You Devoured the Great British Bake Off
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Explore related topics with these Wikipedia articles, rewritten for enjoyable reading:
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The Great British Bake Off
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The article's main hook centers on this beloved British baking competition show, and readers would benefit from understanding its cultural impact, format, and history since 2010
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The article discusses 'In Memoriam' and its depiction of WWI trench warfare horrors. Understanding the brutal realities of trench warfare provides essential context for appreciating the novel's setting
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Hi friends,
Hope you had a nice weekend. Last week, I finished two more sequels: The Secret of Secrets, Dan Brown’s latest novel about symbologist Robert Langdon, and the latest installment of Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache/Three Pines series, The Black Wolf. The Secret of Secrets was … fine and while I enjoyed The Black Wolf, I really hope Penny goes back to more classic whodunnits instead of geopolitical thrillers. But, I don’t see myself leaving Three Pines anytime soon.
And, now, what to read if …
You Devoured1 the Latest Season of Great British Bake Off
All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh
I am behind on Bakeoff (and have somehow managed not to be spoiled yet, so please don’t ruin it!), but the winner of everyone’s favorite cozy competition show was crowned last week. If you’re craving more British culinary goodness, check out All Consuming by Ruby Tandoh, a former Bakeoff contestant.
All Consuming attempts to explain why we eat the foods we do, exploring how food trends start, take off and fade out. I think of it as Meryl Streep’s famous cerulean sweater monologue from “Devil Wears Prada,” where she explains how a handful of fashion insiders dictate even what the least stylish of us wear. Tandoh applies a similar lens to things like boba tea, ice cream novelties and wellness drinks, while also documenting the history of cookbooks and the rise of the TikTok food critic.
I had a lot of fun with All Consuming. Tandoh is a knowledgeable and entertaining guide to the food world. I love that she takes fast food as seriously as she does fine dining, showing that both tell us about culture and the world we live in. Consider listening to it while doing your pre-Thanksgiving grocery shop.
You Want to Recognize Veterans Day
In Memoriam by Alice Winn
Veterans Day, known as Remembrance Day in Europe, occurs Tuesday, 107 years after World War I ended. In recognition, I wanted to highlight Alice Winn’s In Memoriam, a searing WWI novel that has stayed with me, again.
When I saw my book club was reading In Memoriam for our May 2024 meeting, I was hesitant. I don’t typically read war books, and nearly 400 pages on the horrors of trench warfare sounded like a lot. I ended up captivated by it, finishing days sooner than I expected, and found reading it
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