The first book I read in 2019 was Reese Witherspoon’s cookbook/southern living guide, Whiskey in a Teacup. Why did I pick a cookbook as my first read of the year? Curiosity, I guess. I was a little confused when I saw the book on tape at the library. I was under the impression that it was just a traditional cookbook. But since it was there, I decided to pick it up. After all, I like Reese Witherspoon as a celebrity, and I love celebrity memoir. And maybe she had something interesting to say about her life in between the recipes. Here is my review of Whiskey in a Teacup.
An audio cookbook
About one-fourth of the books that I read in a year are audio books. Actually, they’re on CD’s. I still call them books on tape, and I spend about an hour each day in my car. So, I can usually get through a 12-disc book within the three week library borrowing period (without renewing). I also like how it’s usually celebrities who read these audio books. Being written by a celebrity, Witherspoon herself, of course, reads this book.
The audio book is only about three hours long. It comes with a PDF of all of the recipes which I should have looked at to get a better sense of the book’s true content. Maybe the next time I’m at the bookstore, I’ll thumb through a hard copy for the photos.
About the book
The book is a bit autobiographical, detailing Witherspoon’s childhood as it relates to her past and current relationship to her southern hometown. She paints a very idyllic and biased portrait of the south which I appreciate as someone who loves my hometown.
The book itself is a love letter to the south. So, Witherspoon focuses on the positives, highlighting what makes it great to her personally. Nothing wrong with that, even if it is lacking some substance. But sometimes you just need a breezy read to cleanse your pallet from all of the memoirs about horrible childhoods and novels about dying people.
Plus, being from the mid-Atlantic, I liked to hear about life down south. I envied her gushing about the warm weather, excessive decorating for holidays, and hosting parties with a signature southern style. I especially liked the chapter about southern decorating. I’m a big fan of hidden storage spaces and nostalgic furniture pieces.
The recipes, as they were described, seem simple and like food that I would actually eat. So much about modern day cooking is about adding ingredients that I’ve never even heard of (what does quinoa taste like, anyway?) and pouring a whole bunch of hot sauce on top. So, I can appreciate menus that include frozen fruit salad, sweet tea, and chocolate cake.
My review
Overall, this book is colorful and fun as Witherspoon touches on every idealized aspect that she can find about the south. I can appreciate a person who takes pride in where they grew up, even if it’s just because they had a happy childhood filled with traditional family customs. You don’t come out of this book feeling like you know the actress better, but you do come out with an appreciation for where she comes from.
Buy it!
Buy a copy of Whiskey in a Teacup here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
Pin it!
