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4.11 AVERAGE
4.11 AVERAGE
hopeful
informative
relaxing
slow-paced
Love her! The book felt a little slow in parts, partly because the author felt the need to ascribe deep meaning to every life event, even if it was kind of a stretch. However, her journey to Top Chef host did seem somewhat serendipitous at times, and her musings on love and food were delightful.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Kristen Kish’s memoir is an engaging enough story of how a combination of hard work and serendipity has brought her to the success she has now achieved.
As these things go, it loses a bit of its appeal when Kish finds the stratospheric success that eludes so many; she talks about how money was never important to her and then acknowledges she has a fair amount now that allows her freedoms she had previously never dreamed of. That isn’t really a problem.
The harder part to swallow is that Kish talks about the sexism in the restaurant industry and the reckoning of #MeToo, but she was famously mentored by Barbara Lynch, who, to put it delicately, was #MeTooed to Hell. According to Wikipedia, all of her restaurants closed in 2024 and the proceeds from their sales went towards $1.7m in unpaid taxes owed to the city of Boston.
Obviously Kish is not guilty by association, but Lynch is featured in the acknowledgments, and when Kish does (to her credit) acknowledge that not everyone’s experience with Lynch was as positive as hers, she says “I can only speak honestly of my own experience."
It’s an awkward sort of note to the book, not incomparable to Bill Buford’s mentorship from Mario Batali in the otherwise excellent Heat, which was not published with the benefit of hindsight allowed here. Still, Kish can’t be blamed, and her life was undeniably shaped by Lynch’s involvement.
As Top Chef related memoirs go, Accidentally On Purpose certainly isn’t bad, and it isn’t shallow, but there are definitely areas where you would like to know more, and there’s that undeniable funk about it from the parts you know are elided. Still, Kish is a good and confident guide (there’s a reason that Restaurants at the End of the World worked so well), so you should most enjoy her company.
reflective
slow-paced
To set the stage:
I read a LOT of memoirs.
I've never seen an episode of Top Chef, or any of the others shows Kish has done.
My review:
This book came across as clearly ghost-written (it is co-authored by Stef Ferrari) and I felt Kish held the reader at arms length. The narrative felt superficial, with Kish glossing over a lot of things and taking pains not to say anything bad about anyone.
The chronology felt wonky and didn't flow.
Not knowing the personality Kish puts out while on TV, I don't know how she presents, but it felt like she is overly concerned with status.
Also I found it was odd that she didn't once mention her tattoos. I feel like that would give some insight into her and how she thinks.
Instead it felt she was always holding back the real her.
Parts felt repetitive.
I read a LOT of memoirs.
I've never seen an episode of Top Chef, or any of the others shows Kish has done.
My review:
This book came across as clearly ghost-written (it is co-authored by Stef Ferrari) and I felt Kish held the reader at arms length. The narrative felt superficial, with Kish glossing over a lot of things and taking pains not to say anything bad about anyone.
The chronology felt wonky and didn't flow.
Not knowing the personality Kish puts out while on TV, I don't know how she presents, but it felt like she is overly concerned with status.
Also I found it was odd that she didn't once mention her tattoos. I feel like that would give some insight into her and how she thinks.
Instead it felt she was always holding back the real her.
Parts felt repetitive.
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I'm an Asian American queer adoptee from the Midwest and I love to cook. Seeing Kristen Kish on my TV screen over the years has meant a lot to me. And now, hearing her story--which resonates so closely with my own in some truly eery ways--means everything. I always love when authors narrate their own books, but listening to Kristen get emotional when she talks about her family, career, and especially her wife made this audiobook even more impactful. I'm grateful for this book and to Kristen for her thoughtfulness, openness, courage, and joy. I can't wait to see what she does next.
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Audiobook narrated by the author, and she did a fantastic job!