Reading in the Garden

Farewell to War, Baby This book is loosely based on Hemingway’s own life.  Set in WWI, American Frederic Henry is an ambulance driver in the Italian Army. At one point, his buddy Rinaldi, introduces him to Catherine Barkley, an English nurse’s aide.  She’s on the rebound from the death of her fiancé and she’s a bit of a basket case.  One second she’s slapping Frederic when he leans forward to kiss her, the next minute she’s offering him a kiss.  He takes her up on the offer, and their lips barely part before she’s talking about their future life together. Glenn Close in  Fatal Attraction comes to mind.  It’s almost spooky, but he plays along until he has to leave for duty. After receiving a beastly war wound to the knee, Frederic is sent to a hospital in Milan where he encounters Catherine again.  He falls in love with her during his recuperation time and Catherine becomes pregnant. Unfortunately, after a few months Frederic must return to his ...

Thank You Servicemen and Servicewomen Today is Memorial Day, a day to commemorate the men and women who died during military service. It is a day to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.  And for all those who have been, or are now, in the military, willing to risk their lives on so many fronts (including physical and mental), I want to say thank you.  Thank you for offering so much!  Of course, the families of all soldiers also deserve our gratitude.  I cannot imagine the heartache and stress of not knowing if your loved one will come back, and if he or she does, what kind of person will they be after what they've been through.  If ever there was an iconic image of war, the six men raising the flag on the island of Iwo Jima during WWII, certainly comes to mind. I have to admit that I am not a history buff. I don’t particularly like war movies. When I read books set in a war, the battles are usually a backdrop to the main love story. In othe...

Realities of Restaurants Maybe you’re a foodie who likens the exciting popping sensation of quinoa to a vegetarian caviar.  Perhaps you’re the couple who has to be the first to try every new restaurant—then pass your valuable critiques onto friends and family. Or do you prefer the “all you can eat buffets” where troughs of enigmatic food from every imaginable country are ready for sampling? Maybe you’re none of those, just a regular Joe-Schmo (or Jolene-Schmolene) where dining out is a special occasion, befitting to dusting off your finest duds, ready to be schmoozed in a tablecloth and candle-lit atmosphere.  Or perchance, you’re one of the brave ones—an aspiring chef.  Whoever you are or how you prefer your intake of professionally-concocted sustenance, Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain may be a book for your consideration. This book is a memoir of Chef Anthony Bourdain’s humble beginnings as a dishwasher (sudsbuster, a.k.a. pearl diver), to his education ...

An “Adventurous” Childhood The Glass Castle  is a memorable memoir about kids growing up in a highly dysfunctional family.  Both parents were extremely intelligent, but seemed to do everything they could to avoid work and properly provide for Jeannette and her three siblings. Instead, the kids were left dirty, poor, often times homeless, unsupervised, and always hungry.  What makes this book so memorable is that incredible incidents were heaped on one after the other. The hits just kept coming. It left me in slack-jawed astonishment that people could really be like that. And surprisingly, Jeannette didn't seem to judge her parents harshly, when I’m not sure most people would be so tolerant.  Jeanette's father was an alcoholic. Her self-centered mother only wanted to be an artist. She was seriously devoid of maternal instincts genes. The need to work so her family could eat was a distasteful concept. When she was “forced” to take a teaching job, the k...

From Italy With Love The Reluctant Tuscan: How I Discovered My Inner Italian by Phil Doran. Phil Doran is a burned-out Hollywood writer for TV sitcoms who reluctantly agrees to move to Italy after his wife bought a 300-year-old farmhouse in a small town in Tuscany. Anyone who has ever done any renovations or repairs in their home knows what a headache it can be. But throw in a different language and top it off with frustrating bureaucratic green, white, and red tape, and you have the makings of an amusing disaster. Told with the witty style you would expect from a comedy writer, their venture in this little village will bring a smile on your face. From the unexpected coldness of the neighbor, to the experience of driving in Italy, to the community efforts of harvesting olives, this book will transport you to the Italian countryside—if, reluctantly, only for a little while. I truly enjoyed this fun and easy read. Growing up in southern California, her blood had turned to ...

The French Connection Summer is almost here and I think of all the people getting ready for their vacations. I know some dinks (dual income, no kids) who are able to go snorkeling in Thailand, or others who have soaked in the healing pools of Iceland, or biked across Germany. And, I’m ashamed to say, I get a little jealous.  I want to travel, too—like we did in the times of B.C. (before children).  We went to New Zealand (awesome Shotover Jets), Bahamas (delicious conch fritters), and Tahiti (take plenty of sunscreen). I’ve also been to Germany (wunderbar cold cuts and chocolate) and Mexico (oh the fish tacos!).  But we've been on a really long dry spell now and going overseas is a dream we reserve for our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary (next year, so I better start saving). In the meantime, I can still travel through books.  A Year in Provence was one of my favorite trip s.  A Year in Provenceby Peter Mayleis a humorous account of a British coupl...

Appreciating our Mothers  Life on the Refrigerator Door by Alice Kuipers is a small book that delivers a swift punch. The words are limited but speak volumes as a busy mother and her teenage daughter communicate with each other through notes. They leave the usual messages about being late, babysitting, reminders to pick up a few groceries. One note, however, is a little different. “It’s nothing to worry about, but I found a lump in my right breast.” This book took no time to read. Some entries are a mere few words. But added together, they complete a full and touching story, one that makes us appreciate and cherish relationships with our own mothers and daughters. I can honestly say that I've always appreciated my mom, although I may not have shown it as much as I should.  My mom was and still is one person who, without fail, never stops looking out for me and my sisters.  She’s permanently in our corner. And even though we tease her on so many levels, we...