On Bookshelves
And the things that fill them up.
Hello and welcome to the Tuesday UnRecipe post for all subscribers! Today, we’re diving into another installment of what I’m reading. On Friday, paid subscribers will receive a recipe for fried tofu. As always, past editions and recipes live here, and my portfolio lives here for you to browse at your leisure. Thanks for being here!
Some of you from the very, very early days may recall that Page & Plate began as a blog where I paired the books I was reading—the pages—with the food I was eating—the plates. (“Well fed, well read!” I used to chirp at events.) I often get questions about this, ranging from “Is your name Paige?” to “What happened to the books?” so I decided that it’s time to give an update on my bookshelves.
Some time ago, I started keeping track of what I read, which serves two purposes. One is a good purpose: it helps me remember what I’ve consumed that year and in what order. One is a not-so-good purpose: it puts on paper a number of books that I read every year, which turns into a marker of sorts that I can use to measure how “good” I have been at reading. I’m trying to move away from that and instead just enjoy every book for itself this year, especially as the days grow shorter and the holidays approach at a speed that feels somewhat threatening.
Life is short—read what you want and enjoy it! And if you’re looking for some good food to cook while you’re reading, might I recommend:
Currently Reading:
Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson
This book has been hanging out on my bookshelf for ages. I’m sometimes hesitant to pick up a big, physical book to read because I’m afraid I won’t be able to plow through them when I read before bed, but this one is proving to be the exception to the rule. I’ve never read a book by Isaacson before—they always look so long!—but I’m astonished at how easily digestible this hunk of biography is proving to be. Of course, much of that could be due to Mr. da Vinci, who is quickly becoming one of my favorite historical icons, but I suppose Isaacson deserves some credit, too.
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Likewise, this book has been on my Kindle for the last month. (Can you tell I’m working through a long books-to-read list?) I’m only a few chapters in, and it’s quirky, fun, and well-paced. I’ve heard so much effusive praise for this one that I’m worried it might not live up to the hype, but a friend whose opinion on all things literature I trust just re-recommended it, so I’m picking it up again with renewed dedication!
Stardust by Neil Gaiman
This isn’t a new book, but I’m reading it again for the first time in probably a decade. I remember falling in love with reading all over again when I read this for the first time as a young teenager. It blew my brain wide open: adults can read fantasy too! Thoroughly enjoying it all over again.
Highlights of Late:
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang
This is in the running for one of my favorite books of the year. A fiction book set in the competitive world of publishing, it’s smart and boundary-pushing in a way that made me feel like I was taking a class on writing. Full of delicious irony, cutting cultural criticism, and a dose of dramatic, Yellowface is the book I’m recommending first from everything I’ve read in 2024.
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
Spooky season calls for some Thomas Harris! I’ve never read the Hannibal Lecter books, but we are in it now. I finished this in about 15 hours, got so freaked out that I turned all the lights on at noon, and now am counting the minutes until I let myself pick up The Silence of the Lambs.
The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Raise your hand if you love a niche non-fiction true crime/naturalist book! This story, about the theft of a collection of rare bird specimens, did what I love books to do: introduced me to a world I never would have known existed and keep me there, spellbound. This would make a great winter read…or dare I say, holiday gift!
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