Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise Book Review
I am not sure now what inspired me to pick up this book originally for it has been in my reading pile for awhile. I expect that I was looking for something entertaining. I would like to say that I was not drawn in by the cover artwork of spaghetti and wine but that might not be true.
The back of the book says that it is Ruth Reichl's "delicious and compulsively readable account of her exploits as a New York Times food critic" and I can tell you that the book lives up to that promise.
It tells the story of food critic Reichl's move from being food critic at Los Angeles Times to being food critic at the New York Times in New York City and it is funny. You can imagine that a food critic needs a certain amount of anonymity. However, Reichl was known in Los Angeles and that visibility carried over to her work in NYC, which necessitated her visiting restaurants incognito. As the Washington Post says, "at times laugh-out-loud funny."
Garlic and Sapphires was my kind of book. It was a great break from normal life and one that kept calling my name when I tried to stop reading. Hopefully, it will not keep you up past your bedtime the way it did me but, if it does, at least you will be having fun.
I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND Garlic and Sapphires. I believe that anyone who loves food will enjoy it. I also think that someone who has NYC on their bucket list, who lives in that city or who once lived there would enjoy it whether or not they can afford to eat at the restaurants that Reichl visits. Finally, anyone who has followed Reichl's career will likely enjoy this record of her time at the New York times.
I am sharing my copy with my book-loving friends and I have added more of Reichl's books to my book list. If you read it, I am sure that you will feel the same when you put it down.
Happy Reading!
Brenda
Treasures By Brenda
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This sounds like a wonderful book! Not my normal genre either, but I often need something lighthearted and fun to read. Sounds perfect for the upcoming holiday when I want to just kick back and relax at the end of the day. Thank you for the recommendation!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great review! Sounds like a must-read for foodies. Adding to my book list!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun-sounding read! My brother is addicted to the Food Network on TV and also loves to read, so this would be a terrific book for him. He also spent most of his life living in New York State and has been to NYC many times, so I know he would enjoy reading about the restaurants, as well as the food.
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome; if you read Garlic and Sapphires, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
ReplyDeleteI do thank you for covering for me, Brenda. I enjoyed your review and I believe this is a book I'd enjoy.
ReplyDeleteI have a friend who I suspect would love this book - would make a great gift for her, thanks for the heads up on this one
ReplyDelete