Recent reading

[luzula]

Am I reading anything? Still very little fiction, due to life circumstances. But I'm not worried--my fiction-reading has previously gone down to almost zero in similar circumstances, and then bounced back later. The books will still be there.

I think one reason I read fiction is to vicariously experience other people's lives and emotions. And when my own life is full of experiences and emotions (especially romantic emotions, but it can be other kinds of intense feeling, too), then that can leave little mental space for reading fiction. What fiction I am reading is (perhaps surprisingly) my own fic, and occasionally other people's fic. I recently reread one of my own longfics, for example. But that's good, it keeps me in fandom.

I am, however, reading some non-fiction. I made it through the pile of magazines that had accumulated; these are mostly biology-related in some way or other (like membership magazines from such things as the Swedish botanical society). During my first illness in January (covid??) I read Sandor Ellix Katz' The Art of Fermentation, which was quite interesting and gave me ideas for further things to try, though there was some repetition from the other book by the same author that I'd already read. Currently I am making my way through On Food and Cooking: the Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee, which is brilliant and comprehensive. I am learning so much from it! Highly recommended if you're interested in why cooking works the way it does, and learning more about various ingredients.

I've also dipped into some of housemate's books on market gardening, which (quite understandably) are a bit different from gardening books aimed at home gardeners. A reasonable way of sowing, watering, weeding, harvesting etc for someone who is growing vegetables for the household, can be a time sink for someone who is growing vegetables to make a living, because it doesn't scale up. Thus a focus on efficiency and how one can save time. I am obviously not going to be a market gardener, though housemate is, but it was interesting to read. And perhaps some methods might carry over.

Comments

[jesse_the_k]

I just started the McGee book from the library, and I'm going to purchase my own copy. What a brilliant work it is!

I learned almost zero science during my mis-spent educational years (in high school: 1 biology with no DNA in the curriculum!, in secondary school: 1 "physics for poets" and 1 basic statics/mechanics--both without calculus.) McGee's book serves as a fascinating intro to basic chemistry on the journey to how liquid, flour, and fat make a sauce.

That dairy animals create the ideal environment for fermentation via free yeasts or rennet is lovely. The dairy nutritional chart explains how circumpolar peoples survive the cold climate thanks to reindeer milks having more than double the fat and protein of most other herd animals. (I want to read the SF novel where folks are dairying fin whales, because the ice cream from that 42% fat milk would be cosmic).

[luzula]

I saw the book at a friend's house, dipped into it, and immediately knew that I had to buy it. I have actually taken/read a lot of science before, and yet I never thought to be interested in science applied to food and cooking! It's great.

[regshoe]

The books will still be there.

That's true :) Aww, and I'm glad you're still enjoying some fic.

And that sounds like an interesting range of non-fiction. My workplace has a range of related natural history magazines/journals on shelves, and they always make fun reading during quiet spells at the office.

[luzula]

I'm sure Britain has a lot of societies/magazines of that kind! Not all countries have a thriving amateur biology culture - that's one thing that Sweden and Britain have in common.

[chestnut_pod]

Harold McGee writes such fascinating, fun books! I am slowly working my way through his enormous tome on scent.

[luzula]

I have not thought to check out what more he's written! But given the way he writes in his book on food, I am not surprised he would go on to write about scent.

[seascribble]

Interesting about the connection between life and fiction. Fic often seems so much more accessible to me than anything else, but lately anything requiring focus is a no go. Maybe I should try fic...

[luzula]

Maybe you could try rereading comfort fic you enjoyed the first time? Of course, if enough time has passed, that can fail, too, because one has moved on in life and what spoke to you about the fic the first time is no longer as relevant. But it could work.

[nnozomi]

I think one reason I read fiction is to vicariously experience other people's lives and emotions. And when my own life is full of experiences and emotions (especially romantic emotions, but it can be other kinds of intense feeling, too), then that can leave little mental space for reading fiction.
This is interesting and makes good sense, and it's not like there's a law about how many fiction books you have to read per year. As long as you have things to read that you enjoy, it's good enough?

[luzula]

Well, some people read zero fiction books a year and are happy! So strictly speaking one needn't do it at all, but it's something I usually enjoy and I know it'll bounce back sooner or later. : )

[garonne]

There have been years in my life when I read precisely 0 fiction books and others when I read more than 100...

That Harold McGee book sounds excellent. Have you actually been applying stuff from it in your own cooking?

[luzula]

What factors made you read 0 fiction books? *curious* If you can identify them, of course.

Have you actually been applying stuff from it in your own cooking?
Yes! Sometimes it's just about understanding things I had instinctively noticed before, such as why dry lentils are so much slower to cook if you're cooking them in a tomato sauce. I thought it might be something about the higher viscosity, but no, apparently it's the acid. But I've changed my way of doing omelettes after reading the book, for example. I was doing them on too high a temperature and for too long.

[garonne]

What factors made you read 0 fiction books?

It was a time in my life when a lot was going on both emotionally and just in terms of not having any free time. When I did make time for reading, it was just easier to read nonfiction.

I can still remember my first bus ride to the library, when things had finally changed in my life after several years of that, and I decided to start reading fiction again. I borrowed Patrick O'Brian and Georgette Heyer re-reads! :)

why dry lentils are so much slower to cook if you're cooking them in a tomato sauce. I thought it might be something about the higher viscosity, but no, apparently it's the acid

What a cool book if it's full of fascinating stuff like that.

[luzula]

It was a time in my life when a lot was going on both emotionally and just in terms of not having any free time.
Sounds a lot like me now, but perhaps in another way. Although I could definitely take time for reading if I wanted. It's just that I'm more motivated to work in the garden and identify new species...