Book Review: Mr. Penumbra's 24-hour Bookstore

I was reading Robin Sloane's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore
a few weekends ago and decided to take it along to a hair appointment in the hopes the wait time there would encourage me to finish it. I was facing a deadline with the library and didn't want to pay overdue charges, yet I just couldn't get the book done. So along for the appointment it came.

One of the stylists saw me reading the book, came over and asked if I was enjoying it. My response? "Yeah, it's alright except for being a love letter to Google." I was a bit surprised by my comment--as was he--but thinking on it now it was the right response. And it crystallized why my reading was so slow going.

Being only half-way through the book at that time though, I wondered if I was being too hasty in my assessment. Would I have made this comment if he had caught me at the end of the book?

Yes.

(Insert an accompanying deep sigh).

I loved the concept for this book. I could envision the shelves, the people, the expressions, the environments. I had a nice visual of Mr. Penumbra planted in my head from the moment he was introduced. The premise and execution is all kinds of nerdy and awkwardness. It's similar to Ernest Cline's Ready Player One in this regard but much less dense and less intellectually invigorating.

My problem, however, was I kept getting pulled out of the narrative every time I saw the word "Google" or when there was some veiled reference to it. Frustrating, because there is a fair bit of Google here to oogle (haha, groan).

Pushing this situation aside for a moment, the book is about the (mis)adventures of web designer-marketing exec Clay Jannon. Jannon is a recent addition to Mr. Penumbra's bookstore, having been recently laid off and increasingly desperate for work. He becomes the night clerk there, catering to an almost non-existent clientele who "never browse. They come wide-awake, completely sober and vibrating with need.”

Vibrating with need when entering a bookstore? Hmmm, I can relate.

To fulfill their needs, Jannon climbs a ladder, grasps one of the volumes and sends them on their way. Then he dutifully logs the appearance and manner of each person, sometimes being quizzed by Mr. Penumbra as to his observational skills. Intriguing, right?

The oddness of his observation responsibilities spurs Jannon on to figure out who these customers are, what is in the mysterious and cryptic volumes, and what is really going on to necessitate a 24-hour bookstore. His adventures in discovering answers to these queries lead to the discovery of a secret society with an old school underground headquarters in New York. It also leads to an awareness that perhaps "[a]ll the secrets in the world worth knowing are hiding in plain sight.” 

Now, back to Google. Penumbra lays out the value of technology for his mission: ‘Computers, my boy,’ he says. ‘They hold the key for us. I have suspected it for some time, but never had proof that they could be a boon to our work.’” And I agree with the sentiment, especially in the context of what occurs in the book. And I get why it is a leading character in the story. But, but, but...

I don't know; I just couldn't get past the Google aspect and therefore couldn't get involved enough in the story to care. I understand its importance in transforming our social and technology landscapes, but so what. My mental blockade to accepting this particular character meant I couldn't really get involved with the story; the mysterious elements didn't really seem all that mysterious. And without the mystery, without a propelling force driving the narrative, reading the book became quite a boring exercise for me rather than the exciting one I expected based on other reviews.

Jannon makes the comment about midway through the story: "The right book exactly, at exactly the right time." I wish this was true of my experience.

Saturday Snapshot: Hunting for Fritters

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. The guidelines are to post a photo that you or a friend or family member have taken and then link it back to Alyce's original post for the week. Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see.

Through no forethought on my part this particular segment seems to be turning into a weekly food post. This is largely due to my phone being on its last legs and my being unable to use its camera unless the phone is plugged in. It is also due to my being mainly at home these past months and needing something to occupy my time. Sooooo........

I've been looking for great vegetable fritter recipes for awhile and finally decided to just try a couple out last week.

First up was Curtis Stone's crispy vegetable fritters made with carrot, potato, and zucchini. Not too impressed, bland. They turned out okay but I obviously did not get enough of the moisture out of the vegetables. There is only one egg to coat all the veggies to get them 'crispy' and for that to work there needs to be minimal moisture. I thought there was but apparently not.

Next up was Smitten Kitchen's broccoli parmesan fritters. Holy yum! Mine don't look as good as hers and likely don't taste as good either but they were well-received. I liked the idea of slighty steaming the broccoli first then mashing it a bit rather than it being raw. Think it helps combine it with the fresh parmesan. These are great as a side or as a snack. I think I'm going to try this recipe with cauliflower at some point.

Still looking for recipes; if you have any please pass along!!

Book Review: Yes, Chef: A Memoir

My introduction to Chef Marcus Samuelsson came courtesy of Top Chef Masters. I was watching the program in support of Susur Lee, one of Canada's most renowned chefs, and found myself cheering on Samuelsson equally during the final round.

Why? He just seemed likeable. And honest. And not pretentious is the way so many other chefs come across on these shows.

Now, I am not a 'foodie' or whatever moniker is in fashion these days. I like food to be simple, and which can be described in 3 words or less. I'm one of those people who doesn't really like dressing on salads, as I want to taste the true flavors of the components without a mask. I want lettuce to taste like lettuce, and not overly slicked with vinegar or oil or anything else. Knowing this about myself, I was interested to see what I would discover through Samuelsson's Yes, Chef: A Memoir.

Would it be stuffed with self-importance? Would it be condescending towards my simple food choices? And what is the spice mixture on the cover?

My only other experience adventure in the sub-sub-genre of celebrity chef autobiography comes from Anthony Bourdain. I really enjoyed Kitchen Confidential mainly because that world was so new to me. I even enjoyed the television show that was based on it; well, I enjoyed the supporting cast anyway. But unlike Bourdain's tales you will not find booze benders, drug binges, or high profanity in Yes, Chef save for a few youthful follies. Instead, you'll find a heart-warming albeit somewhat tragic tale bouncing from Ethiopia to Sweden to Germany to France to the United States and back to Ethiopia.

Samuelsson was born in Ethiopia where he was hospitalized at age three with tuberculosis along with his older sister and mother. Following his mother's death, a white middle-class couple from Göteborg, Sweden adopted Samuelsson and his older sister. It was his grandmother Helga who inspired Samuelsson’s love of cooking early on, as he spent many hours beside her in the kitchen learning the Swedish dishes that would come to influence his career in later days.

After the heartbreaking news he would not become a professional soccer player ("I sometimes think of myself more as a failed soccer player than as an accomplished chef."), Samuelsson fully embraced a career in the culinary arts. He went to restaurant school, worked in kitchens around Sweden and Europe, and completed stints on cruise ships. All of these experiences fueled his desire to mix food and cultures, to experiment beyond the standard definitions of what is considered "the best food."

I knew I truly liked Samuelsson when he stated: “Who lied? Who started the lie that France had the greatest food in the world?” Yeah, who did? I'd really like to know too.

His rise to chef stardom happened in New York at Aquavit, a famous New York restaurant specializing in Nordic cuisine where he became head chef at age 24. This event shaped many of his experiences that came after, including the opportunity to travel to Ethiopia and connect with his neglected culinary roots. It is here Samuelsson meets his father for the first time, and realizes the full strength of the familial bonds shaping his life and his cooking.

Narratively, Yes, Chef begins to peter out in the later chapters when the focus switches to more current events such as cooking for the President of the United States, marriage, and his restaurant Rooster in Harlem. They are not as fluid. Perhaps it is because the topics are too current, too "of the now" that they lack the weighted reflection and introspection shown in the previous chapters.

The story of Marcus Samuelsson is of someone who tried, stumbled, tried again, succeeded, and repeated. Samuelsson has made mistakes; he admits it. He doesn't try to make excuses or bend the truth to make himself sound like a better person than he really is. This honesty is what makes the story such an engaging and inspiring read.

What also makes it inspiring is the threaded theme of how crucial mentoring is for youth (and I would say for everyone). A large part of his success can be attributed to the mentoring provided by family, friends, and colleagues along the way. Samuelsson himself takes time to mentor young people in his neighborhood, inviting them over to his apartment to cook with him. Who does this? Really, who does this?

Overall, I admire the reserved nature of the Yes, Chef, which I suspect is also Samuelsson at his core. We are allowed in pretty far but there is still a palpable, respectable distance. This is no 'look at me, how brilliant I am"; it is "here I am and my journey thus far. Take me for what it is and for who I am."

Okay - yes, chef.

Read an excerpt from Yes, Chef: A Memoir

Saturday Snapshot: 'Nuff Said

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. The guidelines are to post a photo that you or a friend or family member have taken and then link it back to Alyce's original post for the week. Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see.

:-)

Saturday Snapshot: Vegetarian Lasagna

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. The guidelines are to post a photo that you or a friend or family member have taken and then link it back to Alyce's original post for the week. Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see.

Needing something to do Thursday I decided to make a vegetarian lasagna for the first time. I love mushrooms, so researched a few different ones and came up with my own recipe. This could have gone any number of ways but it turned out pretty good.

Quick saute of the mushrooms - cremini, white, and portabello with some garlic and butter. This was just the first batch; lots of mushrooms involved in this creation.

Steamed some spinach then chopped it into this appealing green sludge.

 

On to the bechamel sauce, which I'm still trying to perfect. I don't use whole milk which could be part of the issue. I stirred in the chopped spinach at the end along with salt and pepper.

 

The fun part - layering! I used freshly grated parmesan and mozzarella cheese; most recipes I looked at just used parmesan but I love mozzarella!

Forty minutes later - viola!  It could have used a bit more punch with the spice combo but it got great reviews. I ended up with way more than I anticipated but good to have some to freeze for later.

Book Review: Leg the Spread

Leg The Spread opens with a recounting of the tragic tale of Anne McKenzie, a former commodities trader. The story was offered to author Cari Lynn as a subtle warning that the trading environment she was entering was hostile and unforgiving, that fortunes were made and lost in split seconds regardless of who you are. Lynn sets this story as a warning to the reader as well to never forget that there are real people and real lives impacted by those decisive split seconds. This message hits hard and is difficult to forget when navigating through Lynn’s own first-hand trading experiences that ground her insightful debut effort.

Lynn’s experiences come from working in the big, volatile world of finance as a clerk for The Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The Merc, as it is known, is a rough and tumble place where women are (for the most part) outsiders. This ‘old Boys Club’ however as been slowly transforming thanks to the efforts of dedicated women like Lynn who mercilessly strive daily to blow through the sexism and hammer out their rightful place in this greedy ‘take no prisoners’ society.

Lynn introduces the reader to a few women like Alice, Alexis, and Bev who have made the Merc their territory in order to put a human face on the one-dimensional activities that take place there. Numerous themes emerge from their stories, the most resonant being that a woman’s success as a trader is rarely measured simply in terms of how much money they make or the deals they broker (even though most of the women are indeed in it for the money, just like men). There are the double standards and harassment resulting from the pressure to be a ‘woman’ and yet be a ‘man’ at the same time that always taints a female trader’s successes and failures.

Leg The Spread (a term that refers to safeguarding your market position) is an engaging and involving book mainly because of the women Lynn brings forward. Their stories are inspiring and provide the reader with solid examples of how to stand up for yourself and not be intimidated by those who only want to see you fail. Although there are no warm and fuzzy happy endings here, the reader is still left with a wealth of knowledge about how the Merc works and a very strong understanding that for as far as we women have come, there is still much distance to go.

Saturday Snapshot: smart. witty. literate as hell.

Saturday Snapshot is a weekly meme hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. The guidelines are to post a photo that you or a friend or family member have taken and then link it back to Alyce's original post for the week. Photos can be old or new and be of any subject as long as they are clean and appropriate for all eyes to see.

This is one of my favorite lounging around t-shirts. Unfortunately the website is no longer active but the associated book club and forums are still alive. They are located: www.chicklitforums.com.

Book Review: The Big Love

Sarah Dunn’s surprisingly touching debut novel The Big Love is an interesting exploration of the empowering effects a devastating breakup can have for a woman. Alison Hopkins, an engaging and slightly neurotic 32-year-old, is happy in love with her live-in boyfriend Tom. That is, until the night Tom goes out to buy mustard for a dinner party and never returns. He calls Alison from a payphone, tells her that he is in love with his ex-girlfriend (with whom he has been having an affair for months), and will not be coming home. It is at this point of confused shock that Dunn begins her sweetly humourous investment into Alison’s despair and joy.

Alison is a writer of a weekly relationship column for a trendy newspaper in Philadelphia—“I feel I should point out that I became the kind of columnist I became before it was cliché, before the Suddenly Susan-ness of it all hit the culture full-force, before the whole thing became boring, silly, and obvious.” The fodder for her column is her relationship with Tom, meaning that the end of their relationship also means the end of her column. But not until after Alison indulges in a short fling with her new boss Henry who sees her as being the carefree girl she is not.

This affair is monumental on a couple levels. First, Henry is only the third man that Alison has ever slept with and his assumption of her carefree status throws her off kilter; so much so that she ends up storming into his office to ask about their relationship (you can imagine how well that turns out). Second, she is an evangelical Christian (albeit lapsed) and much of the emotional and psychological turmoil she processes is wrapped up in her desire to reclaim her faith.

At times, Alison feels constricted by her faith as it conflicts with her emotions and desires and constructs numerous gray areas in terms of her values. At other times though Alison’s faith provides a very real grounding for figuring out who she is, despite the love-hate relationship she has with it. It is ultimately Alison’s struggle to intertwine her quest for “the big love” with her quest for faith that gives her the perspective necessary to kick Tom out of her life for good and to embark on her own unique path.

Dunn, a columnist and one-time television writer for sitcoms "Murphy Brown" and "Spin City", has written an insightful first novel that has the interesting feel of numerous columns strung together. The writing pops off the page in equal doses of humor and wisdom. There are numerous pop culture references through out that are cleverly placed for maximum comedic effect (“toasting is the new prayer”) and provide a nice respite from Alison’s befuddling deliberations. The Big Love is a wonderful read, and Dunn has much to be proud of with the conflicted yet strong female character she has created in Alison Hopkins.