Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain

I've been a huge fan of Anthony Bourdain for a long time now.  Watching him first on No Reservations and then on Parts Unknown, I became fascinated by the places he visited, the food he ate, and the people he met.  But more than anything, I loved the stories he told.  He let the viewer in to the history of each place, the forgotten stories that truly make the land and the people special.  He didn't hold anything back when telling these stories and you could tell in his words that he wasn't there to exploit the people, but rather to educate the viewers about so many things we didn't know.  He did this by speaking to the people in each country or city he visited, but more so did it through eating the food native to each land.  You can learn so much about the people by the food they eat.  And Bourdain was a master at learning and teaching the most important things.

 Kitchen Confidential is the story of how he got there.  It is his personal history of how he came to love food and his time in the restaurant industry.  He struggled with his demons, but worked hard to accomplish all that he did.  He didn't always do it right, but he gave it everything he had.  This book lays it all on the line and gives the reader an intimate look at the business of food.  Even though he left us way too soon, he left us the gift of his storytelling in books like Kitchen Confidential. 

 

From Amazon: 

A deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade from Chef Anthony Bourdain, laying out his more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine—now with all-new, never-before-published material.
 

My Favorite Reads of 2020

Here we go again.  This is such a difficult task.  During this past year I read so many good books and trying to narrow that list down to my 10 favorites (plus a few extras) is nearly impossible.  I love to take some time to look back on what I read and remember books that I didn't realize were still part of the past year.  But putting together my favorite 10 is always hard because I know I am going to have to leave out some books that I love.  These books were not all new in 2020, but most of them are. Clicking on each title will take you to my full review for that particular novel.  I would love for any of you to comment and tell me what you think of my list, thoughts on any of these you may have read, or anything else you may have to say.  Enjoy and hopefully you will find something to add to your TBR pile.  

 

1. We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez

    -This is such a powerful and important book.  Sanchez has given us the unbelievable journey of       three young people who are trying to escape their lives in Central America and find a new beginning in the United States.  A really incredible novel!

2. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson  

    -Jackson is a pre-order, must read for me.  Grown is another breathtaking story from Jackson.  Ripped straight from the headlines, this novel will pull you in from the first pages.

3. Canyon Dreams: A Basketball Season on the Navajo Nation by Michael Powell

    -This one is nonfiction and tells the story of a high school basketball team in Arizona.  But this one is about so much more than basketball.  This really is the story of the Navajo Nation as told through an extraordinary group of young men and their dedicated coach.

4. Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

    -Full of twists and turns and shout out loud moments, Dear Child will keep you on the edge of your seat as you read this terrifying story.  

5. Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo

    -Told in verse, this is the story of two sisters who never knew the other existed until tragedy strikes their family.  As usual, Acevedo's beautiful words tell an incredible story.

6. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang 

    -Dragon Hoops is a nonfiction graphic novel.  Yang tells us the story of the boys basketball team at the high school where he teaches while at the same time learning so much about himself in the process.  A really wonderful book.

7. Be Not Far From Me by Mindy McGinnis

    -I love everything from Mindy McGinnis, and this one is no exception.  This story of survival and self-reliance will keep you turning the pages.  On another day, this one could be very near the top of this list.  

8. I Killed Zoe Spanos by Kit Frick

     -I enjoy a good mystery and I Killed Zoe Spanos definitely fits the bill.  This one was so much fun and will keep you guessing as you try to figure out what really happened.

9. Dear Justyce by Nic Stone

    -This is the powerful sequel to Stone's debut novel, Dear Martin.  The story is in large part about the problems in the juvenile justice system.  Dear Justyce is an important read.

10. Running with the Buffaloes: A Season with Mark Wetmore, Adam Goucher, and The University of Colorado Men's Cross Country Team by Chris Lear

    -Just an incredible story about the Colorado men's cross country team's 1998 season.  There are so many fascinating stories about the phenomenal athletes that were a part of this team and the difficulty of this memorable season.

 Honorable Mention (Listed alphabetically by author)

Thoughts & Prayers by Bryan Bliss  

The Lucky Ones by Liz Lawson 

Seven Clues to Home by Gae Polisner and Nora Raleigh Baskin 

Thirteen Doorways, Wolves Behind Them All by Laura Ruby 

Bye-Bye, Blue Creek by Andrew Smith

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Karen M. McManus is a must read for me.  Since reading her debut novel, One of Us Is Lying, I was hooked.  I have been highly anticipating her latest novel, The Cousins, since it was first announced, seemingly forever ago.  And I have to say, it didn't disappoint.  McManus is such a great story teller.  She is a master of the mystery and will keep you guessing throughout.  As with her previous novels, this one will keep you on the edge of your seat as you discover all the twists and turns that this story provides.  If you like a good mystery novel, you can't go wrong with The Cousins.

This novel is the story of three cousins, Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah, who barely know each other.  Their parents come from the ultra-rich Story family, but were cutoff and disinherited by their mother many years ago, when they were all young adults.  Mysteriously, these three cousins all get a letter from their grandmother, whom they have never met, inviting them to come to Gull Cove Island and work at the Story family resort for the summer.  While the kids are all a bit hesitant, their parents insist they go.  This could, after all, get them back in the good graces (and of course the will) of Mildred Story.  But when these cousins arrive on the island, they quickly discover that they were most likely brought there on false pretenses.  Their grandmother takes no real interest in them, the family lawyer is more interested in getting them off the island, and there are more questions than answers when it comes to why their parents were disinherited all those years ago.  As the mystery unravels, the reader will be hanging on to every twist this story can throw at them.   

 

From Amazon: 

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.