THE HUNDRED "FOOD" JOURNEY

So, this is the first book we are reading for book club this year, and ain't it interesting? The first part of the book takes us to India. You can feel the pungent smells, the spicy scent of cinammon, curry and cardamom...

The expeditions to the markets with Hassan's mom and dad (and how different those trips are). I thoroughly enjoyed this first part, and it is also a fast historical overview of the British Empire losing grip of India.

I must say this first part made me think of a Hindi movie I watched some time ago, The Lunchbox, mostly at the beginning when they talk about the dabbawala business. The Lunchbox is an epistolary romantic movie, but I think it also taps into many different issues in Indian society, such as loneliness, unhappy marriages or women's emancipation.

I have only just started the second part, which moves to London.

I am actually quite enjoying the book, especially the graphic images Morais uses, like the one about the octopus which appears at the beginning of the second part. You'll know what I'm talking about when you get to it :) or if you have already read it, I am sure it's made an impression on you too.

I certainly hope you book clubbers are also having a good time whilst reading the book. In Ribeira we will be meeting on DECEMBER 9th to discuss just half of the book so that will certainly be exciting. Can't wait!

WHAT DID YOU READ OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK?

Let's get intimate and share our December reads and a short opinion. Come on! It will take no more than 5 minutes. Here goes my list:

In English (first, as usual):

- Smut - two short stories by A. Bennett, who we'll be reading shortly. These stories are rather different from The Uncommon Reader, but they preserve his wittiness and irony while exploring the topic of sexuality, hidden character, and deceptiveness. VERY EASY TO READ and it's in our library in Ribeira.

- Bits and pieces of other T.Williams's plays like Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Glass Menagerie and Suddenly Last Summer, because reading A Streetcar again made me want to re-read the parts I had underlined about 9 years ago.

- Jane Austen Made Me Do It - short stories as well (see older post).

In Galician:

- Cincuenta asasinatos breves e un prólogo. I strongly recommend it! It's really easy and quick to read (short stories) and some of them really ironic and with that Galician realism that is a part of our everyday lives. "Os visitantes" and "Domingo de parricidio" are especially good. They reminded me of Roald Dahl's Tales of the Unexpected.

- Amor en feminino. Antoloxía das poetas galegas. There had to be some poetry, you know that!

In Spanish:

- La mano de Fátima. I had read La catedral del mar previously so I've been wanting to read this for a long time. I enjoyed it but I'm also a little tired of the way Falcones really "tortures" his characters. Have you read it? Do you agree? What do you think?

- Asesinos sin rostro, by Henning Mankell. It's the third book I read by him and I didn't particularly enjoy it, especially the way he hurriedly solves the mystery at the end.