s with PI Harry McGraw. Harry excitedly talks about his latest client, the CEO of Cure All Pharmaceuticals, who’s received anonymous blackmail demands and wants Harry to identify the culprit. Cookie, Gilhooley’s longtime bartender, also has something he wants to tell he asked Harry to investigate his daughter Aileen’s boyfriend, who Cookie thinks is too slick by half, but now Harry is too wrapped up in this new case. While Jessica wonders how best to approach Aileen, the young woman stumbles into Gilhooley’s covered in blood. She just discovered her boyfriend’s corpse -- and quickly becomes the chief suspect in his murder!

Genre: Mystery - Cozy

Why I Picked This Book:  I really enjoy this series and was thrilled to see Harry McGraw gets some page time.

My Impression: This may be the most reliably cozy mystery series in existence.  I love the original show though to be honest I'm at best a casual watcher.  I've watched enough to be familiar with the characters, the setting and the premise but I have in no way watched every episode - or probably even half of them.  I am an enormous Angela Lansbury fan and a Jerry Orbach fan who plays PI Harry McGraw in the show (and in my head while reading this book).  

Jessica is heading to Boston to give a talk at a library and Seth is thrilled (well thrilled for Seth) to tag along so he can attend a talk given by an old friend from medical school.  While there Jessica has to catch up with old friend Harry whose current client is connected to the medical industry which Seth quickly gets pulled into.  I did thoroughly enjoy the friendship between Harry and Seth.  Then they're all pulled into the investigation of the murder of the boyfriend of a friend's daughter.  

The investigation is enjoyable and is mostly on Jessica's shoulder.  I liked all the side characters - especially the taxi driver Mahmood.  There is some fairly long descriptive passages about Boston itself which I enjoyed but if you are just wanting the mystery might get a bit slow.  As well, the ending felt a bit rushed.  However, getting there was enjoyable enough that I'm willing to let that go.

If you are wanting a fun cozy mystery with a trip to Boston added in this is a fun and quick read.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author?  Absolutely!  I really want to read the whole series at some point.

Would I Recommend this Book?  If you like cozy mysteries I really recommend this series.  While it is ridiculously long running you really can jump in anywhere.

* I received this book in exchange for an honest review.  As always my opinions and impressions are completely my own. *

Top Ten Tuesday - Ten Books I'd Take With Me If I Was Stranded on a Desert Island

 

Today I'm linking up with Top Ten Tuesday hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl which is all about lists.  Since lists are one of my favorite things this is one of my favorite linkups!  Today's topic is a Throwback to a Previous Topic and I've picked 10 Books I'd Take With Me If I Was Stranded on a Desert Island

1.  When the Lights Go Out by Mary Kubica - I always enjoy her books and this one looks good and a perfect way to kill some time!

2.  The Night Parade by Kathryn Tanquary - This looks magical and would be a good break from creepier books.

3.  The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins - I should bring a slower read classic and this is one I've been meaning to read.

4.  The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand - Ghosts and a hotel in Nantucket sound like good topics to read about while sitting in the shade looking out at the ocean.

5.  The Anatomist's Wife (and the rest of the Lady Darby series) by Anna Lee Huber - I've been meaning to get caught up on this fairly long running series for ages and I'd have time on the desert island.  Is bringing a whole series cheating?  Maybe a bit but it's my island time so I get to make the rules!

6.  The High Tide Club by Mary Kay Andrews - This looks like a nice fun beach read.

7.  Golden Hour by Beatriz Williams - This takes place in the Bahamas in the 1940s and since I'm on an island it seems like a good time to read it.

8.  The Guest List by Lucy Foley - This is set on an island but a very different type of island from the previous book and it looks entertaining.  I don't always love Foley's books but I have enjoyed them - even if they are sometimes slower reads.  

9.  Mountains Wild (and the rest of the Maggie D'Arcy books) by Sarah Stewart Taylor - This looks like a solid series of atmospheric mysteries - not quite cozy but not overly dark.  It's a series I've been wanting to read for ages but never seem to quite get to it.  Desert island time seems like a good time.

10. Dim Sum of All Fears (and the rest of the Noodle Shop Mysteries) by Vivien Chien - I loved the first book in this long running series so now I need to read the rest of it!

Once I get all of these finished I'll flag down the boat that brings my daily food delivery to the island and head back home!  What books would you bring to a desert island?

Overdue Reviews - The Spies of Shilling Lane + Manor Death

 

Goodreads:  The Spies of Shilling Lane by Jennifer Ryan

Blurb:  From the bestselling author of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir comes a thrilling new WWII story about a village busybody—the mighty Mrs. Braithwaite—who resolves to find, and then rescue, her missing daughter

Mrs. Braithwaite, self-appointed queen of her English village, finds herself dethroned, despised, and dismissed following her husband’s selfish divorce petition. Never deterred, the threat of a family secret being revealed sets her hot-foot to London to find the only person she has left—her clever daughter Betty, who took work there at the first rumbles of war. But when she arrives, Betty’s landlord, the timid Mr. Norris, informs her that Betty hasn’t been home in days--with the chaos of the bombs, there’s no telling what might have befallen her. Aghast, Mrs. Braithwaite sets her bullish determination to the task of finding her only daughter. Storming into the London Blitz, Mrs. Braithwaite drags the reluctant Mr. Norris along as an unwitting sidekick as they piece together Betty’s unexpectedly chaotic life. As she is thrown into the midst of danger and death, Mrs. Braithwaite is forced to rethink her old-fashioned notions of status, class, and reputation, and to reconsider the question that’s been puzzling her since her world How do you measure the success of your life? Readers will be charmed by the unforgettable Mrs. Braithwaite and her plucky, ruthless optimism, and find in The Spies of Shilling Lane a novel with surprising twists and turns, quiet humor, and a poignant examination of mothers and daughters and the secrets we keep.

My Thoughts:  I loved the previous book by this author but had heard mixed reviews for this book so I was a bit hesitant.   I really enjoyed all the day to day life in wartime London.   It was interesting and heartbreaking to follow Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris and all the people around them as they navigated bombings and shortages and so much loss but also increasing awareness of what they really wanted out of life.  Mrs. Braithwaite and Mr. Norris were a good pair and while of similar age couldn't have been more different.  The women's club life and the attitudes around Mrs. Braithwaite's divorce were also really interesting.  What fell a bit flat for me was the espionage elements.  It felt a bit farce-y compared to the more serious elements of the rest of the book and I had a hard time believing a few of the characters were really as well respected as they were.  I'm looking forward to reading more from this author and am hoping they next books are more like the first book I read by her.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

Goodreads:  Manor of Dying by Kathleen Bridge

Blurbs:   When decorator Meg Barrett travels to a remote mansion to help select period pieces for a new 1930s-style television mystery series, she's chilled to learn that the manor was once a mental asylum and the site of a mysterious decades-old murder. And when a fierce blizzard knocks out the power and strands Meg and her cohorts in the home's rickety old elevator, they emerge to discover that another person has been murdered--in the same macabre manner as the original victim. With a suspect list limited to those who were also stranded at the manor, Meg begins digging through their backgrounds for clues to both the old and new murder, trying to discover a connection that will lead her to the culprit's identity. But the more she learns, the more clear it becomes that someone wants to keep the secrets of the past buried, and Meg knows she'll have to watch her back before a ruthless killer decides to commit her to a grisly fate . . .

My Thoughts:  This was a cute cozy.  Meg is a likable main character and she has a quirky world of characters around her.  The murder happens in an old mansion which not only used to be an insane asylum that seems to have specialized in lobotomies but also a murder - and now a modern day murder.  The dialogue is on the clunky over-explaining side and the mystery isn't one that will stick with me.  However, this is a fun one to pick up if you need a bit of a palette cleanser from heavier books.  My Rating:  Liked It (3 Stars)

This Week in Reading - June 29

It's Sunday Post time!  This is hosted by the awesome Caffeinated Book Reviewer and gives us all a chance to recap our week.

What I Got:

A Dark and Deadly Journey by Julia Kelly - This is the third book in the Evelyn Redfern series set during WWII and I'm really looking forward to it.  (Publisher)

Currently:

Reading:  The World's Greatest Detective and Her Just Okay Assistant by Liza Telly and Murder on Mustique by Anne Glenconner

Listening: Six Feet Deep Dish by Mindy Quigley 

One of our local used bookstores that has been around for ages has recently changed hands.  I finally got the chance to visit it this weekend and was so pleased with the changes.  It's a bit prettier but the general vibe and selection are the same.

Have a great week and happy reading!

Midsummer Mysteries - Classic Mystery Reviews

Goodreads: Midsummer Mysteries by Agatha Christie

Rating: Really Liked It! (4.5 Stars)
Source:   Purchased

Description:  Summertime--as the temperature rises, so does the potential for evil. From Cornwall to the French Riviera, whether against a background of Delphic temples or English country houses, Agatha Christie's most famous characters solve complicated puzzles as the stakes heat up. Pull up a deckchair and enjoy plot twists and red herrings galore from the bestselling fiction writer of all time.

Includes the stories:

The Blood-Stained Pavement
The Double Clue
A Death on the Nile
Harlequin's Lane
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
Jane in Search of a Job
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
The Idol House of Astarte
The Rajah's Emerald
The Oracle at Delphi
The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger
The Incredible Theft

Genre: Mystery - Classic

Why I Picked This Book:  This is a short story collection I haven't read and I love Christie's short stories.

My Impression:  I love Christies' short stories so I've been really enjoying the release of new collections - even if most of the stories are ones I've already read.   To call this a summer collection is a bit of a stretch as only a couple of stories really have anything to do with that time of year but it is still and interesting collection.  There are a couple of Miss Marple books,  a Harley Quinn story, two Mr. Parker Pyne stories, a few Poirots, a Tommy and Tuppence and a standalone or two.  I always enjoy the variety and was thrilled to see some Mr. Parker Pyne stories as he is one of my favorites.  

The theme for this series was definitely the weakest and several of the stories were not my favorite.   That's not to say I didn't enjoy it - but it wasn't one that will be at the top of my list for a reread.  

Would I Read More of this Series/Author? Of course!  I already have my Read Christie Challenge book for July pulled out and ready to go!

Would I Recommend this Book? Yes, though this is the Christie collection I would start with if you are wanting to try a Christie book.

Friday Fives - Five Short Reviews for Books I've Read Recently

I'm in a list making kind of mood so I thought I'd start making random five lists.  Sometimes they'll be bookish other weeks not so much. This week I'm sharing 5 quick reviews for books I've read recently.

1.  The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl - I've read several of Reichl's food memoirs but this was the first fiction book of hers that I read.  I enjoyed it though it wasn't a full win for me.  I find this kind of book works best for me if I really connect with the main character.  Stella was okay and I definitely felt sympathy for her regarding her relationship with her mother but she wasn't someone I really found myself rooting for.  Reichl's focus in the story is definitely the food which isn't surprising and her descriptions are gorgeous as expected.  However, what really caught my eye in the blurb was the dress and that felt very secondary in this story.  I found it very readable and I go through it fairly quickly but it just wasn't a book I fell in love with.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

2.  The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen - This is the first book in a slice of life series involving a village named Ivy Hill in 19th century England.  Things are changing for the coaching inn, The Bell, and the new owner and recent widow Jane Bell is trying to figure out how to keep things afloat.  This isn't something she's at all prepared for, but she is doing her best.  There's a whole host of side characters from inn guests and staff to village residents.  I really enjoyed the character progression of Jane's mother-in-law, Thora.  As well, Jane herself is a character I really rooted for.  There was a side character that I felt deserved some harsher consequences but for the most part this is good people trying their best.  This is billed as Christian fiction and it is, but the actual story isn't particularly religious, and I didn't find the writing preachy.  It's more a story of deeply religious people if that makes sense.  The next book isn't top of my list, but it is a series I'll be continuing.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

3.  The Unholy by Heather Graham - This series is always such fun and I really enjoyed this one.  This one was full of old movie mentions and old Hollywood lore.  Madison is a special effects artist who can also see ghosts as is Cameron - except now Cameron is also an FBI agent.  They work together well as does the rest of the special FBI unit.  The mystery itself was enjoyable though there were a couple of threads that were heavily mentioned but were never really explored.  This is kind of a candy bar book - yummy and quick to indulge in but won't stay with you too long.  It was an enjoyable read and I'll be picking up the next Krewe book by this author soon.  My Rating: Liked It! (3.5 Stars)

4.  Love, Loss, and What We Ate by Padma Lakshmi - I picked this up on an Audible sale at least 6 or 7 years ago when we were really loving Top Chef.  I really enjoyed Padma's input on the show and was curious to know more about her.  This book was interesting.  I really enjoyed the look into growing up in an Indian household and then kind of split between two cultures after she and her mother moved to the US.  Her view of food was also really fascinating as was her move from modeling into the food world.  I would like for a bit more perspective on her relationship and how things developed with raising her daughter.  There are some really truly vicious reviews on this book that I think come from fans of her ex-husband and don't really seem to touch on subjects she actually touched on in the story.  She's not always the most likable but I did find it interesting and the audio which is read by the author is really well done.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)

5.  The Palace Guard by Charlotte MacLeod - This is my second book by this author and the third book in the Kelling & Bitterson series.  I very much enjoyed seeing Sarah and Max again now that they know each other a bit better.  The setting for this one is an art museum loosely based on The Gardner Museum also in Boston and this also involves crimes committed in the museum though in a very different way from the infamous Gardner Heist.  MacLeod has a gift for kind of lulling you in.  I'm listening while I'm doing stuff and enjoying the story but not too wow-d by it and then all of a sudden I realize I'm completely pulled in by the mystery and the characters.  I'm really looking forward to reading more of this series and exploring MacLeod's other books.  My Rating: Really Liked It (4 Stars)