Besides travel and food, I can honestly admit I am an obsessed reader. I have stacks of books on my nightstand along with many magazines. And I won’t even tell you about what lies underneath our bed. I have old Bon Appetit’s, travel books for places I want to visit – both far and near, and cookbooks on ethnic cuisines and even a book about where famous people are buried and how they died. Yes, my friends, it is quite a lot to take in, particularly for my husband, the Irishman, who just shakes his head.
In addition to books though, I also enjoy movies. I like books on movies and on the actors in movies. I have one I picked up on a trip to Connecticut on Robert DeNiro, that I have yet to crack, but I will soon enough! Just waiting for a rainy weekend when I don’t have anything to do.
On that front, unfortunately, it has been quite busy. Between the holidays, work, being a mom and time with friends and my mother who moved out last Fall, but who I still visit – there aren’t many hours to indulge too many interests! I do try to find the time when I’m out and about to visit bookstores in the various places I visit. On a recent trip to Los Angeles for work, I found a wonderful used and new bookstore, The Last Bookstore, that was amazing. In the short time I was there browsing (the Irishman only has so much patience for this and I can’t say I blame him), I found an amazing array of biographies and portraits of artists and tomes on the entertainment business, which shouldn’t be a surprise in the backdrop for the entertainment capital of the world.
And in New York, I went to an old favorite in a new location, Rizzoli. This is the bookstore for those of you who have seen the movie Falling in Love with Robert DeNiro and Meryl Streep, where the characters first meet and begin their relationship. It’s beautiful inside and features books on photography in an entire room. If this is one of your interests, I highly recommend a trip to the Flatiron district to check it out.
In Newport, I went to Charter Books, a short walk from where my sister lives. It’s an adorable privately owned and thoughtfully curated bookstore with every topic covered both upstairs and downstairs. It’s an amazing use of space that is quite impressive.
On some of these trips I picked up some interesting non-fiction books I thought I would share:
Madly Deeply: The Diaries of Alan Rickman – I am very into non-fiction books in addition to novels of fiction and this one really touched me. The book covers the years of diary entries for Rickman, who was in some of my favorite movies including Die Hard (has there ever been a better villain?), Sense and Sensibility, and Truly Madly Deeply. It really reveals who he was as a person. You also get to see how beautiful his actual penmanship was and what a talented artist he was! I was in awe. The ending was particularly touching and brought a tear to my eye when his wife shared his last days and how he died. I was actually really glad for that ending because by the time the diary was over, I wanted to know more about his last days as I felt like he was a friend at this point. It’s a beautiful work and I really recommend it if you are a fan.
The Only Street in Paris: Life on the Rue des Martyrs – A few years back my dear friend and former colleague Cecile let me borrow this book and I decided to reread it and I’m so glad I did. Elaine Sciolino is a journalist who lived in Paris and describes the joy of living on her favorite Parisian Street. Full disclosure, this is one of the 50 books I have right now on Paris since I am taking a trip there in a few months and my husband said I must know everything there is to know in the City of Light by now!
Anna: The Biography – This was a fascinating read about the editor in chief of Vogue magazine famously impersonated by Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada. It appears that Ms. Streep’s portrayal may have been a bit kinder, if you can believe it. If you are interested in fashion, magazines, New York City or the world of models and influencers, this is a book worth picking up.
Sweet Land of Liberty – A History of America in 11 Pies – One of my sister’s dear friends’ Jen, has a way of deciding if a person is worth knowing and it’s basically if someone likes pie or cake. I like both, so I’m not sure what that says about me, but I do enjoy finding out about why we eat the way we do in this country, and this book tells a delicious narrative history of pies in the U.S. Ultimately, this story tells the story of America itself – from immigrant migrations and anti-segregation protests to gender roles in modern society and the warm comfort of mom’s apple pie.
Gateau: The Surprising Simplicity of French Cakes – This book, one of the few cookbooks in recent memory I have actually enjoyed that did not include photos, shares recipes and the history of some of the most iconic desserts in France. I’m not a sweets person per se, but I love madeleines and financiers and I still dream about the chocolate pear creation I ate near the Parc des Buttes Chaumont when I was in Paris for work a few years back. I made the chocolate madeleine recipe and learned they turned out much better after I let the batter sit and thicken. I would like to try a few more of the recipes, but with my oldest son still at college, it’s probably best to wait! I need more eaters and now of course, my kids tell me I can’t make all of this stuff, since it is “not healthy.”
A Waiter in Paris: Adventures in the Dark Heart of the City – I tore through this book which was written by a British expat who was unable to obtain a job with no fluency in language or skills beyond his excellence in writing. He started as a bus boy, but ended up finally waiting tables and learning a great deal about the whims of customers, the treatment of staff and horrible management. I will definitely be looking at my waiters a lot differently the next time I eat out, although having worked for a few years in restaurants myself, the tale seemed all too familiar.
Your Table is Ready: Tales of a New York City Maitre’D – This book fascinated me, because it documents a time when things were pretty crazy in New York in the 80s. The first time I ever went to the city was in 1982 and I can recall it like it was yesterday – the graffiti on the subways, the crime, the peep shows in Times Square and the feeling that the city was alive with people of all different walks of life. Some things haven’t changed, but others have a lot and the author, Michael Cecchi-Azzolina has a lot to say about restaurants and how people interact with staff. He doesn’t pull any punches and names a few celebs who are indecent tippers (I’m looking at you Billy Joel) and more than a few who think they are more important than they are (Anna Wintour, Meghan Markle). If you have ever worked in a restaurant, this one is for you!
111 Places in Da Bronx You Don’t Want to Miss – Now that my son is living in the area where my husband was born, I realize I haven’t spent a whole lot of time understanding the area. I’m learning though, and I like what I see. I didn’t realize that the family responsible for creating the Lincoln Memorial had their workshop right in the Bronx. The Piccirilli brothers were an Italian family of renowned marble carvers and sculptors who carved many of the most significant marble sculptures in the United States and their workshop was located right in Mott Haven, not far from where my son now resides. And Woodlawn Cemetery off Jerome Avenue (named for Winston Churchill’s grandfather) is the final resting place for quite a few luminaries including Celia Cruz, Miles Davis, Irving Berlin, and Herman Melville, to name but a few. I certainly have my work cut out for me in terms of checking out all of these places! I’m pretty sure I most certainly will be going to the Irish gastro pub that is mentioned in Woodlawn at some point!
In addition to all of these books, I’m also reading Spare by Prince Harry. I’m not as excited about the gossip and the war between Harry and his brother and father, but rather the behind the scenes look into the institution of royalty. Given that the book went to the top of the bestseller list, I’m guessing I’m not the only one.
I’m off to more adventures soon in places near and far and will be continuing to experiment in the kitchen with some successes and several failures as always. I’ll be continuing to pick up more books and drive everyone here crazy with the many stacks I have around the house. Thank you to my neighbor Lisa for allowing me to fill up her little neighborhood library occasionally with some of my many finds and of course to my county library for being so wonderful!
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