Book Review: Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin'

So, ya'll know that I went to Savannah, GA last week on vacation and that we went on the Paula Deen tour. Well, I've always been a fan of Paula's from watching her shows on The Food Network. After all, I am a Southern gal and can relate to all that fabulousness that Paula is cookin' up in the kitchen!  She had me hooked when I saw a show where she deep fried a ham using a turkey fryer. It came out a little crispy on the outside (also how I like my hot dogs!) but so tender and juicy on the inside-at least that's how it looked on tv.  It must be lunchtime because I'm going off talking about food!

Anyhoo, I was intrigued by Paula's story so I purchased her biography, Paula Deen: It Ain't All About the Cookin' while we were in Savannah. Now, normally I don't really do biographies, I'm more of a popular fiction kinda gal, but I couldn't put this book down. I had it finished within three days!

(Did ya'll really click to look inside? Lol.)

Here's a summary of what it's all about written by Amazon reviewer Dennis Phillips. I figured what he said pretty much sums up what I thought so why rewrite it? :) See the whole review here.

"She starts out the book by saying that she is going to hide nothing and is going to be totally honest with her fans. She then proceeds to admit that she is a smoker and I thought that if this was her biggest darkest secret I was going to be bored before I got through with this book. Well in true Southern fashion she was just serving up a light appetizer because there was much more to come. The much more I'm not going to give away but take it from me, Paula has been cooking in more rooms than the kitchen.

Beyond the secrets though this is a warm and endearing book that is filled with Southern slang and humor. This is the story of the average Southern girl who grows up watching her mother and grandmother cook but never dreams that cooking will be her ticket to the big time. This is the story of a girl who marries too young, loses her parents not long after that and ends up having to find a way to support her family. There are dark times when she has to deal with family problems and mental illness and there are times when most people would have just given up but this is also a love story with a happy ending."

Now, back to my thoughts. I really enjoyed this book. Paula has a charm about her that reminds me of my own grandmothers. How can you not love a lady that says "Hey ya'll!"?

I love Paula's rags to riches story. Her story embodies all the stereotypical adages:

"You're never too old to follow your dreams."

"Hard work does pay off."

"You can start with nothin' and make somethin'."

...And so on...

If you're a fan-or even if you're not, maybe you will become one after reading-I recommend this book.

Now, with that being said, there are some things in the book that will make your jaw drop open and be like "What??????".  Seriously.

That's all I'm gonna say about that. Are you intrigued yet?

...And if you don't know the story of how Paula and Michael met...well, I just love it. It's so fun!

A Book Review: The Wedding Machine by Beth Webb Hart

A Book Review: The Wedding Machine by Beth Webb Hart

Those of you that read my blog on the regular (thank you!) know that I’m in the throes of wedding planning. So, naturally I was drawn to this book when I saw the title, “The Wedding Machine”. My first thought was that it was an odd title for a book, but as I said, these days I’m drawn to anything wedding.

This book was such a departure from my norm fave genre, mystery. This book was all about girl power and lasting friendships, which honestly, these days can be hard to come by. And I love that the story is set in the Southern community of Jasper, SC so I can relate to the setting. I can just see and smell the grand old trees and the pluff mud from my past visits to SC.

The Wedding Machine follows four friends (Ray, Hilda, Kitty B., and Sis) from the time that they became friends as teens to when they are grown and have kids of their own. Dont’cha just love the name Kitty B.? That’s about as Southern as they come, lol.

Here is a description of the book from the back cover:

“Welcome to Jasper, South Carolina. A place where Southern hospitality thrives. Where social occasions are done right. And where, for generations, the four most upstanding ladies of this community ensure that the daughters of Jasper are married in the proper manner.
Friends from school days, “the gals” have long pooled their silver, china, and know-how to pull off beautiful events. They’re a force of nature, a well-oiled machine. But the wedding machine’s gears start to stick during the summer their own daughters line up to tie the knot. In the lowcountry heat and humidity, tempers flare, old secrets leak out…and both love and gardenias bloom in unlikely places.

The Wedding Machine is a celebration of life-long friendship – the kind that endures death and divorce, accidents and alligators, hot flashes and hurricanes. Even the drama of small-town Southern weddings done exactly right.”

Now, back to me. :) I give this book two thumbs up! It was an easy read and would be great by the pool or on the beach. This book will make you laugh out loud, possibly bring a tear to a dry eye, and will make you wanna call up your girlfriends just to hang out. Enjoy!

You can even go here, to read a couple'a pages for yourself.