Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. I loved this unique memoir about group living that also included recipes that are clearly very cherished by this group of friends and family. I might be biased by being a recent Portland/PNW-area transplant, but in these tough times, I think it's important to examine ways to live more communally as an act of radical care for oneself and the planet. I love a memoir that teaches you something, and helps you reflect on what you want for your own life. This book did both for me.

👉🏻 For my friends curious about communal living.

Thanks, Spengler & Grau, for the advanced review copies. (Available now)

“Lola grew up in the nineties, the child of iconoclastic hippies. Years later, Milholland returned home after college and her parents’ separation. There, she joined her brother and his housemates—an eccentric group of stop-motion animators and accomplished cooks—in choosing to further the experiment of communal living into a new generation.”

While not my cup of kombucha, this was an interesting peek into the group living mindset. And the recipes were mouthwatering! I copied down Lola’s Jammy Eggs, Endive Salad (who knew soaking them in ice water removed the bitterness?), and Spicy Cilantro Dressing.

I tried the audiobook format (read by the author), but it wasn’t the best way for me to absorb the story. Plus, it was odd to have recipes read out loud.

This was an interesting read but felt a little scattered – I had a hard time following at points or staying connected to the story.

The common thread was recipes from all the different people and living situations that affected her life, which was a creative way to break up the sections.

I liked the author’s reflection on unconventional types of families and homes, but felt like the timeline was too disjointed at times and some sections like the time during 2020 felt longer than necessary (though this could very well be a personal reaction to anything written during the pandemic).

Overall, it was a cool approach to writing a memoir, but I wasn’t as invested in it as I thought I’d be.

I’m so grateful I was able to receive an eARC of this book. It’s such an interesting structure of life stories and the recipes for meals that are associated with those memories. I got to learn about the benefits and drawbacks of communal living arrangements while also getting insight into Lola and having new recipes to try. Super interesting.

"Group Living and Other Recipes" by Lola Milholland is a refreshingly original and insightful exploration of communal living, blended with the joy of shared meals and experiences. Milholland’s writing is both thoughtful and engaging, offering readers a unique mix of practical advice and heartwarming stories that celebrate the richness of living in a community. The recipes are more than just instructions—they are woven into the fabric of the narrative, each one symbolizing connection, creativity, and the bonds that form over shared plates. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in the art of collective living and the power of food to bring people together.

This memoir-cum-cookbook is a fascinating rummage through the author's life, family history, and gastronomic interests, telling the story of her own home as well as the group living experiments her family members have been involved in. I was expecting more recipes than there were, but actually didn't mind that it was more memoir, as that makes for an easier read. I loved the family history bits and learning about the different group living projects that the author's favourite people have belonged to. It was also fascinating to read about the ups and downs her own group went through during the pandemic, and her reflections on the purpose of her home.

If you liked this check out 'Living Together' by Mim Skinner, I think the books really complement each other.

A mash between memoir and cookbook, the author's writing flows into the recipes well. Her lifestyle is fascinating, and I enjoyed the unique recipes.

This isn’t my usual read, but I’m glad I branched out because it definitely gave me food for thought (no pun intended).

Lola’s experience with group living traces back to her childhood with a revolving door of monks & foreign exchange students & family & friends living in their large home in Portland, Oregon that they dubbed “Holman House” due to the name of the street. She then became a foreign exchange student herself in Japan, spent time over the years at her aunt & uncle’s intentional community & saw how her cousins incorporated their parents’ views into their own lives, & ultimately came to live again in Holman House with her brother & their friends.

As we follow the journey of Lola’s life, we see how defining events like 9/11 & the coronavirus pandemic of 2020 shaped her worldview & experiences. We also witness how food becomes a central focus in the sharing & community she embraces. I found myself examining my own views as the author brought up a wide variety of issues like food politics, land trusts, the difference between co-living & co-housing, activism, hippie culture, housing insecurity, & the idea of all of us living on this planet together as a sort of global group living arrangement. I also loved her expression of the sentiment that caring for people we don’t know is an essential part of being a person, & her musings on the difficult balance between inclusiveness & intimacy.

Thank you to NetGalley & Spiegel & Grau for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read this book totally randomly after seeing it on NetGalley and I am so glad I did. I didn't realize that it takes place in Portland, which was fun to read about -- I was initially drawn to the group living and food parts of the book.

I loved this book! I loved hearing Lola Milholland's personal experiences with group living, as well as some of the larger ideas about group living. The parts during the pandemic felt especially meaningful, thinking of how much it impacted their household. I remember when I was in my 20s how much I wanted to live in a co-op or some kind of group living situation -- and that made me really love reading this book.

I loved the recipes throughout the book too and look forward to trying some -- as well as tracking down Lola's noodles the next time I am in Portland -- they sound amazing!

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys food, the idea of group living, or reading about Portland. Thoroughly delightful!

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

Lola Milholland grew up in Holman House, a rambling home where her parents invited everyone to join in family meals. As an adult, she returned to her childhood home and explored the concept of communal living for herself. This book shares the author's experience living in a community. She also interviews various folks as they attempt to live in cooperation. In chapters that mirror essays, she explores the successes and challenges of each community and offers advice for making living together work.
I appreciated the prompt to consider what community living would look like. It's definitely an endeavor that can be beneficial socially and financially. The relational challenges and emotional efforts are too often overwhelming, though, for folks to attain. Thankfully, readers can use this book as a primer as they consider the pros and cons of group living and seek to make the concept work for them.
I like that each chapter includes a recipe. I skimmed most of them, though, since they generally featured flavors I don't prefer. However, they do reflect her various roommates and interviewees and introduce readers to unique dishes with diverse ingredients and seasonings.

i love books with recipes. i've genuinely never made one in my life but that doesn't stop me from being like yes!!! every time i see them.

otherwise, this book was not bad, but i don't think it'll be particularly memorable to me.

a weird part of reading memoirs is the feeling that you have to deem someone's life story worthy of telling. i don't like doing that, but i will say that the more traditional nonfiction parts of this, documenting group living in general, felt a lot stronger to me.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. It was wonderful!

It turns out there's no recipe for group living. But this meandering memoir lays out the possible ingredients. It provokes thought, suggesting a refreshed vision of home and family, posing questions about sustainable living, shared commitments, and the past and future of communal living. Questions such as, "How can we begin to experiment outside the status quo? How can we learn to see companionship itself as both home and wealth?"
I would recommend this to those who like their memoirs with a side of questioning the status quo. Recipes are included, which is always a bonus.
[Thanks to Spiegel & Grau and NetGalley for an opportunity to read an advanced reader copy and share my opinion of this book.]

Lola Miholland had me at the title GROUP LIVING AND OTHER RECIPES, but grabbed me by the heart and imagination with this big-hearted, wildly creative novel about people living together and making the entire house a part of wildly interesting and engaging lives. And the recipes? So different and enticing that I might actually add some to my admittedly dull and predictable rotation. Her story is a lush, wonderful immersion in a very different and pleasurable way of life by characters I could relate to and argue with and enjoy. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Stopped at fifty percent. Whereas the style was often engaging and vivid, there was a lot of emphasis on really unpleasant people in a detail that sometimes seemed relishing. I found it more and more difficult to pick up after putting it down, and finally decided I just wasn't the audience.

Group Living and Other Recipes was such a different experience! It’s not just a memoir… it’s like equal parts memoir and cookbook which I enjoyed because I love cooking and baking. (The recipes provided sound delicious and I even saved some for future reference 🤭). Milholland did a wonderful job of tying in the recipes to key memories and moments in her life.

What I loved most about this book is that cooking and food in general wasn’t just nourishing to the body but also those around you. It gives such a sense of togetherness in her community and acceptance. Each story told in this memoir was like a warm hug.

Such an incredible mix of memoir and cookbook and an ode to communal eating. Community is so important and food is meant to be shared.

Thank you Spiegel & Grau, Lola Milholland and Netgalley for giving me an ARC of this book!

This was a sweet ode to communal living and the experience of cooking and eating with others. The author grew up in an unconventional hippie-esque living situation and compares that with other communal living experiences in her life. I did feel at times the author could have expanded more on some of her experiences. Thanks to NetGalley for a chance to read and review this one.

Part memoir, part cookbook, Lola Milholland explores various forms of non-traditional (for modern Western society) living, from her own home through the years, first as a child of hippie parents and an always-changing cast of roommates, and followed by her adult life in the same house with her brother and different roommates; to communes, co-ops, and eco villages. Each chapter ends with a recipe related to or even from the people she writes about in that chapter.

This is frank, funny, radical, and transparent. Milholland reflects on privilege, power dynamics, relationships and the tension of wanting to live outside of capitalist structures but still having to engage with them. And the recipes and food tied into the discussions - delightful.

This is the author's memoir of how several of her family members & herself have found themselves in group living arrangements. She does a wonderful job examining how the West/U.S. responds to living with roommates as a prolonged adolescence instead of creating a community that does life together. She discusses the benefits, political structures, and memories that she's built within shared living spaces. She also interspersed recipes from her family and loved ones. I particularly enjoyed the section of her book where she lives as an exchange student in Japan. A great read if you want to learn more about different living structures.