Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography | 
pickWhen it first came out, I just wasn‘t ready for this book. Now that a number of years have gone by, the time felt right. This is an amazing read filled with anecdotes from the people who knew him and constructed by Laurie Woolever into a narrative that was much better than I even hoped.
pickI‘ve been a fan of Anthony Bourdain since the No Reservations days and have read all of his non-fiction (including a couple co-written with this author), so this has been on my Kindle TBR for ages. I was a bit disappointed with the Roadrunner documentary, so I was happy that this book delved a lot deeper into Bourdain‘s life before Kitchen Confidential and the early TV days before he was a household name. Unfortunately, 👇🏼 (cont‘d)
Final April #BookSpinBingo card. I finished my #Bookspin (tagged) and read 7 total books last month.
April #BookspinBingo card! My #Bookspin is Bourdain (excited to finally have the impetus to read this Kindle book I bought on a deal ages ago!) and my #DoubleSpin is Green Dot (an ARC I won from a Goodreads giveaway a few months ago).
pickThis was really good, especially on audio, despite the lack of structure - it‘s really just a collection of anecdotes and sound bites about Bourdain, arranged mostly chronologically. I‘ve read so many think pieces about him that I found it both refreshing and revealing. The last sections are tough to get through, but I feel like I learned more about him and why his life ended so tragically. I miss his voice so much, still.
Worked on these crewmates while listening to this audiobook. A very impressive list of voices make up this oral biography of Anthony Bourdain.
pick🎧 I only know his books. I never saw him on tv.
He narrated his own books. He was a fabulous story teller. I loved this book but I found the continuous mention of his past heroin addiction almost annoying!
Full cast made it interesting!
If you want a fascinating, entertaining, fun story, read Kitchen Confidential, if you want a brutally honest expose about his personal & work life, try this.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/4
pickI wanted to like this book more than I actually did. Woolever talked to many of Bourdain‘s family, friends, and associates and I understand that this is an oral biography, but I needed a narrative thread — not just quotes strung together under headings that vaguely tie them together. Because I finished and it was interesting, I‘m giving it a low pick. I think it would be better as an audiobook.
My husband had a productive but wearying day in PT, so he‘s really tired. I‘m letting him sleep and am sitting here in bed reading Bourdain. I love my flowers.
pickI loved his shows, loved his writing for years and reading this book was just the closure I needed as a fan - to really appreciate him in a more nuanced way, to see the human frailty as well as the rockstar brilliance. I like the way the book is structured, so many interviews have been woven together so you get snippets from each person describing a particular day or an aspect of Tony‘s life.⬇️
One of my favorite audiobooks of the year, this was my favorite book for October @Andrew65 #12BooksOf2021
With a cast of over 50 voices this was truly an outstanding definitive oral biography
pickI'm such a huge fan and the world is definitely lesser without him in it. Lately I've been watching his shows and finding myself observing him more closely, as one of his friends put it " I don't know if all our detective work is going to figure out exactly what happened..or if it's even our business. "
"Around that same time, our grandmother did us the economic favor of dying. She left our dad a bunch of money...
I love the first essay/interview already ?
Finally starting this! Perusing the contents , can't wait to get to "Middle Class White People Going to Poverty Stricken Parts of the World.. without being Dicks about it. " ?
pickWow, this audio TOTALLY CONSUMED ME. I am not an Anthony Bourdain super-fan by any means but that did not stop me from being completely riveted by this oral history. 91 voices from family members, friends and colleagues shared their memories and private thoughts about this very beloved yet flawed man.👇🏽
pickI don‘t think there will ever come a time when I don‘t miss this man desperately. I had assumed it would take me a while to get through this just based on its size but I literally raced through it in less than 24 hours. I‘m curious how this would translate for someone with limited familiarity with Bourdain. I certainly found it insanely compelling but I feel somewhat biased. Rest well, Tony. ❤️
pickFascinating look at Tony from people who knew him at every stage of life. I learned much about the man behind the shows. There seemed to be a stark difference between his pre-fame and post-fame friends. He is every bit as smart as he seems, generous as well, but he could be petty and vindictive, too. In other words, human. Asia was roundly blamed for his death. I‘m not sure that‘s fair without giving her a say. The full-cast #audiobook is a must!
pickPic from my favorite episode of Parts Unknown — Quebec!
Those interviewed for the book alternated between saying Tony was a selfish narcissist and a truly kind and generous person. My guess is that both descriptions were true. Regardless, it was a sad ending for a talented and charming man. 😞 #librofm
Born to be bad at B&N ! Hey , I did buy one gift !
(Not shown) just in case .😂🎁❤️
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This required a mulling period after completion. Like many fans, Bourdain‘s death hit me like no other celebrity‘s passing ever had. He was so accessible and relatable. If I could host a “famous people dinner party,” he‘d be at the top of the list. This oral biography includes numerous stories and voices from his life. It‘s a brutally honest and intimate; often beautiful, often sorrowful.
🎧🐾 Champ is such a good little/big (he‘s 75lbs now) sidekick. He was on high squirrel alert this morning. 🐿
PS. This book is ripping my heart out.
#audiowalk #dogsoflitsy
Today's mail. Still can't believe he's gone. 💔
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ This is a beautiful biography of/tribute to Anthony Bourdain in the form of snippets of interviews with dozens of family members, friends, and colleagues who knew him throughout his life. There is so much love, respect, and admiration, but also honesty about his faults and shortcomings. A must-read if you are a fan of Bourdain and his work. I‘m not sure if it will be as compelling to less invested readers.
https://www.bonappetit.com/story/bourdain-the-definitive-oral-biography
Oh, I'm gonna need to pick this one up. The excerpt reads like you're hanging out with everyone who was ever Bourdain's friend, and they're all telling stories about him.
Oooh—just saw this in a Goodreads email and can‘t wait to dig in to the audiobook. I loved Kitchen Confidential and can‘t wait to (hopefully) hear what some of the people included there might have to say about Anthony Bourdain. @Megabooks have you seen this?
