Book Chat Issue #26

Popcorn reading

Hello readers and eaters

This week I’ve been thinking a lot about what I consume - books, but also TV shows and movies.

During the pandemic I read a lot of fluffy books because I just couldn’t concentrate on anything more complicated. I decided it was ok because the pandemic was just temporary (ha ha, weren’t we innocent?) and I assumed that eventually I would get back to reading more thought-provoking books. Lately I’ve been wondering when that might happen and if I’ve become addicted to reading page-turners.

I’m not a fan of ‘worthy’ books and I like to have a balanced reading diet, but lately I’ve been consuming too many books that remind me of popcorn. You know the ones - for me they are usually thrillers, often well-written but largely forgettable plots. They often have annoying plot twists that make no sense in the cold light of day, and I hate it when the murderer turns out to be the husband, who throughout the book has been depicted as mild-mannered and charming, but is then revealed to be a monster. Who knew? Give me some clues people!

I just finished a book in which the main character was drugged up to her eyeballs by a “friend” and kept wondering why she couldn’t remember anything about the night before. Did it not cross her mind that someone had spiked her drink?

So anyway, I’ve decided to try and wean myself off reading thrillers and try some new genres. I’ll let you know how it’s going in future editions.

Do you ever read books that leave you feeling unsatisfied or cross with yourself?

Please share and make me feel better.

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What I’ve been reading

Despite my awareness of my thriller addiction, I read two recently which weren’t bad. They had the same title which amused me no end.

Both were fun reads - excellent fare for a plane trip or for when you are in the mood for something undemanding.

I also read a ‘proper book’. By that, I mean one that took me more than two days to read and which made me think about what I would do in the same situation. Paper Palace, by Miranda Cowley Heller was recommended to me by Mia, one of my lovely subscribers. I tried to read it last year but didn’t have the necessary level of concentration, so I thought I’d give it another try.

Also, it opens with a sex scene and I’m always a bit squeamish about them. Some of you might remember me writing about this last year.

I managed to overcome my trepidation and enjoyed it very much. It’s about messy families, love, grief and making hard choices. It reminded me of Ask Again, Yes and Little Fires Everywhere, which have similar themes.

Here’s an interesting review from The New York Times. Note that the book contains references to sexual assault and has a very controversial ending.

Have you read it? What did you think about the ending?

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What I’ve been writing

I finally got my act together and published a new blog post. It took me ages to write because I kept going down delightful rabbit holes. One of the excellent things about being retired is that you can do lots of research into things that interest you, without feeling like you should be working.

My article about the children’s author Phyllis Krasilovsky, had me reading all about Aleut Indians, finding out why the Russians sold Alaska to the US, and what kind of hairstyles were popular in the 1950s. None of this information made it into the post, but maybe it will be background for a future project? Who knows.

Illustration from The Man Who Didn’t Wash His Dishes

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What I’ve been eating

I had lunch recently with my good friend Abigail. We both enjoyed this lamb salad, served with lemon mustard dressing and cucumber minted yoghurt. Delicious.

Lamb salad with roast pumpkin, eggplant, pearl cous cous and pomegranate

That’s all for now!

Happy reading and look after yourself.

Marg xxx