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188 reviews
Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream by Lyn Nguyen, Tung Nguyen, Katherine Manning
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
You Had Me at Pet-Nat: A Natural Wine-Soaked Memoir by Rachel Signer
adventurous
informative
medium-paced
3.5
I wish I liked this story more but found that... At times our author was unlikeable and it is her memoir. It's a nuanced thing, eating a book about someone's real life. I wanted more about the natural wines, more information and the bars and world she explored, and instead we focused a lot more on her romance. I could relate to her struggles between choosing a career path she thought she wanted and her partner but at times she felt so entitled and frustrating.
Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
"Real change is a boulder we keep pushing, but don’t fool yourself into thinking it doesn’t push back. Because it does. And sometimes it pushes back hard."
First, I'm excited I'll be in Toronto this weekend because I really want poutine. 🍟🧀🍛
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Second, this book was just what I needed. I'm still a lot slower in my reading right now but I loved this story for whisking me away.
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:::About the book::
From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” set in two competing halal restaurants
Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.
When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.
As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.
First, I'm excited I'll be in Toronto this weekend because I really want poutine. 🍟🧀🍛
.
Second, this book was just what I needed. I'm still a lot slower in my reading right now but I loved this story for whisking me away.
.
:::About the book::
From the author of Ayesha at Last comes a sparkling new rom-com for fans of “You’ve Got Mail,” set in two competing halal restaurants
Sales are slow at Three Sisters Biryani Poutine, the only halal restaurant in the close-knit Golden Crescent neighbourhood. Hana waitresses there part time, but what she really wants is to tell stories on the radio. If she can just outshine her fellow intern at the city radio station, she may have a chance at landing a job. In the meantime, Hana pours her thoughts and dreams into a podcast, where she forms a lively relationship with one of her listeners. But soon she’ll need all the support she can get: a new competing restaurant, a more upscale halal place, is about to open in the Golden Crescent, threatening Three Sisters.
When her mysterious aunt and her teenage cousin arrive from India for a surprise visit, they draw Hana into a long-buried family secret. A hate-motivated attack on their neighbourhood complicates the situation further, as does Hana’s growing attraction for Aydin, the young owner of the rival restaurant—who might not be a complete stranger after all.
As life on the Golden Crescent unravels, Hana must learn to use her voice, draw on the strength of her community and decide what her future should be.
Zabar's: A Family Story, with Recipes by Lori Zabar, Julia Moskin
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
4.5
Zabar's is such a fun and fascinating story and it's great to read an immigrant success story. I devoured this book in two days! This was one of my most anticipated reads and it was amazing! I cannot wait to visit on my next trip. I love stores and family owned businesses that stand the rest of time, more so, adapt and exceed expectations of the time! I devoured this book in three sittings. This is #foodwriting at its finest!
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Description via Google Books: ""The fascinating, mouthwatering story (with recipes!) of the immigrant family that created a New York gastronomic legend: "The most rambunctious and chaotic of all delicatessens, with one foot in the Old World and the other in the vanguard of every fast-breaking food move in the city." -Nora Ephron"
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Description via Google Books: ""The fascinating, mouthwatering story (with recipes!) of the immigrant family that created a New York gastronomic legend: "The most rambunctious and chaotic of all delicatessens, with one foot in the Old World and the other in the vanguard of every fast-breaking food move in the city." -Nora Ephron"
Becoming Trader Joe: How I Did Business My Way and Still Beat the Big Guys by Patty Civalleri, Joe Coulombe
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 25%.
So poorly organized and uninspiring. There's no connective narrative thread. Even if you approached this like a Harvard Business School case study there aren't enough details to teach you anything. So full of himself it made my eyes roll to the back of my head. So very slow
Sadie On A Plate by Amanda Elliot
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thank you Penguin Random house for sending me a finished copy in anticipation of the book's release. If you're a huge Top Chef fan like I am, this book hits all the right notes! The drama, the "orchestrated drama" from the TV show, and more. There is a romance but it's a "fade to black" romance.
Technically Food: Inside Silicon Valley's Mission to Change What We Eat by Larissa Zimberoff
informative
fast-paced
5.0
A book that challenges the glitz and glam of future food tech. Will Beyond Meat change the world? Maybe, but tell me what's in it and if it's nutritionally good for me. I really appreciated the author for pushing for more transparency and answers. I learned a lot about new foods and brands to continue to investigate. I felt her assessment was fair, highlighting positives and negatives of different areas and different future foods. There's no one correct answer and any bias she did have was self-aware and flagged (the author is disabetic and noted why she had an interest in carbohydrates and sugar levels for obvious reasons).
Is the future cell meat? Mushrooms? Algae? This book will get you thinking and I really loved it
Is the future cell meat? Mushrooms? Algae? This book will get you thinking and I really loved it
A Tasty Dish by Kelly Cain
fast-paced
3.0
Thank you to NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and author Kelly Cain for the advanced listener’s copy of A Tasty Dish. This review is left voluntarily and contains my own thoughts and opinions.
This is apparently the second book in a series. in the Everheart Brothers of Texas series. I actually had no idea and came into this book at book 2. I don't think you need the first book to follow this plot and these two characters but I'm guessing there are lots of Easter-eggs I missed out on!
I'm all for the black love in this story. The book is told entirely from Kasi Blythewood's POV, our female protagonist, who "has spent most of her life in the shadow of her famous film-producer father who’s deliberately kept her under his thumb with tough love." Her love interest is one of the Everheart brothers, Declan, is the son of a Michelin-star chef, a family of chefs, but isn't entirely happy with his current role.
Both characters come from different families but have dad issues. The sexual tension is palatable. But there are a few too many plots and characters. I really wanted more form the family (which now makes sense because this is one book in a larger series). I do appreciate the growth from both characters but wish we had more scenes where they were on set. If you're someone who wants a constant location, you won't get one, cause we're always on the move!
If you like:
✅ Two strong, driven main characters
✅ Lots of food descriptions
✅ Really complicated family issues
#ATastyDish #NetGalley
This is apparently the second book in a series. in the Everheart Brothers of Texas series. I actually had no idea and came into this book at book 2. I don't think you need the first book to follow this plot and these two characters but I'm guessing there are lots of Easter-eggs I missed out on!
I'm all for the black love in this story. The book is told entirely from Kasi Blythewood's POV, our female protagonist, who "has spent most of her life in the shadow of her famous film-producer father who’s deliberately kept her under his thumb with tough love." Her love interest is one of the Everheart brothers, Declan, is the son of a Michelin-star chef, a family of chefs, but isn't entirely happy with his current role.
Both characters come from different families but have dad issues. The sexual tension is palatable. But there are a few too many plots and characters. I really wanted more form the family (which now makes sense because this is one book in a larger series). I do appreciate the growth from both characters but wish we had more scenes where they were on set. If you're someone who wants a constant location, you won't get one, cause we're always on the move!
If you like:
✅ Two strong, driven main characters
✅ Lots of food descriptions
✅ Really complicated family issues
#ATastyDish #NetGalley
Chef's Kiss by Jarrett Melendez
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Ben Cook is a young recent-graduate who is having hard luck finding a job. Despite numerous interviews, he can't seem to land a job in the literary world, because of the catch-22 of "You need experience to have this job, but how can you get experience if no one hires you?" This is a charming book with self-discovery as the main plot and a sweet chaste queer romance as the second plot. I personally hope for future volumes. The book leaves the reader wanting for some more character development from secondary characters such as Ben's parents or the other staff members of the restaurant, but it was still a delight and easy read.
Eating to Extinction: The World's Rarest Foods and Why We Need to Save Them by Dan Saladino
challenging
informative
medium-paced
5.0
I was able to listen to an audiobook #arc for @dan.saladino's book, Eating to Extinction. Hitting shelves February 2022, I would say this is a MUST READ for anyone interested in #foodwriting or #naturewriting. This is the kind of book that makes #nonfiction fun and exciting for me.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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Saladino's book is a rallying cry and a wakeup call for humans. We live in a world overwhelmed by monocultures and bad decisions. Each chapter navigates a food (grains, fish, meats, and so on) impacted by mankind and how our biodiversity is declining and heading towards extinction.
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As an audiobook, we come in just shy of 13 hours but I found I could speed up the book to 1.25x without much fuss. The book has excellent pacing and I love that each chapter stands alone because it focuses on an individual food item. You could read out of order or skip to an area that interests you. I think, personally, the strongest area is the part about fish.
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Starting out 2022 reading very strong. This is such a powerful and fascinating read. The effort and research is apparent. It makes me very excited for the aquaponics and vertical farming I plan on adding to the backyard this summer!!
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#NetGalley #eatingtoextinction #audiobook #nonfictionbooks #books #bookreview
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
.
Saladino's book is a rallying cry and a wakeup call for humans. We live in a world overwhelmed by monocultures and bad decisions. Each chapter navigates a food (grains, fish, meats, and so on) impacted by mankind and how our biodiversity is declining and heading towards extinction.
.
As an audiobook, we come in just shy of 13 hours but I found I could speed up the book to 1.25x without much fuss. The book has excellent pacing and I love that each chapter stands alone because it focuses on an individual food item. You could read out of order or skip to an area that interests you. I think, personally, the strongest area is the part about fish.
.
Starting out 2022 reading very strong. This is such a powerful and fascinating read. The effort and research is apparent. It makes me very excited for the aquaponics and vertical farming I plan on adding to the backyard this summer!!
.
.
#NetGalley #eatingtoextinction #audiobook #nonfictionbooks #books #bookreview