Nonfiction: Taste by Stanley Tucci

There is a good chance that you have seen my choice for today in many different places, as it has been featured everywhere since its publication back in early October. Of course, I was more than curious about actor Stanley Tucci's Taste: My Life Through Food, but as it always happens, the end of the year got away from me and I simply could not fit it into the schedule before 2021 was over. But we are here now, and the book was well worth the wait.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a nonfiction book in which Tucci tells the story of his life, beginning with his childhood as the oldest of three in an Italian family living in upstate New York, all the way through the pandemic, and his recent experience with cancer. Throughout the book, Tucci will make it plainly clear that food has always been at the center of his life. He loves to cook it, eat it, talk about it, learn about it, simply look at it, all of it. With recipes sprinkled between the anecdotes that span many parts of the globe, Tucci will paint a picture of a life that has been spent in the kitchen, and around the dinner table, almost always with close friends and family. There is even the occasional cocktail recipe, which, much like the food recipes, are simple and to the point. It is also worth noting that this memoir follows Tucci's two cookbooks, where the majority of his recipes can be found.

My Verdict: From the first pages, it is easy to see what all of the fuss is about. I imagine that many readers who picked up Tucci's book are also a fan of his acting, so there is going to be a strong desire to imagine his voice as you read. The things is, that isn't necessary. His writing is wonderful, as is his story, and add to it that he is talking about food and alcohol...yes, this book is fantastic. As a lover of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I particularly enjoyed the section where he talks about making martinis for the cast of Captain America: The First Avenger. Then there is the chapter about his trip to Iceland and his experience with the food there. Every experience and story has food at the center of it, but it is also told with a wit and clarity and charm that can be hard to find from professional writers that have been churning out books for decades. I cannot recommend it enough.

Favorite Moment: Tucci manages to bring the book full circle, with the ending closely resembling the fun and clever beginning. 

Favorite Quote: "I am hardly saying anything new by stating that our links to what we eat have practically disappeared beneath sheets of plastic wrap. But what are also disappearing are the wonderful, vital human connections we're able to make when we buy something we love to eat from someone who loves to sell it, who bought it from someone who loves to grow, catch, or raise it."

Recommended Reading: Another memoir I recommend is Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett. 

Contemporary Fiction: O Beautiful by Jung Yun

In 2016, I read Jung Yun's Shelter and was completely blown away. So it was an easy decision to pick up O Beautiful, a story that follows a woman as she attempts to jumpstart a new career and direction for her life, taking an assignment that brings her close to where she grew up.

The Situation: Now in her 40s, Elinor Hanson is over and done with the modeling business. She has now completed her graduate degree, and receives an incredible opportunity from her former professor. It is an opportunity to write a real article, for a real publication. But why her? Turns out the article is about the oil boom in North Dakota and the impact it has had on the area, an area that Elinor is incredibly familiar with since she grew up there. But when she heads out to the small, but suddenly booming town of Avery, the trip is immediately challenging, and not at all what Elinor thought it would be. With the notes from her mentor, as well as a list of contacts, Elinor decides to move forward and do what she came to do, which leads to as many discoveries about herself and her own attitudes as much as it does about the area she came to write about. 

The Problem: Elinor is used to the stares and gawking, as well as the questions. If it isn't about her beauty, then it is because she is Asian, with a few being able to recognize that she is actually biracial. And in a place like Avery that is mostly men, this all comes with a healthy amount of aggression. Also, in a place like Avery, where many of the longtime residents are not too thrilled with the range of newcomers the oil boom has brought, how Elinor looks is often met with derision and condescension. It also becomes apparent to her that her former professor has his own ideas for how she should write the article. But the more Elinor researches, and the more she talks to people, the more she wants to take the story in a different direction. Sure, the oil boom is a big deal, but so is the tensely charged atmosphere, the sexual aggression, and the unmitigated greed. Whatever Elinor decides to do, it will be a challenge with plenty of roadblocks. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a work of fiction that is set in and around present-day North Dakota, with a focus on the transformation of a small town due to an oil boom. What was once a small sleepy town with very little going for it has become a town that is still small, but with an incredible amount of activity that the locals were not ready for. The prices for rooms at even the cheapest motel are at a premium; churches set up make-shift men-only shelters for those who have not managed to find housing, or do not live out of their car or RV; and there are so few women, men hit on Elinor at nearly every turn. And then there is Elinor's own complicated past, and her relationship to her former professor. Her memories of growing up in a place much like Avery are not exactly pleasant, and there are some decisions she made in her adult life that she is now recalling, no matter how painful and regrettable.

My Verdict: I knew from the synopsis on the book jacket that this was going to be a tough read, and I was right. But this was made even more difficult by the character of Elinor. I have fought through many books with difficult narrators or main characters, but Elinor was unlikable enough for it to have an effect on my enjoyment of the story. She grates at the unfairness of being judged on how she looks, both because of her beauty and because she is biracial, but she also judges everyone else, often holding everyone else to a higher standard than she holds herself. And her beauty is mentioned almost constantly. Then there is her tendency to make colossal mistakes, and then be surprised at their consequences. It is also unclear what this book is attempting to do. There is the oil boom, the incessant attention from men, the dislike of outsiders, Elinor's past and dynamic with her family, as well as her history with her professor, and the subject of violent crimes against women. All are substantial areas to mine through, but none of them are executed well here. 

Favorite Moment: Elinor must finally confront the truth about her college experience.

Favorite Character: Pretty much everyone in this book is deeply flawed, which is fine, but made it difficult to root for anyone. 

Recommended Reading: I still recommend Yun's Shelter, but I will also mention the young adult novel Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley. 

Young Adult Fiction: Maybe We're Electric by Val Emmich

In 2018, the novel version of the popular musical Dear Evan Hansen was published by Val Emmich. Three years later, the author has published Maybe We're Electric, a young adult fiction novel set in Edison, New Jersey, where two students on the opposite ends of the popularity spectrum find themselves stuck inside the small Thomas Edison museum during a snow storm. 

The Situation: It is 5:52pm and Tegan Everly is done with her mother. After an argument, Tegan races from her home and decides to hide out in the Thomas Edison museum. The museum may be closed, but Tegan has access, having worked there over the summer. She knows all about it, the exhibits, and the person it was built to memorialize. Tegan is looking forward to being alone, but then popular jock Mac Durant enters with a strange request. It is both surprising and annoying, especially when the realization hits that the snow storm outside is gathering strength, and Tegan and Mac may be stuck in the tiny museum together for awhile. 

The Problem: At school, Tegan is known as the shy and quiet girl, while Mac is popular, well-liked, good-looking, and good at sports. Tegan has always observed Mac from afar, being both mesmerized by his presence and annoyed by how easy people like him seem to have it. Due to a physical disability, Tegan tends to withdraw into herself, hiding from anyone outside of her small group of friends. Being trapped in a small area with Mac seems like a terrible situation to be in, but that is until the two teens begin to get to know each other. Tegan is surprised to hear that Mac has problems too, real ones. But with that information comes an awful realization that Tegan may have contributed to Mac's current misery.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a young adult fiction novel set in the township of Edison, New Jersey, with most of the action taking place in one night. A snow storm is what keeps both Tegan Everly and Mac Durant inside of the Edison Museum, though it is family issues that drive them there in the first place. For the most part, it is Tegan's limb difference, and her observations of how people react to it, that keep her from reaching out more. For Mac, making friends comes easy, though he can feel that no one really knows him. The book is told from Tegan's point of view, moving through the night, while occasionally jumping back in time to briefly recount what happened in the hours before the storm. Also included are emails Tegan has sent her dad, and small sections that reveal more of her history and why she made the decisions she made. 

My Verdict: This is one of those books that I really wanted to like, but it fell short in so many ways. The first issue is with the character of Tegan. Sure, she is flawed and has made some bad choices, but even more than that, her overall attitude and outlook on life can be grating. And by the end of the novel, the lessons she learned are not quite enough. The second issue is that neither she nor Mac or all that interesting as characters. Despite the very real issues the two are dealing with, they come across as standard and flat. And the third issue, and probably the worst one of all three, is that the plot is often boring and uninteresting. Plus, it is one we have seen many times before. The book is a light read, and not so terrible that it should be avoidable at all costs. But there were certainly areas that were disappointing.

Favorite Moment: At a certain point, Tegan has to reflect on how unfair she has been to her mother.

Favorite Character: Even though he is not technically in the novel, I liked the character of Tegan's father. He is a professor at Rutgers who has a way of understanding the people around him that he tries to teach to his daughter. 

Recommended Reading: I recommend two David Arnold novels: Mosquitoland and Kids of Appetite. 

Historical Fiction: Island Queen by Vanessa Riley

Choosing the first book for a new year is not a decision I make lightly. At the same time, I do not necessarily believe that the first book that is reviewed here will somehow set the tone for the next 52 weeks. With that being said, I went back and forth on whether or not to even read Island Queen by Vanessa Riley, much less review it. One thing that held me back was its length, but also the reality that it was going to be a tough journey through the life of a remarkable woman.

The Situation: Dorothy "Dolly" Kirwan wants freedom and autonomy above all else. But having been born into slavery on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, obtaining that freedom will be nearly impossible. And if she gets it, it will be incredibly expensive. If cruel slaveowners and overseers were not enough to deal with - some of which Dolly is related to - there is also the constant threat of dangerous and deadly rebellions claiming more lives of slaves and free people of color than the ones the rebellions are aimed at. Despite it all, Dolly will manage to escape her life of bondage, but the road to freedom and independence, both actual and financial, is a difficult one for a black woman in the late 18th century. 

The Problem: As Dolly begins to grow her empire, the opposition is strong, and it stays strong. And if it isn't other businessmen or governing officials attempting to stand in her way, then it is the men in her life that she chooses as romantic partners. Plus, there are many difficult decisions that Dolly must continually make. Even when the correct choice is made, a heavy price must often be paid. And as much as she tries to protect her growing family, some consequences are difficult to manage. Thankfully, Dolly is as stubborn as she is resilient, and when a plot to attack the wealth of the free colored women on the island gains traction, Dolly is resolved to travel all the way to London and see the king himself if it's necessary. 

Genre, Themes, History: This is a historical fiction book that tells a fictionalized version of the life of a real person, Dorothy "Dolly" Kirwan Thomas. Born in Montserrat in 1756, Dolly will work for and earn her freedom from slavery, and grow her own business empire to become a woman of wealth and power to be both envied and feared. The book chronicles the majority of her 90 years, journeying through several locations throughout the Caribbean, as Dolly faces racism, sexism, rape, fear and intimidation, and oftentimes, her own bad decisions. In the author's note, Riley makes a point to say how much she wanted to attack the superhuman myth. It was part of her mission in presenting Dolly's life to make it incredibly clear that the woman was a flawed human being, but still a notable one.  

My Verdict: It is amazing to me that even with over 500 pages of story, the telling of Dolly's life often felt incredibly rushed. And at the same time, it felt like a slog. I suppose it could be the simple fact that the woman went through a great amount of trials (as well as a fair amount of joys and triumphs) during her remarkable life. Even though this is historical fiction, it is clear that Riley did her research and really took her time with this story, making sure to present a woman who accomplished much against incredible odds, but also made her share of mistakes. This book is certainly not for those who wish to shy away from difficult subject matter, especially for their own protection. But those who love history and exploring historical figures that have gone unnoticed may enjoy this one.

Favorite Moment: There is a moment when Dolly must confront the man who will be King George IV of England with a truth she has kept hidden. But she does not come out and say it, instead presenting a scenario in a way in which he sees the truth behind her words.

Favorite Character: Dolly's mother, also born a slave, endured similar hardships to her daughter, and was one of the most wise and comforting figures to appear throughout the story.

Recommended Reading: I recommend The Woman They Could Not Silence by Kate Moore.