the fourth five

16. My Life in France by Julia Child

Like a lot of people in this country, I've recently been swept up all things Julia Child. Watching the film Julie and Julia is probably what set it off, though I'm sure my long-standing love for France and my recently discovered knack for cooking contributed, too. This book, which is Child's autobiography and was written just a few years before she died, is fantastic. I loved everything about it -- her voice, her attitude, her zest for adventure and for trying new things. Really, it's excellent, and it comes highly recommended by me.

17. Julie and Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

Do you remember that part at the end of the movie Julie and Julia where Julie learns that her beloved Julia Child doesn't like her? I think I can understand why. Julie Powell isn't the most likeable person -- at least she didn't portray herself as being such in her book. Well, I'm sure she's nice enough, but her self-admitted sailor's mouth really started to get obnoxious. I finished the book, and while there were parts I did enjoy, I didn't love it. And it wasn't just the language and low moral standards that bothered me; I also had a hard time hanging onto her writing style. There are few books I've read and movie companions I've seen where the film is better than the book, but this is one of them. I have to admit that I like Amy Adams' portrayal of Julie Powell better than I like Powell herself.

I haven't actually read the entire thing, but I currently have a borrowed library copy of Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and I've been thumbing through it. After reading so much about it in both of the above books, I was intrigued enough to see it for myself. It really is a masterpiece, as far as cookbooks go, and I've already picked out a handful of recipes I'm anxious to try (Potage Parmentier, for example, is on the menu for this week).

18. When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

There is a reason this book won the 2010 Newbery award. It's really, really good. If you loved A Wrinkle in Time (and even if you didn't), you should read this. It's not exactly a fantasy, like A Wrinkle in Time is, but there are some fantastical elements believably embedded into what is actually a pretty grounded story. It's a quick read, but even so, I don't think reading it would be a waste of anyone's time.

19. Half-Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

This is not a sequel to her other acclaimed book, The Glass Castle, but the story is taken from her own family history. The book is the story of her grandmother (on her mother's side), Lily Casey Smith's, life, which was spent mainly in the American Southwest. It is told in novel form from Lily's point of view, and her life was just as crazy as the lives of her descendants. At any rate, it's a good book, and if you liked The Glass Castle, you'd probably like this one, too.

20. The Expert's Guide to Life at Home edited by Samantha Ettus

This is collection of 100 short essays, written by experts in their fields, about living life at home. I thought from the title that it would be geared more toward the "stay at home mom" population, but it's not. But that doesn't mean it wasn't interesting or, in some cases, helpful. Like the essay on how to fold a fitted sheet (written by a pioneer in the field of computational origami), or the one on making truly excellent hot chocolate (written by the owner of The City Bakery -- I've had their hot chocolate, and it's pretty darn delicious). There are other "Experts' Guides" and, after reading this one, I'm not opposed to picking up another in the series.