Didn't Amazon take over Goodreads too? Now Abe's?

The Dishwasher is available in digital form for free from my library's Overdrive collection and likely from many others too.

For those looking for "inside the kitchen" books, I can recommend two others in addition:

Kitchen Confidential, by the late Anthony Bourdain. I think my interest in the book was significantly diminished by the author's many incidents of poor judgement and resulting adolescent conduct well into his adult years (including his proclivities involving drug use, drinking too much, and being irresponsible) but it had its interesting parts.

Dirt, by Bill Buford. On the whole, a much more interesting book recounting the experiences of an adult who acted like an adult with a sense of humor and more balanced judgements. Stories of his working in kitchens in Lyon were especially interesting to me.

To Elmer's excellent list I would add these kitchen oriented works:

Ruth Reichl's memoirs, starting with Tender at the Bone through her latest My Kitchen Year.

Reichl has led an amazing and picaresque life including living and working in California during the rise of Chez Panisse and the whole farm-to-table movement; being the food critic for the New York Times and then the editor in chief of Bon Appetit right up through losing that job when the publishing industry cratered and spending a year holed up in her country house rebuilding her spirit and cooking of course.

I envy anyone who hasn't read these and can now start with Tender and vicariously experience a helluva rich and interesting life in food!

I think Ruth Reichl is my favorite food writer!

Oldies. George Carlin's Napalm and Silly Putty and The Red Scar by Anthony Wynne. The latter is one of a series of crime novels featuring Dr. Hailey. Published in 1928.

I finished Untamed and I have mixed feelings about it. 2+ star. I think it will lead to good discussion. I found her self-righteousness and arrogance that *she* has found the way...this woman who went through drug addiction, bulimia, unplanned pregnancy and decided she was gay after being married for 14 years with 3 children and running a christian mommy blog....off putting to say the least. She's only 44, so I found much of her insight to be stuff we talked about decades ago. But there were some points she made I found interesting and useful, so there's that. In one part of the book, she mentions Oprah and telling her about humility and being humble-- she clearly has lots more to learn in my book.

Next up is The Double Bind for book group. Our leader says it's one of her favorite all times. I'll let you know what I think.

The Eighth Detective by Alex Pavesi lives up to the words of praise on the jacket by A. E. Finn: "When did you last read a genuinely original thriller? The wait is over."

It's fascinating, but with some parts that gave me the willies because the killer was so thoroughly *evil*. I'm halfway and wondering if that may indeed be my takeaway on the whole book -- underlying suspense.

Just finished Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger and I am thankful to whoever recommended it here. I enjoyed it immensely - 5 stars. It has many issues that a book club could discuss.

I also finished Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman several days ago. It shows just how fast money can corrupt a person's thinking and values. 4 stars

I liked Woman in the Window ok, and it will likely be ok as a movie. I’m not a huge fan of most movies from books these days though.

I finished The Red Scar by Anthony Wynne. (Published in 1928.) I don't usually read 'whodunnits' so probably not the best judge. But I liked this one. Kept me guessing, guessing wrong for the whole ride. Fun reading about the cars they drove in the 1920's. Set in England/ London mostly. Seems everyone (upper classes) had servants & chauffeurs...communicated to the driver via a 'speaking tube'. Rating it 4.25 stars. Withholding .5 star because one character didn't get explained.

I just finished the latest J.D. Robb offering, Faithless in Death. I always like these books. They are pure entertainment, formulaic and not anywhere near real life, exactly what I want sometimes. 3.5 of 5

With the ice and snow, I have been reading quite a bit. I just finished Shuggie Bain. In the beginning I wasn't sure about it and as has been mentioned, the Scottish slang really challenged me. Once I got to about 1/3 it really caught me. It was a very sad story, so sad that I still can't quite wrap my brain around it. I certainly think it could be a good book for discussion but it was so horribly depressing for me.

Thanks to the mentions on here, I reserved The Whistling Season. I just got it on kindle so I will give that a try.

I think you'll love The Whistling Season!

I just finished The Double Bind and enjoyed it. 4 stars good for book group. Not sure what's next...

I'm going to scratch The Eighth Detective. Fell apart. Too many cooks/story lines/detectives(?). And that chillingly evil turn of mind I mentioned earlier.

Do we have an ongoing "What Are You Watching?" We're engrossed in a French series, "The Bureau". (Watching via DVD from our library. Season 1 of many.)

I just loved The Whistling Season. Salonva, I think you will enjoy it.

I finished Dear Mrs. Bird last night. It’s an entertaining read. The tone of the book reminded me of a 1940s British movie, where everyone is so very, very brave in the face of a terrible war, trying ever so hard to be stalwart in tough times. it’s about the exploits of the young woman who thinks she is going to be a war reporter but ends up doing something entirely different.

'GREENLIGHTS', by Matthew McConaughey...Alriiiiight, Alriiiight, Alriiiight. He

is Unbelievable!

I finished The Dishwasher by Stéphane Larue , which I am pretty sure was recommended on one of these threads. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but I am at a loss to say why I liked it so much. I did really find the glimpses into the deepest part of the workings of restaurant kitchens fascinating. I remember liking Kitchen Confidential many years ago, for some of the
same reasons, even though I was never a fan of Bourdain as a
personality. I have a couple of close friends who have had successful careers as servers in very high end restaurants and private homes in Southern California and I can tell there is something about the culture of working in restaurants that is very appealing to them. It's a mystery to me except for the free meal of delicious food and drink that they usually enjoy every shift. I was telling one about the book and she said she remembers one of her chefs remarking that "you can run a kitchen without a lot of people, but you cannot run a kitchen without a good dishwasher."

This is a short online description of the book. I truly don't know what to say any different from this. It wasn't particularly beautifully written (translated from French, so that might have something to do with the writing style), it was kind of gritty sometimes, but I liked the way he brought the characters to life (I suspect it is quite autobiographical). I also liked how he explored and described being addicted to electronic slot machines and how it nearly ruined his life (and did for a while).

"Stéphane Larue invests in plot and character. Chapters are paced like restaurant work: there are quiet lulls for you to catch your breath and ..."

"is a vivid coming-of-age story that examines addiction, self-doubt, friendship, and forgiveness."

About 100 pages into The Last Lion: Defender of the Realm, the third volume of Wm Manchester's (trilogy) biography of Winston Churchill. DOTR was written mostly by Paul Reid after Manchester's death. Manchester had completed his research and started writing the final installment but ill health and strokes prevented him from being about to put words to paper.

aka Stacey_mb

I'm partway through an audiobook written and narrated by William Shatner entitled Up Till Now. It's an autobiography and while I haven't watched many of his shows, the book is very interesting as he traces his beginnings in Montreal to his later show business successes including Star Trek and of course his relationship with Leonard Nimoy. It has funny moments in which he pokes fun at himself and it is serious and sad as well, such as when one of his wives committed suicide. I didn't realize that initially he didn't earn a lot of money from the original Star Trek series and had to live in his truck when later he took a temporary job away from home. Then there was his encounter with a skunk at night, the predictable happened, and he ran to the gas station to buy cans of tomato juice and immediately poured the juice over his head. As he went back to get his vehicle, someone called 911 to report an injury where a man was bleeding from the head and the police came. Never a dull moment in his life!

I just finishedThe Themis Files trilogy - a sci fi series with an interesting premise, but wouldn't recommend it. I only continued reading it because the books were easy to read, and there was a cliffhanger at the end of each one. I found myself just skimming the last one to finish it.

I think that my next book will be Evelyn Waugh'sMen at Arms. My daughter read it recently and recommended it.

The talk here about Dishwasher rings true to what I have observed in people whom I would say are *addicted* to bar/restaurant/night life.

Started Hamnet yesterday. One-third in. Love it. The writing is the kind where the reading immerses you into the setting, characters and events.

This Is Going to Hurt

Secret Diaries of a Medical Resident

By Adam Kay · 2019

Interesting and entertaining account of his life as a physician trainee in the NHS in the UK.

Just started The Paradine Case. It was made into a movie directed by Hitchcock which I don't think I've ever seen...about a barrister who falls for the defendant in a murder trial.

Nutsaboutplants, I started Hamnet but decided not to continue. And that wasn't due to lack of appreciation because I totally agree it's a beautifully written book. However the tone was so elegiac and sad that at this particular moment it didn't appeal. [SPOILER ALERT] A story of a beloved child dying from a pandemic illness....can't handle that.

I haven't read The Dishwasher but it sounds like one I'd enjoy. I read Kitchen Confidential when it was released, long before Bourdain became a household name and it resonated because as a former waitress who spent a few years in that crazy milieu I can attest that he nailed it.

The world of restaurant back end workers is really like that: intense, full of hard working and hard drinking/drugging misfits who have something in their personalities that drives them away from the every day 9-5 lifestyle. Lots of partying, lots of drama, lots of flirtations and instant romances and complicated love affairs. It's a very particular, very esoteric lifestyle and not one I could have sustained for long.

Anthony Bourdain opened the kitchen door a crack and gave the 9 to 5 world a good long clear look at what it took for someone to place that lovely meal in front of them at the restaurant. For that alone he should always be remembered and cherished.

I unfortunately can't recall who mentioned it and I think several have, so I will thank the general you for the Jane Harper recommendations. I just started Force of Nature and it pulled me in immediately! I read and enjoyed The Dry but had forgotten what a good suspense storyteller she is.

I'm reading Danelle Steel's new book "Neighbors" Its very good!

Gave up on In the Woods by Tana French and read the last two chapters for closure. I figured out the bad person about 30% of the way into the book and I was so bored by the bad choices of the characters and the apparent endlessness of the story that I couldn't stand it any longer. I just wanted out. 2 out of 5 stars for me.

Just finished Missing and Endangered by J.A. Jance. This book is the latest from her Joanna Brady series. There was nothing surprising in the plot, but I enjoyed seeing what was happening in the characters' lives. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Fun2BHere - I haven't read a Joanna Brady book in years. Thanks for the mention; going to have a look at it!

Fun2b, you reminded me too-I was on a Joanna Brady streak for awhile early in the pandemic quarantine but then got sidetracked. I"m going to dig up the series and keep going because like you I really like the characters and seeing them move through life.

Recently finished The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (mostly satisfying and thought-provoking, though the story kind of fades away), Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam (chilling), The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel (riveting after a rough and confusing start), How to Be An Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi (audio book; a little numbing because of the cadence and repetitive phrasing, read by the author), and am currently reading Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (too soon to tell, but one of my favorite books is her Person of Interest).

Just completed Patricia Highsmith's The Talented Mr. Ripley. I enjoyed it because most of the it is set in Italy in places where I have been. This was her first Ripley book (1955) and a movie was made with Highsmith as the screenwriter.

Thank you for the mention and the encouragement for The Whistling Season.

This is why these threads are so great and each contribution to them is valuable..... Somehow this book totally escaped my radar. I am about halfway through and so enjoying it.

If you like his writing (Doig) and haven't read This House of Sky, it's also a beautiful book.

I’ve just enjoyed listening to two...yes two...good books in a row, all thanks to the recommendations on this forum. The first very enjoyable read was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

A short while ago I finished Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes. I didn’t make note of the person who recommended this last book, but their comment that “I inhaled it in a couple of massive stay-up-late reading sessions” is what inspired me to read it (thank you if you recognize yourself). I wasn’t disappointed. What are the chances that the next read will make it three good ones in a row? Fingers crossed!

I must be missing some female-fantasy gene. How can something like the Addie LaRue book be a best seller? Gag.

Maybe I'm over-reacting because I picked it up after The Invisible Wall? (A sort of modern Dickens, IMO.)

It's not that I don't like a fairy tale. Loved Perestroika In Paris.

Absolutely adored Eleanor Oliphant, (said for the benefit of anyone who has not read it).

I finished The Whistling Season and I mostly loved that as well. I thought the writing and turns of phrase were just incredibly stunning. Very often I get a bit worn out fro super descriptive writing and gloss over much of it , but in this book, it was just so well done . I enjoyed it all, but I have to say near the end, some of it just felt like a bit of a letdown after such great plot and character development. I will definitely try some of his other books, and I thank you for mentioning the book.

Chisue, to me, being on the bestseller list is often a red flag for mediocrity. Think ‘Shades of Gray, Nicolas Sparks snd Danielle Steele, in her heyday. Im looking forward to Ishiguro’s newest, Klara and the Sun. His Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go are big favorites. This latest goes to a place in the future, like Never Let Me Go.

Klara and the Sun is on my list, too.

I read a short story that my daughter had to present for her English class--Mary When You Follow Her by Carmen Maria Marchado. It's extremely short (one really long sentence) and has a rhythm that makes you want to read it out loud. It's available online here: https://www.vqronline.org/fiction/2018/06/mary-when-you-follow-her.

We had our discussion of Dear Mrs. Bird at book club tonight (zoom). I am getting a bit fed up with this book club since we seem to spend very little time talking about the book and there is one member who mainly wants to talk about herself. But, I digress. It’s a sweet book, easy to read with a happy ending. I recommend it as a break from heavier topics. Next up for us is Hamnet. In the meantime I am reading The Lions of Fifth Avenue by Fiona Davis. It’s the story of the granddaughter of a family that lived in the New York Public Library, as caretakers. Rare books are stolen! It is the story of how the stolen books and this family are intertwined. So far, so good.

I know many here have already read it but I finally made time for The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. Such a thought provoking book and worthy read. My only criticism is that she tended to repeat certain stories more than once, almost like she was refreshing the reader’s memory about something she had already mentioned. It happened often enough that it became really noticeable. In that sense, I felt that given the fact that the book is well over 500 pages, these duplicate mentions should have been edited out. Other than that, a remarkable book about important part of our history. I am planning to read Caste as well at some point.

My current read is The Kindest Lie by Nancy Johnson. I think I read a review for it maybe in The Washington Post or some other site that does book reviews about new releases. It is a contemporary novel about a Black woman living in Chicago who returns to her depressed hometown in Indiana shortly after Obama is elected. I’m not that far into it yet, but while reading last night, the main character refers to her grandmother’s migration from Mississippi. Funny coincidence as the novel is now beginning to explore some of the issues discussed in Wilkerson’s book, but fictionalized versions.

I learned many decades ago that the best-seller lists reflect how well the book sold, not anything to do with how well-written, etc., it was... Of course, sometimes it is both.

This morning I finished Dear Edward. I think someone on these threads recommended it some time back? What a wonderful book! I was hesitant because of the subject matter, but am so glad I finally read it.

His journey to healing and acceptance is written with such insight and hope that it made me believe we can recover from anything with the right support.

I spent much of the month reading The Weekend by Charlotte Wood. It took me a long time to complete because it was such a miserable read. I am annoyed with myself for not abandoning it. I gave it 2 stars.

I picked it up and started reading it almost immediately because of the reviews: "fiercely honest novel of female friendship and female aging"... "The Big Chill with a dash of Big Little Lies". Yeah, no. Not even close!

The novel centers on three friends who gather to cleanout the beach home of their friend Sylvie who died a number of months prior. Each of the women have accomplished histories but they were mere sketches-- afterthoughts or asides (and I'll say lazily stereotypical-- there is an academic, an actress and a restaurant owner). Instead of building rich and interesting histories for each character, the author chose to use the entirety of the novel to paint each one as bitter, resentful and petty. They behave badly and treat each other badly. Some reviewers found these interactions funny and insightful. I was appalled. They are ashamed of themselves and of each other. They each desperately cling to and fight their petty role in the "friends" group. It was like Mean Girls for 70 year olds! It was a chore for me to read with zero reward.

I suppose it would be good fodder for a book club-- but i wouldn't ask one other person to spend the time to read it. In fairness there are plenty of 4 and 5 star ratings on Good Reads but overall it has a 3.58 rating.

I just finished The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. I did not love it, or even like it very much.

First the positives: I did learn a lot about how awful the drought/dustbowl plus Depression were. I've never read The Grapes of Wrath, so this was an eye-opener for me.

Okay, I learned something and that's always a good thing.

I had read The Nightingale when it first came out, before I'd read my fill of WWII novels, and thought it was pretty good. This one didn't come close. Goodreads gives it a near 4.5 rating and that's usually a pretty good gauge for me. Sigh.

As I read I was reminded of those Amazon Prime first-reads that come out every month. It's hit and miss with those books and some can be surprisingly good. This read like those not so good ones. As the comments in Goodreads kept repeating, it's all tell, no show. It felt artless to me, all surface and no spirit, although that was surely beaten down by the unrelenting labor and hardship. I wish this story had been told instead by someone like William Kent Krueger, whose This Tender Land took place in 1932. Sometimes the POV switched between the mother and daughter within chapters. So sometimes the main character was referred to as Elsa, sometimes Mom.

The grimness and suffering are unrelenting. Descriptions of animals dying. Awful.

Oddly it wasn't a book I disliked enough to abandon, something I'm willing to do if a book displeases me enough. I guess I kept waiting for it to bloom and make the slog worthwhile. It didn't for me. But judging from the glowing reviews in Goodreads, it worked for a lot of people. 2 stars, because I learned something about the Dustbowl/Depression and the plight of farmworkers.

Bunny, thanks for sharing your thoughts about The Four Winds. It’s been sitting on my kindle as a library loan for over a week but I’m torn as to whether I want to read it. The historical background interests me, and I love reading books that teach me about something I didn’t previously know. I think Hannah’s books are written to have broad appeal, and as a result, not necessarily be well written. I read The Nightingale and though I enjoyed it, I think I gave it a 3 star rating as I had to suspend belief for certain things that happened. Same with The Great Alone. I was incredibly disappointed with how that one ended, among other things. I have also had the same experience with the Amazon First Reads selections - many are poorly written yet get rave reviews. One book that people constantly rave about is The Tattooist of Auschwitz, another book that was written to appeal to the masses. I felt it read like a screenplay, and some parts were downright unbelievable, even though it was based on a real life story. To me, it was awful (I later found out the author was actually a screenwriter - now it made sense!) I have read a lot of WWII historical fiction, and have read many better books than Nightingale and Tattooist,, but these books are much more popular.

I haven’t decided whether I will end up reading The Four Winds. I have three other hardback library books to get through and two others from the library waiting to be checked out on my kindle. I may let it go back unread since I have enough to keep me occupied for now. Had these others not suddenly become available in the meantime, I probably would have read it for sure. But I did wonder if the reviews on Goodreads were a lot of hype so thanks for the honest review!

I went to a bookstore last week at an outlet mall. I picked out 4 paperbacks because they were 4 for $20. I'd never read any of those authors before and was in a hurry so it surprised me that the first book turned out so good. I'm not done yet but so far I give it 5 stars. "When Captain Flint was a Good Man" by Nick Dybek.

4kids4us, honestly I kept thinking the book just wasn't well written, no well crafted words that grab hold of you. Someone on Goodreads said it was like reading Wikipedia. Haha, it wasn't *that* bad, but it took cold hard facts and then built some dialog around them with people to utter them. The dreadful times stayed with me, but none of the characters.

Two things came to mind when I was reading your thoughts, Bunny. One was when I read A Thousand Acres for my book club many years ago. I hated that book so much, but everyone else seemed to love it. I don't recall exactly about it, but I think the starkness and lack of "life" just fell flat for me. People pointed out that was the whole point of her style of writing for that book. I'm too literal, I guess and just didn't get it. When I read The Lost Man recently, it was also written to evoke the starkness and harsh environment, but I reacted differently. While I didn't like feeling like I was suffocating from the oppressive heat and isolation, I didn't hate the book. Maybe I learned something from A Thousand Acres so many years ago, or maybe it was just a more well written book.

And what you wrote about facts and then trying to build dialog around them reminds me of Jody Picoult books. I read 19 Minutes and quite liked it, but then every book after that I read of hers was so blatantly trying to make a point that I couldn't bear to read them. One woman in my book group kept selecting her books when it was her turn and I finally told her I couldn't read another. Small Great Things put me over the edge, like she'd just discovered racism and had to "educate" the masses. Maybe some people learned something from it, but it read like an 8th grade intro to racism, with all the stereotypes she could manage. Rant over!

I think I'll skip The Four Winds. Thanks for the heads up!