Evan Sarah Epstein

It’s been a long time since I posted anything bookish, so here goes: a list of some of the more interesting books I’ve read this past year.

The Other Boleyn Girl, by Philippa Gregory

I’d heard this was a lot smuttier than it turned out to be. I was expecting ridiculous camp and drama. But, The Other Boleyn Girl ended up being a lot more of a slow, day-by-day account of what a woman of the court during Henry VIII had to contend with. I really appreciated the level of historical detail and fact that Philippa Gregory put into the novel. As much as I enjoyed reading about the game of social chess the court played, I think what I enjoyed the most were the parts of the book where the heroine leaves court to live as a poor farmer’s wife, learning to make bread and cheese and giving up the niceties of court living. It was so interesting to see these two realities juxtaposed for the main character. In one, a woman’s value laid in her ability to craft hearty ale, in the other; it was her ability to keep all eyes on her, no matter the personal cost.

This was a really easy and fun read, and I suppose I even learned a few historical facts in the process!

Cheesemonger: A Life on the Wedge, by Gordon Edgar

Gordon is a cheesemonger. Gordon is a punk-activist. Gordon creates smart and entertaining reading! At first glance, I am not sure that a book about cheese and those who love it would really make for an interesting read beyond 50 pages or so, but Gordon Edgar is able to meld the worlds of cheese, politics and punk activism in such an interesting and entertaining way, that it works. The reality that food and politics are closely related is not a new idea, nor is it surprising. So what makes this an interesting and fun read is how Gordon is able to weave his personal story throughout those of cheese and government. I learned a great deal about the culture and politics of cheese and really appreciated his insights into how cheese relates to political movements. Oh yeah, and he’s hilarious. I mean, snort-out-loud and wake your sleeping husband up because you’re laughing so hard – hilarious! I am certain I will re-read this book, or parts of it, at some point down the line.

Just Kids, by Patti Smith

Patty Smith could write about a trip to the DMV and make it magical, so a book about her coming of age and artistic understanding with partner Robert Mapplethorpe in the late 60s and early 70s New York City, it simply delicious. Her writing demands that you slow down and savor what she’s writing. I would be reading and reading, and look up, only to see that I’d read 10 pages in half an hour. Her writing is so lyrical and attractive. Beyond the splendid writing, Patty Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe’s story is just so beautiful.

Even though I knew how it would end, I was still sobbing at the end of the book.

Radical Homemakers: Reclaiming Domesticity from a Consumer Culture, by Shannon Hayes

It’s always nice to know that you are not alone in your thoughts and beliefs, which is why it was nice to read the parts of Radical Homemakers that really resonated with me. It was nice to hear that I am not a total nut-job for wanting to make as much of my own food as possible, that I don’t think animal fat is a bad thing, that I have a desire for backyard chickens, that I like to make things and learn how to do more things myself, or that I would ideally like to stay home once I have kids. I really enjoyed the first part of the book, which outlines a basic history of homemaking and how it went from a way of living, to an oppressive lifestyle, to something passé, to something only the wealthy and/ or crunchy folk do. It’s not hard to see the link between a lot of the issues we face as a society today with the lack of someone in the home and as such, our lack of time to devote to creating nutritious food and caring environments. As someone who works 40 hours a week, I can see how easy it would be to just order take-out and give up on time-consuming crafts. But I can’t deny that with the exception of a few nights here and there where I don’t get enough sleep, I feel really good, and I know that a lot of that has to do with my lifestyle. So, it was interesting to learn about ways in which other people all over the country have gone about addressing the homemaking issue.

While reading this book I found that, as usual, I am crunchy, but not totally part of the crunchy crowd. I agree that it is fantastic to have someone in the home and that we can certainly do with a lot less money than we think we need. I agree with the food and nutrition guidelines that many of the people the author highlighted follow and I agree with a lot of the lifestyle choices presented here. What I don’t agree with are ideas like, all vaccination is bad (I, for one, am thankful to be rid of things like polio thankyouverymuch), or that people who choose to live a different lifestyle are wrong. That kind of attitude just makes this lifestyle far to cliquey and keeps ideas like this on the fringe instead of becoming more mainstream as I would like to see them become.

In all, I liked this book and in all honesty, I will probably re-read portions of it at some point in time, but after reading glowing review after glowing review of the book, I had to face the truth that my chosen lifestyle is a hybrid of the radical homemaker and the mainstream. And I’m okay with that.

Julie and Julia, by Julie Powell

I might be one of the last people I know to read Julie and Julia. About seven years ago, a friend of mine picked up a copy of the book – mostly because it’s about food and her name is Julie and it made a cute fit. She loved the book and I said I would read it someday. I didn’t. And then the movie came out and everyone was all of a sudden a foodie and Julia Child cookbooks were flying off shelves, and I just couldn’t get into it. But then last summer, I was visiting my parents and perusing a book store to find something to read on my flight home and I happened across a cheap, used copy of Julie and Julia and I figured my time had come. I’ll admit, I really liked it. A lot. It was witty and interesting and I couldn’t help but draw parallels between her life and mine – which is probably why the book has done as well as it has – Julie Powell is very relatable.

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