Tag: television show

The Story of the Great British Bake Off by Anita Singh

The Story of the Great British Bake Off by Anita Singh

A sparkling and fun book for fans of the television program, The Great British Bake Off. It is my favorite show to binge watch when I have some free time. Or when I’m not reading. Which, let’s be honest, is not all that often but it does happen.

You wouldn’t think another competition-type show would be engaging, but this one is. The contestants are so kind to each other and earnest in their presentations. Not only do you cheer for all of them, but it makes you want to emulate them in your own kitchen.

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Why don’t I go bang up a bread sculpture that looks like a lion? Oh, that’s right. Because it’s really hard to do, that’s why. But these guys all make it look so easy. Chocolate lava cakes, frosted buns and towers made out of spun sugar seem to magically flow out of the kitchen. We all know it’s not that simple.

Anita Singh takes readers from the creation of the show to the change in most of its hosts in the most recent episodes. We are also treated to funny anecdotes from some of the contestants and assorted behind-the-scenes gossip.

As an American reader, I enjoyed learning more about Paul and Mary’s backgrounds before they joined the show. I mean, perhaps they had enjoyed some success across the pond, but I had never heard of them. I have more context now.

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My favorite part of this fan book were Mel and Sue’s confessions about practical jokes they’ve pulled on Paul. I won’t spoil it for you, but one of them involved his Aston Martin. Le gasp.

Recommended for readers who have watched most, if not all, of the seasons of The Great British Baking Show. I suppose you could still enjoy it without doing so, but all of that viewing time helps you to enjoy this book even more.

Thanks for reading!

Amish Confidential by “Lebanon” Levi Stoltzfus and Ellis Henican

Amish Confidential by “Lebanon” Levi Stoltzfus and Ellis Henican

I wasn’t expecting much from Amish Confidential, a tell-all memoir, by Amish mafia reality television star, Lebanon Levi Stoltzfus. Despite my expectations, it was quite good.

I picked it up because watching The Amish Mafia is one of my guilty pleasures. It is a reality, cultural, crime-syndicate show with horses.

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The Amish, like other insular communities, have plenty to teach the outside world about they live their lives. Levi definitely has the inside scoop, having been raised Old Order Amish, a more conservative branch of the culture.

I loved learning about how the Amish were formed and the historical background of his people. I ate up the bits about Amish marriage ceremonies and the social customs surrounding the party afterwards. Celery, apparently, is huge. Who knew, right?

I wish he had talked more how he fell into the world of “Amish mafia” itself. It’s clear from his narrative that he feels the Amish are taken advantage of because of their religious pacifism. He believes that they desire to deal with potentially criminal matters among themselves rather than going to the authorities. That is the basis of the mafia. For legal reasons, he probably couldn’t be that transparent. But it would have been excellent if he had.

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If you enjoy the television show, you may not like this as much because it lacks some of the moment to moment tension and drama that one gets from watching the show. But, if you go into it with an open mind to learn more about the Amish in general, it certainly accomplishes that.

If you enjoyed Amish Confidential, I’d recommend The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice (a Muslim boy is raised one way but chooses to live another) or License to Pawn: Deals, Steals, and My Life at the Gold & Silver (a memoir by a pawn shop owner who has his own reality television show).

Thanks for reading!