[A]n engaging writer. Fast, funny and observant...she's your mean best friend sending instant messages that make you snort at your desk. -- The New York Times Book Review ''Highly readable . . . beautiful writing, effortlessly filling pages with virtuoso descriptions of animal slaughter and human travail' ' -- Sunday Times 'Julie Powell's follow-up to Julie & Julia paints a visceral, compulsively readable picture of what it looks like when you fully indulge with a fantasy object who isn't your spouse.... Powell has honed her writing chops along with her culinary skills, and her extended metaphor is dead on: how we can systematically hack each other apart without ever getting to the heart of our desires.' -- Elle Smart and compelling...Powell's steadfast femininity and confident voice are refreshing. -- The San Francisco Chronicle