Alice Waters Chez Panisse by Thomas McNamee

I can't believe I am reading another foodie book. Really I am NOT a foodie. But I was curious about Alice Waters as her restaurant in California spawned the locavore movement in the U.S. Alice loves food, cooking and men. The restaurant business requires hours of time and the complicated meals she prepares exhausted me. She has some interesting boy friends and friends. I would love to go to one of her dinner parties at Chez Panisse. Her initial dream of a restaurant where neighbors come to eat and socialize, mushrooms (no pun intended) into a mecca for foodies thus displacing the neighborhood feel. Alice struggles most of the time to turn a profit. I would like to be her daughter, Fanny, and have delicious school lunches packed for me (I had cream cheese and jelly sandwiches every day for 10 years).  I skimmed a lot of this book but appreciated reading how dedicated someone can be to a passion they have...similar to Greg Mortenson. I am looking forward to our weekly produce box from our local farmers Annie and Sue coming soon!

Attachment by Isabel Fonesca

This book got a lot of hype in the NY Times book review. I just had to read it as it seemed about a woman about my age. Alas it was a bit of a disappointment- the story of Jean, an American married to a Brit, who suspects her husband is having an affair. They live on an island in the Indian Ocean but seem to bounce around from London to NY with ease. I read Isabel's earlier book  Bury Me Standing about gypsies, which was non fiction and interesting. While I liked her writing style in this book and the twists at the end, the story jumped around too much for me. I would not recommend this book. 

Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Relin

While Greg Mortenson is a bit full of himself, I admired his dogged pursuit to build schools in remote areas for girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. I liked his non judgmental approach. He is always living on the brink, needing money or escaping death narrowly. His ability to learn languages easily and relate to all different kinds of people is cool. Part of me is envious for his passion and ability to make some real changes. On the other hand, I had trouble with how he placed his family at a lower priority than his work in Pakistan. This book is not very well written, but it tells an inspiring story.