Bookworm

Julie and Julia by Julie Powell

I finally finished this book last night.  I say finally not because it was a tough slog, but because I've been distracted by the baseball playoffs and new episodes of my favorite shows! 

"A secretary in Queens risked her marriage and her sanity and her cats' welfare to cook all 524 recipes in Mastering the Art of French Cooking -- a book that changed the lives of thousands of servantless American cooks -- all in one year.  The same year she turned thirty.  It was the hardest, bravest, best thing a coward like her ever did, and she wouldn't have done it without Julia." (297)

Vegans and vegetarians should not read this book. Seriously. I eat meat, but definitely don't want to eat a lot of the stuff that is described in this book. I found it entertaining & full of personality, but could have done with many fewer swear words. After a while you want to say, "We get the point." The author reminded me a bit of Heather Armstrong (Dooce) in her storytelling. I admire her tenacity in attempting to cook all of these challenging recipes. I think the book could have used a bit more Julia Child and a little less about the lives of Julie's crazy friends. I'll be interested to see the movie version of Julie & Julia; I can definitely see Meryl Streep as Julia Child (she's such a marvelous chameleon), but I wonder if Amy Adams is too sweet for Julie. (No offense, Julie.)

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

I finished reading the intense new Niffenegger novel Her Fearful Symmetry Monday night. The best thing about her work is that she goes all in -- full bore commitment to scenario, characters, etc. and this literary ghost story is no exception.  The setting is a powerful "character" in this book.  The action takes place primarily in a three flat building that borders Highgate Cemetery in London and encompasses the lives of those who exist there, in various degrees of life and death.  All of the characters are trapped by some combination of fear, grief, ill health, history, lifelong habits, inertia, or weakness and must decide whether and how to overcome these barriers.

Jeter Owns Record for Most Hits by Shortstop

"Two of the first three hits Sunday belonged to Derek Jeter, and they were historic. Jeter tied and broke the record for hits by a shortstop, held by the Hall of Famer Luis Aparicio, who had 2,673 at the position." [Mariners 10, Yankees 3 - Milestone for Jeter in an Otherwise Lost Day for the Yankees - NYTimes.com]