What I thought I knew

Cohen has written an intensely honest memoir in What I thought I knew. She had a wonderful adopted daughter, a great boyfriend and as she entered her forties a settled life. Then she finds out that she is six months pregnant and she's been taking her medicine, which may have hurt the baby. Cohen takes readers on the emotional roller coaster ride with her. At times I got angry with her, but always understood her. A powerful memoir of love, live and change.

Fred Astaire taps again

When I was little I wanted to grow up to dance with Fred Astaire. I didn't realize that he had grown old or that my ability at formal dancing would be so limited. Putting on the Ritz is a well researched biography on Astaire.

Because (unlike today's stars) Astaire was a private person, the book is doesn't give you a very personal view of Astaire. However I found the information on his dancing fascinating

Makes you want to cook at home

Bourdain started a new genre with Kitchen Confidential - the gritty soap opera of the restaurant kitchen. Sheehan's Cooking Dirty tells the tale of less prestigious kitchens. His tales of the adrenaline, drugs and the cooktop are good, but you may not want to eat out soon.

Thunderbolt kid rides again

Bill Bryson has written a warm and funny memoir of being a boy in 1950s/60s Des Moines. It was a time before the chain homogenization of American and towns had their own character. It was also the era of the baby boom and there were a million other kids to play with and get into mischief with. Fun read. Check out The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: a memoir.