bains wholefood chickpea chips

bains wholefood chickpea chips

rated 7/10

The flavour is standard salt and cheese, quite nice.

the chip itself is chickpea, yellow pea, rice plus flavouring. all, i guess, ground to a paste then fried, smaller than potato chips.

I suspect that potato chips are also ground to a paste then reshaped for cooking but... I hope i may be wrong.

the texture is more solid than potato chips (crisps). The flavour is different but pleasant.

After eating them my fingers (and mouth) do *not* have the greasy feel nor the indelible stink of smiths chips.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

A Choice of Gods, Clifford D Simak

A Choice of Gods

by Clifford D Simak

commentary

copyright 1977

read in August 2024

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

I have this special category of "commentary": author's opinion, perhaps mixed in with fiction.

This book seems to be the author's opinion: how sweet it would be if 99% of the world's people disappeared. Oh yes, and if the remaining 1% gained eternal life, perfect health, teleportation and  telepathy.

Having set the scene he then bores the reader to tears with a combination of religious and spiritual nonsense and lack of clarity.

Just one example of stupidity: A survivor decides that the remaining 1% should have a record of what happens. One day he writes, nothing has happened. Except that his wife is exchanging news with friends. Not worth adding the wife's news to the journal, it's just "woman's talk".

So... probably not worth mentioning the births, deaths and marriages of the remaining population of Earth. Even the patriarchal Bible recognises the importance of begatting to the human race.

The book is rubbish.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

We know that the nature of genius is to provide idiots with ideas twenty years later... Louis Aragon

..Dying for you to Read my blog: notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com

The Lady Jewel Diviner, Rosalie Oaks

The Lady Jewel Diviner, 

(Lady Jewel Diviner #1)

by Rosalie Oaks

fantasy

copyright 2021

read in July 2024

rated 7/10: well worth reading

This is a delightful book -- a challenging mystery with some excitement. The excitement is mild but enjoyable. As I read I was thinking... this is all very straightforward... but far more clever than anything that I could write. 

With charming characters, some of whom are likeable stereotypes: almost Pride & Prejudice but with humour and some modern sensibilities.

Every character is so politely embarrassed by nudity -- until it becomes essential to the plot.

There are some questions. Does a vampiri have predatory powers such as hypnotism. Why was strength not mentioned before it was needed. Oh, I don't know... I enjoyed the book and so wanted more explanation.

A lot of fun, well worth reading.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

Chronux, Sagar Kamath

Chronux

by Sagar Kamath

fantasy

copyright 2017

part read in August 2024

rated 5/10 readable but only if there's nothing else

Back in the days when the Beatles were going mystic there was a rich and powerful swami. He lived in luxury, travelled the world, was driven in multiple Rolls Royces. His followers supported him with all of their money, their services, their devotion.

The swami spent his days talking to his disciples. His words were pearls of wisdom. Laced with wonder and hilarious gems. That's according to the brain-washed members of his cult.

To anyone else the swami's words were the incoherent ramblings of a spaced-out idiot.

Chronux is a bit like that swami: to believers it may make sense, there may be a world-shattering message of truth.

Not to me.

The logic of the story makes sense: two best friends become bitter enemies and destroy the world (I think) On their way they visit a series of nasty wars. Some are seen from an anti-American perspective, others are just violent. As far as I can tell, Chronux is a time-controlling monster who wants to trick someone else into taking over his role. There also seems to be some sort of peace-loving swami-style message.

To me, the book is nonsense. Perhaps to the convert  it is the wisdom of the ages.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

Real Naturals Mushroom Chips

I'm an impulse buyer

On impulse, in Coles,I picked up a small, 32g packet of...

Real Naturals Mushroom Chips

rated 7/10: pleasant with NO unpleasant aftereffects

Eating standard (eg Smiths) potato chips / crisps provides several things:

... a lot of salt

... a yearning for more (largely due to the salt)

... A strong and unpleasant smell on the fingers and lips, that's from the flavour powder that coats the chips. It must include fat because the smell is very hard to wash off

... a slightly greasy feel on the fingers, from picking up the chips.

The main ingredient of the mushroom chips is tapioca starch (standing in for the potato).

flavour comes from shiitake mushrooms, plus the usual sugar, salt, onion etc. No chemicals with complex names.

The chips provide several things:

... not too much salt, no yearning for more. A slight leftover flavour in the mouth

...Not much leftover smell, none at all after washing hands. The packet does say, No palm oil, perhaps that allows the flavours to be water soluble.

... interesting flavour.

If you like the mushroom flavour, these are much better than Smiths potato chips

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


Happiness is wanting what you already have
   

Five Broken Blades, Mai Corland

Five Broken Blades, Mai Corland

(aka Meredith Ireland, author of subadult books)

fantasy

copyright 2024

read July 2024

rated 2/10: unreadably bad

Do not read this book.

I've had another look at the book. As far as I can see -- there is no hint that this story is "to be continued".

Half a page of trigger warnings -- but no warning that this is not a complete book.

In the final few pages: the assassination fails. It was all a trick set up by King Joon.Aeri is the King's daughter. The Five are forced, by Joon, to go and steal the golden ring from Euyn's evil sister. It seems to be an impossible mission, They are given just five weeks -- or, one more book.

And that book is due to be published in January 2025. I doubt that it will conclude anything.

What a crock.

Oh, yes, I seem to have provided some unannounced spoilers. So what. It's a rip-off by the publishers, readers are already cheated, what's a few more spoilers.

So... Ty and Sora grow to love each other and successfully have sex, despite her poisons. Ty ends the book in the dungeons. Aeri and Royo are in love, Joon disapproves. Mikhail and Euyn have always been in loveEuyn is illegitimate so not a real member of the royal dynasty. Mikhail's beloved foster father  is held hostage by Joon. Oh, and no-one else seems to know that Aeri is a successful thief because she has a magic trinket which allows her to stop time for everyone else.

Do not read this book. Which is a pity -- with an honest publisher I would have rated it nine. As it is, this book is *&%$# annoying.

Unreadable.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

===

We know that the nature of genius is to provide idiots with ideas twenty years later... Louis Aragon

..Dying for you to Read my blog: notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com

Yellowface, Rebecca A F Kuang

ellowface

by Rebecca A F Kuang

horror

copyright 2023

part read July 2024

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

First, that rating: The book is well-written. Just so unpleasant that I could not, or would not, read it.

It starts with a death. Not a problem, the death is advertised on the cover and that death then drives the entire plot.

I was expecting a quick death off screen. Instead, it's a particularly nasty and slow death. Perhaps that's necessary for the plot. What I know is, I read on but was not enjoying it.

Then the plot thickens and the main character does something nasty. To someone who does not deserve it. Absolutely unforgiveable. My feelings shifted from, not enjoying to actively disliking. I skimmed over  most of the book. Even skimming, it was unpleasant. highlighting the nastiness of the world.

I read enough of the final chapters to find out who dun it. Not that it helped, I had skipped over any prior mention of the "villain". Not that I cared.

I did discover that the framing story was quite clever.

I'm fairly certain that the theme of this book is racial prejudice. white v yellow, yellow v white.

Then in the Acknowledgements the author writes that the book is, in part, a horror story and I thought, she's right.

Forget the "dark humour" in the blurb. This is a book with a message -- a message which is unreadable because it is wrapped in rather unpleasant everyday largely psychological horror.

Nick Lethbridge    /    Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting    /   Problems? Solved.
   ===


Happiness is wanting what you already have