This is not normally the type of book that I read. However, a couple of months ago, my online book club chose it for the monthly read. I have to admit that I dreaded reading it. "It's just a silly romance novel," I kept thinking. Well, I was totally wrong. This is a funny, biting, interesting, and downright fun-to-read book. I was totally caught up in the story, and I couldn't read the book quickly enough.

This is a trade hardcover that I want to keep, but I think I'd like to start a bookring with it.

From the book jacket:
Cookbook author Jasmine March's life is like a perfectly prepared bechamel--rich, satisfying, and drenched in butter. Pleasingly plump and glowing with health and happiness, Jasmine spends her days concocting high-calorie, flavor-saturated recipes and basking in the domestic bliss of life with her husband, Daniel, and her daughter, Careme.

But even a great bechamel curdles sometimes. Her husband has taken up with one of his Zone-dieting drama students; her daughter is bent on starving herself to death; and Jasmine's fellow foodies have had just about enough of her astronomically caloric recipes. To make matters worse, her publisher is threatening to cancel her contract. And then there's the small matter of the dead body she finds one morning on her kitchen floor. It's up to Jasmine to set things right, and she does it with characteristic zeal, refusing to stop until she gets what she deserves.

Filled with mouthwatering descriptions of Jasmine's creations--caviar canapes, oyster bisque cajun-style, venison stew with Madeira and juniper berries, crispy chicken breasts stuffed with goat chees and mint--Nina Killham's smart and spirited first novel is good enough to eat.

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book, and I really want to start a bookring on this one.


Mailing order for the bookring:

• nkwriter (Canada)
  
• Tyressia (Canada)
  
• Wandeca (Canada)
  
• Theresa-A (U.K.)
  
• talkland (U.K.)
  
• snootchy (Australia) Current reader!
  
• caligula03 (California)
  
• SCOUT-FINCH (California)
  
• DrNoelle (New York)
  
• bkwrm23 (New Jersey)
  
• sejent (Kentucky)
  
• llama-mama205 (North Carolina)
  
• ShyAnn (California)
  
• have2smile (Ohio)
  
• kymberlie (Texas)
  
• kalipriestess (Florida)
  
• mellion108 (back to me in Michigan!)
  

I enjoyed the fun light writing and the well-rounded characters, especially Jasmine. The world of foodies and food critics is also interesting to me. (BTW, does anyone want to join the Phyllis Richman bookrays?) The food descriptions had me drooling in front of my cat - how embarassing. But I was REALLY turned off by the over-the-top ending. I realize it's fiction, and meant to be "too much", but it was just way too much for me. Off to Tyressia by the end of the week.

Released on Saturday, August 02, 2003 at mailed to fellow bookcrossing member in Toronto, Ontario Canada.

Gone to Tyressia for the bookring. Sorry for the delay.

What a great surprise to find in the mail this morning (thanks nkwriter!). It sounds like a fun read, and I'm looking forward to diving into it as soon as I can (it's been raining bookrays at my house this week, but I'll read it as quickly as possible), and then it'll be on its way to Wandeca.

I'll journal again once I've finished reading it. :)

The scrumptious manner in which the authour describes the food/dishes and ingredients in itself is enough to make this book a worthwhile read.

I agreed with some of the points the main character, Jasmine, made about diets and dieting, and what they're doing to modern society. Denying yourself pleasure in one area of your life (namely, food) is only going to cause more problems in the other areas.

Book is heading out to Wandeca! :) Enjoy!

Got the book today....Thanks Tyressia, it got here quicker than I thought. I thinking of starting the book by the end of the week. Thanks mellion108 for sharing, it looks great!

The book continues its journey. Mailed it to Theresa-A, on Saturday. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.... :-)

Thanks for sending the book, Wandeca. I hope to start reading it later today.

I knew I was going to enjoy this book before I’d even finished the first page! I liked the style of writing, and the humour – although I must admit I did start to skim through some of the longer food comparisons and descriptions! I wasn’t sure what to expect of ‘How To Cook A Tart’, but it was much better than I would ever have imagined. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I did.

'How To Cook A Tart' will be on its way to talkland soon.

This arrived this morning along with another of Mellion108's bookrays. Decisions, decisions! Now I have to choose which to read first.

Not a book to read if you are on a diet - it contains food pornography!!! It was predictable but easy read. I sort of skimmed along with the story and it was only the descriptions of the food which brought the book alive for me. Needless to say I kept putting the book down to go into the kitchen for something to eat! Ha ha!

Arrived in the post today, really looking forward to reading it! :)

I thoroughly enjoyed this book especially the descriptions of food! I loved the twist and turns. It should be on its way to California shortly.

This book was last with snootchy on May 20, 2004. It's been nearly a year, so I think it's only right to officially declare this bookring to be dead. It didn't make it to many people, so I hope the rest of you get a chance to read it someday.

Thanks to all who participated.