Listen to the Episode
Air date: January 19, 2025
Check Out The Books
Read the Transcript
JESSICA:
Hi, this is Jessica Russell. I’m the assistant director of collection services at Sno-Isle Libraries. And welcome to Book Buzz.
Today's two reading recommendations are a celebrity’s food diary, and a story of boarding school friends told through a series of letters.
First, we’re going to hear from Paige, librarian at the Edmonds Library, for a tasty memoir. Go ahead, Paige.
PAIGE:
For those of us who dream of and think of food more than writing the grocery list or while looking for a snack, in “What I Ate in One Year,” Stanley Tucci's writing on food is "Chicken Soup for the Soul." If you happen to be like me and read during your breaks or late in the evening, I recommend having a snack on hand, and I wholeheartedly recommend listening to the audiobook when able, as this is narrated by the author.
Taking the format of a diary, the reader sees each month of the year of 2023 through Stanley's eyes. Whether this is a work trip to film a new project, and Stanley must sustain himself with homemade pasta while he travels, a trip to Central London as Stanley is at a party for the King of England, or trying to make sure that his young children have finished their breakfast before running out the door for school.
Through a simple bowl of “pasta and cheese” for his youngest daughter, his youngest son showing off every new food he has sampled, sharing a meal with his grown children and with his wife, Stanley brings his larger-than-life world down to our level of the everyday. What we are reminded of through this year of Stanley’s life, each day and each meal is an opportunity to connect with your past, present, friends, family, or yourself.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Paige! It’s definitely a feast for the soul as much as the palate.
Next, let’s hear about school friends who share secrets, hopes, and heartbreak, from Jennifer, librarian at the Mill Creek Library. Take it away, Jennifer.
JENNIFER:
Today my book review goes out to all the listeners who want a comfort read: a book that's cozy, with kindhearted characters, not too much drama, and a happy ending.
“Yours From the Tower” by Sally Nicholls is set in 1896 in England. It’s the tale of three young women who were best friends in boarding school. They’ve now graduated and gone their separate ways, but they still keep in touch in letters, and these letters form the narrative of the book.
There’s altruistic Polly, who’s got a job at a Liverpool orphanage, where she’s falling in love with all the children – and her boss. There’s Sophia, who’s trying to land a rich husband during a dazzling London Season, and pretending to have more fun than she actually is. And there’s passionate, spontaneous Tirza, who’s essentially being kept prisoner by her mean grandmother, and nobody knows why.
These girls write to each other, and in their letters they share gossip and jokes and hopes and frustrations and dreams.
Although romance plays a part, the very center of “Yours From the Tower” is the warm friendship between our three main characters. It’s a lovely gentle read, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
JESSICA:
Thanks, Jennifer! This book sounds like a heartfelt journey through friendship and self-discovery.
Our recommendations this week are: “What I Ate in One Year” by Stanley Tucci and “Yours From the Tower” by Sally Nicholls.
Join us next time, when we’ll explore more great reading recommendations — interesting books you can find at your favorite local bookstore or at your local library.
Until then, I’m Jessica Russell from Sno-Isle Libraries.
Thanks for joining us for Book Buzz on KSER.
Hear More From Book Buzz
Join us each Sunday as Sno-Isle Libraries staff discuss the latest buzz-worthy titles on our weekly radio program, Book Buzz.
