How to be a Domestic Goddess, 60/81 - 21 to go!

How to be a Domestic Goddess: Baking and the Art of Comfort Cooking by Nigella Lawson, food/cookbook category

First of all, I have to say this - this woman is nuts! She may be a great cook and a very nice person, I don't know, but honestly, she is nuts.

This book, in case you couldn't tell right away, is about baking. She sets it up in several categories: cakes, cookies, bread, pies, Christmas, etc. The pictures are wonderful. But the writing? Wow. It's hard to tell you just how bad it is. So here's an example.

"Coconut Macaroons. These are a very English kind of macaroon, the sort you always used to see displayed in bakers' shops alongside the madeleines (those sponge castles dipped in luminous strawberry jam and dredged in throat-catching grated coconut, and so very different from those that inflamed the memory of Marcel Proust). The difference with coconut macaroons is that you need neither to be ironic or self-consciously retro-cool to enjoy them."

What?

I have SO many problems with this paragraph. First of all, I am reading a cookbook. I do not need references to Marcel Proust. Second, don't just assume I am English. I'm not. I have no idea what you are talking about. Third, I have never in my life worried about being ironic when I ate a cookie. (My daughter wondered if perhaps she referred to the IRON CONTENT of the cookie. But no.) And finally, I don't have any idea what 'self-consciously retro-cool' means.

So the writing is bad. Horrible. But if the recipes were good, you could just skip the writing and get straight to the recipes. Well, the recipes aren't bad exactly, but every recipe assumes that you already know what she's talking about. She doesn't explain things for a beginner.

Then there are some rather weird recipes. I don't plan on ever making persimmon or passionfruit curd. And I definitely will not touch a gin and tonic gelatin mold. Several of the recipes, most, in fact, call for ingredients that I would have a hard time tracking down. Like rosewater and some specialty jams. She also uses special equipment, but doesn't give you a picture of it or really describe well how to use it. I know most English cooks know what a pudding basin is. I don't.

And then I am never, ever going to make lavender milk. (You know, get a bowl of milk, put 5-6 lavender sprigs in it, boil, then strain. Yeah.) She skipped an important step there - make sure the lavender in question is pesticide free and has been washed thoroughly. But really, where am I going to find lavender sprigs?

This was without question the most self-important, preciously droll cookbook I have ever read. Wait, is that too close to self-consciously retro-cool? Maybe I should have said vain and complacent. Either way, I would not recommend reading it at all. I've never seen the author's show or read any of her other cookbooks, but after reading this, I heard from a relative that she is just the same on her show. Maybe that appeals to someone. Maybe it's meant to be funny and I just don't get it. But it was just awful.

Right as Rain by George Pelecanos (39/81)

Category: Crime & Detectives (with a global theme)
Country: USA

The first in the series of books featuring the characters Strange and Quinn. Strange is a black private investigator, hired to investigate the killing of a black policeman. Quinn is the white former police officer who did the shooting and is coming to terms with his mistake and life outside of the police. Despite his connection with the case, Quinn ends up helping Strange to get to the bottom of things, which unsurprisingly involves police corruption and drugs.

It was typical Pelecanos fayre - the mean streets of Washington DC, awash with popular culture references, multi-racial characters and a big showdown at the end. It is a gritty portrayal of Washington, which is central to all of his books, and can't be doing much for the tourist industry.

It was a good read, not the most intellectually challenging, but you know what you are getting and it is easy to lose yourself in the plot for a few hours. However, I am beginning to find the plots a bit formulaic, especially that big risky showdown where the main characters take the law into their own hands, which is how all of his books I’ve read so far have ended.

Europe Central by William T Vollmann - 4/81

Category: National Book Award Winners for Fiction (2/9)

Wow. This book was not what I was expecting, but I am glad I picked it up. (I honestly don't know what it was I was expecting, but anyway.) Europe Central won the 2005 National Book Award for fiction, and it is easy to see why. The writing is magnificent - I felt swept away, caught up in the stories. The book itself is difficult to describe. Each chapter is a parable of sorts, and the chapters are paired in a way that illuminates the story. Basically the book is about World War II, focusing on Germany and Russia. There is no main character, except perhaps Europe Central. Each story is told from a sort of omniscient narrator point of view, with the voice sometimes changing in the middle of the story. Like I said, it's hard to describe.
Even though it took me longer to read than I would have thought, I am really glad I invested the time in it. I know almost nothing about WWII, so a lot of what is described I had never known, but I only felt lost during one story (Airlift Idylls - that one completely lost me for a bit). Some of the chapters focus on real people, telling their stories as the author envisions it, people such as Field-Marshal Friedrich Paulus, Kurt Gerstein, Shostakovich, and then sometimes the story is told by someone who seems to be an individual but is really not (those chapters reminded me of And Then We Came to the End, if you've read that). Basically this book would be enjoyed by anyone who can invest the time, who is interested in that time period, or who loves it when an author can use the language so beautifully (even when describing terrible things). Vollmann obviously did a ton of research for this book, and it makes me curious to see what his other books are like.

Frostbite by Richelle Mead (23/81)

Rose Hathaway's got serious guy trouble. Her gorgeous tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason has a huge crush on her, and she keeps getting stuck in her best friend Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian. (So not cool).
Then a massive Strigoi attack puts St. Vladimir's on high alert, and the Academy crawls with Guardians--including the legendary Janine Hathaway...Rose's formidable, long-absent mother. The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks. This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.
But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only provide the illusion of safety. When three students run away to strike back against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. Only this time, Rose--and her heart--are in more danger than she ever could have imagined...

This is the second book in the Vampire Academy Series and things are heating up for the Vampires ..... The Strigoi are starting to attack ... So is it safer to be all together !!!! .... Rose not only have as to play it cool but has to deal with her mother who is one of the top Guardians in the world !!! Are they ready and prepared to face the Strigoi !!! ..... Plus a new Vampire comes on the scene Adrian ... Is he a friend or foe !!! ....

I enjoyed this book and it introduces you to new characters and also keeps you guessing as to whether Rose and Dimitri ever get together !!!

I rate this book 31/2 **

Japanland by Karin Muller (31/81)

Category: Travelogue
C2005 307pgs 3.5stars

Lately my Netflix queue has been full to the brim with anime and J-Horror movies. I find myself with an insatiable curiosity about most things Japanese (if it's small, fuzzy and saccharine sweet I can usually resist). I dream of packing my bags and heading off to the island 'someday'. So when Amazon recommended this book to me, I felt it was the perfect venue for some armchair travel. And indeed, Muller does give you a sense of what being an outsider, a Gaijin, is like: at the home of her host family, at the market, asking directions on the street, in the public baths, etc.
Japanland, as described by Muller, is "an alternate reality", "the mask Japan wears in public". She spent a year documenting various Japanese citizens: monks, sumo wrestlers, drummers, judo practitioners, sword makers, business men, immigrants, geisha, even the homeless, with the purpose of assimilating their true culture. The marketing blurb on the front flap says the book has 'broad scope' and I do agree with that. But it also feels quite shallow, as if Muller never penetrated the 'mask' she speaks of. It's a light, easy read but ultimately I was left somewhat unsatisfied with it and will probably look for another book on the same subject.

Down and Out in Paris and London (38/81)

Category: Non-Fiction

I read Animal Farm and 1984 years ago and loved them both, but somehow was never drawn to any of Orwell’s other work. But I was glad I took a chance on this book.

It is based on the author’s own experiences before he was famous, working in the restaurant trade in Paris and being homeless in London. Despite the subject matter, it was a surprisingly easy read, testament to Orwell’s skill as a writer. Although his poverty was only temporary, his empathy with the eternally destitute is real and his tone is never patronising.

In the first section on Paris, he describes in detail how one can live on a meagre number of francs, and provides an in-depth account of Paris’ restaurant trade, which treats its hierarchy that treats its lowly staff terribly, but provides some interesting anecdotes here.

In the second part of the book, Orwell moves to London, where the promised job falls through and he finds himself homeless. The tone here is darker, as he is living amongst people who are often without hope, but it is still graced with brilliant characters and some astute insights. I particularly enjoyed the section on the evolution of swear words.

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (22/81)

Lissa Dragomir is a Moroi princess: a mortal vampire with an unbreakable bond to the earth's magic. She must be protected at all times from Strigoi; the fiercest and most dangerous vampires--the ones who never die.The powerful blend of human and vampire blood that flows through Rose Hathaway, Lissa's best friend, makes her a Dhampir; she is dedicated to a dangerous life of protecting Lissa from the Strigoi, who are hell-bent on making her one of them.After two years of illicit freedom, Rose and Lissa are caught and dragged back to St. Vladimir's Academy, hidden in the deep forests of Montana. Rose will continue her Dhampir education. Lissa will go back to being Queen of the elite Moroi social scene. And both girls will resume breaking hearts.Fear made Lissa and Rose run away from St. Vladimir's--but their world is fraught with danger both inside and out of the Academy's iron gates. Here, the cutthroat ranks of the Moroi perform unspeakable rituals and their secretive nature and love of the night creates an enigmatic world full of social complexities. Rose and Lissa must navigate through
this dangerous world, confront the temptation of forbidden romance, and never once let their guard down, lest the Strigoi make Lissa one of them forever...

I seriously must be going through a Vampire phase at the moment .... This is the first in a series of books called "Vampire Academy" And I quite enjoyed them !!!

Firstly let me say there are a few swear words in the book but as the series go's on they become less frequent ... Richelle style of writing is really easy going and if you are an avid reader this will be a quick read !! I read all three books within 3 days !!!

It is about a heroine called Rose who is half Vampire and half Human whose job it is to protect her best friend Lissa .... She is a strong willful character who alot of the time is misjudged !!! They attend a school which trains them on how to protect their Royal Princes and Princess !!! ... And shows that even in a Vampire Academy there are the cool kids and the geeks !! Will Rose rise to the challenge to study and obey the rules so she can be best guardian !!!

Not a bad wee read .... If you like fantasy and Vampire books you will love this series !!!

I rate this book 31/2 ***