Good Reads

Posted by on Apr 1, 2007 in dish | 0 comments Today I finished a great book, Ghost Riders by Sharyn McCrumb. I read several of her Elizabeth MacPherson books years ago, but I’ve come late to the Ballad series that focuses on the Appalachians. This is the first, and it won’t be the last.It’s always a pleasure to (re)discover a great writer. The thing that makes McCrumb novels so good is their blend of excellent research,...
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I’m Ashamed to Admit…

Posted by on Mar 20, 2007 in dish | 1 comment This teacher listserv I’m on launched an interesting conversation last week. We’re all English teachers, so there’s a great expectation “out there” that we have read everything. And I mean everything. One brave soul on the list ventured as how she hadn’t read Title X and basically didn’t intend to, ever, and did any of the rest of us feel the same...
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Books and Cooks: Shopgirl

Posted by on Feb 27, 2007 in dish | 0 comments WE’RE READING: I’M SERVING: NEIMAN MARCUS COOKIESMy appreciation for Steve Martin goes way beyond his “wild and crazy guy” days. He authored one of my favorite screenplays, Roxanne, and he’s well-known as a thinker and writer in addition to being an actor and comedian. Shopgirl is a snack of a book, but there’s a lot of flavor in these 40,000 words.What I...
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Books and Cooks: Fair and Tender Ladies

Posted by on Jan 22, 2007 in dish | 0 comments WE’RE READING: I’M SERVING: CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGSFair and Tender Ladies is going on my keeper shelf. I’ve never read Lee Smith before–amazing, since I love Southern authors–but I’ll be spending some quality time with her backlist after this read.This one’s an epistolary, a tricky form to carry off. (The Color Purple is the best-known modern example, and...
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Books and Cooks: Howards End

Posted by on Oct 24, 2006 in dish | 0 comments WE’RE READING: I’M SERVING: CRUMPETS AND JAMHowards End (no apostrophe, BTW) is one of those books that’s kind of like green vegetables when you’re a kid. You know it’ll be good for you, but you’re not sure you want to get that involved. To be honest, it took me a while to get into it. The group agreed that the themes of the book ring true. The Schlegels and...
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