Reviews
Boldtype: “The book balances history and cooking lessons with Lee’s humorous mythbusting expeditions”
Thursday, May 1st, 2008I’m recommended on Boldtype’s list this month (first book!). As their site explains, “Boldtype is a monthly book review focusing on smart, readable works of fiction and nonfiction, from current titles to past gems.”
Available everywhere from shacks that sell it alongside hamburgers to highly rated Zagat favorites, Chinese food is one of the most […]
Philadelphia City Paper: “after you’ve digested all of that cultural insight and fascinating trivia, you’ll still want more.”
Thursday, May 1st, 2008I’m just trolling and catching up with random reviews that I never got around to adding. Here is one from the Philadelphia City Paper.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food
By Jennifer 8. Lee
Twelve, 320 pp., $24.99
“This book began as a quest to understand Chinese food,” New York Times reporter Jennifer […]
Boston Globe: “revelations come fast and frequent”
Wednesday, April 23rd, 2008Wow. They are still running reviews of my book(!). The Boston Globe today printed its review by Ralph Ranalli. Interesting that he is astute to point out that Chinese food has “a veritable buffet of cheap metaphors” (I will note many of which have been used by headine writers (egg drop scoop, lo mein street, […]
My first (and only?) review in a college paper, the Harvard Crimson
Monday, April 7th, 2008Denise Xu of The Harvard Crimson writes a largely flattering review of my book. (It’s my alma mater paper).
Her quibbles again concern the structure and the overwhelming amount of information. Imagine if it didn’t have the fortune cookie thread to tie it all together (Ihe original proposal did not), how much more confusing it would be. […]
USA Today: “Fortune Cookie is a sweet treat, told in a lively, engaging fashion by a writer who clearly knows, and loves, Chinese cuisine.”
Thursday, March 20th, 2008Leslie Cauley reviews The Fortune Cookie Chronicles for USA Today. Overall positive, with some interesting criticisms that I hand’t heard yet, basically TMI. Too many details on Chinese food. Things you wanted to know and didn’t. (Shrug)
Leslie Cauley, reviews, USA Today
Christian Science Monitor: “Where Lee shines most is in the narration of the stories of the real-life people she meets on her worldwide discovery tour.”
Monday, March 17th, 2008Terry Hong reviews my book favorably in the Christian Science Monitor:
‘Fortune Cookie Chronicles’: 40,000 egg rolls… to go
A New York Times reporter goes global, tracing the origins of America’s Chinese food.
By Terry Hong
Luddite me made a surprisingly funny joke to two techies after reading Jennifer 8. Lee’s delightful The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the […]
LATimes: “a deeply enjoyable meal, for anyone who likes talking or thinking about food.”
Sunday, March 16th, 2008Seth Faison has a review in today’s Los Angeles Times, which focuses a lot on the authenticity aspect of the food. I don’t think this review was on our radar (sometimes you know when a book review is timed to run, and as in this case, sometimes you don’t). My Google alert actually picked this […]
Hartford Courant: “difficult to imagine a more satisfying book”
Sunday, March 9th, 2008The Hartford Courant publishes a review by Steve Weinberg.
Nice phrases: “Alternately breezy and cerebral, it serves as an appetizer platter, a bowl of hot and sour soup, an array of main dishes, tea and dessert — simultaneously.” and “Flashes of insight punctuate the text.”
He has his criticism about the writing and structure, which I acknowledge […]
Bloomberg: Lee whets our appetites with light, easy-to-digest stories.
Saturday, March 8th, 2008Bloomberg News moved a review by Yvette Ferreol. It’s interesting to me how much the business press has taken to it: Forbes (the meanest review I got), Fast Company, now Bloomberg.
March 6 (Bloomberg) — China’s Qing-dynasty hero Zuo Zongtang, aka General Tso, probably never had fried chicken. At least not the deep-fried boneless kind soused […]
Rocky Mountain News gives The Fortune Cookie Chronicles an A!
Saturday, March 8th, 2008John C. Ensslin reviews The Fortune Cookie Chronicles in The Rocky Mountain News and gives the book an A. I’m like goodness, I haven’t received a grade since senior semester of college!
Most interesting critique…the hunt for the greatest Chinese restaurant in the world. Thinks it’s labor intensive (it was) and doesn’t add that much […]
San Francisco Chronicle: “Prose is thrown out in confident tendrils”
Saturday, March 8th, 2008Wow. The San Francisco Chronicle got the co-founder of Booktour.com, Kevin Smokler, to review my book. (I’m actually in the process right now of figuring out how to convert my .xml file of appearances into a .csv template for book events so I can put events on booktour.com. So booktour.com is on my mind)
I think […]
NYTBR: Wok On and podcast!
Saturday, March 8th, 2008The New York Times Book Review runs its review of my book this Sunday by Jan and Michael Stern. It’s already online now and it actually closed 10 days ago, on a Wednesday. (The Book Review, like the Magazine, has a incredible close-to-distribution lag, for reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me but may involve […]
NYP: moo shu of riveting, Chinese-food-related anecdotes and facts
Monday, March 3rd, 2008The New York Post review is long and quite nice Another punny headline (”Hot and Sour Scoop”). Best lines: “a moo shu of riveting, Chinese-food-related anecdotes and facts” and “Lee condenses a formidable amount of research into a compact, breezy page-turner.” This is the first review that mentions the conversations with my mom.
KATE CHRISTENSEN, new […]
Associated Press: “Go buy this wonderful book”
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008The Associated Press has moved a review that ends by telling readers “Go buy this wonderful book” (okay, but only if they want to find the greatest Chinese restaurant in the world). It is a really flattering review and it will be picked up by papers across the country slowly over the next few weeks.
[…]
Newsday says book smacks like chop suey: rich medley of flavors, odds and ends
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008Newsday’s review is more mixed, generally positive with its main criticism (which is not unfair) being:
“The Fortune Cookie Chronicles” offers a rich medley of flavors that would be more delicious had the chef exercised some restraint: A clearer chronology and narrative line would allow each ingredient to sing. As it stands, Lee’s concoction, although tasty, […]
The Chicago Tribune: “An information-packed page-turner”
Sunday, March 2nd, 2008Yay. My first newspaper review. And it’s a nice one. My favorite line is where she calls it “also an information-packed page-turner.” I like this line too ” This kind of contextualizing and deepening of understanding is what the best food writing and literary journalism can do.”
Chicago Tribune
March 1, 2008 Saturday
West eats East; A […]
Five-star review from chinesefood.about.com
Friday, February 29th, 2008Fortune Cookie Chronicles got a nice five star review on about.com from Rhonda Parkinson, (ignore the fact that the NYTimes owns about.com, I have absolutely nothing to do with that).
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles is an intriguing exploration into a world of Chinese restaurants, a subculture that remains unknown to most of us. My one tiny […]
Fast Company compares Fortune Cookie Chronicles to MSG-laden brown sauce,
Sunday, February 24th, 2008Fortune Cookie Chronicles gets a little blurb in Fast Company this month by David Lidsky, which comes out more positive than negative I suppose.
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food
By Jennifer 8. Lee
There are twice as many Chinese restaurants in the U.S. as McDonald’s, an accomplishment all the more […]
Book Page Review
Tuesday, February 19th, 2008Another review, this time from Book Page. Sorry for the jpg. I converted it from a pdf.
More on Book Page: On or before the first of March, 440,000 copies of this issue will arrive in more than 3,000 subscribing bookstores and public libraries nationwide. Next month, this review will also be available to the […]
Fortune Cookie Chronicles, recommended in Glamour Magazine!
Monday, February 18th, 2008Got an e-mail from my friend Eric with the subject line: “Just saw your book in glamour magazine.” He then wrote, “It was recommended reading by their book reviewer - you were grouped with 2 other books by female authors - cindy saved it”
So I made my way to Borders, bought my copy of Glamour […]
Book Forum Review: 80/20 or 75/25
Saturday, February 16th, 2008A thoughtful review in Book Forum written by Melanie Rehak (who wrote a very cool book on Nancy Drew called Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her). Review is mostly positive, with some apt criticisms. It think it’s like 80 percent favorable, 20 percent negative, or maybe 75/25. Overall, pretty […]
When Fortune Cookies will be in The New York Times Book Review
Wednesday, February 13th, 2008Scheduled for The New York Times Book Review on March 9th, supposedly. Nervous. Ugh.
New York Times Book Review, reviews
So did you like my book? A strangely satisfying compliment.
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008From my friend Tim Layman, about my book: “It’s not that like I was expecting not to like it. But I was surprised how much I did.”
Have had other double-edged compliments like that. From Seth: “I’m not even interested in Chinese food! But I liked your book.”
Or this e-mail from my good friend Adam […]
Booklist Review: More a summary than a review
Thursday, January 17th, 2008More a summary than a review.
Issue: February 1, 2008
The Fortune Cookie Chronicles: Adventures in the World of Chinese Food.
Lee, Jennifer 8 (Author)
Mar 2008. 320 p. Twelve, hardcover, $24.99. (0446580074). 641.59.
Lee traverses the U.S., China, and beyond in her quest to discover what has made Chinese food ubiquitous in America. She investigates the murky […]