Love, Loss, and What We Ate

Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir by Padma Lakshmi
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In an effort to spend less time on social media and to read more books, I preview books on my phone and then choose ones to read while Seth is still asleep on weekend mornings. This way, I'm still warm and cozy next to him, but not staring at the ceiling or trolling randomness on Facebook. I chose this book because I liked the title (something she got from the delightful Nora Ephron) and I love Top Chef.

The book itself is a bit like a fancy restaurant - moments of deliciousness with lots of things that aren't quite my taste. The details of Laksmi's life are fascinating, but her storytelling was uneven and some of her life choices border on ridiculous. I had no idea she had been linked to a famous author and a billionaire, so those respective experiences were interesting to read, though again - not exactly a someone to pattern your life after. I think I would have liked the book better had it been an audiobook, but I still read it more quickly than I would have guessed.

I'm glad to have read it for a few reasons - 1) Like I said, I really do like Top Chef. After watching her host it for so many seasons, I like knowing that beyond her hosting career, she's a cookbook author, an actress, a mother, and an activist. 2) I don't read lots of books written by people of color. I'm thrilled to have read another Indian author that I can talk about with my female Indian students. While not as funny as Mindy Kaling or as eloquent as Jhumpa Lahiri, Lakshmi is still working hard to make a name for herself and trying to improve the lives of other people through her philanthropy work. 3) And lastly, the hours spent reading this book were spent reading. I'm always happier when I have a recent answer to the question, "What have you been reading lately?"

As for you, happy reading and happy eating...and of course, Happy 2017!