Pub Date - September 1, 2015
4 stars
When Alex Sheshunoff's internet company started to feel a bit unnecessary, he does what anyone in this situation would do. He picks up and leaves New York City with suitcases full of books and travels to a random western Pacific island. His attempts at trying to find the perfect island paradise while simultaneously attempting to ingratiate himself with the locals is hilarious and I definitely surprised myself by laughing out loud at some of his observations. I am not sure there was a big lesson at the end of all this but just reading about his experiences in places most (myself definitely included) will not end up visiting ended up being an unexpected delight. I received this book from Penguin's First-to-Read Program.
Recipes for a Beautiful Life: a Memoir in Stories by Rebecca Barry
3.5 stars
When Rebecca Barry and her husband decided to leave New York City and buy a big, rambling house in northern New York, they really wanted to live a simpler life than they had in the city. Instead, they found that buying a house in desperate need of repairs, while pursuing low-income passion projects with two small boys introduced a whole different set of complications. This book is beautifully written and many times I found myself really sympathizing with her forthright anecdotes of life with small children. To be honest, though, I just couldn't always get myself on board with her constant introspection and middle class money complaints. So while I mostly enjoyed this memoir, I did find myself annoyed and frustrated at times with the tone. I received this from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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