Eat.Read.Eat Again.

Books. Food. Advice You Didn't Know You Wanted. Observations galore. Oscar, the Australian Shepherd. 

[noodleberg-blog]

Queen of the Night by Alexandra Chee

Anyone that has spent an afternoon or more at home has probably been tempted by a soap opera—you know they’re terrible, but the people are just so beautiful, the clothes are so…colorful, and the storylines are pure cheese. It’s a fun world to get lost in for a few hours, even if you won’t be admitting it to anyone in a hurry. 

 Alexandra Chee’s Queen of the Night is a bit like that secret indulgence. It is beautiful, colorful and a bit cheesy. It also goes on for much longer than one would expect (also like a soap!) and you cannot help but keep reading even as you roll your eyes. The story immediately grabbed me; the setting of 19th century France and the world of elaborate balls and gorgeous gowns is definitely a good one to visit from time to time. Here’s what you know right from the onset: Lilliet is an opera sensation, with a voice that gives everyone the feels and a reputation to match. Suddenly, she is faced with the opportunity of a lifetime, originating a role in the greatest opera houses of Europe—but the role is the story of her life…a life full of secrets that only three people know. Who could it be? And what does it mean that the secrets are being made public? Intriguing? Yes. Complete melodrama? Absolutely.

 As Lilliet tries to solve the mystery, she recounts her fantastical life story as a not-so-innocent bird trapped in a gilded cage. This is not your grandmother’s autobiography! The girl’s worked everywhere from circus to brothel to the bedchamber of the Empress Eugenie. Much like you would expect, everyone she comes in contact with is entirely bewitched by her; she is a tool of revenge, obsession, love and artistic impression—basically she’s the Swiss Army Knife of the European elite. While a bit ridiculous, the plot kept me reading happily, even eagerly until the last one hundred pages. At this point, we know all the secrets, have discovered who her betrayer is and have a pretty good idea of how things are going to end—and yet, there is still one hundred pages of switcheroos and whodunits with which to contend.

 A more resolute ending may have bumped this one up from “curious” to “interesting,” but alas, here we are. For all its flaws, Queen of the Night is a fun read and will definitely do its job of providing a nice island of escape. Don’t go in expecting emeralds and you will be pleased with the shiny beads.

[noodleberg-blog]

The One-in-Million Boy by Monica Wood

When something is labeled as “Women’s fiction,” I am immediately turned off. What is women’s fiction? Is it romance novels? Is it sappy stories about idealistic relationships? Of course not, but that what the book publishing industry makes us believe…sometimes. The result is that when something is both “women’s fiction” AND good, it can alienate readers and attract the wrong audience. Let’s be clear, there is nothing wrong with romance novels or idealistic relationships. People read for different reasons and escaping reality is a totally valid one! However, let’s get real—isn’t ALL fiction women’s fiction?

 The One-in-a-Million Boy is a perfect of example of stuffing a book into an unnecessary category before even giving it a chance to reach a broader audience. Monica Wood does a fantastic job of creating a touching story about parents dealing with the untimely loss of their child. Maybe this will be a book read mostly by women (as most books are!), but there is so much here that is relevant to every human being; how many fathers struggle with the realization that their son is nothing like them? How many elderly folks chafe against the stereotypes of “gentle,” “jolly” and “sweet,” asking instead to still be treated as the people they have been their whole lives? And how many of us find out that there is no happy endings, only imperfect beginnings? Now doesn’t this sound like a book you’d like to read? It is a book that you’d like to read, trust me! 

 If you’re the kind of person that needs something to complain about, you may find that everything is wrapped up rather neatly in the end. While this isn’t true to life and therefore less than ideal for the more literary of us, it is definitely not a deal breaker in this case. Wood gives us many juicy thinking bits to mull over as we make our way through her novel, so we can forgive her if she wanted to end with a good, old-fashioned ending. 

 So if you happen to come across The One-in-a-Million Boy, don’t be discouraged by the silly label, like I’ll admit I almost was, and just give it a chance. While some edges were smoothed and some realities blurred, there were also feelings that are innately recognizable and truths that you can feel deep down and for long after you’ve put down the book.

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Everyone Brave is Forgiven By Chris Cleave

It feels somehow wrong to admit this, but World War II is one of my least favorite book settings. Yes, it is a setting, regardless of where the story actually takes place. Doesn’t it all just feel like variations on the same theme: the love, the loss, the human capacity for greatness and cruelty—all been done before. And yet, every once in a while, a book will come along that will inspire curiosity. Last year it was All the Light We Cannot See, an incontrovertible winner in the genre, and this year it may just be Chris Cleave’s Everyone Brave is Forgiven. If you liked one, though, it does not follow that you will necessarily like the other. Where All the Light We Cannot See was full of sentimentality, gorgeous atmospheric details and sprawling vistas of story, Everyone Brave is Forgiven feels sparse, direct and somehow the better for it. Where World War II has been done and re-done a million times, Cleave manages to create a feeling of freshness, a new perspective. Why freshness? Well for one thing the characters are funny, their wit sparkles even under the dankness of the tragedy around them. These people are sparkling charmers whom you would love to meet in real life. It must be said, however, that the effect of casting such a perfect character line-up and expecting us to believe that they could be real is a bit too much to ask. While wonderful, Mary, Alistair, Tom and even Hilda are a bit too righteous, too shiny to feel entirely real. But you don’t read solely for the feeling of reality, do you? No, you read to be inspired, to laugh, to feel and maybe even to learn something, and on all those counts Everyone Brave…is a resounding success. What else? There is an ease to the telling of this story that picks you up and carries you at a surprisingly quick pace through the entirety of the book without feeling either rushed or drawn-out. Perfect pace. If you’ve read Cleave’s other novels, you know that the man is known for creating a good sucker punch, and this story is no exception. Pretty much every chapter brings with it a violent shocker that you don’t feel coming, even a little bit. There you are, riding along on the beautiful Maltese coast as a blinding explosion suddenly claims a character, or maybe you’re watching a bunch of school children singing Christmas carols before an air raid rips through and changes everything. No build-up, no time wasted on preambles, war just rips through leaving behind bloodied remains—but that’s life, isn’t it? Truly an enjoyable read and a worthy addition to the ever-growing mass of World War II literature.

[noodleberg-blog]

Reeling From the Weekend: What I Binge-Watched on Netflix

Naturally, I holed up this weekend to watch all of Judd Apatow's new series, Love. After seeing a quick teaser trailer a few days before, I was thrilled to learn that I barely had to wait. It's so much better not to anticipate. Although anticipating is actually also awesome. I want both, instant gratification and the pleasure of anticipating! Anyway, on to Love. Start with a couple of messed up thirty-somethings, throw in a dash of quirky humor, a heaping dallup of sadness and finish off with a sprinkle of charm and you've got yourself...you guessed it, Love. The best thing about this series is how it manages to capture reality so well, all the while making you pause to think about whether you actually know anyone like these people. If you're lacking on dysfunctional friends, pack some Mickey and Gus into your life and you'll feel right at home! While the title is "Love" I would argue that it's actually more close to "Life." This isn't even Knocked Up style romance, it's reality hopped up on wit. These people are ill-matched, unsure, out of sync and, at times, full cringeworthy. You don't wish for them to end up like Ross and Rachel, you know that they'll end up somewhere closer to you and your ex, but that's okay. That's real. And in the end isn't it more comforting to know that life just goes on? Mistakes are made, damage is repaired and created all over again...it's so much more than a show. So thank you , Apatow, for once again giving us something without a true beginning or end, just a touching glimpse into the familiar.

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Book Review: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi

While self-help books are not necessarily my thing, I have a particular interest in personal branding, so when I caught wind of Never Eat Alone from a respected mentor, I jumped on the chance to read it.

As many other books of this kind, Keith Ferrazzi’s manifesto on why people need people is short, concise and easy to read. There are great real life examples of fantastic networkers, from the Dalai Lama to former President Bill Clinton and indeed some useful tips that just about anybody can employ.

But in the end, I found myself rolling my eyes just a bit too frequently to consider this a recommendable book. Ferazzi clearly states that he “pulled himself up by [his] bootstraps” in coming up from small-town boy to big-shot CEO, but much of his advice could never work for someone without an expense account. For example, in one instance he recommends offering help to a conference organizer in exchange for vital information on who’s who and where they will be when. How many of us can just leave our daily life and job to go plan a conference? In another instance, he mentions hosting a dinner on an “off-night” of a conference and inviting as many bigwigs as you can get, in addition to your known colleagues. Okay, but it’s fair to assume that neither the bigwigs nor your colleagues will be into eating nuts from your minibar and if you are just in the pulling stages of your bootstrap journey, you can barely afford even that!

Then there’s the name dropping. The guy is seriously proud of his accomplishments, that’s clear and there’s nothing wrong with it…but is it really necessary to air out a laundry list of every notable person you’ve ever met? A little bit of humility could have made all the difference here.

But I digress. Even if Ferrazzi’s advice is a bit over-the-top sometimes, even if you know that you will never do some of the things he recommends doing, there is certainly a lot to be gleaned from Never Eat Alone. At the very least, curtailing your ego when communicating with others and using common decency as basis for relationships instead of constant self-promotion are great lessons to learn!

Use this book as guideline instead of rulebook and you may just improve your networking and personal branding skills.

[noodleberg-blog]

5 posts club! I am a super star.

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Book sniffs are the best!

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[infinitywarwidow]

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child might be a book!

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is the upcoming two-part West End stage play scheduled to open in July 2016, set nineteen years after the end of Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows, which will be about Harry Potter (now a Ministry of Magic employee) and his son Albus Potter. Considered to be the sequel of the Harry Potter books, most fans are worried because they will not be able to experience it since it is only available for those who can visit London. However, the big hope of getting the play script published as a book was latent since the announcement.

And there seems to be good news now. Our sources have informed that at least two publishers are trying to get the rights to publish the script play. Remember it is not a J.K. Rowling’s work, given the play is written by Jack Thorne and he will probably be listed as the author – which is an important fact to be considered in the negotiations.

This is all we know so far – but two publishers negotiating to get the publishing rights is a good sign and almost a confirmation that we will have Harry Potter and the Cursed Child published as a book.

We have been asked to keep the name of the publishers to ourselves.”

Source: x

[firsthome]

[weltenwellen]

But it is not bravery; I have no choice. I wake up and live my life. Don’t you do the same?

Anthony Doerr, All the Light We Cannot See (via weltenwellen)

[noodleberg-blog]

Bus Talk

In New York City, public transportation, especially in the morning, is reserved for silence. Sure, there are some crazies that break the rules and make noise--it wouldn't be a subway cart if you didn't encounter a mariachi band or a dance troupe, but that's just it, they're the "crazies". It's understood that they are demented and need to be destroyed. As you sit there, silently cursing them, you feel comfortable that when you look around you will see similar looks of disdain and eye rolls all around. Everyone bonds over their hate of mornings, subways and noise. In my new country life, public transportation is akin to a town hall. People get on and immediately begin a conversation, sometimes seemingly mid-sentence, straight across the bus. Talking to the guy next to you in polite low-tones is entirely unnecessary and impractical when the rest of the bus is clearly enjoying a loud social gathering. Topics range from politics to children's antics and the latest in celebrity lore. Basically, if you missed the news, tune into The Bus Talk and you'll be all caught up.