We are mad about reading
Yes, we are mad about reading and in a life time have consumed thousands of books. Some of those books are so memorable they have been read and re-read, kept and treasured. Some have been kept as references for the many gastronomic topics that we write about, others passed on to equally avid readers, others binned for their lack of sustainable interest.Our interests are broad and as a consequence so is our reading. Cookbooks are not superseded by easy access to recipes on the net and in fact we have come to think that many of these recipes are not just poorly written, but have never been properly kitchen tested. Equally disappointing, are the cookbooks that are disgorged from the plethora of TV cooking shows. Thrown together, stock images and ghost written text, these are not books that we generally look at. We despise their lack of commitment to the craft of cooking and the responsibility of the recipe writer to deliver an accurate ingredient list and easy to follow, clear instructions even with the most complex of techniques.
Our substantial book reviews on or old site Galaxy Guides still contain many of our favourites and we will be constantly revisiting old favourites and adding new reviews almost on a weekly basis. Some of the older books on Galaxy Guides may be out of print but we have found excellent sources of secondhand books on the net at very reasonable prices.
Reading can change a life, show a different world, take one to a different place, teach one something and bring opportunity. In my own case, had it not been for the booking feeding by our neighbour, the late Sheila McKay, who didn’t just loan me books, but, took me to the libarary and introduced me to the greats at a very early age, I am certain my life would not have been as rich or my interests as diverse….Ann Oliver