life_full_ofbooks's reviews
2519 reviews

“The hardest thing about aging is how quickly it happens and how slowly it occurs.” - Stanley Tucci, Taste

Stanley Tucci has written another amazing memoir. One would think reading what is essentially someone’s food diary would be a bore but quite contradictory, What I Ate in One Year is fascinating. The entries Mr. Tucci writes takes us through a year of his life using food as the vehicle. Some of the entries are just about what he ate and how he liked (or disliked) it but others are more in depth covering topics such as the death of his first wife, his cancer, and other aspects of his life.
This is such a unique way to write a memoir and much like his first memoir, Taste, this will leave you craving both good food and more of Mr. Tucci’s anecdotes.

I have been waiting months, I mean MONTHS, to read this book. Jean Meltzer is one of my most favorite people and authors and I was so excited when I saw she had this new one coming out. I was on a several month hold at the library for it and when my turn finally arrived I squealed with glee! It was definitely worth the wait, which I knew it would be!
Faye Kaplan is a ceramic artist living her best life in Woodstock. She’s happy hanging with her friends and while she feels her pottery pieces always have some kind of small imperfection people seem to love them. After her long term relationship ended out of the blue she’s decided she doesn’t need a man, until antisemitic fliers start popping up around town. One drunken night she crafts a golem protector and includes all of the traits of a perfect man(because why not?). The next day as she’s riding her bike she collides with a stranger who appears to have all of the traits she gave her golem. Is it a mere coincidence or has Faye actually created a protector for her and her community?
I really enjoyed this book. It has all of Ms. Meltzer’s signature touches and is yet another wonderful Jewish representation romcom.
Antisemitism has always been around but it feels like as of late it’s been more prominent than in decades past. I really appreciate Ms. Meltzer’s using this as the main issue of her book as it’s prevalent in today’s society and the best way to combat it is to face it and speak of it instead of hiding from it.
I am so happy I finally got to read this but I’m so sad I now have months to wait until her next one!

4.75

4.75- This book gives us a behind the scenes look at teachers and admin in a fictional public high school in Texas. I am not a teacher and I’ve never worked in a high school, but I spent a lot of time in my girls’ elementary school and I’m friends with a lot of teachers and admin. While I know the latter part of the previous sentence doesn’t give me any experience of working in a school I feel like from what I’ve seen from peeking in through the window is very close to what’s represented in this novel.
The book opens at the beginning of the school year with the death of an elderly substitute. Each chapter of this takes us through another month of the school year through the eyes of another teacher or admin. Not only do we see them as teachers, we also see them as people. This has so many laugh at loud moments and quite a few poignant ones as well. If you’ve ever worked in a school you’ll likely feel seen and if you’re a parent, this is a backstage pass to the lives of the teachers in your children’s lives.

I was looking for a novel about Hanukkah and stumbled upon this one. While it’s not Hanukkah centric, it does fall under the category of Jewish Representation and I figured that was just as good.
Isabel and Sasha meet in the infusion room of the hospital when they’re both their getting infusions for their different chronic illnesses. Being only around healthy people, no one in Isabel’s life truly understands what it’s like living with a chronic illness, not even her father who is a physician. She’s constantly having to put on airs to make her friends and family feel more comfortable. Isabel has a strict no dating policy, but Sasha quickly falls for her and gets her to see that just because you’re sick doesn’t mean you can’t find love.
This book was just ok. I loved all of the Jewish representation, but for the most part it seemed huge chunks were forced trying to make the story come together. I wanted to love Isabel and Sasha’s relationship but it just didn’t work for me the way the author intended it to. That being said, I think it’s wonderful she has brought awareness to the chronic (and invisible) illnesses Isabel and Sasha have.

I really wanted to like this book and I started off doing so. It lost me about halfway through, though.
Frankie is an elderly woman who hires a home health aide to come stay with her at night while she’s recuperating from a broken leg. Damian isn’t sure what to expect when he arrives at this woman’s cramped flat and when he discovers she’d rather he listen to her life story than make her tea and help her get ready for bed, he does so willingly.
This is told via alternating flashback chapters and while they are somewhat interesting, they are quite long and often repetitive. The alternate current day chapters feel like they’re just filler, which this book definitely does not need.
Thank you to NetGalley and HarperVia for an advanced copy of this. Frankie hits the shelves on January 14th.

I love Mitch Albom’s books but I was hesitant to read this one because I thought it was going to be too heavy and not as heartwarming as his other books are. I was right about the heaviness, but it is just as wonderful as his others.
Starting out in Greece in the late 1930’s this book follows four characters over the next fifty years. While parts of it do take place during the Holocaust and within the confines of a concentration camp, that actually isn’t the bulk of the story.
Mr. Albom’s writing is beautiful and his story telling is superb. This is one book that shouldn’t be missed.

4.5- I love a good retelling of other stories and Julie Murphy has given us a delightful retelling of Cinderella.
Cindy is back home in California having just graduated from fashion school with a degree in shoe design. She’s currently working for her stepmother who happens to be the executive producer of After Midnight, a Bacheloresque type show. When the associate producer asks Cindy to join the other women, including her two stepsisters, she decides to take the chance. Being the only plus sized contestant she knows love isn’t in the picture for her, but she figures it’ll be a good way to get her name into the world the fashion design despite whatever hate she might receive because of her size.
I read this at the request of my daughter and I am so glad she recommended it to me! I love Julie Murphy’s Dumplin’ series and this one, which was written for Disney’s Meant to Be series is just as wonderful.

4.75