The Best American Food Writing 2018 edited by Ruth Reichl

The Best American Food Writing 2018
edited by Ruth Reichl

Published: 2018
Publisher: Mariner Books
Genre: Essays, Food
Paperback: 320
Goodreads

includes:

Revenge of the Lunch Lady by Jane Black
New York, Chicago, Detroit, Portland? Making the Case for a New American Pizza city by Karen Brooks
Christina Tossi Has a Cookie by Mary H.K. Choi *
I've worked in Food for Twenty Years, Now You Finally Care About Female Chefs? by Amanda Cohen *
Secrets in the Sauce by Lauren Collins
On the Iberico Trail by John T. Edge
Is Dinner for Two Worth $1,000? By Jonathan Gold *
How Driscoll's Reinvented the Straberry by Dana Goodyear
Temples of the Seasons by Alex Halberstadt
The Struggle of "Eating Well" When You're Poor by Marissa Higgins *
The NBA's Secret Sandwich Addiction by Baxter Holmes *
The White Lies of Craft Culture by Lauren Michele Jackson
Where's the Beef? By Beth Kowitt
In Good Hands by Francis Lam
To Wash or Not to Wash? By Harold McGee
Born in the USA: The Rise and Triumph of Asian-American Cuisine by Ligaya Mishan *
Who Owns Uncle Ben? By Shane Mitchell
Georgetown One Stop by John O'Connor
The Country Sausage That's Going to Town by Chris Offutt
The Teenage Whaler's Tale by Julia O'Malley
The Mad Cheese Scientist Fighting to Save the Dairy Industry by Clint Rainey
The Joy of Reading About Cooking by Tejal Rao
Oysters: A Love Story by Tejal Rao
Mario Batali and the Appetites of Men by Helen Rosner
Pawhuska or Bust: A Journe to the Heart of Pioneer Woman Country by Khushbu Shah
The World's Last Great Undiscovered Cuisine by Anya Von Bremzen
After Oranges by Wyatt Williams

“Food writing is stepping out,” legendary food writer Ruth Reichl declares at the start of this, the inaugural edition of Best American Food Writing. “It’s about time…Food is, in a very real sense, redesigning the world.” Indeed, the twenty-eight pieces in this volume touch on every pillar of society: from the sense memories that connect a family through food, to the scientific tinkering that gives us new snacks to share, to the intersections of culinary culture with some of our most significant political issues. At times a celebration, at times a critique, at times a wondrous reverie, the Best American Food Writing 2018 is brimming with delights both circumspect and sensuous. Dig in!

My two-bits:
I read the stories with "*" to create some hype for the food feasting brought on by Thanksgiving which definitely satisfied the craving.

I plan to read more later for stories on history, experiences and fun food facts.

~*~
* part of monthly theme: SciFi, Supper, Love, Sex and Marriage

Blog All About It: Thankful

Happy Thanksgiving!

~*~
* image source: vintage thanksgiving

* part of the Blog All About It Challenge (here)

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
by Becky Chambers

Published: 2014
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre: SciFi, Space Opera
Paperback: 518
Rating: 5
Goodreads
Website

Wayfarers series:
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
A Closed and Common Orbit
Record of a Spaceborn Few

First sentence(s):
As she woke up in the pod, she remembered three things.

Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe—in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

My two-bits:
Loved this spaceship crew. Loved learning about living in the future with its diverse alien cultures and interactions.

Reminded of tv past scifi shows Farscape and Firefly.

~*~
* monthly theme: SciFi, Supper, Love, Sex and Marriage

The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman

The Marriage of Opposites
by Alice Hoffman
narrated by
Gloria Reuben
Tina Benko
Santino Fontana

Published: 2015
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Genre: Historical, Romance, Art, Jewish, France
Hardback: 371
Rating: 4
Goodreads
Website

First sentence(s):
I always left my window open at night, despite the warnings I'd been given.

Growing up on idyllic St. Thomas in the early 1800s, Rachel dreams of life in faraway Paris. Rachel's mother, a pillar of their small refugee community of Jews who escaped the Inquisition, has never forgiven her daughter for being a difficult girl who refuses to live by the rules. Growing up, Rachel's salvation is their maid Adelle's belief in her strengths, and her deep, life-long friendship with Jestine, Adelle's daughter. But Rachel's life is not her own. She is married off to a widower with three children to save her father's business. When her husband dies suddenly and his handsome, much younger nephew, Fréderick, arrives from France to settle the estate, Rachel seizes her own life story, beginning a defiant, passionate love affair that sparks a scandal that affects all of her family, including her favorite son, who will become one of the greatest artists of France.

My two-bits:
Oh, the frustrations of struggles with family and love in a culture trying to maintain its traditions.

~*~
* listened to audio version

* part of monthly theme: SciFi, Supper, Love, Sex and Marriage

* part of ibc book club (here)

The Watsons by Jane Austen and Rose Servitova

The Watsons
by Jane Austen and Rose Servitova

Published: October 2019
Publisher: Wooster Publishing
Genre: Historical, Romance, Jane Austen theme
Paperback: 256
Rating: 4
Goodreads

First sentence(s):
The first winter assembly in the town of Dorking in Surrey was to be held on Tuesday, October 13th and it was generally expected to be a very good one.

The Watsons by Jane Austen & Rose Servitova is the tale of four sisters as they seek security, love and happiness in a world where the most important decisions affecting their lives, are not always theirs to make. It is a book about relationships, freedom and personal empowerment.

After a fourteen year absence, Emma Watson, presumed heiress, is returned penniless to her family. As she becomes reacquainted with her sisters, she sees how their future prospects hinge on the health of their clergyman father and the humour of their brothers.

At the first ball of the season, Emma draws the attention of the party from Osborne Castle thus unleashing a series of events which see Emma’s choices clashing with those around her and the fall-out which occurs as a result. How does she appease the wrong she has committed in others’ eyes without creating a greater one in her own?

My two-bits:
Dirty dancing (well kinda - two dances with the same dude), witty dialogue, urgent letters and creepy stalking vibe creates some action and tension in this regency themed piece.

Also, looking for love (and independence) versus looking for appropriate matches plays heavy in this story.

Within is an amusing discussion on lady authors.

If this story reflected some of Jane's life, I can see why it would have been hard to write.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of tour (see schedule here)