Gary Dickson

This book is in French and English. My English is strong. My French is more desire to know the language than being fluent in it. I found though it is a wonderful way to practice my reading. If you are looking for a practical yet fun gift for a student of French, this book would be a lovely gift.
I will be using this book often. I love the recipes in it. Probably because I’m a huge fan of cheese and it is in many of the recipes. I’m also not afraid of heavy cream, though I don’t use it daily. Trying a couple of the recipes is why I delayed the review. I did find a little bit of difference in the French version and the English version in a few of the recipes. I’m not sure yet if it makes a difference. I need to try them both ways. There is a formatting issue with the English recipes. The ingredients run together like a sentence rather than as a list in some of the recipes. For the ones I tried, I did fine, though I did read the list a couple of times before starting to cook.
The poetry is not in the style I was use to and I was thrilled by that. I like to see all the ways something can be done. I enjoyed reading it. I will be spending time going over the French versions until I can read them well.
Thank you to Goodreads, the author and publisher for offering this book in a Goodreads Giveaway. I was lucky to be one of the winners. No review is required. I voluntarily reviewed this book. The opinions expressed are based upon my enjoyment of the book and my ability to use the recipes. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys French food and the French language.… (plus d'informations)

This book contains French and English versions of the poems and recipes, which I appreciate.

The poems aren’t hard to understand or too vague/personal only to the author. Some of the poems read a bit like a recipe or entry in a history of food book - very matter of fact.

The star of the book is the recipes, adapted from various sources that are listed. This poetry-cookbook is not for vegetarians or vegans, fyi.

My favorite poems from the collection are “Artichoke” and “Fondue.”

I received this ebook as a giveaway via Goodreads. These are my unbiased thoughts.… (plus d'informations)

I've been pondering how to properly dissect this read. An Improbably Pairing was such a flirty, coming to Switzerland story as Scott Stoddard is knocked off his feet by the Countess de Rovere, a woman so far out of his league an improbably but perfect pairing they make. So, when I learned of this second novel I expected more of the same.
First, I was pleasantly surprised to encounter that this second read was strong enough to hold as a standalone. Providing enough history to both refresh one's memory of the first while not feeling like those diving into book two were really missing out. Where book one spun a pleasurable love story, book two created an atmosphere of deception, guilt and intrigue. One of my favorite aspects of the Stoddard's, and subsequently Dickson's storytelling, is that while Mrs. Stoddard, or the former Countess de Rovere, is a strong and powerful character yet the story remains primarily dedicated to Scott and his more American views as he aims to maintain his own success outside of the intrigue and celebrity of his new wife. Furthermore, Dickson chooses to address the Vietnam war from an entirely unique angle. Providing the readers with an international, espionage angle while maintain the aristocratic, deliberate and formal writing we've come to enjoy in the first book.
*Disclaimer: A review copy was provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.… (plus d'informations)