Welcome to my sixth thumbnail book review. This is paywalled content, but I hope you’ll consider a paid subscription. Please get in touch if finances are an issue, and we’ll work something out. I realise that it can be annoying for free subscribers to receive this preview; please be assured that most of this newsletter’s content is unpaywalled.
In 1988, I was 21 with a tiny baby daughter and—loving her aside—a serious case of not knowing what to do with my life. My family did not greet the news of my pregnancy with delight. My father’s response? “It’s not like a rabbit! You can’
I have developed a (probably irrational) dislike of posts that begin with “Am I the only one who…” and then proceed to describe an incredibly common human experience as though it were a divine revelation. Amplified by social media algorithms that favour superficial engagement, their strong PFB (precious firstborn) energy
Japanese culture is often flattened, fetishised and stereotyped by the media. This is profoundly annoying. Chef and food writer Tim Anderson takes the opposite approach, engaging with Japan and its food with depth, context, and humility. Wisconsin-born Anderson studied Japanese food culture at university and lived in Tokyo for two
Everything is so complicated and overwrought right now but a recent Reddit post asking, “What is an ice cream flavour that is unique to your hometown?” captured my attention, reminding me that the site is home to some pretty decent food discourse—perhaps because of its anonymity and lack of