Posts filed under 'Memoir & Biography'
Sometimes you really do need to give a book a little more time. The prologue of Confections of a Closet Master Baker: One Woman’s Sweet Journey from Unhappy Hollywood Executive to Contented Country Baker by Gesine Bullock-Prado really lost me. I understand that the author was trying to set up her lifelong love of sweets, but this chapter was kinda weird. She remembers back to a Christmas spent in Austria and how the holiday stockings were delivered by a raggedy St. Nikolaus and his demon sidekick, Krampus. I may, in fact, have nightmares about this. I thought I was getting into chocolate chip cookies and some Hollywood style hissy fits. I wasn’t prepared at all for the Krampus.
But continuing on to chapter one I get exactly what I want: a memoir of why a successful Hollywood executive (and sister of famous actress Sandra Bullock) would want to pack it all up and leave for Vermont to open a bakery. We also get some kick ass recipes. I am committing the recipe for Golden Eggs to memory. It is that good. Vanilla cake with a sugar and cinnamon coating that makes it taste like a donut. Mmmmm.
Each chapter is set up with a title and time, the time corresponding to what time of day certain events happen in the life of a baker. Example, 3:00 a.m. wake up. 4:00 a.m. arrival at the bakery and convection oven preheating. 5:00 a.m. tart filling. You get the idea. Each chapter also contains memories, insight and recipes. I love, love, love this. Gesine’s mother is German and a lot of the recipes and memories are inspired by the treats Gesine ate growing up in Germany as well as family traditions carried on after moving to the U.S., which is fascinating stuff. Having grown up eating apfelkuchen myself, this was very enjoyable reading. But I will not lie to you, I almost hung it up after the Krampus chapter. I’m still a little freaked out.
So it’s a good thing I have a new carrot cake recipe to test that calls for nine pounds of butter! Well, not quite, but all of the recipes included in this book have full-fat, real ingredients. Totally worth it! That’s what baking is all about! I was this close to planning a trip to Montpelier, VT, to visit Gesine Confectionary & Gourmet Market, but it looks like they closed up shop and Gesine is preparing to open a new bakery in Austin, TX. I will keep my eye out for that one. And in case you’re wondering, it’s Geh-see-neh.
October 26th, 2009
Molly - Central
“Another memoir?” my husband responded when he asked me what I was reading and I answered the same way I often do . Yes, it’s true. I can’t seem to get enough of these true stories of coming of age, falling in love, heartbreak, despair, addiction, and every other wonderful or horrible thing that happens every day to regular people. Happens Every Day: An All-Too-True story is no great departure from the tried-and-true formula for memoirs of heartbreak: seemingly perfect life, perhaps a few cracks in the relationship or signs of trouble, followed by a shocking discovery/confession.
Author Isabel Gillies does lead a seemingly perfect life. She and her family have recently moved into a beautiful, old house in Oberlin, Ohio where her husband is a poetry professor. Gillies starts a part-time teaching job in the theatre department, oversees renovations on her old home, and is a full-time mother of two young boys. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when her husband abruptly announces that he no longer wants to be married to her. Gillies is not only shocked and heartbroken but also completely unwilling and certainly not ready to end her marriage. She attempts to work things out with her husband, but it’s clear very early on that he doesn’t want to be married… at least, not to her.
Like Split: A Memoir of Divorce and I Loved, I Lost, I Made Spaghetti, two other engaging memoirs that deal with breakups and heartbreak, Happens Every Day is an enjoyable read first and foremost because Gillies knows how to get to the point. She may not be the greatest writer (in fact she was an actress first) but she manages to charmingly and succinctly describe her family, her marriage, her job, and her town in such a way that I truly was drawn to her story. Additionally she comletely manages to avoid self-pity and extreme negativity, a huge feat in itself. Finally, for those of you who prefer not to read a completely depressing memoir, this is the one for you!
October 9th, 2009
Mary - Lakeview
Jeffrey Zaslow is a columnist for the Wall Street Journal. One of his columns was about lifelong friendships that seem to exist primarily among women. The Girls From Ames: A Story of Women and a Forty-Year Friendship evolved from the responses he received, including one from the Ames group. The 10 women who were friends in high school (there were 11, but one died) and graduated in 1981 are now scattered throughout the country They have a reunion every year. Zaslow was invited to attend, and uses this time to update us on their current and past live. They have had tragedies, challenges and successes.
It is hard to describe exactly why this was a disappointing read. The 10 “girls”, now in their forties, seem personable enough and are very successful in their adult lives. And author Jeffrey Zalow (co-author of The Last Lecture), has a lot of facts about them, their childhoods in Ames and their lives since graduation. Perhaps the fact that Zaslow has all the details of their lives might be part of the problem. He is good at reporting but not as good at conveying feeling and emotions. Also for the most part these are ordinary middle class lives, and even though they are often eventful and rewarding, they are not that interesting to read about. A more general book about women’s friendships and how rewarding long term, life-long friendships can be would have been more interesting. Anyone else have a different response to the book?
September 26th, 2009
Mary K. - Central
It seems like Carol Tyler has been kicking around the comics scene since it was referred to as the underground comics scene. In the last few years, she’s turned her attention to the full-length graphic novel. Her latest, You’ll Never Know: A Graphic Memoir begins to tell the story of her father, Chuck Tyler, in words and pictures, with an effort to tell about his time in the army during World War II, as well as her life growing up with him and later with her own family.
Growing up it seems neither Chuck– nor most of the men of his generation who had served– spent much time talking about the war or their experiences. Even the photographs and souvenirs they kept were seldom spoken of, although they were kept and preserved with something like reverence. Carol had tried at various times to get her father to answer questions about the war, only to have him forcefully reject the overtures. Then, one night, forty years after the war, he calls her on the phone and spends two hours talking about the war. The phrase “rivers of blood” fairly leaps off of the page.
It’s a beautifully and cleverly done book, with some charming and imaginative illustrative and narrative techniques that cleverly glide from one era to another using overlapping dialogue and scenes that evolve. A really terrific piece of craftsmanship, it jumps nimbly between eras separated now by almost seventy years. It’s a fairly large-format book, with a cover suggesting it’s been made out of plywood, a sly salute to the working-class, can-do man that was her father. This particular volume is titled Book one: A Good and Decent Man. Her story of her father’s time in the army has only taken him to the shores of north Africa so far. Still, to come: Italy, France, and finally Germany. I’ll certainly be reading any future volumes that come out. But there’s more than a little trepidation about what will eventually be revealed.
At times charming and enthralling, and at other times emotionally wrenching, the story so far leads only to the edge of the war Chuck Tyler experienced. The title, “You’ll never know” appears in the lyrics of a love song from the era and it’s a sweet counterpoint to the scenes where young Chuck is wooing Carol’s mother on the dance floor. But it also hints at the dark side of the war (every war) that never seems to be revealed. Like Carol, I want to know her father’s story, but I’m more than a little afraid of what I’ll find out. The book’s title suggests a many-layered truth, not just about this one man, but about war itself.
If you’re interested in finding out more about author Carol Tyler, her website is here and there are numerous links to newspaper and magazine articles exploring her work as a teacher in the expanding field of “sequential art” (i.e. comics).
September 22nd, 2009
Dennis - Central
Chances are that this edifying little book originally published 38 years ago would not have gained steam again without the amazing video footage shown on YouTube to millions worldwide. I’m talking about A Lion Called Christian, the story of a lion cub purchased at Harrods luxury department store in London and raised by two Aussie blokes until he’s too big to live in the city and with humans.
Christian gets reintroduced to the wild in the Coast Province of Kenya at the Kora National Reserve and is later joyously reunited with the Aussie blokes who raised him. The reunion is filmed as part of a documentary about George Adamson, best known through the award-winning Born Free, who lived at the Kora Reserve and rehabilitated captured or orphaned lions into the wild.
If you have seen the video or looked at the stills on the cover of the book, you can’t help but notice the bond between Christian and his original owners Anthony Bourke and John Rendall. They obviously had a loving and playful relationship. It will only take you a couple of hours to read about what it was like to live in a London flat with a growing lion cub, what types of feeding and exercise was necessary and the difficulty of getting a lion from England to Kenya. What a story!
August 11th, 2009
Molly - Central
A while back I read and loved 84, Charing Cross Road, a collection of letters between the witty and wonderful Helene Hanff and the staff of a London bookshop. Several times during the decades spanned by the book, Helene planned to visit London, but each time she was thwarted. Eventually, however, her dream came true and she set off for the land of Shakespeare on a tour combining publicity and pleasure. Sadly, her primary correspondent, Frank Doel, passed away before Helene was able to make the trip, but she was met at the airport by his widow, Nora, and daughter, Sheila.
Helene feels so welcomed and admired in London that she takes to calling herself “The Duchess of Bloomsbury Street.” It was sweet and spooky to read about her meeting strangers - fans of her book who’d written to her, offering their services, inviting her out to meals and into their homes. For several chapters I feared it would turn into a cautionary tale for single female visitors to foreign lands. But Helene’s luck held; no one dipped her into a scalding vat of tea or smothered her in tweed.
As she so hoped it would, London enchants Helene. She writes of its bustling but comparatively quiet (to NYC) streets, “Even the sirens are quiet. The ambulance sirens go BlooOOP, blooOop, like a walrus weeping under water.” While she’s there, she finally gets to visit the now-closed Marks & Co. book shop. “I started back downstairs, my mind on the man, now dead, with whom I’d corresponded for so many years. Halfway down I put my hand on the oak railing and said to him silently: ‘How about this Frankie, I finally made it.’”
July 25th, 2009
Robin - Pinney
Remember that one song from the 8th grade dance that seemed to get all the girls out on the floor? So does Rob Sheffield.
In his New York Times bestselling biography Love is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time, Rob Sheffield shares the ways music has been an indelible part of his life. A journalist for Rolling Stone, Sheffield has been thinking about and worshipping music all his life. His biography traces this path, from when his dad took him out for milkshakes and they each picked a song on the juke box, to when he DJed a middle school dance, to the mix tapes exchanged with women he’s dated and loved.
Each chapter opens with the track listings of a different mix tape that the author has either made or received. From that, Sheffield springboards into the story of the tape’s context: why the tape was made and how the songs related to the people and places in his life. Familiarity with the particular songs Sheffield muses about is unnecessary, as Sheffield focuses more on the people and events in his life rather than nuances of the music he’s listened to. Alternating humorous tales of adolescence with the heartbreaking story of his wife’s premature death, this biography is much more than a music geek’s artistic obsessions; it’s a portrait of coming of age, falling in love, coping with loss, and the struggle for personal growth.
Conversational, warm, and unafraid of the occasional self-deprecating jab, Sheffield provides an intimate glimpse into his life and the music woven through it. Anyone who’s ever listened to an album on repeat or swapped music with friends would value this moving work.
July 8th, 2009
Robin A.
I am not exaggerating about this. Kelly Corrigan’s account of dealing with breast cancer at the same time that her dad is dealing with bladder cancer is a funny, funny book. I laughed out loud while reading it on a plane. That’s crazy, right?
The title of the book, The Middle Place, refers to the generation that is parenting and being parented at the same time. Kelly is a grown woman, a writer living in California with a family of her own, when she discovers a lump in her breast. She has a biopsy and discovers she has late-stage breast cancer. While she is recounting her trials with chemotherapy, radiation, and the many drugs she is taking, she fills us in on her childhood and family. She grew up in a tight-knit Irish Catholic family in Philadelphia and her relationship with her dad is one for the books. He is one of those perpetually upbeat, energetic, affectionate people that everyone loves. When she finds out that his cancer has returned, she is devastated. She is torn between wanting him to come take care of her and trying to manage his care from the opposite coast.
Cancer is tough, but people are tough, too, and the way Kelly takes on her treatment and then her father’s is nothing short of admirable. But this book is not all cancer, all the time. There’s a lot of love and life in these pages. Adorable toddlers and preschoolers, adventures abroad, the Dot-com bust and what it means to be a Corrigan (does your family have a fight song? C-O-double R-I-G-A-N spells Corrigan). Kelly’s the kind of woman who honestly admits to fighting with her mother over Guess jeans in 1984, losing a coveted job at The Limited AND her virginity in the same chapter that follows her reaction to a three-year-old calling her bald, chemo-ridden self “monster”. How does one combine all of these things seamlessly? I’m telling you, it is funny.
This is probably one of those books that you have been thinking about reading, that is making the rounds of the book groups, and I say, why wait? Don’t put it off, it is surprisingly light and you will feel enriched and grateful after reading it.
July 1st, 2009
Molly - Central
But I really heart Hilary Liftin, author of Candy and Me: A Love Story, a book that does not refer to Candy Spelling. Even though Liftin co-authors both of Tori Spelling’s biographies: New York Times bestselling sTORI telling and the new Mommywood. Is it confusing to start this review with that?
Let’s go back to the beginning. I will never tire of Hollywood princess Tori Spelling and her stories of growing up as the privileged daughter of one of the most popular prime-time television producers of all-time. What’s not to love about growing up in a home large enough to house a bowling alley and gift-wrapping room? (OK, I know she didn’t live at “The Manor” until she was 17, but she still had Halloween costumes designed by Nolan Miller.) It is fascinating to read about her tempestuous relationship with her mother and $30,000 wedding gowns and starring roles on popular television shows. I am an unabashed fan of Beverly Hills, 90210 and couldn’t wait for Tori to pick up her role as the now grown-up fashion designer Donna Martin in the new 90210 series. Her character is silly and down-to-earth and so it seems, is the real life Tori.
Where sTORI telling takes on Tori’s own growing up in Hollywood, Mommywood tackles parenting in la-la land. And it is crazy. But told with humor and recognition of the craziness. Like I said, the real life Tori seems to be down-to-earth and funny. Her relationship with her mother and her own life as a Hollywood child color her every move as a parent, but she is trying her best. She changes her babies’ diapers, struggles with temper tantrums and tucks her kids in at night. She also gets invited to red carpet events, receives expensive merchandise for free and celebrates birthdays with other celebrities and their babies at somewhat over-the-top, but not totally excessive parties. I mean, a moon bounce, magician and bakery cakes are not unheard of even in these parts, right?
I listened to Tori read the audio book and it was very funny. I have a special something for audio books read by the author and this was no exception. Tori has great comedic timing and these are her stories. I also really like Hilary Liftin’s writing, and whatever finessing she might have had with Tori’s stories, it all works.
This definitely kicks off summer beach reading season for me. If you are looking for a little taste of lifestyles of the rich and famous and aren’t squeamish when it comes to swim diapers gone wrong (in a private pool, of course), take a trip to Mommywood. And don’t forget Candy and Me: A Love Story. Cola flavored Bottle Caps rule!
June 22nd, 2009
Molly - Central
I love David Sedaris. The persona he portrays in his essays is crabby, bratty, nerdy and terribly self-centered, but you love him anyway. His When You Are Engulfed in Flames, while not his funniest book, was very entertaining and provided more than enough chuckles, and at least one guffaw.
He is at his best when writing about the people he’s known. In “That’s Amore,” he describes Helen, a neighbor in his apartment building in New York. She’s a tiny Italian woman, who can’t cook worth a dime (imagine her famous “Tomato Gravy with Rice and Canned Peas” dish), and has a potty mouth - I won’t quote anything here. She says ‘terlet” and ‘earl” (toilet and oil) like my grandmother did. She’s mean and competitive. He makes her seem irresistible and someone you’d like to steer clear of at the same time.
Essays cover such deep and insightful topics as finding himself in a Parisian doctor’s waiting room in only his underwear, his parents’ art collection, and a nasty boil he got on his back. Fully one third of the book is an essay devoted to his efforts to quit smoking. The lucky duck decides to go to Tokyo for a month to change things up, to break him out of the habits he associated with having a cigarette. He takes a class to learn Japanese and is humiliated at being worse than that “little idiot Sang Lee” - the Korean student who started out worse than him. (The title of the book derives from his stay in Tokyo: it’s the translation into English of the Japanese instructions for a fire emergency.)
Irreverent, sardonic and silly, Sedaris is always a good read.
June 10th, 2009
Lisa - Central
Poultry, pigs, and parenting. Or four p’s, if you count Perry.
You may remember Wisconsinite Michael Perry from such books as Population: 485: Meeting your Neighbors One Siren at a Time and Truck: a Love Story and habits such as Books: none shall go un-subtitled. His latest book, Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting delivers what it promises as well as many other delights.
With a fair idea of the perils of rural life, Perry and his growing family move to a farm. He’s got a lot on his plate: a pregnant wife who wants a home birth, a charming young daughter to raise up right, a full-time writing career, and The World’s Most Perfect Chicken Coop to construct. Preparing for the future makes him look back on his own childhood and contemplate the progression of his faith.
Because all of Perry’s books are hilarious and sweet and peopled with relatable folks, you may encounter a bit of a wait for library copies of them. But each is well worth it (and worth purchasing, but we library types generally recommend test-driving books at your friendly lending establishment before buying).
As I type, Perry is everywhere all at once promoting Coop. And you locals can mark your calendars — he’ll be in Madison June 17th. In the meantime, keep your finger on his pulse via twitter, Facebook, and his Sneezing Cow website.
June 8th, 2009
Robin - Pinney
It’s been a long time since I read a biography. In fact, I think the last time I read one, I had to get up in front of the class and give a report about it. So, I wasn’t sure what to expect from James Tiptree Jr: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon. I figured I’d read about her childhood, her career, and her death - nothing too shocking or exciting.
Well, there were no surprises in the book’s plot - it followed her life, beginning, middle, and end, but I was surprised by how engrossing this factual information actually was. I’m generally pretty biased - I tend to think nonfiction is boring, simply because of that “non” at the beginning of the word - but I think my reading tastes are finally beginning to evolve. Or maybe Sheldon’s life is just exciting and quirky enough to satisfy my need for a good story, and author Julie Phillips’s writing is elegant enough to feel like a good “literary” work.
Sheldon’s life is undeniably interesting. The daughter of a successful writer and lawyer, Alice grew up shuffling between her family’s penthouse in Chicago and their lengthy forays into the African wilderness. Always a rebellious girl, she eloped the night of her debutante party, and eventually ended up in the armed forces. After WWII, she and her second husband (her former boss) decided to try their hand at chicken farming, but after a few years of the quiet life ended up with jobs in the CIA. And then, as if this weren’t enough, after leaving the CIA and earning a PhD in psychology, Alice began to dabble in writing fiction. In order to protect her shyness and scholarly reputation, she sent her science fiction stories (which she considered a guilty pleasure) to publishers under the name James Tiptree, Jr., a moniker she and her husband jokingly created one day in the grocery store. Tiptree’s stories were immediately successful, and eventually became some of the most highly respected works in the genre.
I won’t tell you what exactly what happens at the end of her life, but it’s definitely dramatic enough to be a novel. And with the excerpts from Sheldon’s and Tiptree’s prolific epistolary relationships with other authors (including sci-fi favorites like Philip K. Dick and Ursula LeGuin) that Phillips includes liberally throughout the book, it does almost read like a novel. I must confess, I haven’t read any of Tiptree’s stories yet, but I was interested in him/her because I’d heard of the James Tiptree Jr. Award, which is given to outstanding works that play with the idea of gender in science fiction - pretty cleverly named, huh? I highly recommend the 2006 winner, Half Life, by Shelley Jackson, previously reviewed here, and I’m really looking forward to the reading the 2007 winner, Sarah Hall’s Daughters of the North. Another cool fact about the award: it was first announced in 1991 at WisCon, the only feminist science fiction convention, which happens to be held every Memorial Day weekend right here in Madison!
May 12th, 2009
Kylee
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