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Cake, books.
Nov. 16th, 2008 08:16 amI've read a bunch of books lately, but most of them are young adult novels that I read out of a sense of duty (this is something I should know about) rather than for pleasure.
No matter how well written and compelling, for example, I could go the rest of my life without ever reading another child abduction novel, and this would be just fine with me. Family abuse stories, ditto.
I did decide to spare myself reading the latest honor-nominee featuring the ever-popular "talented but slightly adrift guy meets edgy/wacky/artistic young woman who becomes his OMGMUSE! until she dies/disappears, leaving our hero to reconsider his life and find movtivation/inspiration in her memory" plot. This is one of my "automatically disqualifies book from goodness" plots (right up there with: "young hot woman meets old cranky scarred dude and falls madly for him, ignoring the many suitors who are young hot guys her own age to dedicate her life to emotionally and physically rescuing old cranky guy"). What frustrates me? 1) Many women seem to see nothing wrong with either plot. 2) When I point out that "what is wrong" is that the gender reversed plot never exists, they reply "that's just how it is in real life". 3) Rinse. Wash. Repeat. With an interminable cycle of honors and applause for these books.
So I didn't read that one.
I read Cycler, by Lauren McLaughlin, instead. It suprised me a great deal. The opening chapters set up an extremely stereotypical, almost 1950s presentation of gender roles which really alienated me. But then the later chapters set about skewering this stereotypical image with carefree abandon. I was enchanted.
Also, I made cake: Devil's Food Cake topped with bananas and ginger syrup. Adequately tasty.
The problem is that the simple older cake recipes are kind of dry. The ones that are moist and gooey and delicious require me to do things like separate my eggs and whip the whites. Which I hate doing. So I am usually somewhat dissatisfied by my cake making attempts.
The flavors were good though.
No matter how well written and compelling, for example, I could go the rest of my life without ever reading another child abduction novel, and this would be just fine with me. Family abuse stories, ditto.
I did decide to spare myself reading the latest honor-nominee featuring the ever-popular "talented but slightly adrift guy meets edgy/wacky/artistic young woman who becomes his OMGMUSE! until she dies/disappears, leaving our hero to reconsider his life and find movtivation/inspiration in her memory" plot. This is one of my "automatically disqualifies book from goodness" plots (right up there with: "young hot woman meets old cranky scarred dude and falls madly for him, ignoring the many suitors who are young hot guys her own age to dedicate her life to emotionally and physically rescuing old cranky guy"). What frustrates me? 1) Many women seem to see nothing wrong with either plot. 2) When I point out that "what is wrong" is that the gender reversed plot never exists, they reply "that's just how it is in real life". 3) Rinse. Wash. Repeat. With an interminable cycle of honors and applause for these books.
So I didn't read that one.
I read Cycler, by Lauren McLaughlin, instead. It suprised me a great deal. The opening chapters set up an extremely stereotypical, almost 1950s presentation of gender roles which really alienated me. But then the later chapters set about skewering this stereotypical image with carefree abandon. I was enchanted.
Also, I made cake: Devil's Food Cake topped with bananas and ginger syrup. Adequately tasty.
The problem is that the simple older cake recipes are kind of dry. The ones that are moist and gooey and delicious require me to do things like separate my eggs and whip the whites. Which I hate doing. So I am usually somewhat dissatisfied by my cake making attempts.
The flavors were good though.
