Welcome to Litsy!

This is a really interesting story. Padma Lakshmi is brutally honest about the difficulties she's had in her relationships. Her description of how long it took for her to be diagnosed with endometriosis, and the lack of understanding from both doctors and her husband, will be all too familiar to a lot of women.

#ReadHarder challenge 5: a food memoir by an author of colour.

My review of this book can be found on my Youtube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/DmEY-gOk28Y

Enjoy!

It was just the right time for me to listen to this book. Padma openly reflects on her journey from childhood to motherhood with honesty, clarity, beauty and integrity. I really felt like she was prepared to bare her soul and she did. I found her story both heartbreaking and heartwarming. The bonus recipes were an added gift. I especially enjoyed hearing Padma narrate her memoir.

I‘m really LOVING this audio 🎧Padma is incredibly honest and open about all facets of her life
Listening to her sing song voice is really soothing and calming
#Hoopla

Diving in ❤️🎧What a gorgeous voice, beautiful soul and obviously a stunning woman 😁#Hoopla

Part memoir, part musings, part cookbook, I enjoyed the slow journey to learning more about Padma.
The book has a back and forth narrative as she jumps back and forth from childhood to adulthood and all of the in-between, creating a more personal narrative. Almost like she's having a conversation with the reader.

Definitely recommend this one in audio 🎧

A surprising, heartfelt, intimate memoir. In a non-linear manner, Lakshmi explores her identity as an Indian-American woman, a model who loves food, a devoted reader yearning to exercise her mind more. She opens with her meeting and marriage to Salman Rushdie, then dips back into her childhood. Asides bloom into episodes of luminous musings before returning to the more mundane '...and then this happened...' narrative.

Starting this audiobook as part of #readharder2021. I've long had a soft spot for Padma Lakshmi, and the only reason I can't concentrate on this book is from politics-related stress. But I love listening to her talk.

Loved everything to do with India and her immigrant experience. But I didn't care for the over-writing in the parts having to do with her daughter. Still, I love this woman!

Learning about Padma‘s early life and start in the cooking world!

Someone told me that books that make you feel things you don't like are actually good for you, growth or something like that.... so many times I thought of bailing on this book but her voice was so enchanting and it was out of my comfort zone to read so I finished it but was still a so so read for me.
I've never seen Top Chef so went into this read knowing nothing about her.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I‘ve watched Top Chef off & on for several seasons, but have never been a massive Padma fan, admittedly because I knew nothing about her. Growing up, she had one foot in America, the other in India, not feeling as though she fit in either place. There‘s depth to her story. She‘s more than a pretty face & a ropy scar. Here, Padma lays her life bare discussing her health & relationships with candor. There isn‘t much sugar-coating, if any.

I've had this on my Kindle for years, and I think I thought she'd be shallow or full of herself so I didn't crack it open. Instead I found Padma Lakshmi to be refreshingly open, honest, and direct about her relationships, health issues, career, and her love for food. She starts in 2007 when she moves out of the home she shared with Salman Rushdie, then goes back in time before catching us up to the almost present.

▶️🎧 Really enjoying Padma‘s memoir so far. I started listening to it in honor of the Top Chef Kentucky finale tomorrow night. My good friend Chef Sara Bradley is a finalist!! 👩🏻‍🍳🍽👏🏻 I‘m so proud of her. Freight House, her restaurant in our hometown Paducah Ky, is the first farm-to-table in the area plus it‘s an impressive bourbon bar. 🥃 Great things are happening for Sara!! It‘s been a blast watching her on TV!

The title of this book is aptly named! It really was all about love, loss and what was eaten. I love Padma on Top Chef so I was eager to read this and really enjoyed it. There were moments where I think she was trying to hard to prove how smart she was with her words, but it was great getting to know her more through this audio book. She has the most soothing voice ever so if you need something calming, read this. #femaleauthor #food #love

Any guesses what books might be wrapped up as blind dates?
Left: The story of one mother‘s tragic loss and one man‘s last chance for solution.
Right: Breakups burn! What better way of dressing your emotional wounds than with your favourite foods?
[Seen at a used bookstore/coffee shop in Edmonton yesterday.]

Ive kind of always thought she's an interesting person when Ive seen her in interviews and read articles about her. Her history, stance on women‘s health issues and her foodie/homecook status made me hope for the best with this one.
Unfortunately, I could only find her interesting for about 40 pages before her writing just really turned me off. Sorry, Padma.

I have to do a few #Recommendsday posts today, last one I promise! I picked this one up for a challenge two years ago, and was pleasantly surprised. I have never followed her career and knew almost nothing about her going in, and although some have bashed this book because of info on her former, famous husband (again I had no idea going in), I found the book honest, and with a lot of female empowerment as she found her own way and her own voice...

These kindle deals get me every time. That one click button is dangerous. But $1.99.

Just started. Padma's doing a nice job reading her book so far. She's got a pleasant voice 👍🏽

I read this for my #nonfictionfood/drink for the #litsyreadingchallenge. I'm a long time fan of Top Chef and really enjoyed this memoir, especially her childhood memories of her time in India. She also spent much of her twenties traveling through Europe when she was modeling, learning to enjoy the cuisine of many different cultures.

Great memoir from Padma! I love Top Chef so always intended to pick this up, but didn't expect such an interesting life story. She jumped around a bit but overall this was really entertaining.

I was so excited about my new wireless headphones, but I experienced the downside today when they died 5 minutes into my #audiorun. 🤦🏼‍♀️ Thank goodness my gym has TVs to keep me entertained! I really am enjoying this memoir though, and Padma reads it beautifully.

Sooo... I think I thought this book was something else when I impulsively checked out the audiobook from my library. Having read "Joseph Anton" when it came out, I had serious reservations about this book, as Rushdie had nothing good to say about his 4th wife. But there are 2 sides to every story and I'm so glad I decided to get this one as I fell in love with Lakshmi. Her love of food didn't hurt, as I've always been an adventurous foodie myself.

I write these up in my journal but I though I could mix it differently here. Friday's inbox/outbox. #fridayinboxoutbox

I've been meaning to pick this one up for a while, and I came across a used copy today. Perfect timing, considering #TheSatanicVersesBuddyRead is underway! Such an interesting examination of #family in this book, both Lakshmi's own and as a theme. #jubilantjuly

My pick for the 📚 #ReadingWomenMonth challenge 📚Day 28: #BooksAboutFood is: Love, Loss, and What We Ate by #PadmaLakshmi #TBR #Memoirs #BeautifulCover 🙌🏼

Note: Day 30 is now #FridayReads

Oh hey.. Padma got me a bingo! Now to go for the cover all 📚 #litsyreadingchallenge

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I enjoyed the first half of the book and her memories of growing up in India and NYC and her modeling/acting career, but that made the second half of the book so much more disappointing. She was way too good for all the men in her life and she forgave their gross behavior way too easily 😕 I could however listen to Padma Lakshmi recite recipes all day. #audiobook #memoir #celebrity

#audiobook read by the author on my way Up North to our little farm. I hadn't known that Padma Lakshmi was married to Salaman Rushdie. I'm mildly tempted to refer to him now as her ex instead of as the famous author 😝 #memoir #food

I knew very little about her other than her being married to Salman Rushdie and Top Chef which I've never seen but this was a $1.99 ebook purchase #becauseofLitsy. Found the India culture and foodie parts interesting but her personal life left a bad taste in my mouth. Not trying to judge, but her saying that men do this all the time when she was two-timing (and oops, got pregnant w/o being sure which was the father) made me 😬. Almost a pan!

Every time I read a food memoir I remember how much I love food memoirs.

I know this got mixed reviews but this was everything I wanted from a memoir! She was so honest and I found her life incredibly interesting! #favoritememior #GIVEAWAYTHETRUTH

So I've been listening to Padma Lakshmi's memoir on audiobook and she's talking about her relationship with Salman Rushdie. I've tried to read The Ground Beneath Her Feet (although that was quite a few years ago) and didn't finish it. But I would like to try again, probably with a different book. Any suggestions of which Rushdie book would be a good one to read?

Stayed up way too late last night finishing this one because I just didn't want to put it down. I loved it! Padma weaves in the past with the present and provides a vivid and genuine account of her life so far. I like her even more now than I already did from watching Top Chef. If you like celebrity memoirs, I highly recommend this one. Cheers! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Bedtime reading for the last few nights. Over halfway through and loving this one. Padma is honest and genuine which makes for a great memoir.

I couldn't resist ordering this book from Amazon after finishing this season of Top Chef. Getting to read a sample on my kindle makes me even more excited to get the hard copy! #memoir #nonfiction

A sad and interesting memoir by Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi. Quite interesting if your a fan of Lakshmi herself, but be prepared for a bit of privileged whining.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1915891004

#bookstagram #booksandcoffee #books #bookreview #padmalakshmi #audiobook

#currentlyreading

I've always had mixed feelings about Lakshmi as a tv host. She's beautiful and mysterious, but I've often found her a bit cold. This book has changed my mind about that totally. She's lived a very interesting life, and I enjoyed reading this. I also loved hearing about her family and the close relationship she has with them. Oh. And the food. I love reading/listening to smart people talk about delicious food, and this totally fits that bill.🥘

I had a great time listening to this audiobook. I didn't know anything about Lakshmi going into it and I really enjoyed hearing her story - she's a woman getting shit done and I love that. She's a wonderful narrator and wonderful to listen to. I think the book could have been trimmed a little, but who am I to dictate how someone should tell their life story?

I visited my local botanical gardens today for the first time. The wintry weather made me seek out a warm refuge. I was delighted to find several of these little nooks that invite guests to sit and read for awhile amongst the quail, tortoises and peaceful waterfalls. There's even a little free library! I'll be coming back soon!

As someone with a lot of scars, this definitely resonates. 💕💕

#day26 #readjanuary #autobiography For someone who usually has a diet of mostly fiction... I seem to have read an awful lot of memoirs this month! Born a Crime on audio was amazing, and Alan Cummings memoir in pictures was as fun and off-beat as expected... just started Padma... I'm as big top chef fan so thought I'd give it a try.... 📚💕

You've just finished the #24in48readathon. What do you do?
A. Clean your house. Sure, you got the laundry done, but it's a mess!
B. Go to the grocery. You're going to need food next week, right?
C. Start a new book!

Uh, C. I'm a hopeless reader! 🤣🤣📚

A shout out to Padma Lakshmi for talking on this march day about endometriosis, and the importance of Planned Parenthood, and women's healthcare issues.

Great book too, by the way!

I really enjoyed listening to this - Lakshmi has a lovely voice and as someone who also has endometriosis it meant a lot to listen to her speak so eloquently and honestly about her experience with it. The best bits were obviously the food tho 🥗🍔🌭🍕🍤🧀🥒🥕🌽🍆🌶🍯🍿🍩🍪🍭