Erotica or Notica - SECRET

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There was a time when I didn't read a book

if a woman was raped and killed on the first

page. 

It was a time when the "sex+women=violence"

conundrum squatted in our literary collective

unconscious like a  malignant tumour   

and the only way to fight back was as a

consumer.

 I suppose when you look at it in that light

SECRET by L. Marie Adeline is a step forward.

 

The plot revolves around Cassie, thirty-five,

abused wife, newly widowed who has been dead

from the neck down for over 5 years. 

She meets up with a beautiful older woman who

becomes her mentor and facilitates her

sexual reawakening.

 

The plot is better than the book.

 

It is classified as feminist erotica because

Cassie develops the power to accept or reject

each experience as it comes along.

 

The men are lean and hard and understand the

word 'no'.

 

They also use condoms, which kind of puzzles me.

I mean I don't know about you, but in my fantasies

nobody stops to fiddle with a condom.

 

Anyway.

 

Like I said in my last blog, this is not a genre I'm

familiar with, so if you think I know not of what

I speak, you are probably right. 

However I thought the writing style was about

as sophisticated as that of Louis Lamour, (cowboy

books - another genre I tried once). 

And quite frankly it is a relief to get back to

A Red Herring Without Mustard* by Alan Bradley.


Conclusion:  I paid $11 to download it to my ipad. 
I would have felt totally ripped off if I'd paid for the book.  

A let down.

 

 

*Second in a series.  14 year old motherless girl

genius in a demented, impoverished British aristocratic

family solves murder myteries.  First book: The Sweetness

at the bottom of the Pie.

Of Chickpeas and Erotica

What is it with me and chickpeas?

I love the darn little critters. 

And when they come all dressed in

spinach welllllll I feel just like Cassie

in SECRET* by L. Marie Adeline every

time  she accepts a new 'experience'.

 

Naughty girl.

 

Anyway I was all aflutter when I spotted

the following recipe for Chickpea and Spinach

Masala in the St. Catharines Standard the

other day.

 

(It was in a food column Rita Demontis and she

credits the recipe to Vegetables Please by

Carolyn Humphries.)

 

Holy good feeling in your tummy,

Batgirl!

 

This is one tasty treat and even for a

kitchen klutz comme moi, easy to prepare!

 

Chickpea and Spinach Masala

2 tsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

2 large onions chopped

1 large garlic clove crushed

1 tsp (5 ml) each ground cumin, coriander

 

¼ tsp (1 ml) ground cloves

 

½ tsp (2 ml) chili pepper

 

14 oz (400 ml) vegetable stock

 

1 tsp (5 ml) granulated sugar

 

3 tomatoes cut into wedges

 

¼ cup (60 ml) plain yoghurt

 

1 tbsp (15 ml) snipped chives to garnish

 

Heat veggie oil in a pan, add onions and stir

fry for 2 minutes.  Add garlic and all spices and

fry for 30 seconds more.  Pour in stock and

stir inn remaining ingredients except for spinach

and tomatoes.  Season with salt and pepper.

Bring to boil, stir, partially cover and simmer

for 15 minutes.  Stir in spinach until it begins to

wilt then add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes

until spinach is tender and everything is bathed

in sauce.  Spoon masala  into bowls, top each

with a spoonful of yoghurt and sprinkle with chives.

 

 

So good!

 

 

*Erotica is a new genre for me.  I listened to

some women talking about this book on CBC

the other day.  I think they called it 'erotica for

feminists'.  I just couldn't resist that!  I'm planning

to blog about it when I finish.

 

I may have to reread it a few times

though. 

 

Just to make sure I haven't

missed anything.