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Commi Kitchen
When I first opened Commi Kitchen, I expected a quirky behind-the-scenes tale about life in a kitchen. What I found was a raw, almost cinematic journey through the chaos, grime, and strange camaraderie of a shared commissary kitchen. The story follows Brand, an eager young chef trying to launch his catering career while navigating the hostile, absurd, and sometimes comical environment of the “Commi.” Alongside a cast of larger-than-life characters, from grumpy bakers to eccentric sushi innovators, Brand struggles to carve out a space for himself in a place that’s equal parts opportunity and nightmare. The book blurs the line between fact and fiction, and the energy of real lived experience runs hot through every page.
The writing is fast and unpolished in spots, but that’s what gave it charm. It mirrors the chaos of the kitchen itself, with grease on the walls and tempers always boiling over. Some moments made me laugh, others made me feel sick with the grime and dysfunction. I admired the way the author didn’t try to make Brand a flawless hero. He’s insecure, sometimes naive, but he also carries a stubborn pride that’s infectious. There’s a rhythm to the prose, a thumping drumbeat like the clatter of pots and pans. It pulled me in.
The dialogue had a casual looseness, and some scenes lingered longer than I expected. But it does a great job of building the atmosphere. The flow mirrored the unpredictable rhythm of kitchen life, where plans fall apart and you just roll with it. I could almost smell the burned chicken, hear the shouting over ovens, and see the buckets of salsa tipping where they shouldn’t. That kind of immersion mattered more to me than smoothness.
I’d recommend Commi Kitchen to anyone who enjoys true-to-life stories about struggle, grit, and chasing dreams. Chefs and foodies will recognize the kitchen madness, but even readers far from the culinary world will connect with the persistence and passion at its heart. This isn’t a glossy Food Network fantasy. It’s a sweaty, cigarette-stained, curse-filled ride through the underbelly of food service.
Pages: 447 | ASIN: B0FNQ6QT6P
Quell the Cringe with Curiosity
Rosemary, Now and Then is a heartfelt memoir that chronicles a paramedic daughter’s care for her mother, Rosemary, through the labyrinth of strokes and dementia and lessons learned about life along the way. Why was this an important book for you to write?
In addition to honoring my inimitable mother, Rosemary, Now and Then tells a story of quality living with dementia, end-of-life surprises, and afterlife intrigue based on near-death experiences. These topics–too often ignored–can be uplifting experiences for all of us, as mortal human beings.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
Asked what I wrote about, if I were to simply say, “dementia and dying,” people would naturally cringe. So familiar we are with associated misery, but less acquainted with the amazing phenomena of these transformative experiences. Rosemary, Now and Then aims to quell the cringe with curiosity.
What was the most challenging part of writing your memoir, and what was the most rewarding?
An author, not a marketing strategist, the post-launch world requires a PR hat not in my wardrobe. But connecting with writing groups and other authors has proven invaluable.
It is most gratifying to share with readers the wonderful person I had the privilege of calling “Mom.” Beyond a daughter’s devotion, when readers relate to the broader message–virtually redefining dementia, dying, and death–we join together in a paradigm shift; an understanding of mortality as a gift of lifelong opportunities and death as immortal reacquaintance with the infinite, loving Beyond.
Fine threads of brilliance weave intricate Irish-veil thoughts through her filigree mind. Her three-year-old self emerges, radiant and quizzical. Grappling with the nature of existence, Rosemary laughs her way to the grave. Devoted daughter Christina devises caregiving innovations and connects dots of amazing coincidences. Paradoxes of mortality balance gravity with hilarity, pain with joy, absurdity with wisdom, practicality with mysticism.
The “Now and Then” format depicts leaps in time, place, and person that challenge reality, in league with Rosemary’s mind.
A journey of wit, wisdom, and sheer determination, Rosemary’s story concludes with her signature cinnamon bun recipe for readers to bake and share with loved ones . . . as Rosemary would do.
Rosemary, Now and Then
Rosemary, Now and Then is a heartfelt memoir that chronicles the author’s experience caring for her mother, Rosemary, through the labyrinth of strokes and dementia. This story is about resilience, love, and finding moments of humor and grace amid decline. The book paints an intimate portrait of a woman whose vibrant personality and sharp wit remain luminous despite her fading health. It delves into the challenges of caregiving, the philosophical reflections on mortality, and the surprising gifts of dementia, offering readers an unexpectedly uplifting perspective on life’s inevitable final chapter.
The writing is unflinchingly honest and emotionally raw, yet it’s peppered with humor that keeps the tone buoyant. One moment that stood out to me was when Rosemary, in the throes of a stroke-induced episode, commented on walking backward into a wall, comparing it to her mother’s wringer washer. It’s poignant and hilarious, a testament to Larson’s ability to capture the absurdity and humanity of such situations. These anecdotes keep the narrative personal and relatable, transforming it from a clinical account into a deeply human story.
I particularly appreciated Larson’s exploration of dementia not as a linear descent but as a reorganization of memories and self. Rosemary’s “mental excursions” into her past and imagined realms are described with a mystical reverence that challenges the stigma surrounding cognitive disorders. The book doesn’t shy away from showing the hard truths of caregiving, from burnt meals to late-night hospital runs. It also highlights the transformative power of love, like Larson’s determination to honor her mother’s wishes to maintain her dignity and humor to the very end.
One of my favorite sections was the rehabilitation episodes, especially Rosemary’s knack for connecting with strangers at the rehab center. The way she toasted “to the witnesses” at lunch, a subtle nod to Longfellow’s poem about slavery, demonstrated her sharp intellect and enduring sense of justice. It’s these moments of depth and insight that elevate the book from being just a caregiving memoir to a broader reflection on life’s interconnectedness and the enduring strength of character.
Rosemary, Now and Then is a beautifully written and deeply moving memoir that will resonate with anyone who has cared for a loved one through illness or who is curious about the interplay between life, death, and memory. Larson’s storytelling is warm and conversational, making complex topics accessible and relatable. I’d recommend this book to caregivers, healthcare professionals, and anyone seeking a profound yet uplifting exploration of the human condition.
Pages: 355 | ASIN : B0DQLNNFQN
There’s No Filter
Nirvana Express: Journal of a Very Brief Monkhood shares your exsperances of deciding at almost 50 years old to visit Thailand and enter a Buddhist monastery. Why was this an important book for you to write?
I am most well-known as a novelist, and my stories are set in disparate planets, or distant periods in history. I try to create or reimagine these worlds as clearly as possible, yet there are those who try to understand my work through the “biographical approach” — difficult because I’ve never been an alien, or a gender-transition slave in ancient Rome, or a civil war zombie. I still have to pull out these characters from the deepest parts of my own psyche.
I thought, for a change, I’d tell some of my own story. I’ve selected five or six things I’ve done that could be interesting to my readers. My time as a Buddhist monk was one of those things. To my surprise, Nirvana Express has been a popular book though I am not sure that its audience has much crossover with the fans of my science fiction and horror novels.
But, it’s rare for someone to undergo this experience, yet be articulate enough in any western language to be able to explain what it’s really like to people in western cultures. It’s also rare to do this while already having passed through many of life’s adventures, because becoming a monk in Thai culture is usually something that happens on the brink of adulthood, not when one is already mature. That’s why I decided to do the book.
What were some ideas that were important for you to share in this book?
As a bicultural person, I spend a lot of time explaining people’s viewpoints to each other. But in this book I’m talking about a time in which I learned many things that people who have grown up in Thailand take for granted. I never experienced these things first hand and to me many commonplace things evoked a sense of wonder. I wanted to share this.
I appreciated the candid nature with which you told your story. What was the hardest thing for you to write about?
In novels, one also writes about oneself in a way — but not directly. You’re digging things out of hidden corners of your psyche and bringing them into the foreground. You’re saying “what if” a lot, because you know that you are not your characters. In a memoir like this, there’s no filter, and readers always know if you’re not telling the truth. So yes, it’s always hard. In real life, you try to hide the blemishes, but a book like this is about the blemishes in a sense.
What is one thing you hope readers take away from your story?
Perspectives. Even in late middle age, I was seeing the world from a viewpoint I hadn’t really thought about. I wanted to share not just how different and alien this inner world seems, but also how universal the truths that I learned were and how they applied even in a life far removed from meditation and contemplation. Buddhism isn’t a “religion” if you define a religion as an organized system of relationships with a supreme being or beings, because there’s nothing being “worshipped” as such. Sometimes its view of reality is closer to that of, say, quantum physicists. At the same time, Buddhism doesn’t reject the idea of religion. What I learned most is that sometimes taking a break from the real world can help you embrace the real world with deeper tolerance, understanding and enthusiasm.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Facebook | Website
Novelist, composer and conductor Somtow Sucharitkul (who writes books under the name S.P. Somtow) had an extraordinary epiphany while driving downthe California coast.
At almost 50 years of age, having spent very little time in his native Thailand, Somtow was seized by an overwhelming desire to enter a Buddhist monastery.
This is the story of that journey, full of surprises, culture shock, discoveries, humor and spirituality!
Visions, dreams, comedy, philosophy, wisdom and superstition mingle in an unforgettable fusion.
Join the journey and discover your inner spirituality, by ordering your copy of Nirvana Express, today!
Nirvana Express
In Nirvana Express, author S.P. Somtow embarks on a highly personal journey, recounting his transformational experience of becoming a monk in Thailand. This special edition is poignantly dedicated to his father’s memory, who passed away in May 2023 and had himself been a monk at Wat Somanas.
Unlike his father, who was steeped in the traditions of Buddhism and the Pali language, Somtow was relatively unfamiliar with both the spiritual philosophy and the Thai culture when he made the seemingly impulsive decision to follow in his father’s footsteps. What emerges from this backdrop is a rich narrative detailing his daily life and duties in the monastery. From the solemnity of an Ordination Ritual to the humble act of carrying a begging bowl, from learning the art of detachment to the discipline of meditation, Nirvana Express provides a vivid glimpse into monastic life.
I approached Nirvana Express with both eagerness and anticipation, driven by my own fascination with spirituality and philosophy that has developed over the past few years. The idea of becoming a monk had long intrigued me, and I found in Somtow’s work a kindred spirit. Far from disappointing, this book is a comprehensive and enlightening guide to the physical environment, practices, and contemplative depths of monastic existence.
Somtow’s prose is both poetic and evocative, weaving sensational descriptions that stimulate the senses and the mind. Sentences like “Coruscating, scintillant rainbow rivers spiral and twist and whirl” left me enraptured, feeling almost as though I was floating through a dreamlike landscape.
Beyond the aesthetic beauty of his writing, Somtow’s intellectual depth shines through. His insightful perspectives on the contrasts between Buddhism and what he identifies as “the world’s great religions” mark him as both a deep thinker and a well-read individual. His contemplations on the synergy between Buddhism and modern scientific principles, such as the Third Law of Thermodynamics, added further intrigue.
The author’s voice resonates clearly throughout the text, creating an intimate connection with the reader. As Somtow explores one monastic practice after another, he candidly shares his emotions and reflections, allowing us to accompany him on this profound spiritual journey.
Nirvana Express is more than a detailed account of one man’s quest to become a monk. It is an engaging discourse on Buddhism, emphasizing the universal values of compassion and acceptance. Whether you’re a seeker on the spiritual path or simply curious about the monastic life, this book offers a memorable, engrossing, and thought-provoking read that promises to stay with you long after you turn the last page.
Pages: 245 | ASIN : B07GC889CG
LITERARY TITAN 