Review: Julie & Julia by Julie Powell

Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

Finished Reading on January 12, 2011

Memoir, Paperback, 310 Pages, Borrow from Hidayah's Book Club

The Story: Living in a tiny apartment in New york and trapped in a job she hates, Julie Powell sees life passing her by. Then one night, she notices that the few items she's grabbed from the Korean grocery store are the vary ingredients for Potage Parmentier, as described in Julia Child's legendary cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking. And the Julie/Julia project is born. Julie begins to cook every one of the 524 recipes in just a year space. She devotes her entire year life to the project and enslaves herself in French cooking.

My Thought: I picked Julie & Julia partly because I thought that the idea of cooking is very original and a bit different from other books. And I hope that this kind of book can inspire me. But, after reading this memoir I just knew that it doesn't live up to my expectations. First hundred pages I haven't got any clue of where Julie Powell wants to bring me to and I just think that, what the heck with this story? After the mind torturing hundred pages, the story becomes much better though it is far from good. First, Julie Powell writing is very sloppy and distracting which makes me feel really lost and fail to blend into the core subject. Second, I hate the language used by Julie Powell in this book or to be honest I hate her as a person. I don't know how many times she used the word f**k in this book and it really annoys me. Foulmouthed, self centered, insensitive, unhygienic. That is how her character in this book. And even worse she is a wife with no respect to her husband Eric. Pity him. Third, I don't understand most of the terms related to the French cooking. OK, that's not her fault but mine.

Despite of all the flaws, there are few good things about this book. I loved the originality and realistic of the story and characters. The bad character of Julie is balanced by his husband Eric, a very nice and understanding husband. I don't know how he can stand living with Julie but Eric character does give me hope to keep on reading. All in all, "Julie & Julia" is not a good read (or should I say bad instead?) and I don't want to recommend it to you, but if you want to read this book, go ahead and read. Maybe you'll come with a different conclusion.

CoffeeNCrackers' Meter: 2 Cups of Coffee

**This review is linked back to Hidayah's Book Club. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to read  "Julie & Julia". Malaysia readers who wants to read book for free, visit Hidayah's Book Club site now.This review is also linked back to Book Review Party Wednesday @ Cym Lowell Blog.

On My Wishlist Jan. 15, 2011

On My Wishlist: Is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City where readers share the books that they want to to read but not yet in their possession. So, this week on my wish list: "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak, "Shutter Island" by Dennis Lehane (the movie is fantastic!!) and Julia Hoban's "Willow".

The Book Thief: Goodreads | Amazon

Shutter Island: Goodreads | Amazon

Willow: Goodreads | Amazon

 

Friday Memes Jan. 14, 2011

The Friday 56: Hosted by Freda's Voice.This week's Friday 56 is from "The Book of Tomorrow" a novel by my favorite chic-lit author, Cecelia Ahern. Tamara Goodwin always lived in the here and now, never giving a second thought of tomorrow. But it's not until she discovers a locked book which will shake her world to the core.

Through the obscure stained glass, I could tell it was a man. - The Book of Tomorrow, pg. 56

 

Book Blogger Hop: Hosted by Crazy for Books. This week's question is "Why do you read the genre that you do? What draws you to it?". My answer: I am an eclectic reader, since my reading is diverse from children to adult genre. But my favorite are Mystery & Thrillers, and Historical Fiction and I'm starting to love YA Fiction also. There are two criteria which will draw me to these book. First is the interesting storyline and second is the great looking covers (judge books by its covers!!).

 

Friday Follows: Hosted by Parajunkee's View: This week's question is "What makes up your non-human family?". My answer: There two cats at home and both are black in color and named Black and Black.

WWW Wednesdays Jan. 12, 2011

WWW Wednesdays: A fun weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. This meme gives opportunity to  readers to share our current reading, books we recently finished and books we're going to read next.

What are you currently reading?

I'm reading a digital ARC of YA fiction novel by Sarah Porter, "Lost Voices". Is a story of an ignored, mistreated girl, Luce who becomes a mermaid, beautiful, free, and ageless. But, her new life put her in a new conflict and dilemma. A story of one self to find a place where she belongs to. Lost Voices is the first book of the Lost Voices Series. Currently on page 12.

What did you recently finished reading?

I finished reading "Julie & Julia" by Julie Powell. I loved the idea of the book but something about Julie Powell's writing made me feel uncomfortable with the book and put me in a mixed-feeling situation. 2 stars read and my complete review is coming soon.

What do you think you'll read next?

It's about time for me to start reading "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare. Read lots of great reviews about this first book of Mortal Instruments Series. I also borrow "Cut" by Cathy Glass from Hidayah's Book Club. Have to return the book soon so, I decided to put it on my next read.

Teaser Tuesdays Jan. 11, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays: A fun weekly meme Hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading where readers share the teasers sentences from their current reads. Tthis week's teaser is from Julie Powell's "Julie & Julia": 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen.

Julie & Julia: Living in tiny apartment. Trapped in job she hates. Julie Powell begins a project called Julie/Julia Project in which she cook every one of the recipes in Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking in a space of just a year.

I couldn't get the first one to flip at all; it just crumpled against the far lip of the pan, cracking up some at the stress points. Julie & Julia, pg. 86

CNC Book Discoveries #1

"The Sherlockian" by Graham Moore:  Dec. 1893, Arthur Conan Doyle had killed Sherlock Holmes In 1901, he abruptly resurrected the hero. Why? He never explained but his diary, now missing can tell everything. Harold White a literary researcher uses wisdom and methods gleaned from countless detective stories, takes up the search, both for the diary and for the killer of Doylean Scholar.

"The Holmes Affair" by Graham Moore: Victorian London: Conan Doyle and Bram Stoker roam the dark streets of Victorian London searching for clues as to what happened to the girls who were brutally killed. Modern-day New York: Harold White is solving the mystery of Conan Doyle's missing diary and Doylean scholar murder. 

"Wither" by Lauren DeStefano: At age sixteen, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to be twenty, and males live to age twenty-five. After Rhine is kidnapped and sold as a bride, she is desperate to escape from her husband’s strange world, her attempts to flee brings her into a society spiraling into anarchy.

"Feed" by Mira Grant:  Two experimental viruses escaped the lab and combined to form a single airborne pathogen that swept around the world in a matter of days and raised the dead. Newsflesh trilogy follows a team of bloggers, led by Georgia and Shaun Mason, as they search for the brutal truths behind the infection. "Feed" is the first book of the trilogy.  

On My Wishlist Jan. 8, 2011

On My Wishlist: Is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City where readers share the books that they want to to read but not yet in their possession. So, this week on my wish list are the books from The Mortal Instruments Series by Cassandra Clare. I already have the first book "City of Bones" and wishing for the other books, "City of Ashes", "City of Glass" and "City of the Fallen Angels".