Years ago, I had the pleasure of watching "Julie and Julia", a movie starring the talented Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, and I absolutely loved it.

It turns out that this movie was based on one of three books, and this particular one is all about Julie Powell's attempts to cook the renowned Julia Child's recipes and the blog she created.

Julie wrote with a snarky and self-depreciating sense of humor about her year-long journey to master Julia Child's recipes. At thirty years old, she was married to her high school sweetheart, Eric, and worked as a secretary for a government agency in a job she despised. They lived in a loft apartment in an outer borough of NYC, which was old, cramped, and uncomfortable. Alongside cooking, Julie began blogging about her culinary adventures. This was during the early days of blogging, and her posts were funny, sometimes outrageous, and often profane.

As it happened, French cooking is not just about delicate soufflés and sauces. Julie learned how to cook live lobsters, calves' brains and kidneys, and make aspic from calves' hooves. She gamely gave it all a try.

My reactions: I found the first half of the book more enjoyable than the last half, as Julie's antics started to feel repetitious. Perhaps her blog posts were more exciting to read in real time. I much preferred the movie. In the film, Julie's rough edges were softened. Maybe it's time to watch it again.

Eh, I have never finished reading this book, and I didn't really want to pick it up again. There are just too many books out there! It seems like every time I start one, another interesting one catches my eye. Maybe it's because I'm always curious about different stories and ideas. But this also means that I have a stack of unfinished books sitting on my shelf, gathering dust. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty about it, but then I think that there's no rush. Reading should be a pleasure, not a chore. So I'll just take my time and enjoy each book as I come across it, even if it means that some of them might never get finished.

I'm extremely excited for the book to movie club that's happening tomorrow night.

It's going to be such a great event.

Not only will we get to discuss the book and then watch the movie adaptation, but to top it off, I have a few Julia recipes in mind.

I can just imagine the delicious aroma filling the room as we enjoy the food and engage in lively conversations about the story.

The combination of the literary and cinematic experience along with the wonderful food is sure to make it a memorable night.

I can't wait to share this special evening with my friends at the club.

It's going to be a blast!

First off, I must confess that I have been a devoted worshiper at the shrine of Julia Child ever since I was a teenager.

As a 20-year-old, I painstakingly worked my way through a significant portion of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I not only own every single one of her books but also use them regularly. Moreover, I have watched every episode of every show she has ever had more than once.

I had read Noël Riley Fitch's biography, Appetite for Life: The Biography of Julia Child, 20 years ago. While I found it informative, it was rather dry. Last week, after seeing an interview with author Bob Spitz on C-SPAN, I read Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child. It was a livelier read, yet I felt it focused a bit too much on Julia's early life, perhaps at the expense of the more detailed aspects of her later life. In truth, Julia's best voice can be heard in her own cookbooks, letters, and her delightful memoir, My Life In France.

So, why did I choose to read this book? Well, I had seen the film and mainly enjoyed it as a vehicle for Meryl Streep (whom I also greatly admire), but it was just average, not something I would be eager to watch again. The Julie character in the film seemed pretty one-dimensional, whiny, and not particularly interesting. However, as I was reading Dearie, Julie and Julia showed up as a 1.99 special on BookBub or Early Bird, and I thought, "Why not?" The book is vastly different from the film. Julie in the book is gritty, determined, and at times, not very nice at all. She describes herself as, "I’m a foulmouthed hysteric with misanthropic tendencies for whom things are constantly going terribly, terribly wrong." She has a diverse group of friends and family who seem equally maladjusted. But despite all this, I really, really liked her! Julia Child's voice and presence are omnipresent in the book, but they are as heard and interpreted by Julie.

Another reviewer, Stefani (in one of the few positive reviews), captured my reaction almost perfectly when she said, "To me this is a book about finding sanity in structure. Julie doesn't know what to do with her life, so she manufactures a project... By completing at least one new recipe a day, and blogging about it, she finds herself so consumed that she has little time to obsess about her dead-end job, and her possible infertility."

Julie herself summed up her year-long experience by saying, "Julia taught me what it takes to find your way in the world. It’s not what I thought it was. I thought it was all about—I don’t know, confidence or will or luck. Those are all some good things to have, no question. But there’s something else, something that these things grow out of. It’s joy."

This book offers a unique perspective on both Julia Child and the woman who was inspired by her, Julie. It shows the power of following one's passion and finding joy in the process, even when faced with numerous challenges and setbacks. It's a story that can resonate with anyone who has ever struggled to find their place in the world and is looking for that one thing that can bring them true happiness.

Whether you're a die-hard Julia Child fan or simply someone who enjoys a good memoir, Julie and Julia is definitely worth a read. It may not be a perfect book, but it offers enough insights and inspiration to make it a worthwhile addition to any bookshelf.

So, if you're looking for a book that will make you laugh, cry, and think, give Julie and Julia a chance. You might just be surprised at how much you enjoy it.

Author Julia Powell is a complex mix of various traits. From the very beginning, when she reveals that she sold her own eggs to pay off credit debt, she resembles that dreaded person on a long flight who bombards you with their life story in minutes. She is also the TMI girl we're all familiar with, sharing details like the smell of her burps and piss, constantly bitching about her job and Republicans, describing smelly cocks, overindulging in cocktails, and telling us she sleeps with her face on her husband's ass, using "fuck" every other word. She seems oblivious to the shocked expressions and cringes of those around her, believing herself to be witty and funny. She disrespects and insults her loving and patient husband while considering cheating on him and living vicariously through her slutty friends, both single and married. (I sense a divorce on the horizon.)

She also embarked on a year-long cooking/blog project, an idea given to her and set up by the husband she treats so poorly, to cook every recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. However, she proceeds to mess up and alter the recipes, partly due to their difficulty, partly due to her bad planning, and mostly because of her own stupidity. For example, boning a fowl isn't that hard, so stop stressing; why not ask the butcher to slice the bone marrow instead of making a disgusting mess yourself? And please, spare us the details of getting lobster meat out with a tweezer. We're supposed to find all this amusing. Ha. Ha.

As she began this culinary adventure, I couldn't forget that she'd mentioned having three cats, a python, and being disgusted by the cooking environment. But no surprise, she tells us about the cat hair in the kitchen and food, the dead mice for her snake in the same bag as cooking ingredients, the vegetables falling on the rotted kitchen floor that she throws into the pot, and the flies that lead to finding maggots in her kitchen. Yummy.

Julie ends up getting a lot of media attention, a large blog following, and a book/movie deal. An ignorant reader like me gains a new understanding of the complexity of Julia Child's recipes and something like (but not quite) admiration for the author actually cooking every recipe. This book won't go on my "sucked" shelf as it didn't completely suck. I give it one star for being readable and for the somewhat touching story of how a nobody became someone on her own. I just didn't like her tone. I couldn't take it.

I hear she has a sequel coming out next month, this time about being a butcher. Would I read it? Absolutely. Not because I want to read about her mutilating dead animals and more gross bodily functions. I'm really eager to know if she divorces that kind husband who was by her side the whole time. I'm betting she did.

I have to admit that I have not read this book.

However, I have read enough of Powell's blog (the basis for this book) to be thoroughly repulsed.

She is a foul-mouthed, self-centered idiot.

Her name should never be mentioned in the same breath with Julia Child, who was and is a cooking goddess and a great lady.

The fact that Powell has made a mint and been able to become a so-called "food writer" on the basis of this book is one more example of the "American Idol" school of success - mediocrity with good publicity.

It seems that in today's society, being able to attract attention and get good publicity is more important than having real talent or skill.

Powell may have achieved some level of success with her book, but in my opinion, it is a hollow and unsubstantiated kind of success.

True success should be based on hard work, dedication, and a genuine love and passion for what one does.

Julia Child is a prime example of this kind of success.

She dedicated her life to the art of cooking and inspired countless people around the world with her talent and charm.

Powell, on the other hand, seems to have achieved success through nothing more than a combination of luck and good marketing.

This is a sad state of affairs and one that I hope will change in the future.

3.5 Stars
This is truly one of those extremely rare cases. In this instance, the movie adaptation has managed to outshine the original source material. The real Julie Powell, as presented in her memoir, gives the impression of being rather unlikable. Her personality and actions as described in the book may not necessarily endear her to the readers.

On the other hand, the movie has taken the essence of the story and presented it in a more engaging and palatable way. The characters in the movie seem more relatable and the overall narrative is more captivating.

I would highly recommend that one sticks to watching the movie. It offers a more enjoyable and fulfilling experience. However, if you are someone who is really curious to see the true story in all its details and want to get a more in-depth understanding of Julie Powell's life and experiences, then you might consider reading the memoir. But be prepared for a different kind of portrayal compared to what you see on the big screen.

I must've really needed this kind of book right about now.

I bought it about a year ago when I saw it on the B&N clearance table, but then shelved it. I've actually been hearing a lot about it lately (I'm sure because of the upcoming film), so I figured I'd give it a shot.

I loved this. I really couldn't put it down. Reading through the author's experiences as she cooks through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking reminded me of how delicious and sometimes therapeutic cooking a home-made meal from scratch can be.

Though honestly, I can never imagine myself boning a duck, cutting apart and boiling a live lobster, extracting bone marrow, or making a gelee' out of calves' hooves (WTF?).

I could relate to Julie Powell's story, in a way. Though I'm *coughcoughoverthirtycoughcough*, I could sympathize with her being kind of stuck in a dead-end, crappy job. But hey, I've got kids, you sometimes gotta do what you gotta do, right?

Favorite quote:

"Oh, God. It really was true, wasn't it? I really was a secretary."

I'm almost embarrassed to say that this book inspired me. Did you know Julia Child didn't even learn to cook until she was 37? I had no clue. It kind of showed me it's never too late to really find your passion, and do what you love to do. God, just typing that makes me feel so lame that I got that much out of this book, when a lot of the time, I'm admittedly pretty snarky...which leads me to another cool quote:

"...hard-bitten cynicism leaves one feeling peevish, and too much of it can do lasting damage to your heart."

This book not only entertained me with its humorous and engaging account of the author's cooking adventures but also made me reflect on my own life. It made me realize that even though we may be in less-than-ideal situations, there's always hope for something better. It's never too late to pursue our dreams and find true fulfillment.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves cooking, or anyone who needs a little inspiration to break free from the monotony of their daily lives. It's a quick and easy read that will leave you feeling uplifted and motivated.

I have a rather complex love/hate relationship with this book.

I absolutely adore the concept behind it. It's the captivating story of the author painstakingly working her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, following each recipe to the letter, without skipping a single one. At its core, it's a real-life adventure that allows me to experience it vicariously.

However, on the other hand, there are times when the execution falls short. For instance, I really didn't need to know about the maggot infestation in the author's kitchen. I'm well aware that my own kitchen isn't perfectly hygienic, but maggots under the dish drainer? That's just ewww eww eww! As the book progresses, the story seems to shift focus. It becomes less and less about the cooking and more and more about how much the author despises her government job and her small apartment. There are also the regular plumbing catastrophes that occur in said apartment and the cast of kooky friends who drop in regularly.

Given that the book originated as a blog, the prose is somewhat more forgivable. Although it's not written in a traditional "blog form," I can see how the narrative would have been engaging as a blog. It's evident that the author felt the need to pad the story to make it a full-length book, but I'm not entirely convinced that was necessary. The filler is just that - filler.

The author allegedly has a multi-book deal now. The problem is, I'm not sure if I would ever pick up another book by her. Maybe if she came up with another truly great concept.

This book was truly very disappointing. It easily makes my short list of Movies That Are Better Than The Book.

Julie Powell seems to think she is far too clever for her own good. I was extremely annoyed with her numerous long digressions from the Julia Child cooking project. I really don't care about the time she found her parent's sex book or her moving woes or her rather obsessive interest in her friend's sex life. And her dialogue is so overly obvious and lacking in subtlety that it becomes quite grating.

Granted, I did see the movie first, and I strongly suspect that Amy Adams is vastly more charming than Julie Powell herself. Also, I just recently finished an Elizabeth Gilbert book. That's how you write a truly great memoir! So, Powell's shortcomings become even more glaringly obvious when compared to one of my all-time favorite writers.

However, when Powell actually focuses on the cooking parts of her story, it can be a somewhat fun read. There is also a quite good chapter about the night of the New York blackout and the impromptu dinner party she held, which was made possible thanks to a gas stove. But overall, I would highly recommend skimming through all the other pages that contain her less interesting and often annoying digressions.

Julie Powell's memoir about the year she dedicated to cooking all 524 recipes in Julia Child's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" has its inspired moments.

Powell is a funny writer, and the book is filled with abundant examples of her snarky wit, which no doubt contributed to the popularity of the blog on which this book is based. Her topic is rich, as the processes of making gelatin from actual calves' feet or flaying a lobster alive while experiencing liberal guilt offer many opportunities for colorful commentary.

However, despite Powell's detailed discussions of some of her greatest cooking disasters from Child's book, she spends less time on general food writing than one might expect given the theme. This is more of a diary of a frustrated New York secretary who cooked like a madwoman for a year than a sensual celebration of food. While some of Powell's digressions from her kitchen are entertaining, others seem off-topic and detract from the book's focus.

Still, the book is generally readable, although I sometimes struggled with Powell's tone. Her sharp sense of humor isn't always enough to balance out her frequent griping as she tries to complete her task while working in a government office run by Republicans. While it was interesting to read about how her blog's popularity led to national news coverage and a book deal, the book ultimately left me with little understanding of how the cooking process affected the author herself, except for all the swearing it apparently caused.

Overall, Powell's memoir has its strengths and weaknesses, but it offers an interesting look at one woman's attempt to master the art of French cooking.

Julie Powell, a 29-year-old temp residing in the outer boroughs, was grappling with late-20s ennui and the despair that stems from loathing one's career and feeling that one should have accomplished more by that stage of life.

To give herself a purpose, something with which I can deeply empathize, she resolved to prepare all 524 recipes in Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking within a year. Additionally, she initiated a blog to document her (mis)adventures. This book is an outgrowth of that experience.

Right from the beginning, I noticed some striking parallels to a book that I, well, don't particularly like - Eat Pray Love. As it turns out, Liz Gilbert was actually a mentor and reviewer of Powell's book. Both are white, middle-class women who possess the ability to craft engaging phrases and who decided to infuse meaning into their chaotic lives by formulating overly structured action plans.

On one hand, Julie Powell is perhaps more likable than Liz - more honest in her self-deprecation and more charming in her witty cynicism. Score one for Julie.

On the other hand, Julie's book structure didn't function as effectively as Liz's. The book read much like a blog that had been haphazardly edited into a book format.

I valued Julie's candor regarding her temper, her relationship with her husband, and her battles with despair - to me, she emerged as a sympathetic protagonist. However, on the flip side, her honesty often seemed excessive and frequently added for shock value. For instance, I could care less about her vulgar language, but I would have preferred to be spared the details about her extremely dirty apartment and questionable sanitary habits.

Probably the most significant issue with the book is that it was marketed as a cooking book, when in reality it was merely a relatively superficial autobiography with few profound lessons or takeaway points. It was the memoir of an average, moderately articulate woman as she approaches the age of 30. I know approximately 100 women in their late 20s who are suffering from ennui, are confused, intelligent, and well-spoken; so why am I reading Julie Powell's story and not theirs?

Furthermore, I would envision that the food enthusiasts who picked up this book were not overly excited about the lack of focus on the cooking process and the food, and the excessive attention given to Julie's emotions, mood swings, and penchant for sharing too much information.