So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate ReadingSara NelsonBerkeley Trade (paperback), 2004 (ISBN 0425198197)Books and reading, memoir; 256 pages First Sentence: Call me Insomniac. Book Description: “Sometimes subtle, sometimes striking, the interplay between our lives and our books is the subject of this unique memoir by well-known publishing correspondent and self-described “readaholic” Sara Nelson. From Solzhenitsyn to Laura Zigman, Catherine M. to Captain Underpants, the result is a personal chronicle of insight, […]

Stay Tuned for this week’s Booking Through Thursday immediately following this review!______________________________________________This was the last selection of 2007 for Book Club, and the topic of conversation for our first meeting of the New Year. The Florist’s DaughterPatricia HamplHarcourt, 2007 (ISBN 0151012571)Memoir; 240 pagesFirst Sentence: For once, no flowers. Book Description: “During the long farewell of her mother’s dying, Patricia Hampl revisits her Midwestern girlhood. Daughter of a debonair Czech father, whose floral work gave him […]

Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India, and Indonesia Elizabeth Gilbert As she mentions in her responses to the FAQ on her website, Elizabeth Gilbert is aware that not everyone gets the opportunity to travel the world on a personal discovery (and recovery) mission paid for by a book advance, but as a reader, I’m glad she was able to. At thirty, Liz faced the painful realization that the life she […]

Altared: Bridezillas, Bewilderment, Big Love, Breakups, and What Women Really Think About Contemporary WeddingsEdited by Colleen Curran This book of essays was what I chose to read in between Water for Elephants and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – I figured it was something I could drop at a moment’s notice if I had to, since it’s not a narrative. It was a good choice in that respect. It’s also an enjoyable read for […]

The PlanetsDava Sobel from the back cover: With her blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Longitude and Galileo’s Daughter, Dava Sobel used her rare and luminous gift for weaving difficult scientific concepts into a compelling story to garner rave reviews and attract readers from across the literary spectrum. Now, in “The Planets,” Sobel brings her full talents to bear on what is perhaps her most ambitious subject to date – the planets of our solar system. […]

Garlic and Sapphires, Ruth Reichlfrom Amazon.com: Fans of Tender at the Bone and Comfort Me with Apples know that Ruth Reichl is a wonderful memoirist–a funny, poignant, and candid storyteller whose books contain a happy mix of memories, recipes, and personal revelations. What they might not fully appreciate is that Reichl is an absolute marvel when it comes to writing about food–she can describe a dish in such satisfying detail that it becomes unnecessary for […]

Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously, Julie Powell (paperback)original hardcover title: Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchenfrom Amazon.com: From Publishers WeeklyPowell became an Internet celebrity with her 2004 blog chronicling her yearlong odyssey of cooking every recipe in Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. A frustrated secretary in New York City, Powell embarked on “the Julie/Julia project” to find a sense of direction, and both the […]