Comments (34)

Blood, Bones & Butter

the Inadvertent Education of a Reluctant Chef
What did you think about this title?
1 to 25 of 34 items
Mar 08, 2024
I will never accuse this author of having poor self esteem. The first section was enjoyable and I was ready to recommend the book, but I'm glad I didn't because it downgraded into an egocentric and self involved mess. Funny because at…
Aug 15, 2023HannaBananaBrains rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I found this long-winded and lost interest after the first quarter. Do not recommend the audiobook version; authors voice is not engaging.
Apr 24, 2020
Talented writer/chef Gabrielle Hamilton's writing will have you wondering what food you might have in the refrigerator before you finished the first chapter. This well written memoir begins with a somewhat happy childhood in rural…
Jan 08, 2019
Tried the audio version. Couldn't get past the monotone. Some authors would be better not reading their own works. Will try the print version before completely abandoning it
Dec 16, 2017Indoorcamping rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Such an inspirational, beautifully written, quirky, engaging food memoir. Actually, food and cooking is a thread that weaves the life of a chef cohesively through but it's not mainly a foodie-type memoir. As a food memoir-obsessed reader,…
Aug 10, 2017telger rated this title 4.5 out of 5 stars
If this is a meal- this is super heavy, dense, you're so full you feel that you are ready to fast for a few days! Her stories are so meaty and spiced up with an astonishing array of details - good, bad, ugly and some might find weird but…
Mar 28, 2017
I guess I thought this would be more about cooking. Sure, there are cooking stories in here. And the writing is very strong and evocative. But it didn't feel like a chef's memoir. It felt like it was about a person who didn't really want…
Dec 29, 2015tamhum rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Fascinating life and way of living. Truly unique and original. Also, enjoyable to reconnect with a time before smartphones and the Internet. One of the best books I read this year.
Aug 17, 2015Fionaenzo rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
The last disc is absolutely beautiful in its imagery. Great ending.
Aug 30, 2014WVMLStaffPicks rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Gabrielle Hamilton may have been a reluctant chef but she certainly didn't hesitate to cook. Never formally trained, she developed her passion for food and feeding people from her French mother. Written in the same way that she runs her…
Jul 11, 2013hellandback rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Engaging warts-and-all memoir begins with the author's turbulent childhood in rural PA, where she was forced to find any job after both parents abandon their mostly-grown children. The only job she could find at 14 was in restaurant…
May 15, 2013JCLBethanyT rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
A great read for foodies and memoir fans alike--Hamilton touches on her fractured rural childhood, her wild days in coke-fueled NYC and her relationships alongside her experiences with food and her time as a restaurant owner. The author…
May 14, 2013JCLHopeH rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
Hamilton has a pretty straight tone as a reader, which made me hesitant at first, but it’s true to her personality and works surprisingly well as a listener. I generally enjoy biographical pieces, and this was no exception. An…
kdeoak
Feb 19, 2013kdeoak rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
I agree with the reviews from LIterary Journal and Publishers Weekly cited on this website more than the glowing reviews from by Anthony Bourdain, the NYT and others. It is at times a fascinating, and at times very funny, account of…
Oct 18, 2012EndsWell rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this memoir, although it's quite sad. It did drag a bit toward the end for me, but the first half went quickly.
Oct 13, 2012kljl rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
I found this book far to wordy.
leapyrtwins
Aug 16, 2012leapyrtwins rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Book is just so-so. Never heard of her before; but I'm not really into chefs.
Jun 22, 2012chargirl rated this title 1 out of 5 stars
The writing in the first 1/4 of the book is fresh, and so well-structured that I was instantly hooked into the story. However, I struggled mightily to finish this one. The only explanation for the extremely quick deterioration in prose…
Jun 05, 2012
This memoir proves that sometimes what we learn when we’re young stays with us for our entire lives. This is true, not only for Gabrielle Hamilton’s inevitable path into making food for others, but also her troubling inability to maintain…
karensindayen
May 30, 2012karensindayen rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book so much I ate at Prune the day after I read it. Gabrielle Hamilton's story is filled with sadness, excitement, and triumph.
Apr 10, 2012DigitalDiva rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
If you don't mind the "Soprano" ending, BB&B is beautifully written with chapter after chapter of unbelievable events which must be processed before proceeding onto the next chapter. Confusing at times, the author will seemingly love…
Dec 19, 2011ser_library rated this title 3.5 out of 5 stars
the final third on GH's marital problems brought down the tone of the book
Oct 26, 2011melissajayne80 rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
I really liked this book, with the exception of a few spots where the writing was iffy, it was a really written book and I really enjoyed it. It was one of the few memoirs that you could tell that the person who had decided on doing the…
Sep 09, 2011cori_s rated this title 2 out of 5 stars
Self-indulgent. If you liked the navel-gazing of Eat, Pray, Love, you'll love this.
Jun 27, 2011Kirbs rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Gabrielle had me at "the butter-and-sugar sandwiches we ate after school for snack" (I was going to patent those as a child) - truly a marvelous read - wish we had selected this for our book club.