nbhatta's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting descriptions of a life both familiar and unfamiliar
The non-linear structure wasn’t executed well and I found the meanders to be annoying sometimes
The non-linear structure wasn’t executed well and I found the meanders to be annoying sometimes
sonia_picks's review against another edition
5.0
A powerful story. Deliciously moving and insightful.
nakedsushi's review against another edition
3.0
I wouldn't call this a light read considering some of the difficult things that Lakshmi writes about, but it was a good co-read to have around while reading some drier non-fiction. She's a great story teller and she's definitely lived a life. My favorite passages are the ones where she talks about her life in India and those family dynamics because it's something that I can relate to.
Like a lot of other memoirs, I found some parts disjointed or repetitive, like the author wrote this whole thing over a long period of time and only in the end did it get collected into book form. I liked the inclusion of recipes in the book, although I wouldn't call this a recipe book. The entire book could have used more editing because some sections were just overwrought, but mainly I was reading this for the story and not the prose, so I didn't take it too seriously.
Like a lot of other memoirs, I found some parts disjointed or repetitive, like the author wrote this whole thing over a long period of time and only in the end did it get collected into book form. I liked the inclusion of recipes in the book, although I wouldn't call this a recipe book. The entire book could have used more editing because some sections were just overwrought, but mainly I was reading this for the story and not the prose, so I didn't take it too seriously.
orygunn's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciated how frank Lakshmi is in the book and open with many very personal details. Makes me want to learn more about and taste more Indian foods. Totally going to pickle some peppers.
lneff514's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting and a bit self indulgent. I love memoirs and enjoyed this one... i didn't know a thing about Padma before reading this.
_cherish's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
I absolutely love Top Chef and I love Padma. This book was alright. Some of it was good, some of it was annoying-learned some stuff, some of it was boring.
thornlet's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.75
laurasullivan's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
3.5