We’ve formed an unofficial book club. When we meet some of us arrive with notes and underlined passages, the rest of us show up to get buzzed.
On our Reels page you’ll find a recipe for a “Smoky Sunset” margarita, inspired by LA Weather by María Amparo Escandón. Below, a review of the story.
LA Weather is full of just that—fires, droughts, the Santa Ana winds. The story centers around a Jewish-Mexican-American family living amidst an ever-changing Los Angeles backdrop. There is light freeway talk and constant weather updates, because both traffic and the weather are hallmarks of how we live. Don’t let anyone tell you that LA does not have weather. It does, just a different kind.
The book opens with a tragedy, and immediately draws you into the drama. The reader feels compelled to not put the book down until she knows that the twins are okay. Are they okay? The writing often operates how members of a big family do—concerned, dismissive, loving, annoyed. Like Los Angeles, the book’s mood is always changing and the story moves quickly. Sometimes too quickly. Outrageous events happen but the story advances without a second thought. Also outrageous are the paragraphs describing a drive from the Westside to Highland Park in 25 minutes.
As a reader you feel like a quiet observer, a member of the extended family clearing the table at a birthday dinner while overhearing the latest gossip. It’s fun while you’re there but it’s also nice to go home.
