Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots

 

    Hench is probably my favorite novel that i read in 2021 and easily the most unique. It takes place in a world where both superheroes and super villains exist. The protagonist, Anna, begins the story working as a temp for a mid level super villain. After being badly injured during a raid by super heroes she begins to calculate just how much  collateral damage that the men and women in tights are doing.

    This is a subject that often gets glossed over in comic books and movies. It usually only comes up if the casualty is attached in some way to the hero, a la Gwen Stacy in The Amazing Spider Man 2. Otherwise, every time a hero throws a  car and misses the villain, someone loses a car and someone else suffers property damage, if not worse. The only time I recall it being mentioned is in the Daredevil show when someone brings up that organized crime is going to make a fortune skimming off the effort to rebuild New York City after the events of The Avengers.

    Anna's research attracts the attention of a top tier super villain and she goes to work for him, both to exact revenge on the one that harmed her as well as show the hypocrisy of the unquestionable belief in the goodness of superheroes. 

    This is a great book that I highly recommend. If possible, pick up the edition with the bonus short story Meat, set in the same universe but among the hired muscle that works for super villains. 

    As always you can find me on twitter @jeffsbookcase or feel free to leave a comment below.

32 Yolks by Eris Ripert with Veronica Chambers

 

    32 Yolks is the story of Chef Eric Ripert's boyhood and rise through the early ranks of chefdom in France. I didn't know much about Ripert prior to reading this book, having only seen him on an episode or two of Anthony Bourdain's travel shows. It was clear from Bourdain's respect for him that he was a great chef so I was in intrigued when I came across this book.

    He details a childhood where he found solace through food after his parent's divorce, both at his mother's table as well as those of his extended family. This led to culinary school and soon after a job working under the watchful eye and sharp tongue of master chef Joel Robuchon.

    Ripert pulls no punches about what is was like to work for Robuchon, detailing both the amazing learning opportunity of doing things never before done in the culinary word as well as the gut-wrenching anxiety of trying to keep up with Robuchon's often impossible demands. After a break for military service, he returned to Robuchon's employ and the book ends with him setting out for America to continue his career.

    This book gives a great view of the respect with which food is held in France as well as an insider's look at the world of young chefs of the time. It would make an excellent double-feature read with Kitchen Confidential to compare and contrast the stories of chef's coming up in both France and America.

    As always, please fee freee to comment belwo or reach out to me at jeffsemonis at yahoo.com.