Mailbox Monday

Thanks for joining me for Mailbox Monday! MM was created by Marcia at A girl and her books (fka The Printed Page), who graciously hosted it for a long, long time, before turning it into a touring meme (details here).

This month, Mailbox Monday moves north, to somewhere near Quebec, where Cindy at Cindy's Love of Books is hosting.  Please stop by to visit her blog and join in the fun.

A lot of books came into my house last week, thanks mostly to a Multnomah County Library Friends' sale. 

A few of my favorites are:



The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver



Picked-Up Pieces by John Updike (essays and criticism)



The Flood by Ian Rankin (his first book, reissued; not a John Rebus novel)




Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert (a cool, Modern Library edition with dustjacket!)



Nobody Move by Denis Johnson (great cover and I really liked Tree of Smoke)

Opening Sentence: On the Town in New York

American history books do little to describe the plight of New York City during the Revolution for the simple reason that it was an enemy base.

-- On the Town in New York: The Landmark History of Eating, Drinking, and Entertainments from the American Revolution to the Food Revolution by Michael and Ariane Batterberry.

So begins this classic culinary history of New York City, from 1776 to when the book was first published in 1973.  The 25th anniversary edition that I have adds a chapter on the era from about 1970 to 1998. 

So far, I'm up to the Civil War era.  As the title suggests, the book is mostly about restaurant and hotel dining, not home cooking and not New York's agriculture or food production.  This is about how people ate when they were On the Town.

I first read about this book when Anthony Bourdain recommended it in Kitchen Confidential. 

It is the first book I am reading this year for the Foodie Reading Challenge. hosted by Margot at Joyfully Retired.

WEEKEND COOKING

Hosted by Beth Fish Reads

Book Beginning: Bamboo Farmer Wisdom

Please join me every Friday to share the first sentence (or so) of the book you are reading, along with your initial thoughts about the sentence, impressions of the book, or anything else the opener inspires.  Please remember to include the title of the book and the author.

Leave a link to your post.  If you don't have a blog, but want to participate, please leave a comment with your Book Beginning.



MY BOOK BEGINNING

A bamboo farmer buries a giant bamboo seed deep in the earth and waters it day after day.

-- Bamboo Farmer Wisdom: 101 Inspirational Thoughts by Greg Bell.



This is a little gift-book companion to Bell's excellent Water The Bamboo: Unleashing The Potential Of Teams And Individuals, which I reviewed here.



The Wisdom book did indeed come with a Water the Bamboo wristband.  My cats immediately disappeared it.

Pin This!

Uh oh. I jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon.  It is too fun to skip.

I'm there as Gilion Dumas.  So far, I've created boards that tie in with Rose City Reader, like Favorite Author boards, book review boards, and a board for the reading challenges I'm doing.  But I also added a couple of house, food, travel, and general interest boards.

If you are on Pinterest too, please leave a comment with your Pinterest user name so I can find you. Or follow me on Pinterest so I can find you and follow you back.

You know, now that I think of it, the same goes for twitter.  You can find me there @GilionDumas.

Teaser Tuesday: The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents

FDR was famous for his fierce attacks on big business and "economic royalists."  But those who pose as his liberal heirs forget, if they ever knew in the first place, his equal concern for middle class opportunity and his endorsement of individual enterprise. 

-- The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Presidents: From Wilson to Obama by Steven F. Hayward.

This book is a lot of fun and perfect for this election year.  

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted by Should Be Reading, where you can find the official rules for this weekly event.