Over a week ago I received a surprise package in the mail. Enclosed was this card with its lovely sentiment: "Nobody minds having what is too good for them."The tides are turning in my favour these days. I don't mind, exactly, but I do wonder sometimes when they might turn the other way, not that I think I don't deserve good things but because they seem to be governed by forces beyond my control.
In that package was a book qualifying as good for me. Whining and Dining: Mealtime Survival for Picky Eaters and the Families Who Love Them strikes me as a pretty smart and basic resource; with over 100 easy recipes (Martian soup!), it includes recipe substitutions, general tips for enticing kids to eat what's good for them, and helpful not-always-as-obvious-as-you'd-think-it-should-be advice like pour out the kid's portion before you add spoonfuls of grated ginger for the benefit of flavour-adventurous adults. I even tried a recipe for some cheese-poofy things last week and met with relative success. Ironically, the girl is pretty easy to "cook" for — she's never met a fresh vegetable she didn't like (excepting those days one just doesn't feel like having green peppers); if anyone's a picky eater here, it's J-F (but don't tell him I said so).
So, no, I don't mind having what's good for me. And books are good for me. I'm developing a taste for receiving review copies. It's a sad day when I tuck into bed sighing, "I didn't get any free books today," but I haven't had a sad day this week:
So far as I can tell, they're all excellent. Work first, reward (read: reading frenzy) soon. Already Ondaatje's Divisadero is serving as an occasional langourous respite.
Nothing's too good for me.
6 comments:
What a lovely stack of books! All well deserved!
Ooooh! I'm envious! That stack of books does look enticing-- I notice The Road at the bottom, my most recent read. Hope you enjoy it too. I'm hoping you can really enjoy your new good fortune-- I am also very suspicous when things start to turn around after a bad spell. But often it seems that when the tides turn, they turn. Looking forward to hearing about how things are going for you with your new job.
I can't wait to read Divisadero -- living in San Francisco as I do, it's a street I've spent a fair amount of time driving up and down -- but also because I've really liked what I've read about it so far. Looking forward to your reaction!
Murakami come to me! McCarthy scary!
The Hood Company
Ondaatje is so poignant. Can't wait to read Divisadero.
BlueRectangle Video Book Reviews
And speaking of Divisadero, it has been offered to me as a free review copy, and I want to say YES!
Is it good?
Should I say YES?
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