Generic Rice and Reading Resumed...

Week 1 of 2024 is done. Congratulations, you made it! New Year is now relegated to the uncapitalised, calmer-vibed, new year, and soon it won't even be that. Are we gliding through the month with ease or were there a few technical hitches along the way? You want the good news? It doesn't matter! However you're tackling January, good on you. You're tackling it, and that's all that matters. 

Writing News

I've been enjoying a decent period of non-writing. It's been nice to empty my head a bit. Meanwhile, the front cover's getting finalised, and graphics for inside are being designed. This means I'm still filling time before I can share the Official Book News of how and where to pre-order. But it's new year, I can't forever swan about, enjoying festivities. I've got to crack on. So after not having read the manuscript for approximately two months, I sat down and went from start to finish. Honestly, I love it. I mean, I have to say that, don't I. But I really do. Someone once told me that you should only write something you'd want to read yourself. And Reader, I have!

Culture

Lee Child, writer of the Jack Reacher stories, lost me as a reader a few years ago. In 2012, the Tom Cruise film, Jack Reacher , came out. It was all wrong and I wasn't impressed. Even though I'd loved every book until that point, I started to see the character differently. A seed was planted and it started to grow. Maybe Jack Reacher is a bit of a tit. Maybe I don't want to read about his exploits anymore. Maybe I'm completely done with him. Maybe Tom Cruise has ruined him for me forever. So I stopped reading that particular series. Child still wrote them, they were still published annually, and then he passed the character on to his brother who writes them to this day. And that's where we are. Except... except the second series of Amazon Prime's Reacher is being aired as we speak and it's glorious. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the actor who plays Reacher is perfect. I'm lapping up the stories and am fully buying into the character once more. All this preamble is to say, I've started reading the books again. Woohoo! The Midnight Line came out in 2017, and I'm currently devouring it. And the best bit? After that, I've got six more to catch up on. Sweet.

Food and Drink

No shade to my mum. Cooking a nightly meal for a family of nine was no mean feat. Especially as that nine included a variety of fussy eaters, a baby or toddler on the milk, and a lone vegetarian. Regardless, years later we've still got some decent family banter about how her risotto, kedgeree, and 'rice with bits' was exactly the same meal. I only mention this now because something marvellous has happened. Over Christmas I had kedgeree for the first time. (And I mean, actual kedgeree, not kedgeree that could be repackaged as risotto the next day.) I loved it. If you watched Mary Berry's Highland Christmas you'll have seen her cook it with Andy Murray. You'll be pleased to know that kedgeree is now my favourite smoked haddock dish. I could never have imagined such a statement in the 80s. Recipe here for those that want it.

Out and About

What with the schools breaking up so late -  can you even imagine being in class on December 22nd? Madness! - my teacher friends were still off last week. As such I had a lovely night in the pub with a couple of them. If OFSTED were ever to take on human form, their ears would have been on FIRE.

Right then. You know what to do. Week 2 of 2024 is yours for the taking. Do with it what you will. Regroup next week? Yes? Jolly good.

Have a lovely week, folks.