5 comments about Garlic and Sapphires (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)).

1. Reichl is a knowledgable food critic and a talented writer, however I was uncomfortable with her use of alter egos to get restaurant reviews. Her disguises went far beyond seeking anonimity; her true personality quirks were allowed out of their cages, where they normally are housed in polite society. Most of this was harmless, although there were times when she became quite catty. She belittled a person who had purchased her dining companionship for the benefit of charity. Even though the person was a bore, it was her duty to see the evening through without compaint, or she should have never auctioned herself off. I would have expected her to set some ground rules for the evening, rather than letting herself be abused (restaurant choice, length of the committment, etc.),then becoming resentful. It would have been easier for her to write the charity a check and excuse herself. On another occassion she dressed vampishly and led a man on. She was married and deceived a gentleman over the possibility of a deepening relationship, even though she paid for her own dinner. Her husband was uncomfortable with the deception, as was I.
   This book is a display of Reichl's self-absorbed, brattish behavior. Her reviews were fair and even inspired, however her behavior was not.



2. A truly enjoyable read. Ruth Reichl is more than an epicurean, she is a poet. Her memoir takes you through an intensively personal account of what it means to become the foremost food critic in America.
   People who love food will salivate reading her descriptions of many varied types of cuisine she enjoys in its best form,
   People who don't dine out at fine dining restaurants very often could learn a few things, namely:DON'T DINE AT A TOURIST TRAP



3. If you are a food fanatic you will love this humorous yet informative book. Written with great insight and imagination it is a splendid true story. It is worthy of a Michelin star or two!



4. Reichl is one of my favorite authors and I think I've read everyone of her books. Perhaps that is why I especially enjoyed this book. It was so much fun! I feel like I know Ruth from reading all of her auto-biographies. This book definitely gives you a different view of the competitive world of restaurants. I think I've enjoyed fine dining even more since reading her latest book. When's the next book??!



5. I am not a foodie. However, Reichl's writing is so vivid I found myself thinking about the dishes she describes. Her style is easy to follow without dumbing the language down. The novel is one part funny anecdotes, one part food, and one part introspection. A great read!

No comments about Derrick Vaughan, Novelist.

1 comments about Thrift (Large Print Edition).

1. I came across this book (an original copy) in a used bookstore years ago. It is one of the best purchases I ever made. The sound advice, and the wonderful stories illustrating the value of thrift are so helpful, and I return to them again and again. The consumerist, material world that we live in makes it difficult to keep living a thrifty lifestyle. It seems that we are constantly swimming upstream in our efforts to live below our means in a society that does not value frugality, thrift, saving, or denying ourselves in any way. This book is a wise antidote to all the salespeople, the marketers, the advertising literally everywhere trying to entice you to spend your money rather than save it. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in saving money, getting out of debt, and becoming a finer person.

3 comments about The Lives of the Caesars: Nero (EasyRead Large Bold Edition).

1. When you need a break from memorizing the dates of the Punic Wars, are bored speculating over what kind of salt the Romans used to sow Carthaginian fields, have given up on finding Philippi on any modern map, and can't quite recall the names of the dramatis personae during the year of the three emperors, this book will re-stimulate your interest in history by gratifying the natural human desire to learn more about crime in high places.

   Imagine, all the gravitas reeking Romans were up to treason, homicide, intrigue, incest, bestiality, gifting poison mushrooms and assorted produce, adultery, simple theft, complex theft, tax cheating, forgery, perjury, matricide, patricide, fratricide, suicide, sistercide, and murdering or marrying thier neices, and all sorts of stuff not normal entertainment at church family picnics nor encouraged at the office.

   A question does arise - was Suetonius accurate or fair? I think not; he is a delightful scandalmonger who makes no pretense at being fair and his sources undoubtedly included talk show hosts from the Forum's late night hour. Tiberius is for example portrayed as a monster; but he seemed to be a talented administrator himself or had the sense to hire those who were. Claudius while making very poor choices in wives and prone to some silly enthusiasms was very prudent in his foreign policy, by-and-large avoiding killling foreign folks who didn't enlist for suicide.
   
   Overall a great book; just take it with a pinch of Roman salt.




2. I have read many biographies of famous historical figures, written by modern scholars, but none had the immediacy, the thrilling emphasis to minor details and the power of words that Suetonius' work features. The Roman historian proves that he was a true child of the classical world, having the gift of telling his stories in a few but full of meaning sentences. I think that after reading Suetonius one has a powerful image of every emperor as a human being first and as a ruler second. Hats off to the ancient writers who are the top specialists to explain the inner secrets of their society and epoch!



3. Being written near the time of the events this book portrays the lives of the first 12 Caesars in the writing style of the period.This is not how history is written today;and it allows a bright light to be shone on both public & private lies of the Caesars.It feels as if Suetonious is speaking to the reader privately.It is a superb account of the time.

No comments about The Man Who Wasn't Maigret (Charnwood Large Print Library Series).

No comments about Confessions of a Country Boy (Reminiscence).

No comments about Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb (EasyRead Large Bold Edition): An American Slave.

No comments about Lambs in Blue (Reminiscence).

No comments about Albert Durer (Large Print Edition).

5 comments about White House Nannies: True Tales From the Other Department of Homeland Security.

1. I loved reading Barbara Kline's book on nannies. I have worked in this industry for over a decade and found this book to be informative, honest but fun. This is a tough career. I have read all the books recently written about nannies, they all have something to offer. Barbara's book showed us this world from the agency perspective which was new to us. I have to make a comment about everyone that noted the "name dropping" as something negative. This is too small a world for Barbara not to get permission from each client and employee. So before you go pointing fingers, don't. Just read the book and enjoy!



2. I found this book to be entertaining and engaging. I thought the other reviews were a bit harsh and it seemed like maybe the book hit a bit too close to home for them. Ok, this book won't change the world, but it was interesting and fun to read. I live in the midwest and apart from a brief trip to DC, I am completely unfamiliar with the city, but that didn't stop me from enjoying the book one bit.



3. While the title of the book is kinda misleading (I thought this was a book about actual nannies of the White House) it is a cute read. I personally wouldn't have wanted to be the families picked in this book but then again, she had to get their permission to write it!!



4. I loved reading this book! As a 'new' nanny, I found this book very useful. At first i said I wouldn't want to work with a family like these mentioned in the book, but then I thought more about it, and I actually wouldn't mind getting the 'experience'. I live in So cal, so we do have families like those D.C. families. This is a must read!!



5. I read quite a bit. This is the first book in years that I have actually disliked (it was a gift from a friend).
   
   This book is what happens when someone thinks they have good stories (and the may have, to a degree), takes one writing course and proceeds to write what I would call a bloated, pompous expanded pamphlet for her business.
   
   There were a few decent stories about crazy DC/VA/Maryland power elites...but even those could have been told much better.
   
   But - egads - this book needed a competent editor, at least, to point out the repetitive statements, thoughts and self-congratulations this incompetent author dished out.
   
   My rewrite of the book. There are wealthy power couples in the town that are very, very important. I will drop names beginning now and will not stop until the end of the book. I am very important and am almost as wealthy as these power couples. I roll my eyes at the mishaps of my minority nannies, while my clients are fairly racist/classist and often treat the nannies like animals, even though their entire existence depends on them.
   
   Believe me, I would not be picking on the content of the book (attitudes of the clients or the nannies), if it weren't for the terrible writing.