Book Chat Issue #73
Chalk and cheese (two very different books)
Well here we are in 2024 and it seems to be going okay so far. How is your year shaping up? Have you made any reading resolutions?
I borrowed a massive stack of books from the library just before Christmas and I haven’t made much of a dent in them. I’m quite a fast reader, but I think I over-estimated how much reading I could fit in over the holiday period. I also under-estimated the amount of television I would consume. Oh well…
I managed to finish a couple of quirky books, so let’s dive in.
What I’ve been reading
I can’t remember who recommended My Murder by Katie Williams, but whoever it was, thank you!
My Murder would probably be described as futuristic thriller, but I fear that description might put some of you off. I can already hear some of you saying you don’t like science fiction! But if you like good writing and a tightly plotted mystery, you might very well enjoy this book.
Here’s the publishers blurb…
Lou is a happily married mother of an adorable toddler. She’s also the victim of a local serial killer. Recently brought back to life and returned to her grieving family by a government project, she is grateful for this second chance. But as the new Lou re-adapts to her old routines, and as she bonds with other female victims, she realises that disturbing questions remain about what exactly preceded her death and how much she can really trust those around her.
Now it’s not enough to care for her child, love her husband, and work the job she’s always enjoyed—she must also figure out the circumstances of her death. Darkly comic, tautly paced, and full of surprises, My Murder is a devour-in-one-sitting, clever twist on the classic thriller.
I loved this book. It’s intelligent thought-provoking, so even if this isn’t your usual genre, I urge you to give it a try.
The other book I read was Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny. Similar in style and tone to Nora Ephron, it’s a funny and poignant story about marriage and paths not taken.
Graham is a quiet man, but his second wife Audra talks non-stop. She invites the doorman to stay with them and seems to know the intimate details of everyone’s lives. In the midst of raising a child with Aspberger’s, Graham’s first wife Elspeth re-enters his life and he begins to wonder how he could have loved two such different women.
It was amazing, that after so many years apart, he and Elspeth still spoke in the same marital code. He called the day after dinner to thank her and she said “it was a pleasure. Audra is certainly vivacious.”
But what she meant was. She talks too much, however do you stand it?
Meanwhile, Audra is busy organising United Nations Day at her son’s school.
The phone rang at six in the morning on United Nations Day with the news that some woman had burned ninety Swedish meatballs and didn’t know what to do.
“That’s easy,” Audra said. “Just buy frozen meatballs from the supermarket and we’ll stick toothpicks with little Swedish flags in them and no-one will know any different.”
She hung up and said to Graham, ‘Honestly, do you think people bother Ban Ki-moon with nonsense like that?” And she flounced off to take a shower.
I laughed out loud several times while reading this book. My favourite part was Heiny’s description of taking their son to an Origami convention. It’s absolutely delightful. The characters are all funny and flawed, the kind of people you miss when you’ve finished the book.
Here’s a lovely interview with the author about writing the book.
Farewell Bill
I was sad to hear the news that Bill Granger (restaurant owner and chef) died on Christmas Day. For those of you who haven’t heard of him, he was something of a local legend and his death from cancer at the age of 54 was unexpected and shocking.
His first cafe in Sydney, called simply “Bills” featured his famous scrambled eggs (featuring lots of cream), and he is widely credited with popularising avocado on sourdough. Here’s a lovely obituary from the Guardian. By all accounts, he was a lovely man.
Bill’s food was always unpretentious, so today I’d like to feature his recipe for ricotta pancakes.
Book Club
Okay folks! Book club is on next week - Friday 19th January at 10.30am Australian Eastern Summertime (that’s Thursday the 18th in the US).
We are discussing Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt.
Here’s the link if you want to join in. Everyone welcome.
That’s all for this edition. If you’d like share your reading recommendations or need some personalised advice on what you should read next, feel free to hit reply, or leave a note in the comments section.
Until next time, keep well and look after yourself.
Marg xxx
Happy New Year! Both books sounds interesting and all of a sudden I wish the holidays (aka reading time) hadn't ended already. What I love about your newsletter is that whenever I feel like getting a new book I can just browse through your many posts for an endless source of good titles. Thank you!
Oh, thanks for two more book recommendations that I now want to read (or listen to!). I swear you’re creating my TBR list, Marg!
My mom often used the expression “chalk and cheese” to describe two people that were as different as, well, chalk and cheese. It always made perfect sense to me. Hoi polloi not so much, though I love the sound of it. I thought it sounded vaguely Yiddish, but it turns out it’s Greek for “the people” and has taken on a negative connotation in English as a term for the masses (as in the rabble-rousing types).