All Consuming : lhoffman

How "Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers" changed my life

nobody@allconsuming.net (lhoffman) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:36:13 GMT

Flower Confidential: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful in the Business of Flowers

by Amy Stewart

This has utterly changed the way I buy flowers. I now feel pity for the poor ethylene-choked carnations at the grocery store, and my husband knows he must only buy flowers for me from organicbouquet.com.

Why I recommend "Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story"

nobody@allconsuming.net (lhoffman) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:30:45 GMT

Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story

by Leonie Swann

Gotta love a mystery solved by a flock of sheep. I mean, seriously.

Why I recommend "The Book of Air and Shadows"

nobody@allconsuming.net (lhoffman) — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 21:29:38 GMT

The Book of Air and Shadows

by Michael Gruber

lots of geeky literary criticism action
unreliable narrator
whodunit
a thinker’s summer read

A story about "Buena Vista Social Club"

nobody@allconsuming.net (lhoffman) — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 13:21:21 GMT

Buena Vista Social Club

by Ry Cooder

I get these songs in my head all the time, despite the fact that I know no Spanish whatsoever. So I find myself singing this random collection of vowels that approximates the lyrics, instead.

A story about "One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding"

nobody@allconsuming.net (lhoffman) — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:01:37 GMT

One Perfect Day: The Selling of the American Wedding

by Rebecca Mead

Reading this book totally made me think about my wedding, and I had this surprising feeling of vindication about not having been taken in by the “wedding industrial complex.” My husband and I had a small, thoughtful ceremony, officiated by my dad and attended by our immediate families. I wore a nice blue silk/cotton dress I got on clearance at Ann Taylor for $20; he found this excellent mid-50s sharkskin jacket. We spent about $900 on a kick-ass catered dinner for the fourteen of us (with desserts that were worth every penny). I loved every moment of it. A wedding professional would have gasped in horror.

Why I recommend "Cotton Candy"

nobody@allconsuming.net (lhoffman) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 15:08:52 GMT

Cotton Candy

It’s candy you can rationalize: there’s a ton of it in a 1.5 ounce bag, so it takes a while to eat, but it’s mostly air so it won’t kill your diet. I love the way a wispy pinch of it melts on my tongue.