In the two months since my last Mailbag post, I’ve received a lot of new ARCs, and as usual, I haven’t deserved them. Although there were a couple of books that could have been thoughtful gifts from people who know me well, most of them were merely tangential to my interests, and a couple were completely random. Since I’m not going to read them all and do them justice with a thoughtful review, the least I can do to is shine a light on their existence in the hopes that one of you will find something interesting to read this month. Read More
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Free Books in My Mail
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Book Report: Delicious!
Delicious! is a completely realistic novel, but in it, debut novelist Ruth Reichl does some significant world-building. The aesthete’s New York City is full of foodies with unique personal style who notice architectural details and interior design. In this world, “artisan” is more than a buzzword and taxis are for tourists – locals walk so they can observe the changing seasons and appreciate the details of urban life. It would all be insufferably fabulous if Reichl wasn’t so adept at sharing the sensual nature of their artistic appreciation, and if the characters themselves weren’t completely developed, three-dimensional, interesting people. Even when you don’t like them, you believe in Reichl’s characters.