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When I was a kid, my family had an account at the local bookstore, a privilege I donโt remember enjoying anywhere else in town. I felt so cool stopping in, picking up the latest V.C. Andrews novel, then then telling whoever was working behind the counter, Just charge it to โRosenstrach.โ I never felt guilty piling two or three on the counter at once, something that wouldโve been unimaginable with, say, Ton Sur Ton sweatshirts at the trendy clothing store down the street. I like to think thatโs why, to this day, I am like Daddy Warbucks when it comes to buying books, constantly ordering them for friends and family (sometimes even strangers) for just about any occasion, with a recklessness that doesnโt reveal itself in any other part of my budgetary life. I think itโs because handing someone a book with a personal note feels like Iโm making a connection that might otherwise be nonexistent or difficult or elusive. I thought of you the whole time I read thisโฆI know youโre going through a lot, maybe this book will helpโฆThis cookbook is a good resource next time you are having your in-laws for dinnerโฆI read this book to my baby when she was your babyโs ageโฆI like this book, I know you will too. Here are the books Iโve handed out in the past three months (and one that Phoebe has handed out) that I think you might like to know about. Longtime blog readers will definitely recognize a few.
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Book: The Important Book, by Margaret Wise Brown
Why I Love It: Itโs the lesser known, but equally poetic cousin to Goodnight Moon โย a picture book explaining the essence of, the importanceย of, seemingly everyday objects apples, spoons, wind, grass.
Why I Gave It: Every now and then I will fill in for editors who are on maternity leave and itโs become something of a ritual for me to leave this behind for the mom when she returns to her desk. Iโm always tempted to leave it with the note โIโm so jealous!โ conveniently over-romanticizing life with a newborn.
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Book: Logo Type, Michael Evamy
Why I Love It: Because it tells the story behind the creation of famous logos, from Google to YouTube to Barneys New York to MoMA to FedEx to Crate & Barrel.
Why I Gave It: Because my workshare colleague Christy is a design genius and I knew sheโd pore over it like I did. (As a thank-you, she forwarded me the SNL Papyrus skit. #TypographyNerdsUnite.)
Book: Modern Jewish Cooking, by Leah Koenig
Why I Love It: My affection for this book has been recently and substantially chronicled. (Exhibit A: Last Weekโs Fattoush, Exhibit B: Last Yearโs Roast Chicken with Fennel and Orange.)
Why I Gave It: When my sister calls me to ask for advice on menu planning for Passover, Yom Kippur, Chanukah, Shabbat, what do you think I do first? I reach for Koenigโs book in my library. I thought maybe it was finally time for her to have her own.
***TEEN-AGE EDITION***
Book: Milk & Honey, by Rupi Kaur, given by my 15-year-old to a friend
Why Phoebe Loves It: (This is from Phoebe) โItโs a collection* of poems with a lot of feminine empowerment and a lot of resonating lines, such as โThe person who you love should complement you, not complete you.โ They stay with me.โ [*My edit: โa MEGA-SELLING collectionโ]
Whyย Phoebe Gave It: โI gave it to my friend who seemed like she was heading down a spiral of self-deprecation, and it was over a boy, which wasnโt like her at all.โ
Note from Phoebeโs Mom: Please thumb through this before handing off to a teen-ager. There is sex talk โ not gratuitous or raunchy โ but itโs there.
Book: Dinner: The Playbook, by Yours Truly
Why I Love It: Because, in some ways, it was the easiest and most fun book for me to write of all three in the Dinner: A Love Story trilogy. Minimal storytelling but maximum strategizing for rolling up sleeves and making family dinner happen in the real world.
Why I Gave It: Because I was at a cross-country meet, speaking with another dinner-struggling mom, who said โIโm not like you, Iโm not a professional chef, and I can only cook things if they are easy.โ To which I of course responded, โI am in fact the opposite of a professional chef. I am a home cook and my books are written for people like you, who want to simplify as much as possible and still eat well.โ When I started describing a few of the recipes in Playbook (roast salmon with spicy mayo and chives, spaghetti with roasted cauliflower and breadcrumbs, cornmeal crusted fish with minty peas) it seemed like they were resonating, so I sent her a copy via my favorite messenger method: through the kidsโ backpacks.
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Book: Pizza Camp, Joe Beddia
Why I Love It: Refresh your memory with this love letter I wrote back in the spring. Itโs no secret that we love pizza in our house, and this book, by the Philadelphia king upped our game in a serious way. (I will never use cooked sauce on a pie again.)
Why I Gave It: A guy in my exercise class at the gym makes pizza dough for a living! In between burpees and squats, we talk about his favorite pizza recipes, my favorite pizza recipes, our favorite Italian American haunts in Westchester, and other joyous topics to take our minds of the pain. I knew heโd love Beddia.
Book: In the Lake of the Woods, by Tim OโBrien
Why I Love It: I read it so long ago, when I was in the grips of a powerful Tim OโBrien obsession, but the basic storyline centers on, of course, a Vietnam War vet, running for office and struggling with the violence of his past.
Why I Gave It: Who else was riveted by PBSโs documentary last week, The Vietnam War? (For those of you who havenโt watched: Itโs a commitment, but it is astonishing.) Tim OโBrien was one of the vets interviewed, and in the very last moments of the 10-part series, he read passages from The Things They Carried, which is pretty solidly cemented in my All Time Favorite Top Ten Books. Since I had already given that one to Phoebe, who properly and dutifully revered it, too, I tracked down this one for her as a follow-up. (And then I promptly re-read The Things for the millionth time.)
Book: Deceptively Delicious, by Jessica Seinfeld.
Why I Love It: When this book came out, I actually didnโt love it. Seinfeld made the case for disguising vegetables and other nutritious elements in traditionally kid-friendly foods like brownies and mac and cheese. I was outraged along with a lot of other new moms: Kids should learn to love and recognize broccoli! If we accommodate their dislikes and validate their fears, how will they ever learn to make healthy choices for themselves?!ย Yeah yeah yeah, whatevs. That was 2008, and Iโve been around the block since then. Kids are tricky when it comes to eating โ understatement of the year โ and hereโs the operative concept: They are not all the same. If parents are wracked with anxiety about their childโs diet and hiding kale in the kidโs meatballs is going to bring some measure of peaceโฆwho am I to tell them to do anything different?
Why I Gave it: My friend Christina, who has two pre-school-age kids, told me recently that she discovered a neat trick for getting her kids to eat better: she sneaks greens into their favorite foods without them knowing it. โOh, like the Jessica Seinfeld book!โ I said. โWho?โ She replied. Of course I was forced to respond how I hate to respond: โWell, back in the day, when I had young kidsโฆโ then I one-clicked Deceptively Delicious for her.
Book: Tell Me More: And 11 Other Important Things Iโm Learning to Say, by Kelly Corrigan
Why I Love It: Fans of Corriganโs essays, or any of her bestselling books (likeย The Middle Place), alreadyย know that she has a gift for observation, finding humor and meaning everywhere she looks, ultimately forcing you do the same. But this bookโฆit blew me away. Tell Me More is a collection of essays touches on every issue I stay up at night thinking about: raising teen-agers, dealing with aging parents, confronting regrets and loss and death.
Why I Gave It:ย One of my more favorite rituals is a weekly-ish power walk with my friend, Naria. She is the worldโs fastest walker, so I get a great workout, but mostly I look forward to our conversations. ย When we walk, we talk. About everything. About raising daughters, dealing with aging parents, confronting regrets and loss and death. See? I had no other choice than to drop off Tell Me More on her doorstep yesterday.
****Why Iโll Give it Again, aka A GIVEAWAY:ย Corriganโs book is not published until January but it just so happens that I know an editor at Random House who can score some advanced reader editions for us. (Which might even be better than having an account at the local bookstore.) Comment below for your chance to win two copies, one for your own reading pleasure and one to give to a friend who you think might need it most. Contest ends Friday 10/6 at noon ET. UPDATE: The winner has been notified. Thanks to everyone for playing!
My walking/talking buddy and I would love this!
My sister, cousin, and I discovered your books this summer during our vacation. Your recipes and beautiful writing are inspiring! We are also longtime fans of Kelly Corrigan! Thanks for the heads-up on her new book. Canโt wait to read it. Thank you so much for sharing your family stories!
Great suggestions โ Iโm especially looking forward to reading Logo Type, The Important Book, Tell Me More, and In the Lake of the Woods (I loved The Things They Carried too and being reminded of it here makes me want to read it again). Thanks for introducing me to these. I am already the proud owner of Dinner the Playbook (which makes a great hostess gift). Your description of Deceptively Delicious made me laugh. Parenting has a way of setting you straight.
I love these book recommendations- thank you. ๐ Such great reading.
I have often told friends that my best book recommendations have come from a โfood bloggerโ! You are always spot on! Patient HM and When Breath Becomes Air, two of my all time favorites! I look forward to buying every book on this list!
Just ordered milk and honey for my daughter, sheโs only 8 but it seems like a great book to have handy when the time comes for her to need extra inspiration to be herself.
oh, manโฆ.jenny, you lost me at the Jessica Seinfeld endorsement. i thought you and i were simpatico!!! no, you canโt hide the vegetables. deception is not ok. kids figure it out and resent you. and then they NEVER eat their vegetables! i really hate that whole concept. am i judgey? probably. pffft.
I always love your recommendations & I knew after reading your description that I needed this book!
Love Kelly Corrigan and would love to score her new book before Christmas! Thank you xo
We have a bookstore in my town, and we love going there to pick out new books a few times a year!
I am such a big book-buyer too! I canโt seem to stop myself. I want to know if our local independent bookstore would open a family account for my kids. That is the coolest idea. Howโs that for a way to raise a reader!
Corriganโs book sounds fabulous.
Living in Switzerland has been really difficult. I have missed my friends, family, the glories of Boston, trader joesโฆbut now we are moving back to the US. I am so worried about the change. Will we miss our life of travel and learning French? Will I be able to orient myself in the suburbs without skyscrapers or the Alps to orient myself? Will I be able to survive without European vacation standards? Should I get pregnant now or go back to work in a field Iโm not passionate about, but pays well? Are we stupid to buy the house we love now when we are moving in 3 months and our stuff wonโt arrive until 2 months later?
I know everything will be ok. Iโve done hard things before, but all these questions went through my mind last night.
(Iโm not Jewish, but I grew up in a Jewish neighborhood so reading/cooking out of Modern Jewish cooking is everything to me. Its like stepping back in time.)
Always love you and your familyโs book recommendations!
Iโm smack dab in the middle of a life period of having to learn to say (or not say) lots of things. I could use a little (literary) company. Thanks for the chance!
this collection of essays sounds great! iโd love to read it.
i also love giving books to people. reading is my all-time favourite activity!
I also love to give books! I have a favorite that I give to all newly engaged couples, one I always give expectant mothers, etc. The giving usually prompts me to reread said book:)
Iโve been on the receiving end of so much love and compassion from friends in this shitshow of a year, in which my father and my ex-husband both died unexpectedly. Iโd (a) love to read the Corrigan book myself and (b) give a copy to my BFF since high school, whose father died the morning of my fatherโs funeral. (2017: SO GREAT.)
I would love to win but mostly for my friend. She is a great Mom who is going through some HORRIBLE stuff with her young adult kids. It would be such a nice little act of kindness to give it to her.
great list! i just one clicked (is this a word?) the Logo book. thanks!
Would love to win the two copies. I would give one during our book club holiday party where we do a โYankee Swapโ. We read one of Kellyโs earlier books some years ago and these ladies would love to have access to another of her wonderful looks on life.
Iโd rather blow my budget on books!
When I was in high school I worked at a bookstore and I was always jealous of the kids whose families had accounts. Seemed like the ultimate luxury to just get a book whenever you wanted one. Now that Iโm an adult I set up an account of sorts for myselfโฆalso known as Amazon Prime.
For many years, I gave new moms โA Family of Poemsโ by Caroline Kennedy. It is a nice collection to introduce poetry into someoneโs life. Books truly are the best gifts to give/receive. I love that you add books you read into your food blog. And last but not leastโฆOMG, โmyโ food blogger/author knows one of my favorite authors! Itโs a small world ๐ Kelly is a fabulous story teller (in writing and in front of a group) and I would love to get an advance copy.
Thanks for the chance to read this great sounding book
Books are my fave too!!! We try to use the library a ton, but thereโs nothing like a well curated home library to be able to share with friends!!