Book Review- Lauren Graham's Have I Told You This Already : Stories I Don't Want to Forget to Remember

Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Libro FM for both physical and audio arcs of Lauren Graham’s Have I Told You This Already: Stories I Don’t Want to Forget to Remember. I ended up listening to the audio version narrated by Graham.

In her second essay collection, actress and writer Lauren Graham shares more tidbits from her life, including her current television gig on The Mighty Ducks, her break-up with partner Peter Kraus, and how she handled the pandemic. Graham’s memoir is both humorous and reflective, a treat for fans, but truly a book that can be widely enjoyed, even by those unfamiliar with her work.

To me, autumn means Gilmore Girls and as we don’t have any new episodes in the works, a book from Lauren Graham is the next best thing. Graham lightly addresses the desire for more Gilmore Girls, but as she really doesn’t have more info on the subject, she doesn’t linger in Stars Hollow. Graham is expansive in her topics. I enjoyed her take on the importance of making friends both older and younger that oneself as a way to expand horizons. Graham has a very lovely friendship with Mae Whitman, who played Graham’s daughter on the television show Parenthood. Graham offers interesting insight regarding her experiences behind-the-camera, with both directing a television episode and pitching a writing project.The sweetest story involves Graham getting a new dog during the pandemic, while on location in Canada. I always love a good pet/human adoption story.

Have I Told You This Already is a mostly feel-good collection of essays that made me happy during this hectic holiday season.

Book Review- Constance Wu's Making a Scene

Thank you to Netgalley, Scribner, and Libro FM for providing me with both a physical and audio galley of Constance Wu’s memoir, Making a Scene. Although I received both versions, I ended up listening to the audio book, narrated by the author.

Actress Constance Wu shares memories of her childhood growing up in Virginia, her early twenties waiting tables and studying acting in New York, and her successful acting career.

Wu gained heaps of negative press when she spoke out about her unhappiness with the renewal of her hit sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. She was seen as ungrateful and a bit of a diva. Wu addresses this incident and gives her side of the story, which is quite compelling and heartbreaking. She also explains the frustration when so many people assume that the character she plays, Jessica Huang, is similar to Wu’s own mother. Wu makes it very clear that her mother bears very little similarities to Jessica, and that the very question is perpetuating stereotypes of Asian mothers.

Although Wu shares bit of her Hollywood career, a bulk of the book involves her childhood, including fond memories of her teenage job working at a bakery and her early love of performing in community theater. She had a fairly ordinary and quiet childhood. I’m only four years older than Wu and many of her stories of growing up in the 80’s and 90’s, especially with regard to technology, rang true to my experience. Wu speaks of her pre-fame years with mostly fondness. She also shares her challenging relationship with her younger sister, which I’m sure many people would find relatable.

I’m a fan of Wu as an actor, but I think I enjoyed this more for being a memoir about a woman from my generation. I found Wu to be very relatable and down to earth, definitely different from how the media has been portraying her.

Book Review- Anthony Bourdain's Kitchen Confidential

Last spring, I read Patrick Radden Keefe’s Rogues, which has a chapter about Anthony Bourdain. Of course, I have heard of Bourdain, and I’ve watched bits of his various television shows. He was brash and charismatic, also a bit mysterious. I realized that I had never read his famous memoir, Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly.

In Kitchen Confidential, Bourdain shares his passion for food and his early experiences working as a chef in New York. Although Bourdain was well-known for his culinary travel shows, he had very little travel experience until later in life. Reading Kitchen Confidential, it is clear that working as a chef is an all-consuming experience with very little time to rest or travel. Travel came when he made a career shift from chef to a writer and television presenter.

I’ve never worked in the restaurant industry, although I had a glimpse via my ex-husband who worked as a server at a moderately fancy Italian restaurant. I was aware of the lingo and some of the general gripes, and that people in the industry are incredibly hard working. Be kind and tip generously! That said, Bourdain provides a fascinating look at the restaurant industry, dishing out his own thoughts on things to order and what to keep an eye out for when dining. He is very anti-brunch and provides a decent reason for why one should avoid it. I was crushed when he gave advice to steer clear of my favorite food, swordfish. I have not had swordfish since reading Kitchen Confidential. I will spare you the details, but the reason is quite stomach churning.

Lewd encounters, rampant drug use, and shocking reveals aside, Kitchen Confidential is marvelous because of Bourdain’s keen writing abilities. I’ve never eaten Bourdain’s food and he may have been a fantastic chef, but I know for certain that he had a talent for writing. His flair for the dramatic and sensory storytelling plops readers into the middle of the scene. Bourdain’s direct and frank manner of writing, similar to his media persona, makes it feel like he is having a personal conversation with the reader and I suspect this aspect of his personality is what made him so magnetic. This is not a chef who is writing a memoir, but a writer sharing his life. I throughly enjoyed Kitchen Confidential, both for the insight into the chaotic restaurant industry and for a bit of time in Bourdain’s company.