I can honesty say that this is not a book I would have picked up if I had been in a bookstore.

Carlson book was part of the selection for this month’s My Book Box.

It is actually pretty good once it gets going. The first couple chapters were a bit slow, but once Carlson decides that he wants to open the diner the book does take off.

The success of the memoir is Carlson’s voice and his willingness to not try to disguise the fact that sometime he is an idiot. He is just as messed up as you are. He is a dreamer but he is a mess. And that is great.

The book will make you want to eat pancakes after reading. It will also make you want to visit Paris, but most likely, will not want to make you open a business in Paris. (Though it does bring a whole other level of understanding to an Asterix book) Carlson’s memoir does cover the period after 9/11 and the infamous Freedom Fries debacle.

Thank you, to My Book Box because otherwise I would not have read this charming memoir.

Now this one had a very good selection of soups.  Plus variety of how to's and shortcut substitutions.  Not shy of spices, herbs and seasonal garden goodies including root vegetables.  Doesn't think every soup has to be puréed.

I may be a little prejudiced because author is as fond of using leeks in soup as I am.

A list of included recipes is in the screenshots under the "read more."

Bittersweet reading this book considering current events. It is a lovely book. Schami and his sister give you a feeling of the neighborhood and people. It's like you are having a chat over coffee.

I happened to see Audiobook Junkie's review of this book and decided to take a chance. I'm so glad I did.

I'm still not sure what to do with this book. I don't read books like this. If there's no murder, history, steampunk, Sci-Fi...something, you need to work real hard to hold my attention. Yeah, I know I need to branch out more in my reading habits.

Issy's (Isabel) life is in a decent place. A good job, a house with her best friend Helena as a roommate, her grandfather still alive though starting on the slippery slope of dementia, and in a secret relationship with her gorgeous boss, Grahame. Then one day, the dominoes start to fall. Her position is made redundant, her boss turns out to be a complete jerk (though why this was a surprise to her I have no idea), and she has no idea where to go next.

This was...horrible. I don't know that I can put into words how I feel about this book, though I've tried during rants to three different people about this...book. (eye twitch)

So sorry, but you're the fourth (fifth, sixth, etc). Hopefully by now I have things lined out in a somewhat understandable way.