Top Ten Tuesday: Books Worlds I'd Never Want to Live In

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Artsy Reader Girl!

Summers in Washington State are one of the best reasons to live in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Between the gorgeous state and national parks, the easily accessible beaches, and the ample opportunities to get out and explore, there are so many reasons I love to live here.

Of course, I don't spend all of my time soaking up the sun... I prefer to escape, and often, into the pages of books! In terms of novels traveled, I've got a very well-stamped passport. That being said, not all of those places made for an easy vacation, and very few can stack up to the beautiful of the land I already call home.

Today's "Top Ten Tuesday" topic is "Book Worlds I'd Never Want to Live In," and man, are there a lot of them!


   

1. Obviously the first world that comes to mind is Westeros, aka, the fictional land from the George R. R. Martin Game of Thrones series. Too much blood, sex, and court intrigue... and not nearly enough dragons to go around!

2. Same goes for the Tearling, from Erika Johanson's Queen of the Tearling series. Seriously, if I want to live any place, it will be one not on the brink of war or civil ruin. Magic is great, but not when it's trying to kill me.

3. And speaking of magical lands, you can keep Narnia, from C. S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series, too. I'm more welcome to moralizing than you might think, but it seems like the Pevensie children go through a lot after going through the portals to this particular fictional destination... and the warping time would make for a weird return to normal chronologies when you wish to vacation.

4. Other children's book lands I'd wish to avoid? Neverland, of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan fame. I've got enough of a dislike for that particular boy wonder to know that things would not work out for me there... and there's a surprising amount of violence, the crossfires of which would probably make things difficult.

   

5. While it may come as a shock, I'm including Wonderland, of Lewis  Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, on this list, too. Despite my love for this locale as both a child and an adult - as well as my literary understanding of the story behind it - I'm not sure my hips would even fit through the rabbit hole. Besides, nothing down there makes a lick of sense!

6. Rounding out this particular train of thought, I'd like to steer clear of the anything that runs through the Series of Unfortunate Events, too. From Damocles Dock at Lake Lachrymose, to the Village of Fowl Devotees, to the Caligari Carnival, and so on, each setting is altogether too terrible and tragic for occupation... and who would be able to relax, with that villainous Count Olaf running around?

7. Other settings that are just plain unsafe? White London - and Grey London, for that matter - from V. E. Scwhab's A Darker Shade of Magic series. Too vicious, too bloodthirsty, too bland and muted a color palette.

8. And while we're on that tangent, any book set in Victorian England would be a no-go for me, no matter the genre. It's nice to daydream of wearing lots of beautiful gowns, while roaming around on long walks, taking tea and spending my days embroidering, but the reality would be living in dirty, dingy, smoky environments, and a lot more akin to a Dickens novel.

9. The planet Vogon, home to the Vogon alien race from Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. If I wanted to spend time with dim bulb, bureaucratically-obsessed nitwits with a crippling lack of artistic appreciation, I'd be friends with more people in politics.

10. Final place: Thneedville, from Dr. Seuss' The Lorax. Like I said before, I'm a proud, native Washingtonian. I'd die of a broken heart, if I ever had to live somewhere without plenty of trees.




This feels like a lot of negativity, though. Well, just because you were so sweet about asking, here are a few of the places I would actually love to live: Nancy Drew's River Heights and Tamora Pierce's Tortall. I already consider myself a proud resident of Dictionopolis, from Norton Juster's Phantom Tollbooth, though if anyone knows where I might find a tee shirt about it, let me know!

What's in your Top Ten? Let me know, in the comments below!

Getting Bache-Literate: The Need-to-Read List for Fans of ABC's Bachelor Franchises

For a significant portion of the television-watching American public, this upcoming Monday night can't come fast enough. Plenty have already set their DVRs to celebrate the occasion, and planned watch parties or ordered floral arrangements to go along with it. My youngest sister and I have been sending each other a flurry of social media posts a day, and already have chocolate-covered strawberries lined up as our snack of choice with which to view the proceedings.

Because Monday night, of course, marks the premiere of the most recent season of The Bachelorette. 

I've been watching The Bachelor's various franchises for a while now. It was never a household fascination during my formative years - other than a brief stint watching Jake Pavelka's disastrous season  - but instead, an obsession I cultivated in college: despite the annoyance I feel at it playing into stereotype, there really was nothing quite like huddling up in front of the lounge television, post-chapter meetings on Monday nights, with my sorority sisters. 

The thing about learning to love The Bachelor in this way, was that it wasn't just dipping one toe in the water and deciding whether I liked the temperature... it was doing a full-on cannonball into the deep end, at the goading of my wonderful friends. My entry into the fandom was swift, and immediately immersive. 

Over the space of my four years in college, I went from having only a modicum of knowledge and one season under my belt, to cheering on eight total Bachelors and Bachelorettes - Sean, Juan Pablo, Chris, and Ben, as well as Desiree, Andi, Kaitlyn, and JoJo - and sinking further into the world of group dates, hometowns, fantasy suites and final roses than I ever thought possible.

True to form, I've also read several books, found trustworthy sources for behind the scenes info, and got hooked on two podcasts. Because loving The Bachelor isn't just being a part of a fandom, it's a lifestyle. And like any lifestyle, I needed to master the accompanying literature.

Here are the books - including two new releases - I think are filled with all of the history, gossip, and glamour (or lack thereof) true Bach fans need to read, in order to prepare themselves for what Chris Harrison will inevitably tell us is the "most dramatic season yet" of The Bachelorette! 

Amy Kaufman's Bachelor Nation

Amy first rose to Bachelor prominence as a reporter for the L.A. Times, but when her access was revoked due to her slightly snarky episode reviews, she made sure to voice her feelings on Twitter instead. Having amassed a following specifically for these reasons, she can frequently be found during the on-season, tweeting play-by-play commentary to the show as it airs. It's this tongue-in-cheek sense of humor, quick wit, and industry knowledge that makes her so appealing in short-form communication, and helped get her a book deal.

And boy, does she not disappoint. Not only does she examine the history of the show itself - as well as its producers, schedule, and genre background - with the rigor and breadth of a seasoned journalist (which she is), but at no point is the point ever lost that she is, at her heart, a fan of the show. She can get bogged down by the sordid details of exactly how television sausage gets made, without losing a taste for it. It's one of the reasons fans of the show would love this analytical examination of what makes one of America's most beloved television phenomenons tick: the history and culture is laid out bare for judgement (and oh boy, do we judge), but in a way that seasoned viewers can recognize and appreciate as something akin to their own fascination. It's not enough to love something... you have to know how it works to truly understand it, and Amy dives deep.

Look here for not just a collection of meaningful fragments of Bachelor history from across many years of popularity - highlighted from legitimate publications, to tabloids, to the many memoirs that have come from the show - but also communication with recent stars and television personalities, brief testimonials from celebrity fans who love to watch, and many, many rememberances of notable episodes past. Amy separates the truth from the hearsay, and lays it out with as much context she can muster from the infamously close-lipped cast and crew.

Andi Dorfman's It's Not Okay

Almost exactly a year ago, I published a post about books recommendations for fans of reality TV, and this memoir - written by Andi Dorfman, the attorney-turned-Bachelorette who originally appeared on Juan Pablo's season - more than warranted a place on the list.

While her sophomore effort, A Single State of Mind, is out now - detailing the dating scene after Bachelorland- it focuses less on the television show, and more on her life in New York. Her first NYT-bestseller, though, is all about dishing on her life in the spotlight of the franchise, complete with behind-the-scenes glimpses and some not-so-glamorous moments after the cameras stopped rolling.

While Dorfman might not be totally willing to give up the identities of the many people she encountered within the pages of this memoir, seasoned veterans of the franchise will have little problem identifying exactly who's who... especially when it comes to notable moments from her own Bachelorette season (and that "Men Tell All" special). Dorfman is still an attorney at heart, and just as to-the-point as she was on the show, so while she may be protecting identities by using numbers instead of names, you can count that her candor and personality still manage to shine brightly through this read.

Courtney Robinson's I Didn't Come Here to Make Friends

If Dorfman's recollections of her time with the franchise deliberately play coy with the identities of those with whom she shared a screen, then Roberston's veer sharply in the other direction. Unlike Andi, Courtney holds nothing back, choosing to name and shame the girls with whom she competed for Ben Flajnik's affections with relative impunity, calling out catty backstage behavior, two-faced made-for-TV friendships, and the struggles of living in close quarters with so many girls, with so much heartache on the line.

Throughout, she clearly establishes her protestations at being categorized as a Bachelor villain, while also admitting that the many choices she made on screen came from a place of insecurity, discomfort, manipulation, and in-the-moment brattiness. However, the context given throughout - around her upbringing in Arizona, her previous relationships, her interactions with production throughout filming, and her attempts to win over Ben - give the reality television lightning rod some much needed sense of personal ownership over those particular proceedings.

And with that comes a distinct branding point: this is absolutely Robertson's book, rather than anyone else's (despite the accompanying ghost writer). There is a significant sense of one side of the story being told... then again, that's mainly because Robertson is probably one of the few people from the franchise interesting enough to warrant her own book deal.

It should surprise no one - especially fans of the show's social media reflections - that the producer tasked with handling Robertson, as detailed in Kaufman's Bachelor Nation, was Elan Gale. In fact, out of all of the tabloid fodder, tell-alls, "true stories" to come out of the show, I feel like Robertson's book has reflected some of the most positive interactions with the production side of things... perhaps because a lot of her on-screen antics, and in-the-moment interviews, made it so easy to tell a compelling story. Maybe just not one meant for long-term love!

Elan Gale's You're Not That Great

So, why not focus on Gale's story, too? The longtime Bachelor franchise producer is a regular social media fixture on the Instagrams of many of competitors of the show, making his distinct hair and penchant for sarcasm a familiar presence to most dedicated fans. Due to his status as a member of production, Gale remains tight-lipped about Bach's creative process... but with his new book, maybe fans can get a glimpse at the mentality of the man who helps run it.

Focused around the idea that negative thinking can be just as powerful as positive thinking, and that people's difficulties in reaching their dreams are in part due to a failure in self-honesty, You're Not That Great (But Neither is Anyone Else) is probably a good fit for fans of Mark Manson's similarly subversive self-help book The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***. Showcasing a stunningly blunt self-deprecating wit and evocatively descriptive take-downs, the book is sure to send a polarizing message to those who enjoy the self-help genre, particularly those like Jen Sincero's You're a Badass.

Personally, I didn't enjoy that particular book, and I found a lot more interesting content in Gale's endorsement of working past your own self-acknowledged flaws, rather than promoting the belief that the Universe is conspiring in your favor. His honesty in itself stretches far beyond just advice, and draws from his own personal experiences as someone who suffers from body dysmorphia and is a recovering alcoholic. 

It might not sound like this kind of a book has anything to do with Bachelor franchises - especially to casual fans - but it's when you factor in the holds the show clearly has on Gale's private and public lives, that the connection is more clear. Even his descriptions of his work take on a unique tint, when you consider the lifestyle of the man discussing them: for instance, his admittance to insecurities of taking his shirt off, while filming with very attractive people in a tropical locale, takes on a new and understandable meaning when you consider he's talking about Bachelor in Paradise. 

Are you a Bachelor fan? Have you read any of these books? Are you going to be watching the new season? Let me know, in the comments below!

Top Ten Tuesday - Books I Hated, But I'm Glad I Read

"Top Ten Tuesday" is a weekly bookish meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl!

Today's theme for "Top Ten Tuesday" - Books I Hated, But I'm Still Glad I Read - threw me for a bit of a loop. It's a very specific grey area to fall in, in terms of reading criteria: there are plenty of books I'm glad I've read over the course of my life, and there are a sizable amount of books I've hated, but the lines of intersection between those two points are fairly few and far between.

So, instead, I focused in my attention on the reasons behind the list, aka, reasons why we hate, but appreciate. Some because they gave me broader scope of literary comprehension, which I disliked for their content or style, but the reading of which allowed me entrance into further realms of popular discussion. Some, because they allowed me to clarify the reasoning behind what I like and don't like in novels - specifically, the latter - as well as authors, and gave me the opportunity to vocalize that dislike more clearly. And of course, others just to say that I've read them, whether for bragging rights, or just to get people off my back!

Just for clarification purposes, I should note that I purposefully chose not to include books that were completed for a course grade, which is the only reason why John Steinbeck does not make an appearance on this list (as both Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath were assigned in high school, and both were long, arduous slogs that I hated every step of the journey for).

for greater cultural understanding

1. Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte 
Okay, remember the rule I just said about no school books? Throw it out for this first installment, as I originally had to read it as a summer project in high school. I originally chalked my dislike of it up to having read it at the wrong time, as it's difficult to place yourself squarely in the middle of the murky moors when it's 80 degrees and shining outside. Upon a later reread, I realized that nope, as it turns out, I just find 90% of the characters in this book morally reprehensible and unworthy of my attention. (However, if I had to confess... I still reread it from time to time. And it gave us that sweet-as-heck Kate Bush song.)

2. The Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger
I still use the term "a total Holden Caulfield" to define pain-in-the-butt high schoolers as a form of shorthand. When my brother was assigned to read this for school, I was terrified he would identify with one of the rare similarly-aged protagonists you encounter in that environment... but good news! I've raised the boy right, and he thinks that Caulfield is a snot-nosed punk, too.

3. You Are a Badass, Jen Sincero 
A recent addition to this list, based on this review published just yesterday morning! While I disliked the book itself and found it highly unhelpful for a self-help book, at least now I'll know what everyone's so hyped-up about.

4. Wicked, Gregory Maguire
How unfair is it that one of the greatest contemporary musicals was based on such a deeply sub-par reading experience? Severe lack of Kristin Chenoweth, 0/10. On the real, though: the two formats of the story find their narrative in ways so disparate and unlike each other, chances are you're only going to like one or the other.

for judging people 

5. The Selection series, Kiera Cass
While I consider myself to be a fairly positive person - especially when it comes to books - as well as one who would support others, no matter the differences between their interests and mine - especially when it comes to books - the Selection series was the first YA book series I've ever recalled having more fun dishing about with my friends, than actually reading. That being said, I've also read all of them for that very purpose, so she's the one who's got my money.

6. Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov

"I dislike Jane [Austen], and am prejudiced, in fact, against all women writers. They are all in another class. Could never see anything in Pride and Prejudice." 

Of course, he would later change his tune - after reading, of all things, Mansfield Park - and include Austen in several of his lecture series. This should not distract from the fact that Nabokov was, in my book, a complete twerp, and from what he says in contexts other than this one, a misogynist, and should be regarded with much higher scrutiny, from both a literary and moral context. 

7. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson 
Ditto to the above. Morally and literarily, I cannot get behind anyone who enjoyed this book series. I only made it through the first book due to sheer obstinance alone, and what I read in there was so vivid, the impressions it left still haunt me, and even seeing the book cover alone is now enough to make me curl my lip.

for saying I've read it

8. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
Holy cow, is this book beloved by a wide-ranging and strangely incensed group of people, many of whom I'm predominantly convinced have only watched the television show and somehow persuaded themselves they'd made it through this 800-something-page behemoth. I didn't enjoy it, but it checked off a square of a summer library challenge many years ago, and now I can pull out the receipts if fans try to check me on my dislike.

9. A Farewell to Arms, Ernest Hemingway
Same for the above: this one's all about reading it, only to come to understand more about how I don't like it. To be clear, A Moveable Feast is pretty good. To also be clear, Hemingway is a dipstick of the highest order, and if he were alive today, he'd be the human embodiment of a Bud Light that spilled on a wooden floor three days ago and no one thought to clean up.

10. On the Road, Jack Kerouac
In college, I had a friend who was absolutely incensed by the Beat and counter-culture writer's generation, and as a means of trying to relate, I decided to read Kerouac. The result was confused, messy, and boring. But at least I could tell my friend exactly why I didn't like it!

What's on your Top Ten? Let me know, in the comments below!

Bits of Books: The Art of Non-Conformity, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F***, You Are A Badass

I know I'm not the only person in the world who enjoys reading self-help books... I mean, who doesn't like to entertain the thought of becoming a better person every once in a while? So, we subscribe to the various forms of activity that the author promises will radically improve our lives: we start a gratitude journal, we practice our "I Am" statements in front of the mirror, we focus on being present and meditating and putting away our phones after 10pm.

But what if we're looking for something a little more radical, here? What if we're not just looking for a minor tweak that will set our daily schedules back in order, like a chiropractor working on the hour blocks in your planner instead of the vertebrae in your backbone? Let's get crazy, for crazy results. These three unconventional self-help books set out to do just that: revolutionize your life, in non-conformist, who-gives-a-f***, badass ways. At least, that's what their covers tell us they can do!

the art of non-conformity, chris guillebeau

I've been a solid conformist my whole life. When you're an eldest child of four, raised by two extremely protective parents, you pretty much content yourself with a life of  living obediently. (There's a reason why I first read The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at the age of eight, y'all.) Naturally, a book that runs perpendicular to every way I've lived my life since birth seemed like a fitting choice for a little radical action.

Guillebeau himself has really oriented his livelihood around the concept of international travel, especially in how this relates to his ability to dedicate his life to service and volunteer with various nonprofits of all kinds of platforms. Writing not only books, but a successful blog, and various business supplements, has made the globe his office space, writing on a laptop in hotel lobbies, hostel roofs, busy cafes, and spacious parks all over the world. It's hard to turn your nose up at that kind of life, especially when he lays out exactly how he makes that kind of lifestyle so accessible.

Sure, he's pretty extraordinary in a lot of ways, as he humble brags about in various places throughout the book, including in how he skipped most of high school, took maximum course loads from several colleges simultaneously, and spent four years volunteering on a nonprofit medical ship off the African Coast in his 20s. But he also comes off as a fairly normal guy. It's easy to listen to him talk about the actions he's taken throughout his life to make sure it is an extraordinary one.

In what I hoped was a non-conformist fashion - hey, I'm new here - I decided to mark up the book, and let me tell you, the pages are absolutely scribbled and lined and starred over within an inch of their life. Pretty impressive, considering I read it in about four sittings across three days.

the subtle art of not giving a f***, mark manson

Whereas other self-help books promise to help you improve efficiency, gain happiness, or forge more meaningful relationships by way of various progress guides, implemented regimens, or restructuring perception, Mark Manson has decided to tell you how to achieve these goals by focusing on the complete opposite direction: stop caring so much. As a matter of fact, stop giving quite so many f***s. 

There are some things that still warrant attention: things like important familial bonds, interpersonal relationships, and attention to various goals. These values are those pillars by which you direct the rest of your no-f***s-given lifestyle. So you keep those. But then you do whatever the heck you want. Because once you start giving the status quo the middle finger, there's a lot of options opened up to you. 

Ask out that guy. Go for the promotion. Publish your novel. Lose the weight. Who gives a f***? If the answer is you, and you've got a good reason for doing it, then do it. If you're taking anything else into account - including failure, the opinions of others, or the simplistic terror you feel when you do it - then those are unnecessary f***s you're Pez-dispensing right now. 

Manson uses a variety of examples to explain his development of this technique, including understanding that negative feelings are a signal for change, focusing agency on yourself rather than extraneous sources, taking ownership of your need to be the victim and acting against it, considering the fact that you are most likely wrong about most things, and, the classic, that we're all worm food anyways (To be honest, I think that a few more self-help books could probably use a dose of nihilism. You know, for balance's sake). 

While these explanations and accompanying anecdotes were usually spot-on to his intended messages, they could sometimes be winding and not feel entirely cohesive. There was a lack of comprehensivity that made the book feel like it wandered away from target messages, which might also have been an effect of the lesson in the first place. I almost wished there was a kind of wrap-up in a bulleted list format at the end... instead, I felt like I should have been taking notes, which is distinctly off the no-f***s brand. 

In the end, I liked it, I thought it was funny, and it riffed enough on Stoicism that I felt like I understood its underlying messages fairly well. That being said, I still feel like I should have taken notes. 

you are a badass, jen sincero

First off: this is not my kind of self-help book. I thought it would be - after seeing it so glowingly hyped by everyone from close friends, to YouTubers and podcasters I adore, to even the reviewers on Goodreads - but it's not.

To be fair, I understand why others might enjoy Sincero's unapologetic and no-holds-barred endorsement of somewhat unconventional-yet-completely-conventional self-help practices: visualize what you want and believe it will come to you, the Universe is conspiring to give you what you want, the only one holding you back is you and your subconscious, etc. These mantras are almost tropes of the genre, but when presented with her gleeful candor and motivational speaker attitude, they take on new life, and a lot of new language.

Unfortunately, these are exactly the kinds of things I dislike about the majority of self-help books. I do not buy into the Law of Attraction or its associated precepts, and I don't think that such a cavalier attitude towards action will get you very far: I don't think that just setting an intention for something, and blindly running towards it with all the enthusiasm you can muster, is an effective means of setting goals or working towards them. I like self help with substance, not spacey, new-age maxims attached about how The Supreme Motherlode is waiting for me to open the right door. Like I said, I totally get why this is some people's jam, but like deep meditation, cauliflower rice, and long-distance running, what might have changed someone else's life, is stuff that is absolutely not for me.

One thing I did enjoy, though, was Sincero's very authentic and genuine approach to preaching self-love and acceptance. No matter what list throughout her book - whether about how to trust your gut, utilize positive visualization, stave off feelings of overwhelm - the last tenet of each, was to love yourself first.

Ultimately, I wish this book was full of more concrete action steps and utilizable items on how to actively make your life more bad ass, rather than just restructure your mind-space into thinking you are one.

Do any of these books sound interesting to you? What kinds of self-help books do you like to read? Let me know, in the comments below!

Tastee-Reads: Magnolia Table, Hot Mess Kitchen, Bon Appetit's Food Lover's Cleanse

I've been vocal about my love of cookbooks on this platform before: they're a uniquely clear and distinct aesthetic package of good food, good photography, and oftentimes, really good storytelling. The narrative might not be linear, and the characters involved are a little more on the not-so-imaginary side, but cookbooks are yet another means of translating culture and personality to eager readers, alongside all of the culinary skills and interesting ingredients.

The best part about this kind of recreational reading is, you can bring its contents right off the pages, with some basic kitchen abilities and a decent budget for grocery shopping! No matter how magical the Harry Potter series is, even it can't promise you that.

Here are a few cookbooks that have caught my eye recently, and along with how well they'd fit in with my own collection.


magnolia table: a collection of recipes for gathering, joanna gaines 

As with millions of Fixer Upper fans the whole world 'round, when Joanna Gaines released the news that she would be publishing a cookbook, I waited with bated breath. When my mom - another Magnolia fan - surprised me with a copy only a couple of days after it came out, I positively squealed!

And this cookbook is well worth the squeal. Soon after I posted a picture of it on my Instagram Story, questions came pouring in from friends, as to whether the somewhat-hefty price tag that comes with a cookbook was worth it. Here's what I told them:

The book is one hundred percent a product of Mrs. Gaines. If you're a reader of the couple's Magnolia Journal quarterly magazine, then this cookbook will look faintly familiar to you, because the entire thing is done with Joanna's signature shiplap-and-rustic-ivory eye for style completely throughout. If the sheer fact that this is a gorgeous cookbook to look at wasn't enough to sell you, then the recipes inside will.

With relatively straightforward and low-cost ingredients lists, and steps that are easy to understand, the food inside this book is delicious and accessible. The first recipe in the whole cookbook is for Joanna's signature biscuits, and the rest of them follow in similar suit: homey, comfort food fit for feeding a family.

If you do decide to purchase one of these - something I would recommend for longtime fans of the show - then definitely go for the Target version: not only is it cheaper than what you might find in other stores as a recent release, but due to the retailer's exclusive deals on the Hearth + Hand collection, there are even extra recipes included at the back of the book specifically for Target shoppers.


hot mess kitchen: recipes for your delicious and disastrous life, gabi moskowitz and miranda berman 

One of the first things I do when I read a new cookbook, is look at the author's page, and check out their credentials. What I found was a happy surprise: Gabby Moskowitz, half of the writing team, is the blogger for BrokeAss Gourmet... as well as the inspiration for the show Young and Hungry on Freeform, which is based off of her life and writing!

This explains the clever and clearly accessible recipes found throughout the cookbook, all whimsically named for the various states of panic/ frustration/ inability that various young people might find themselves in when encountering a kitchen, a cutting board, and a state of hunger. For instance, "Someday I'll Be Rich Rice and Beans" kicks off the book, while "All My Friends are Married Mud Pie," brings forward one of the many quick and simple desserts tucked inside. "Mercury is in Retrograde Mango Smoothie" is for days when you want to eat a little cleaner, while my personal favorite recipe in the book - "Just Put it in a Bowl," literally just a list of snacks you can put in a collection of bowls to make it seem like you prepared for any party - makes entertaining a breeze.

But despite my enjoyment of the author, my appreciation for the funny writing, and even the forward - courtesy of Mindy Kaling, for crying out loud! - I really couldn't get into this cookbook. Maybe it's because I left this kind of frantic, novice-style cooking behind a while ago, before I made it my purpose in high school to learn my way around the kitchen, or perhaps because I think the styling choices and photography of the cookbook leave a lot to be desired. Overall, I wasn't entirely impressed.

A fun, funny cookbook written for seriously entry-level wannabe-chefs, this might be a cute selection for a novelty graduation present, or the gift of a gentle ribbing for the friend who could burn ice.


bon appetit's the food lover's cleanse, sara dickerman 

Bon Appetit has been a trusted culinary resource to me, for as long as I've been alive: I would ruthlessly tear through copies my mom got as a subscription when I was a kid, pasting recipes I thought were pretty into an unkempt, scrapbook-y "Recipe Collection," and I recently became obsessed with the publication anew after the discovery of its enrapturing and informational YouTube channel (check out the "It's Alive!" series with Brad Leone, or space out for a few minutes to the enthralling butchery videos they put out with industry talents). So, when The Food Lovers' Cleanse showed up on foodie lists back in January on how to start your year off right, I put a hold on it at the library as soon as I could.

The book is divided seasonally - as you find produce is at its best and most nutritious when it is harvested in season, thereby offering the best quality to you, the distinguished Bon Appetit consumer - and includes two weeks of meal planning for each season, based off of the recipe contents of that specific section of the cookbook.

The recipes are beautiful, captivatingly captured through tell-tale editorial photography fit for the magazine, and offer goods that are just as high-end as they look. From what I could discern, the offerings are primarily paleo-influenced, and offer plenty of options for customization to fit alternative diets, like for vegetarians (unless, of course, that diet is primarily baked-goods oriented, in which case, you are out of luck here).

However, while they add a few curves to conform to your individual dietary needs, hopefully that doesn't include a low bank account balance, because Bon Appetit definitely caters to those holding a certain amount of cha-ching. From meat options that include Lamb, Albacore Tuna and Buffalo, to the call for flavorings that range from za'atar to harissa paste to preserved lemons, this cookbook was created to cleanse a certain clientele... I guess being a "food lover," like the title suggests, comes with a price tag.

For the discerning and high brow foodie - or just those who love expert food styling - this cookbook offers plenty of interesting and inventive recipes to break you out of your dieting rut.

Have you read any good cookbooks recently? Would you be interested in reading any of the ones on this list? Let me know, in the comments below!