52 Loaves

52 loaves is in turn witty, approachable, educational and Mr. Alexander is just a little bit naughty.

There were several times I laughed aloud - one in particular was when he talked about his love of the word “fellatio”. Mix this in with obsessive compulsion, a handful of monks and this half-baked idea comes out fully formed and a delicious read. Bon appetit!

NB: I have adapted the below review for my book blog, Spine Creases. You can read the full review here.

This book definitely makes me want to get back in the kitchen and attempt making bread again. Alexander's memoir is utterly hilarious, which makes for two fantastic, laugh-out-loud funny memoirs that I've read this week. There were times I dropped the book, laughing. I also loved reading about Alexander's experiences as the abbey baker, which reminded me of the film Die große Stille

This quote is a good summary from the end of the book:
“Choose one thing you care about and resolve to do it well. Whether you succeed or not, you will be better for the effort.” —323

I highly recommend this to anyone who is looking for an excellent summer read. It's a well-written, funny food memoir that also encompasses the meaning of long-term commitment and persistence.

Alexander tasted a fantastic piece of bread and that was it for him: he was off in pursuit of making the most excellent bread ever. To achieve this goal, he set out to bake a loaf of bread every week for a year.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, was able to stop Alexander from making that wonderful bread. He traveled around the world to bake in an old oven, to enroll in a bread baking class, and to a monastery where he become head baker.

Funny. And surprisingly helpful for those of us who love to bake bread.