Books and Breads Blog

October 7, 2023

Draft No. 4 by John McPhee *** (of 4)

McPhee is one of the preeminent nonfiction craftsmen of the last half century. As a staff writer for The New Yorker his longform essays have...

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September 21, 2023

Sourdough: Three variations

One of the things I love most about sourdough, and breadmaking in general, is how many variations can come from such a small number of...

Sourdoughs and SCOBYs

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September 21, 2023

The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith

On the plus side there are very few writers who can match JK Rowling’s (writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith) ability to capture personality, dialogue,...

Book Reviews

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September 19, 2023

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride **** (of 4)

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store is a one-room general store owned by Moshe, but run, at a loss, by his warm-hearted, open-minded, club-footed (polio),...

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September 19, 2023

The Art Thief by Michael Finkel **** (of 4)

The book opens by letting readers know that Stephane Breitwieser is probably the most successful art thief that has ever lived. He has been captured...

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September 19, 2023

Properties of Thirst by Marianne Wiggins *** (of 4)

An ambitious book that centers the Owen’s Valley in California, the valley’s desertification following rerouting all of the valley’s water to Los Angeles, and the...

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September 14, 2023

The Breads of Morocco

This is a longform article about the geography, history, culture, and value of bread in Morocco. It can be found at The Perfect Loaf. The...

The Perfect Loaf

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August 23, 2023

Deep South by Paul Theroux **** (of 4)

This is Paul Theroux’s only travel book wherein the act of traveling is intentionally easy. Unlike his other books – taking the railroad across Siberia,...

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August 23, 2023

Robert E. Lee and Me by Ty Seidule *** (of 4)

The author, Ty Seidule, is a professor of history at West Point. That gives him real cache when he says the southern states lost the...

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August 2, 2023

Only to Sleep by Lawrence Osborne **** (of 4)

In 1939, Raymond Chandler wroteThe Big Sleep featuring, Private Investigator Philip Marlowe. Marlowe was the original world weary, cynical PI: hard drinking, self-mocking, and a...

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