Julie & Julia

Title: Julie & Julia
Author: Julie Powell
Pub Date: 2005
Pages: 307
Genre: Memoir

First, props goes to Sheila for hosting the contest that led me to owning this book!

Okay. I'm going to admit this. This book interested me because the movie trailer caught my attention. There might be a gasp in the audience of book lovers and cooks, but I really didn't have much of an idea or opinion about the great Julia Child. Nope. It was because of the publicity that made me think, "Wow, who'd have thought that a cooking show could have so much personality?"

I'm usually pretty determined to read the book first if I plan to watch the movie. I know in some cases this doesn't prove possible (i.e. watching a film and then having the *aha* moment that it has been adapted...) but in this one, I could control fate.

Score. I had such a good time reading J&J that I didn't (and still don't) feel the urgency to watch the production of it. (Although I hear that it would be a different experience because the film version revolves around more JC rather than JP).

But, I digress. I'm not much of a foodie or a cook. I'll try my hand at new dishes every now and again when the mood strikes; but overall, if I have to cook more than twice a week, I'm put off. So to take upon the challenge of cooking French recipes, all in a year? Uh, no.

So this is how I know Julie Powell's memoir was GOOD. It made me want to run out, buy a JC cookbook, open it up to any given page and COOK. I'll be damned people, we're talking cooking dishes I could probably not pronounce.

JP's portrayal of herself, her friends, her fans, blogging, her husband, her experience - well, it had me rooting for her, yelling at her, cringing, and laughing.

(Most of the cringing went along with some of the items she was eating).