Book Chat Issue #112

Keep going

Welcome to another edition of Book Chat, a newsletter for readers and eaters.

I’m really pleased you’re here, so thank you for subscribing, reading and commenting.

If you’re new around here, please check out the archive to see what you’ve missed.

What I’ve been reading

I’m not usually in the habit of writing about books I feel ambivalent about, but Time of the Child is getting so much attention at the moment, I feel like I should chip in with my own observations. It seems like everyone is reading (and loving) this book by the Irish author, Niall Williams.

Here’s the publisher’s blurb…

Travel to the enchanting village of Faha in this tender and life-affirming novel of second chances. It’s the Advent season of 1962, and Dr. Jack Troy is a local physician burdened by the knowledge of what’s broken in his community. When a baby is discovered abandoned behind the church, Jack and his daughter Ronnie decide to care for the child, giving them a reason to confront the ghosts of their past and the choices that have defined their lives.

Here are my thoughts…

I was about a third of the way through this book when I started thinking “when, in heaven’s name, are you ever going to find that blasted baby? And why, oh why, is it taking so long?”

I was sick of reading about cows and farmers and I wanted to know more about Ronnie and the baby. But I struggled on because it was beautifully written and I knew from the blurb on the cover that they would have to find the baby eventually.

I started to worry that my concentration levels had diminished to the point where I could no longer read a ‘proper’ book but then I realised that I was trying to read it too quickly. It’s a slow and thoughtful book, not a page-turner, and I needed to adjust my attitude and my reading style. Once I slowed down (and they found the baby) I was hooked.

One of my favourite passages was where Ronnie talks about her reading life.

What Ronnie herself wanted was to live in that place she considered beautiful, where she could be of use, and in the paradoxical paradise of a falling down house, be free to live inside her mind. That this was a richness she had come to understand first through reading novels meant that they had a special place in her life, a good one better than the company of ten people.

Some of the writing has an odd cadence (as illustrated in the passage quoted above - is this an Irish thing?) but the story does indeed have a life-affirming message and satisfying ending. I can see why people love it, but I still think it’s a little slow at the beginning. If you are struggling with this book, I urge you to keep going. As with many things in life, sometimes persistence pays off.

If you’ve finished the book, please share your thoughts. I’d love to compare notes.

What I’ve been baking

Not all of my baking adventures end well. I mention this because I think many people believe they are the only ones who ever make mistakes. Not true. We all do silly things.

I’ve had a pretty bad run with my cakes lately, so let me share my failures with you - it might make you feel better.

My sister invited me to a little dinner party she was hosting and I offered to make a cake for dessert. She suggested I make the sweet potato spice cake I featured in the last issue of Book Chat, which I duly set about doing. I followed the recipe to the letter, but it was a complete disaster and I don’t know why. I guess these things just happen. It rose up beautifully and then just flopped down into a dense and inedible heap.

Fortunately, I had a few spare hours up my sleeve so I made a second cake which was a gluten-free almond and orange cake. It wasn’t a disaster, but it was more like a slice than a cake and I still wasn’t happy, so I made a third whole orange cake using a tried and true recipe from my friend Roz. I shared the recipe in a previous issue of Book Chat, but here it is again.

ORANGE CAKE – FAST and DELICIOUS

1 whole navel orange chopped

125g melted butter

1 cup caster sugar

2 eggs

1.5 cups SR Flour

Preheat oven to 180 C or 170 C if fan forced. Blitz these ingredients EXCEPT THE FLOUR in a blender for a brief time – should still be quite lumpy. Add 1.5 cups SR flour and pulse briefly to mix in flour. Pour into 18cm papered cake pan and cook at 170/180 C for approx 40 mins. When cake is ready, warm the syrup slightly and pour over or serve in a jug on the side. Serve with cream or ice cream.

SYRUP Boil gently for 5-10 minutes:

3/4 cup orange juice, 1/3 cup sugar & 1/2 cup orange marmalade

Enjoy!

---

International Book Club (online)

I know you’ve all been waiting with baited breath for me to announce our next book club read so here it is!

[Insert fanfare]

Night Swimmers by Roisin Maguire is a funny and moving novel set in a Coastal community on the edge of the Irish Sea. I don’t want you to think I’m obsessed with Irish authors, but I really loved this book and I think many of you will enjoy it too.

We will be meeting in late September, so get your hands on a copy and start reading. I’ll send a meeting invitation out closer to the date.

If you’ve never been part of a book club and would like to join, please let me know by hitting reply. There’s no cost involved and we are a friendly group.

---

Well that’s all for this issue friends,

I’m conscious that life is difficult for many people at the moment, so if that’s you, please be kind to yourself and keep muddling through.

And keep reading of course!

Marg xx

---

📚📚📚 A special note for new subscribers 📚📚📚

Books have always been a huge part of my life, so to celebrate my 100th issue, I wrote a short series featuring significant events throughout my life and books that were important to me at the time.

The series is called My Reading Life and you can find it here:

Part one | Part two | Part three | Part four | Part five |

Part six | Part seven | Part eight | Part nine | Part ten