One of my joys, particularly on a wet and cold weekend is to curl up with a good book and lose myself for a few hours. Now, just to be clear, when I say good book, I don’t mean the kind of book that wins literary accolades for their perfectly constructed sentences and their ability to cast a light on the shadows of contemporary society that had previously been ignored.
I mean sure, those books have their place. It’s in a prominent place on the bookshelf so visitors can see how clever and worldly you are.
But no, for there here and now, good refers to one of those guilty pleasure books – the kind you can race through in an afternoon or two and become totally absorbed in, resurfacing only for snacks and sleep.
Tubing by K.A.McKeagney was one of these books. Tubing is about Polly a 20 something girl living in London with her boyfriend Oliver, a doctor who on the surface seems like a perfect catch but is totally bland. Polly seems….lacklustre…content just to drift along in her relationship and her job neither of which seem to be fulfilling or providing her with any real meaning or enjoyment. Enter a chance sexual encounter with a handsome stranger on a train and all of a sudden Polly’s placid life is thrown into turmoil.
Polly becomes obsessed with him and through searching for him online discovers “Tubing” a phenomenon where strangers hook up for sex on crowded tube trains. Each to their own right? Anyway, through following a series of tweets, Polly tracks down her handsome stranger. Tubing provides her with the thrills and excitement that are missing from her regular life.
Until it all goes horribly wrong…
Cue dramatic music….
And cue snacks….or in this case, not so much snacks but a big bowl of carby cheesy comfort food aka Ultimate Mac and Cheese. (Because Tubing…geddit? 😉) Is there anything more comfort foody than mac and cheese? If so, I would like to know about it!
I also like the idea of eating something warm and comforting whilst reading about murder and mayhem. It creates a nice juxtaposition of knowing exactly what you will get next taste wise versus not knowing what will happen next plot-wise! Although Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese does have a few twists of its own!
The recipe for Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese comes from the Lyndey Milan section of The Great Australian Cookbook. It differs from regular Mac ‘n’ Cheese in that the normal cheese sauce is replaced by a mix of ricotta, blue cheese, cheddar and leeks. I loved the hint of blue cheese and the leeks in this!
Here’s the recipe for a delicious take on a classic dish!
Back to Tubing… it’s immensely readable but by no means a perfect novel. Polly is largely unlikeable and some of her actions (as well as those of some of the other characters) are unfathomable. The storyline also seems to be unnecessarily convoluted at times. However, for escapist enjoyment that will have you turning the pages wanting to know what happens next Tubing is a fine way to while away a few hours!
It also made me wonder if tubing was a real thing? It seemed a little too well thought out not to be! London readers, your thoughts?
Thank you to Net Galley and RedDoor Publishing for the ARC of Tubing!
And tell me, what is your perfect comfort food?
Have a great week!
