Christmas Comfort and Joy: What I Want, What I Read, What I Eat

Having finally recovered from the recovery period of recovering from finishing work, I thought a bookish Christmas post was in order.

What I Read:
Since finally finished the last hard slog of work, my time has mostly been spent eating panettone, drinking mulled wine and reading my Christmas books in a painfully hot bath every night. I read the same three books every Christmas, plus a few alternates as back-up which change annually, and this gives me the same lovely feeling as repeats of the Christmas episodes of Only Fools and Horses, Porridge and The Royle Family (done, done and done). Certain films, television shows and books are a must every year, and rather than getting bored of them I enjoy them more and more each year as the tradition gets stronger.

The three I always read are 'The Hogfather' by Terry Pratchett, 'Hercule Poirot's Christmas' by Agatha Christie and 'A Christmas Carol' by Charles Dickens - in that order, ending with the Dickens on Christmas eve in bed (always following the last and favourite Christmas film - White Christmas). I find that 'The Hofather' gets me into the Christmas spirit the quickest as it is so funny, and the Dickens is the most traditional, so leaves me with the warmest feeling on Christmas morning. I adore the festive period, but get very stressed around Christmas as I am not hugely social and worry a lot about everything coming together, so I feel that these routines and traditions keep me grounded and happy, and remind me of how lovely Christmas should really be (first world problems - I am so highly strung!)

Author Spotlight: Scarlett Thomas

One of my all time, top 5, favourite authors is Scarlett Thomas. You may not have heard of her, or you may be rolling your eyes at this assumption (she is that kind of author - loved or unheard of), but really most people I mention her to are completely nonplussed. Thomas is however not a niche or unknown author, and has released a fair number of amazing (or at least original and interesting) books, particularly considering how few non-obsessive binge readers (laymen/noobs/normos) have actually heard of her.

We, as a reader collective, don't really know much about Thomas due to her unfair lack of fame as an author, and, as with actors, I think this is for the best. What we do know is that she teachers Creative Writing at the University of Kent, was releasing a good book a year and now releases a fantastic book once every 3-5 years, and prizes authenticity and originality as an author - what else would I need to know?

As with my Haruki Murakami author spotlight, I will wax lyrical/rant and rave about the author's books in chronological order, in the hope that someone will love them as much as me.

Audiobook Un-Review: "Matilda" by Roald Dahl

I like a little snitching escapism while I work and, as I work mostly from home, I can listen to whatever I want, thank you very much. Like everyone else who was a child in late 1980's/early 1990's, I have OF COURSE read every Roald Dahl book, and had already decided to spend my free monthly Audible credit on one of his works due to unexplained sudden onset nostalgia (USON).

The sole reason I chose 'Matilda' over any other delicious Dahl delight was because Kate Winslet was the narrator and, as she is perfectly phizz-whizzing in everything else, I had no doubt she would read it most rambunctiously. 'Matilda' was also always the Dahl book I warmed to the most on first read, as I was an odd, bookish sort of child myself, and I find that my favourite books are always the ones in which I can jumbly goggler myself as the protagonist.

For those of you who haven't read the book, go and read it immediately, you are never too old for Roald Dahl, or, even better, listen to this whoopsy-wiffling audiobook, because Kate Winslet is more talented and lovely than your inner monologue, I promise. The book itself, for the uninitiated, is about a bright young girl who loves to read, and takes pleasure from learning and looking after herself, despite her awful family and scary school. More importantly, it is about individuality, thoughtfulness, breaking free, and being a good person. Even more importantly, while authentically covering these themes and conveying these emotions, the book has a lovely, dark, scrungy, filthomeness to it, that all kids love, and all adults seem to forget about. No health and safety here thank you, we are too busy splatch-winkle squilching our superiors and being frothbuggling with our friends to care.

Un-Review: "Not That Kind of Girl" by Lena Dunham. Also, I AM A FEMINIST.

Caitlin Moran and Lena Dunham

Following this Woman's Hour episode I finally got around to reading 'Not That Kind of Girl' by Lena Dunham (in one sitting, over 4 hours), and following me reading this article on Lena Dunham (and Caitlin Moran to a lesser extent) I am writing this review (I am using that term loosely).

I brought Lena Dunham's book on the back of how much I loved 'How to Be a Woman' by Caitlin Moran, so it does make sense that the world links them together so consistently. I have to admit that, in a way, I do both love and hate both of these women (which is fine, complicated feelings are better than a non-committal shrug). I find them both brash and smug and loud, and I believe in real life the pair of them would cause me a lot of eye rolls, HOWEVER, I like that they exist, because when I try to think of women who are portrayed/portray themselves as anything other than lovely or nice, I have a real mental block. I want these women to exist, to piss me and everyone else off, and I wish it wasn't such a big deal for a woman to be a bit too loud or a bit too honest or a bit too 'big for their boots'. In the world of tat like the LAD Bible, I am glad the (sometimes) irritating female equivalent is so eloquent, brave and honest. Remember everyone - a woman is not a whinger just because she complains, and finding someone's personality traits irritating is not the same as being irritated by their existence in your life/field of vision.

All Hallow's Read. My Autumnal Reading Materials.

Inspired by the tradition (which I have only just discovered) of 'All Hallow's Read', the Neil Gaiman promoted idea of giving someone the gift of a scary book for Halloween, I am going to share my Halloween reads, and the bookish gifts I will be giving.

I already give books as gifts to all my nearest and dearest every Christmas, whether they like it or not (often with something else more showy!), and very much like the idea of sharing my obsession and giving my family a gift that I know is good for them (even if they don't know it yet), on Halloween too. I actually don't have that many people to buy gifts for at Christmas (discounting secret Santa nonsense) and plan on only harassing my parents with a Halloween book for 'All Hallow's Read'. The more opportunities to spread the book love, and offer some solace for the soul (in the form of bookish medicine) the better.

Firstly, my own selfish bookish needs.
As it is half term where I am, and I am gloriously free for 9 days, I have decided to take part in a self imposed reading challenge for Halloween week. I am not usually such a nerd for this particular holiday, but I think I have Christmas hysteria already, and am placing my excitement wherever there is space. I am actually relatively excited about the combined forces of extra books/spookiness/chocolate/freedom and a good old challenge.

Cookbook Love & Food Porn

I love books, I love cooking, I love cookbooks. My obsession with cookbooks, and food in general, has gained momentum since I jumped onto the Pinterest bandwagon, and I am now prone to flooding my profile with food porn pictures (rather than the fiction I am equally addicted to). I assume that as you read this, whatever the date, my Pinterest sidebar is at least half food pictures.

Gratuitous Food Porn - blackberry shortcake

I have added some gratuitous food porn pictures here for you to peruse, maybe from now on a mouth watering food shot should be included at every page break? 

My Pinterest food porn binges relate to how I am feeling, and fall into one of two categories accordingly; bright, fresh, healthy food OR.....cake. I actually find that when my cake craving level is pushing maximum density, a good cake porn tagging binge can help release a bit of pressure until the craving passes. Likewise, checking out the vibrant, unrealistically gorgeous-looking healthy food porn can make me feel miraculously cleansed, and gives a (false) sense of wellness. The things we do for a flat stomach (anything but burpees). 

I like to pin a chef/cookbook that I am particularly partial to, and then crazily pin lots of their yummy recipe pictures (and some others I find along the way), at least this way everything relates back to books again - very much my bag. I have an extensive collection of cookbooks in real life, so it is all an offshoot of my obsessions. 

Un-Review: "As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning" by Laurie Lee

'As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning' is the second part of an autobiographical trilogy by the author Laurie Lee. I ended up reading this book first because I had designated it as my holiday read, and I didn't want the experience tainted by the pure unadulterated, routine-laden English-ness of our flat/lives. This was the correct decision because, as I sit thinking about the book, I can see the beach, feel the salt spay, and can't escape the heat. I had better take of this cardigan and put my cuppa down for a sec.

Also, to clarify, when I say 'holiday read' I am not lumping the novel in with the swathes of generic seasonal fiction, but rather identifying the book as a means to improve your holiday. Yes, a holiday is mainly about the experience itself but, in those moments of relaxation, when a lot of us inevitably reach for reading material, it is books like this that that spring you to life and find the adventurer hidden within. When I think of the holiday where I read this book, I think of the way the book made me feel as I sat on the beach first, before any actual holiday events, that's how good it is.

The novel basically documents the authors trip across England and Spain in the late 1930's. Our protagonist leaves home with nothing but a few coins, a violin and a sense of naive freedom, with the aim of seeing the real world and avoiding his version of the real world (a job as a clerk - you can't blame him). If I were a man this book would make me yearn for simpler times such as this however, inevitably, I would have been one of the poor sods he left behind crying. Sigh.

The book is beautiful, and so painfully well written that it is hard to compare it to anything else. I am English and do sometimes yearn for this escapism and adventure into other cultures (though invariably yearn for home), so the story probably speaks to that part of me - but don't we all have this part of us? Assuming the book will touch the same part of your soul as it does mine, you will absolutely not find a better written version of this coming of age story anywhere. I don't know how Laurie Lee achieved it, but the novel somehow reads as idealistic, romantic and naive but gritty, authentic and cutting - all at the same time.