Book 1: Cleaving

After a year of keeping track of which books I read, I want to keep going. I'm curious about how many books I will read without any number in mind. So, today I want to tell you about Cleaving by Julie Powell.

I already told you that I really like her writing, but I really dislike Julie. I still feel that way now that I'm done with this one. And I can't help thinking, "her parents are reading this book about her S&M dates with her boyfriend, and about her husband having his own girlfriend!" And that's kind of brave and honest, or else it's just a way to write a sensational book to try to stay famous, or else it's just a desperate cry for attention. My feelings toward Julie varied greatly throughout the book. I felt sorry for her, disappointed by her, embarrassed for her, grossed out by her, somewhat sympathetic toward her, and scared for her, but I never felt like I wanted to meet her or hang out with her.

The best part of the book is when she describes traveling to other countries by herself. After she finishes her butchering apprenticeship, she goes to Argentina, the Ukraine, and Tanzania (and Japan, but she doesn't tell us much about it).

Overall, I don't recommend it. It was pretty disappointing.