Today’s review is about THE FRENCH INGREDIENT by Jane Bertch. It’s a memoir about an American expat who opens a cooking school in Paris. Along the way she gains a better understanding of French culture and astutely shares that with the reader. Author: Jane BertchSeries: NoneAge Category: AdultPublisher: Ballantine BooksPublish Date: April 9, 2024Print Length: 304 Want to support local bookstores? Buy a copy of The French Ingredient on Bookshop.org!* *These are not affiliate links and I...| A Literary Escape
The text messages I get from my mom could be a comedy skit. I've considered emailing Netflix to see if they will allow me, an unknown in the stand-up world,| Jeffrey Pillow
Sixty years later, I often find myself deep within our den in my dreams. The post The Lost Dens of Leicester by Sharon Tyers appeared first on Little Toller Books.| Little Toller Books
book inc PAL Liz Jannuzzi learns the hard way that her memoir's cover deserves a full collaborative effort to get it right. The post Memoir Cover Angst appeared first on book inc.| book inc
In this fantastic episode of the Sharing the Heart of the Matter podcast, Vicki Atkinson and I are talking with author, Bob Conlon. Bob has written a fantastic book, Celtic Knot featuring the story…| The Heart of the Matter
“Run for Your Life,” an excerpt from Turn to Stone by Emily Meg Weinstein “Well, I’d rather see you dead, little girl Than to be with another man” —Lennon and McCartney, “Run for Your Life” He only said it once, at an Egon Schiele retrospective on the Upper East Side. He was wearing his camel […] The post My Boyfriend’s Lies Cost Me More Than Just Our Relationship appeared first on Electric Literature.| Electric Literature
On July 23, the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), owner of the highest rated news broadcast in television, and its new owner, Skydance media, agreed to establish a government “monitor” to... READ MORE The post The Importance of Journalism by Bill Kurtis appeared first on University Press of Kansas.| University Press of Kansas
My Real Memoir “You don’t have to cough,” I told God. To wit, “You don’t have to make a sound or produce a theatrical burst of light for me to believe you’re here.” In fact, looking back, it seemed God … Continue reading → The post The Biggest Leap of My Life first appeared on Mitch Teemley.| Mitch Teemley
I am here, but I'm not just like you I am not home. The full MELANCHOLAI by Tomislav Silepeter can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
As a child, I witnessed the brutal torture and beatings that my mother, a teacher, endured at the hands of a gang of violent students, the Red Guards. The images of her half-shaved hair, a urine pot hanging from her neck, a high paper hat on her head, and the scars on her face, are forever ingrained in my memory. The full Years in a Pigsty by Sue Tong can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
Our teacher had said she thought the Negroes were going too far. I had raised my hand and disagreed. “Too far from what?” I had asked. The full An Eighth Grade Moment by Edna Garte can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
I thought about that wrongness I had believed was inside me. When I was little, it felt like a monster, trying to fight its way out. But now I knew there was never any monster; there was always just a little girl with pink inside trying to hold in all the feelings that she didn’t know how to. The full The Body by Darcey Gohring can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
My mother used to save her used tea bags in a small glass cup. I don’t think that she ever used one twice. Having grown up during the Great Depression, the thought of throwing the bag away after only one use was probably disturbing to her—much too extravagant. I watched the saved tea bags dry, shrink, curl, turn brown, and stick to the bottom of the cup—a monument to good intentions. The full Tea Bags by David Margolin can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
Now, in its 5th year, the Memoir Prize awards Memoir and Creative Nonfiction book length works of exceptional merit in the categories of traditional, self-published, and previously unpublished prose. The only contest of its kind, dedicated exclusively to the Memoir genre. This is a real opportunity for outstanding independently and self-published memoir authors to get the recognition they deserve. The full The Memoir Prize For Books! can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
I lived with my mom and grandma. Just the three of us. No siblings, no cousins, no aunts or uncles. Everyone I knew was one of our ages: adolescent, middle-aged, or elderly. No in-between. Thus, at thirteen, I was certain I’d soon be in midlife. From there, it’d be a quick bounce to old age, like a skipping stone toward death. Every day I stared in the mirror, checking the profile of my chin, horrified by the lines on my neck. The full The Day My Mother Lost Her Looks by Jenelle Boucher c...| Memoir Magazine
When Amy’s mother dies, there will be an autopsy. The report’s first paragraph will detail long black hairs protruding from her chin. It will be a commentary, a character judgement, a classification by statement of unnecessary fact. Amy will thumb her own stubbly chin and stop reading. It will all feel wrong. The full Hypostasis by Amy Bailey can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
with Featured artwork “Summer Shapes” by Norton Pease This, this is the memory that awoke in me one night while showering before bed. And let’s just get one thing straight before I go any further—this isn’t some story about a kid that got molested. Because it’s not. He’d peered down at my little boy body,... The full This Is Not Some Story About a Kid That Got Molested — Gary Smothers can be found at Memoir Magazine.| Memoir Magazine
In the beginning. My father married my mother and they begat six children, loving each of us unconditionally. Dad played the organ at church, Mom sang in the choir, and they raised me to be a good Catholic girl. And God saw that it was good. Whatsoever you do to the least of my...| Memoir Magazine
Slices of fresh fennel bulb grilled to tender, sweet perfection, tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, and topped with the fennel fronds. A gorgeous and delicious salad.| A Day in the Life on the Farm
When it seemed things might be getting serious, I told Rodney I’d choose my dog, Taubensee, over him if it came down to it.| Emily Suess
Are writing and suicide related? The same thing? Or estranged relatives, at least? The post “Why Do I Write?” You Might Not Like My Answer first appeared on The Walrus.| The Walrus
The Ahlbergs, by Janet Ahlberg, from ‘Peepo!’ The Bucket: Memories of an Inattentive Childhood by Allan Ahlberg. Illustrated by Janet Ahlberg, Fritz Wegner, Charlotte Voake, and Jessica…| Calmgrove Books
Stewart’s memoir is my favourite kind of actors’ autobiography, combining lots of Shakespeare, building from one-liner parts to the title character, then film and TV success, with more theatre all the way through. Add to that an interesting working class Yorkshire childhood, and the fact that he’s a humble and lovely bloke, it was perfect. Read More| AnnaBookBel
In this encore episode, author Laura Cathcart Robbins explains how recovery helped her cultivate the honesty needed to write her memoir and shares book marketing tips.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Many writers doubt their voices or all together confidence in their ideas. Use this unconventional strategy to regain yours and experience greater freedom.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Join me and somatic experiencing practitioner Kirby Moore in this encore episode as he discusses the importance of caring for your nervous system and creativity.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
How do you embrace your fears and live with greater acceptance? Follow Andrea Gibson's lead and learn to be fully present.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Reclaiming your writing voice and sense of peace after major disruptions can be difficult. This acceptance-building exercise can lead to more ease and grace.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Most American road trip books begin with a brief explanation of the author’s motive for hitting the road. In Travels with Charly in Search of America (1962), John Steinbeck describes his desire to reacquaint himself with a country that he’d fallen out of touch with. In The Great American Bus Ride (1993), expat Irma Kurtz… The post Finding a Home on the Road: Joanna Pocock’s “Greyhound” appeared first on Chicago Review of Books.| Chicago Review of Books
Kirti Verma explores the critical connections between literature, mental health, and the emergence of medical humanities in India through the work of writer, translator, poet, and editor Jerry Pinto.| the polyphony
I researched a lot before I began writing about psychic dreams and found out that I already knew more than most. Many don’t believe that dreams tell us the future, but I was just a 12-year-old when…| roughwighting
On the latest episode of the Nieman Storyboard podcast, Storyboard Editor Mark Armstrong sits down with Storyboard contributor and author-journalist Mallary Tenore Tarpley to discuss her new book, “Slip: Life in the Middle of Eating Disorder Recovery.” “Slip” is a reported memoir, with Tarpley recounting her own diagnosis and treatment for anorexia following the death of her mother from breast cancer when Tarpley was 11 years old. She talks about the process of writing and researching...| Nieman Storyboard
By Vickie Barret Years ago, during a writing class with a gifted and generous writer-teacher, the topic of what to read while writing came up. I looked to our writer-teacher for a singular answer, and without hesitation, he explained that he couldn’t read anything in the same genre he happened to be writing in. It […]| The Brevity Blog
By Marcia Heath A few years ago, I set out to write a biography about a couple of genius surfer dudes living a dream life in the Caribbean. It was a curious choice that mystified both my friends and me, a recovering executive and non-surfer in Maine. Why was I drawn to the story of […]| The Brevity Blog
By Allison K Williams What makes a place, or a thing, matter? In The Late Scholar, Jill Paton Walsh’s continuation of Dorothy L. Sayers’ Golden Age detective novels, Peter Wimsey sees a book once owned by Alfred the Great. The scholar showing it to him doesn’t feel like that adds much significance: “Well, I don’t […]| The Brevity Blog
“Maybe nectarines are just peaches in drag. Smooth. Magnificent.” This book has stuck with me far more than I’d expected and was an enjoyable reading experience. Some parts resonated more than others of course. I was looking to learn more about sensory issues and there was plenty about that, though not all of the stories/essays focus on that. This is a very readable memoir of an American childhood, taking the senses as inspiration for many of the stories. It would be a useful introducti...| Market Garden Reader
Susan Hampton, Anything Can Happen (Puncher and Wattmann 2024) We decided on this book before checking on availability. All was good for the Kindle readers, but there was a long queue at the library and it was out of stock … Continue reading →| Me fail? I fly!
Little Orphan Annie knew all about what it’s like as a child to live a “hard knock” life, and yet …Continue reading →| Deborah J. Brasket, Author
Like a Primal Mother, she takes me in. All I need to do is follow the path. It might take a little while for my preoccupations to fizzle away but change will come. Life, in all its glorious detail,…| bluebrightly
In "Are You Too Young to Teach Memoir?" published on August 7 in "Brevity Blog," Michele Cantos Garcia shares how curiosity and witnessing others' stories makes youth an asset in teaching memoir. The post Are You Too Young to Teach Memoir? (BREVITY BLOG) appeared first on book inc.| book inc
book inc PAL Michele Cantos chronicles the elaborate procrastination rituals we create to avoid reading our manuscripts. The post How To (Finally) Read Your Memoir Manuscript appeared first on book inc.| book inc
Do you remember Baskin Robbins and their 31 flavors? It seems we have 31 flavors of positivity these days. There is optimism, hopefulness, toxic positivity, resilience, happiness, joyfulness, IR…| The Heart of the Matter
Hi, hey and hello! Spring has got to be my favourite of the four seasons. The days get longer, the weather gets warmer but there’s still a nice easy breeze in the air. Fruit is in season agai…| AceReader
On August 14, 2025, the Social Security Act reaches its 90th birthday, a milestone that few social programs achieve. As an academic historian, born in 1950, I have become something... READ MORE The post Social Security: Origin, Accomplishments, & Threats to the 90-Year-Old Act by Edward D. Berkowitz appeared first on University Press of Kansas.| University Press of Kansas
Join me and Samman Akbarzada in this encore episode as we explore how she uses the power of words as a poet, novelist, and immigrant activist.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
In this encore episode, join me and Lennie Echterling as we explore the power of writing toward posttraumatic growth and making meaning from our experiences.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Join me and Lara Lillibridge, author of The Sound of Unringing Phones as we explore the challenges we face when writing about estrangement.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Hi friends, happy Monday! I hope you’re all doing well. Today I’m posting my review of Wayne Johnston’s memoir, Jennie’s Boy. This book was short-listed for Canada Reads 2025. Jennie’s Boy by: Wayne Johnston: This was the author’s memoir from a specific period in time, a catalyst and pivotal moment in life where things changed… Continue reading Review: Jennie’s Boy| Meghan's Whimsical Explorations & Reviews
“The best book on the Irish language I have ever read – so funny, so soulful.” Tommy Tiernan| International Literature Festival Dublin
Long after her death, I used the tools of journalism to reckon with memory, regret, and love. The post Writing the Story My Mother Never Got to Tell appeared first on Modern Loss.| Modern Loss
Eye makers for millennia have been trying to re-create the expressionist power of the human body’s most complex and emotionally meaningful visible organ.| The MIT Press Reader
Next of Kin: A Memoir by Gabrielle Hamilton SYNOPSIS – “We were a family veined through with certain brutalities, rifts, and unresolved conflicts, as well as some remarkable violences and som…| BookZone
Jennifer Crystal, author of One Tick Stopped the Clock, shares what’s new. Check it out below! “I was thrilled to…| Legacy Book Press LLC
Naked and Unafraid My first book, UNRULY, hit the virtual shelves on January 21, 2025 and on the cover is…| Legacy Book Press LLC
Accent The whispers of my childhood woods and the hills redundantly green cast a blade-sharp curse on my tongue— the…| Legacy Book Press LLC
Three months later, I wearily pulled into a motor lodge somewhere in Pennsylvania. I don’t remember the name of the…| Legacy Book Press LLC
I've had some fun texts, pictures, and social media posts from people who've bought my book. It's exciting to see…| Legacy Book Press LLC
1997 My sandals squeaked in the soft sand as I made my way across the beach toward the water-skiing cove.…| Legacy Book Press LLC
Oh, to read A Child’s Christmas in Wales over the holidays during a pandemic, with three of our four parents deceased, my 91-year-old mother-in-law in lockdown in her retirement village six hours away, and time on our hands to reminisce about our childhood Christmases, when our families were healthy and intact, and all was right with the world. How many such thoughts, such essays, has Dylan Thomas’s tender story prompted over the years? Does that make my thoughts, my essay a cliché? Mayb...| Legacy Book Press LLC
Dave Barry, true to form, made fun of himself and almost everything else in his memoir. I’ve enjoyed Barry’s writing on and off over the years as I’ve come across it. This book, l…| Phil's Scribblings
I got off at Barbés. Like last time, men were idly waiting, clustered at the foot of the Métro overhead. People were trudging along the pavement with pink shopping bags from the discount store Tati. Happening by Annie Ernaux is the third book I’ve read by the Nobel Prize Laureate of 2022 and the second … Continue reading Happening | Annie Ernaux| This Reading Life
Since all the essays in my new collection, Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless, incorporate facts I learned from asking experts, reading scholarly works, or rooting around in… The post What Else? – How Research Makes Meaning appeared first on Writers.com.| Writers.com
Wednesday, July 30, 2025 Welcome, all. I know that many of us are in dire need of positive things. So, I’m giving you fair warning. This post is bleak. If you need sunshine and rainbows, …| Teagan's Books
…between grief and exhilaration? Between hugging his dear, breathless head tight (after carefully and tenderly straightening his wrist, bent back on itself where it rested on his lap) –…| bluebrightly
As a memoir coach and teacher, one of the most common requests I get is for instruction in how to write the personal essay. Here's how.| Memoir coach and author Marion Roach
Memoir Inc PAL, Liz Jannuzzi, details her decade-long journey from taking her first memoir writing class in 2015 to successfully securing publication of her memoir. The post My Journey to Publication: Part I appeared first on book inc.| book inc
“Surviving Sue” is celebrating a birthday – she’s officially two years old! Last week in a reflective moment I thought about the past two years and the enormous gratitude I feel for readers and their kind words, lovely reviews and comments. Whether it’s a call or an email outreach, my heart swells when readers connect. […]| Victoria Ponders
Me Talk Pretty One Day is a collection of witty, self-deprecating essays by David Sedaris, chronicling his childhood struggles with speech therapy, his eccentric family, and his later experiences as an American in France. With sharp observations and a dry sense of humor, he turns everyday moments into hilarious reflections on language, identity, and cultural…| Selected Reads
In this post, I am introducing you to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, Hunter S. Thompson’s iconic deep dive into excess, chaos, and the crumbling ideals of the American Dream. First, we will talk about the story itself then we’ll wrap up with some book club questions to help you dig deeper into the…| Selected Reads
Join me and Tia Levings as we explore what it takes to write about tough topics and Tia's journey recovering from religious trauma.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Join me and Katie Rose Guest Pryal as we explore how understanding and embracing neurodivergence helps all of us.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
If You Don’t Like This, I Will Die: An Influencer Memoir by Lee Tilghman SYNOPSIS – A powerful and illuminating memoir that exposes the stark and rarely-seen reality of influencing as a career. Lee Tilghman—also known as @LeeFromAmerica—was one of the very first wellness influencers. To her nearly 400,000 followers, she shared daily updates and…| BookZone
Did you forget about me? Such a long, long time before the dawn I didn’t forget about you all, but I did prioritize some other things (including sleep and exercise: recommend both) that left …| Eiger, Mönch & Jungfrau
Henry Thomas Austen (8th June 1771 – 12th March 1850) wrote two memoirs, or biographical notices, about his sister Jane. The first one was written in 1818 just after her death and was included…| This Reading Life
The practical test for my CAPES examination took place at a lycée in Lyon, in the Croix-Rousse area. A new lycée, with potted plants in the buildings for the teaching and administrative staff, and …| This Reading Life
10/12/1952 – 7/6/2025 It came sooner than I thought it would, sooner than anyone thought. There is so much to say and there is nothing to say. Over the years I’ve taken many photos of Joe. It feels nourishing to scroll through them now. Many of you didn’t know him, some of you knew him … Continue reading →| bluebrightly
These memoirs center women thriving in the most technical, filthy, physically arduous, dangerous, male-dominated professions| Electric Literature
26th March 2025 Breaking Waves by Emma Simpson: Sneak Peek A warm, reflective and uplifting memoir about healing wounds, reclaiming a voice and discovering freedom through the open water. ‘If you enjoyed Freya Bromley’s The Tidal Year, you’ll love this. Perfect for those of us who need cold water to heal.’ Emma Gannon, author of... Read more »| Icon Books
Cici Zhang meditates on what Ray Bradbury's work can teach us about childhood, memory, and the coming of summer.| Cherwell
🍷 A Year in Provence became my first entry for #ParisInJuly2025, hosted by Emma @ Word and Peace. It's the first of a series of memoir written by Peter Mayle, an American guy who moved to France with his wife and two dogs in the 1980s. My initial choice had been Toujours Provence (the second book in the series) - planning to read it for A Century of Books project, but unfortunately I couldn't find any available ebook. So, I picked the first book, which was available, and someone has comm...| Fanda Classiclit
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to guide a whitewater rafting trip on the Zambezi River? Reading Bridget Crocker’s memoir, The River’s Daughter, is like floating down the water on an adventurous ride. 4/5 stars ★★★★☆ To read more about her story: https://amzn.to/46iSSaI Published on: June 3rd, 2025 From The Publisher: “A […] The post Bridget Crocker’s Memoir ‘The River’s Daughter’ appeared first on TBD Teacher.| TBD Teacher
Dr. Ramani Durvasula, author of It’s Not You, shares her insights into identifying narcissistic people and how survivors of narcissistic abuse can heal.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Here are good books for readers of rich literature and memoirs: Shirley Hazzard's classic; John Gregory Dunne's Las Vegas adventure now back in print; and bestselling author Fredrik Backman's new novel, which is publishing this week.| The Longest Chapter
"Raising Hare" is a new memoir that captures a life-changing endeavor to bring up a leveret. It's a delightful story of love and respect in a human-to-nature connection. Here's my review.| The Longest Chapter
January was a month when I swung widely among many types of books, not only in genre but also topic. To start, Ingrained: The Making of a Craftsman, not a topic I’d typically be drawn to. That changed thanks to what I read about the memoir when it published in December. Callum Robinson writes about … Continue reading A few book recommendations| The Longest Chapter
Many of my hobbies are word-based. I read books, I review them, and I write short form narratives. The writing is for fun, something that I’ve reclaimed as enjoyable following academic writing. I have a group of friends that get together and workshop what we’re working on a few times a year – although most […]| faintingviolet
Reflections on Harriet Jacobs’s loophole of retreat — and my mother’s personal archive of memories.| The MIT Press Reader
When in 1926 Robert Chapman published his edition of James Edward Austen-Leigh’s biography of his aunt Jane Austen the Times Literary Supplement chiefly welcomed its reissue not for the life …| This Reading Life
I meet my parents at a fish shop in an inner-city mall. By the time I get there, they are waiting in their windbreakers and matching hiking shoes. I greet their outdoor energy with a wave hello. &#…| This Reading Life
Join me and Beth Docherty as we explore trauma-informed ways of telling your story that attend to your audience's needs.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
By Richard Walker There are several definitions of what constitutes a landscape, depending on context. In common usage however, a Continue readingLandscape. What is it? The post Landscape. What is it? first appeared on Amaurea Press.| Amaurea Press
A review of a beautifully written new memoir, “Highlife & my other lives”, and an interview with its author, Richard Continue readingSort of a Highlife The post Sort of a Highlife first appeared on Amaurea Press.| Amaurea Press
“As a teenager, I used to think there were two kinds of people: the i...| Mutha Magazine
Join me and Dr. Risa Ryger as we discuss what it really means to change, write through pain, and cultivate a self-owned mindset.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
Did they mean something? At the very least, it proved life was full of everyday magic. Mehret was new to manifesting, embracing her intuition, and letting| Zanniee
Listen & Be Heard Remix Volume One: a timely blend of our guests reading from their work, and other highlights from previous episodes.| Listen & Be Heard Network
Writing Podcast for Writers from Beginner to Advanced. 💜🎧💜 YA Author, Book Coach, Editor, Speaker| Suzy Vadori - YA Author, Book Coach, Editor, Speaker
Learn how Lynn Shattuck and Alyson Shelton found solace and a publishing path for The Loss of a Lifetime anthology on sibling loss.| Lisa Cooper Ellison
About the Book: In 2003, seventeen-year-old Australian exchange student Hannah Kent arrives at Keflavík Airport in the middle of the Icelandic winter. That night she sleeps off her jet lag and bewi…| Theresa Smith Writes
City-writing is always a challenge, and writing about one of the most over-determined cities of the world is particularly challenging. For example, what is left to write about Paris that can still unsettle a reader’s sedimented expectations, after all the … Continue reading →| anenduringromantic
