Inputs
Everywhere an Oink Oink by David Mamet: I used an excerpt from Duck Variations for a season of high school speech competitions but until starting this book knew nothing else about David Mamet, including the ideological journey he’s been on. EaOO was an interesting foil to Barbra Streisand’s memoir (which I gave up on after she met James Brolin because it seemed like things were going well for her but becoming more dull), in that while BS’s stories end with “And I was right!”, DM’s all end with “And I was wronged!”; the “I” here sometimes referring to various groups he identifies with and sometimes DM specifically. Women used to wear hats! By the end I did find myself relating to his faith in the rhetorical power of a cutting witticism.
Come and Get It by Kiley Reid: There is a fight about slicing tomatoes in CaGI that made firey rage course through my veins. Rage turned out to be far from the most uncomfortable emotional string that CaGI twanged. But as with Such a Fun Age, the mirror is so enticing you push through the fact that in the end you’re going to have to look at yourself.
And in honor of Valentine’s Day, here is a smut book roundup:
Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary: There’s really no conflict in this hockey m/m, which I’m fine with. Some people want a lot of angst in their romance novels. Your pal AP is mostly interested in banter and fucking.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah Maas: I did not love the first few books in this series, but then my dentist said I absolutely HAD to read the most recent one. I took advantage of a brief break from having my nightguard fitted to say I really didn’t remember what had happened in the previous books and she tried valiantly to recap about 2000 pages of horny elf lords so at that point I thought well I owe it to her. In the spirit of Napoleon’s strategy of leaving mail unopened for three weeks I’m pretty comfortable chugging through plot and assuming anything I don’t understand either will be cleared up eventually or isn’t that important, so I wish I had just skipped the earlier books straight to this one. Even very progressive m/f romance novels usually default to describing sex as something that is done by men and to women, and the dynamics in ACoSF felt a little more interesting.
Pas de Don’t by Chloe Angyal: Fun m/f by a former ballerina about dancers in Sydney whose company has a strict non-fraternization policy. Pairs well with Colin From Accounts (skip the penultimate episode, weirdly lazy and sour!).
Condiment Corner
No condiments of note lately. Recent cookbook highlights:
Cook as You Are by Ruby Tandoh: Good mix of quick pantry stuff and more exotic options. I have tried like seven different Toad in the Hole recipes and I like her batter recipe best. Made tomato sardine pasta, and roast carrots with chickpeas which chickpea-skeptic B absolutely housed.
Good Things to Eat by Lucas Hollweg: I love vegetables in their most decadent unhealthy form, and the spinach gratin with smoked haddock obliged. Could use trout or some other smoked white fish or hot smoked salmon.
From the Oven to the Table by Diana Henry: Another Toad in the Hole contender as well as other hearty bubbly things.
Margaret Costa’s Four Seasons Cookery Book: There is a recipe for oven-fried chicken that combines curry powder and parmesan, and I thought “that’s going to come out weird”, and I was wrong.