Book Chat Issue #65

Choose your own adventure

Hello reading friends!

I was reading an article by the film critic Paul Byrne and he said that when he started out as a reviewer, he was advised not to summarise the plot or even tell people they should see a film, he should just record his experiences and let readers decide for themselves. That’s pretty much how I feel about this newsletter. I’m not here to tell you what you should and shouldn’t read (that’s your business), I just like sharing what I’ve enjoyed. And you never know, you might like it too.

If you’ve enjoyed a book I’ve recommended, (or not) please let me know.

What I’ve been reading lately

Regular readers will know that I recently travelled overseas (sorry to rub it in) which meant I’ve been listening to some audiobooks. I usually read actual books, but on a long flight your eyes get gritty and sore, so audiobooks are a godsend.

One book I loved was The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue. I’m sure my enjoyment was enhanced by the narrator, who had a charming Irish accent, but I felt a bit bereft when I finished listening because I knew I would miss Rachel and her witty, heartbreaking voice.

The book is a coming of age story (I love those) and is set in Cork where Rachel works in bookshop to support herself through university. There she meets her best friend James, a charmer with the wrong sort of Irish accent (he’s from Belfast). Her observations about class and the attitudes of the English towards Irish people are perceptive and often very funny. In fact the book had me laughing out loud quite a few times, which was a bit embarrassing on a plane.

Earlier comments notwithstanding, you might enjoy this book if you liked Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason or Normal People by Sally Rooney.

Spain!

When I visited Spain on my recent trip (sorry again) I made a special pilgrimage to Córdoba, where my favourite book is set.

Córdoba is about 70 miles from Seville and is home to one of the most beautiful buildings I’ve ever seen. Originally an Islamic Mosque, it was converted to a Christian Cathedral in the 12th Century. We did a tour to find out about its fascinating history which was well worth the money. It was wonderful to wander around in a city I have only dreamt about visiting.

Unsurprisingly, the streets of Seville and Córdoba are lined with thousands of orange trees. Originally introduced by the Moors, they were used to make medicines and perfume. Although the fruit is bitter and not suitable for eating (except to make Seville orange marmalade) I was pleased to hear that the local council collects the fruit from the 25,000 trees and uses it to produce commercially available products such as orange scented olive oil.

Córdoba Mosque/Cathedral, toffee apples, a street lined with orange trees

What I’ve been eating

Enjoying a very large pizza in Seville

I haven’t been cooking much for obvious reasons, but I really want to try the super-easy pizza dough mentioned in this edition of Food Stories by Lindsay Cameron Wilson.

I love recipes with a short list of ingredients and this certainly fits the bill.

No Knead Pizza dough

3 cups (360g) of all purpose flour 

2 teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 x 12oz (355ml) can of beer (or cider)

1 tablespoon olive oil

Read Lindsay Cameron Wilson’s excellent newsletter for further instructions.

Pizza that tastes like relief

That’s all for this week. Hope you are coping with the weird unseasonal weather and fitting in lots of reading.

Take care,

Marg xxx