Tender at the Bone

A good read about a very interesting writer. Ends a bit abruptly but fun.

Interesting memoir of a chef/restaurant reviewer/overall interesting person, with recipes interspersed throughout.

A strong memoir. As is appropriate in a book about food, there were recipes gathered by Ruth over her life. If I told a story, it would be through books, but hers is through food.

A great beach read. Here Reichl tackles not her unruly adult love life, but her equally unruly childhood. Her insight is crisp, as is her ability to tell a good story. I didn't love it quite as much as I loved “Comfort Me with Apples,” but I'm beginning to suspect that I seldom love the second book I read from an author after having completely adored the first.

This is by far the best food memoir I've read. I don't understand why people love Julie & Julia so much (though I have to admit the movie is fantastic, and much better than the book). I think Reichl really captures a light, interesting humor with a density that keeps you grounded. Though food helped intertwine the various years that Reichl lives through, the stories of French boarding school in Montreal and her mother's bipolar disorder are intriguing and real. I found Serafina, Reichl's roommate, to be frustrating yet believable. I've read Garlic and Sapphires but I think this was a far better book. I look forward to reading Reichl's other memoirs.

Reichl grows up, from being the
only child of the worst cook in
the universe, to becoming a food
critic for the New York Times.