Blizzard of Books
These estimates seem a little low….
I’ve got a snow day today. And wow, is it ever snowing! I am cozy at home, watching the snow fall (and fall, and fall and fall) and have set today to read books. And possibly do yoga and chores. Maybe. But mostly, read books. And blog about them.
While I did join my fellow citizens in a big grocery shopping excursion as soon as the first mention of snow hit the weather report, I made sure to stock up on library books as well. Priorities.
Started the day off with coffee and finishing Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook by Anthony Bourdain. As I hoped and expected, the short pieces collected in this volume aimed Bourdain’s excellent snark and swearing at a variety of foodie topics: shady restaurant reviewers, overly fancy and arduous tasting menus, vegans and vegetarians, his own debauched excesses of food, booze, sex and substances The collection gave me more of what I enjoyed from Kitchen Confidential and A Cook’s Tour, great descriptions of meals, chef and restaurant staff life, travels and food in countries I might never visit. The man has a way with a metaphor: (sometimes he leans the metaphor over the kitchen counter without buying it dinner or flowers first, but that’s in keeping with his cultivated character.) Even better than his democratic approach to snark, though, were the moments where he really let his heart and affection show through. Because grouchiness seems to be so much his default stance, praise and affection for friends, chefs and restaurant folks he admires and likes, or great food, stand out even more.
My second book of the day was Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold, the start of a fun space opera series, the Miles Vorkosigan books. I read these years ago: many thanks to Abbie for introducing me to the series when we were roommates! Spaceships, alien planets, interesting cultures, banter. Very satisfying. Not sure if I’m going to dive in and read the rest of the series now, or dip into library books first. I should read other library books first. Or books on my shelves. I should not buy the entire series. No I should not do that. And I need to read more poetry. Good weekend for poetry.
WYNTER SAFETYE TIPPE Serene and majestique, compose arcane vilanelles yn thy gorgeous tower of ice.
— Chaucer Doth Tweet (@LeVostreGC) January 23, 2016
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