I love food and travel memoirs. A recent favorite of mine is My Life in France by Julia Child. Julia's voice is wonderful - she writes in a matter-of-fact way, but also with so much joy. Another favorite is The Only Street in Paris by Elaine Sciolino. Paris is my favorite city, and this book made me feel like I was there. Sciolino is a journalist, so she shares some fun facts about her neighborhood in Paris, but she also shares delightful stories of the people who live there.
You write wonderful and engaging descriptions of the books and I learn something each time I read your posts. Thank you! The last very good memoir I read was "The Last Hard Time" by Timothy Egan. It is an older book so quite inexpensive to pick up on the secondary market. It revealed what the Dust Bowl was really like. I knew very little before (The Wizard of Oz) but learned a lot as he profiled 12 different families and their experience.
I never thought about memoirs being different than autobiographies, but am glad to learn the difference! Garlic & Sapphires just went to the top of my list.
I also really like memoirs. Narrative nonfiction, they read like stories. I find (auto) biographies a bit dry, and they always seem too long. An excellent one I recently read with a friend is “Blue Sky Kingdom” by Bruce Kirkby. A family travels to live in a Tibetan Buddisht monastery for three months, to escape the trappings of technology in modern life. A journey, in every sense of the word. About adventure, family, community. He also draws attention to how that remote part of the world is changing due to outside influence.
Thanks for reminding me how much I love memoirs and for your suggestions on what to read. I’m a particular fan of food memoirs and am inspired by the great writing and recipes of Ruth Reichl (“Tender at the Bone” and others I’d like to read). Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” is on my bedside table. I keep buying cookbooks as much for their memoirist aspect as for their recipes. You’ve given me some ideas for a future post, so thanks, Gayla!
I love food and travel memoirs. A recent favorite of mine is My Life in France by Julia Child. Julia's voice is wonderful - she writes in a matter-of-fact way, but also with so much joy. Another favorite is The Only Street in Paris by Elaine Sciolino. Paris is my favorite city, and this book made me feel like I was there. Sciolino is a journalist, so she shares some fun facts about her neighborhood in Paris, but she also shares delightful stories of the people who live there.
I love a thoughtful memoir! I have so many favorites! The only one on your list I’ve read is Inheritance.
You write wonderful and engaging descriptions of the books and I learn something each time I read your posts. Thank you! The last very good memoir I read was "The Last Hard Time" by Timothy Egan. It is an older book so quite inexpensive to pick up on the secondary market. It revealed what the Dust Bowl was really like. I knew very little before (The Wizard of Oz) but learned a lot as he profiled 12 different families and their experience.
I never thought about memoirs being different than autobiographies, but am glad to learn the difference! Garlic & Sapphires just went to the top of my list.
I also really like memoirs. Narrative nonfiction, they read like stories. I find (auto) biographies a bit dry, and they always seem too long. An excellent one I recently read with a friend is “Blue Sky Kingdom” by Bruce Kirkby. A family travels to live in a Tibetan Buddisht monastery for three months, to escape the trappings of technology in modern life. A journey, in every sense of the word. About adventure, family, community. He also draws attention to how that remote part of the world is changing due to outside influence.
Thanks for reminding me how much I love memoirs and for your suggestions on what to read. I’m a particular fan of food memoirs and am inspired by the great writing and recipes of Ruth Reichl (“Tender at the Bone” and others I’d like to read). Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential” is on my bedside table. I keep buying cookbooks as much for their memoirist aspect as for their recipes. You’ve given me some ideas for a future post, so thanks, Gayla!
Love memoirs, Gayla!