Monday Book Review - Sugarhouse: Turning the Neighborhood Crack House into Our Home Sweet Home by Matthew Batt, 2012

three stars

Summary

Sugarhouse: Turning the Neighborhood Crack House into Our Home Sweet Home by Matthew Batt, Mariner Books, 2012, fluently describes his experience as a first time Salt Lake City homeowner against the backdrop of dealing with an aging grandparent and the emotional fallout. Batt interweaves stories on remodeling a former crack house with a longer and more emotional story about his recently widowered gramp’s struggle with loneliness. The story starts as Batt, a writer, engages fellow waiter and realtor extraordinaire Sully in the search for a home. Batt receives money from gramps and buys the worst house on the block in the Sugarhouse neighborhood.

Highlights

Only an English major in Boston would work in the cost of building at Walden into a contemporary fix-it book; Thoreau’s home, $28.
Reigning the love interest of the recently widowered, an update on Peter Taylor’s “A Summons to Memphis”.
Full appreciation of family and friendships.
Renovation tales from the crypt.
A wordsmith.

Overall

A riveting story for DIY and flipping addicts. Looking forward to Batt’s next book.