Bingeworthy TV: Great British Baking Show

I'm not going to pretend I have any talent for baking, but I do enjoy it when I somehow manage to follow a recipe and turn out something edible. I like eating good food; I'm just not invested in learning how to create it for myself.

But somehow, in watching the determined, talented bakers of The Great British Baking Show, I've found myself thinking, "Hmmm, maybe I could make that..." Despite not always quite understanding what they are talking about.

With the judges and bakers throwing around words like "choux," "lamination," and "baps," it can be hard to tell where the technical cooking terms end and the quirks of British English begin. More ambitious viewers can seek out cookbooks and how-to videos from the judges, the rest of us can just enjoy the atmosphere.

The humor is sometimes a bit adult, but I think it's probably still a good choice for families to view together as the show's overall warmth and good spirit override the occasional innuendo. It's so very heartwarming to watch the bakers try their absolute hardest to achieve seemingly impossible tasks, while still taking the time to cheer on and assist their competitors.

I highly recommend The Great British Baking Show to anyone looking for a sweet escape from the hassles of real life that won't add inches to your waistline.

~Sarah, adult services

#ComicsWednesday: Food Wars! by Yuto Tsukuda & Shun Saeki

Food Wars! shokugeki no soma is written by Yuto Tsukuda and illustrated by Shun Saeki. Professional chef Yuki Morisaki serves as a culinary adviser for the series. I highly recommend this manga to foodies, but parents should be aware that this series may be inappropriate for children and younger teens, despite its high school setting.

If you've ever lost an afternoon, an evening, or an entire weekend to a marathon of Chopped, Iron Chef, Cutthroat Kitchen, or any of the other dozens of cooking competition shows, this is the manga for you. Main character Soma Yukihira has already found his passion at the age of 15: cooking with his dad in their family restaurant. His father, however, has his own plans, and enrolls Soma in the incredibly competitive Tōtsuki Culinary Academy.

This series is known both for the delicious food and for its over-the-top fan service (translation: sexy images where very little is left to the imagination), where characters' enjoyment of particularly delicious food is shown as an orgasmic experience. It's a choice that I found personally off-putting at first, but gradually it became a part of the series's quirky charm.

There is a two-series anime adaptation that is currently only available with subtitles through a streaming service (no DVDs), and fans of the anime should definitely check out the manga. The manga not only expands on the story, but includes actual recipes for several of the dishes!

~Sarah, Adult Services

Staff Review: UnREAL

Let's face it folks, America is obsessed with reality television, especially dating shows. How else would The Bachelor last 20 seasons and The Bachelorette 12?   Have you ever been glued to your television thinking "these people are crazy, why would they go on a show like this"? I've probably seen a handful of Bachelor and Bachelorette episodes, dating shows are not my cup of tea, but I find UnREAL fascinating.  This show is a a train-wreck, and I just can't look away. 

UnREAL is in its second season on Lifetime.  When I think of Lifetime, I think of feel good programming featuring female leads. There is some angst, some sort of tragedy the main character needs to overcome and it ends with a happily ever after.  The only thing UnREAL has that fits my perception of Lifetime is female lead characters.  

UnREAL is a show about the making of a reality dating show called "Everlasting". Marti Noxon, one of the creators of UnREAL, has said in interviews that this series is based on what really happens behind the scenes of a reality dating show.  Given how dark and twisty UnREAL is, I truly hope that the majority of the show is a gross exageration. On Everlasting, producers are assigned girls (called wifeys) and there are bonuses based on how long the girls last on the show.  What does it mean to produce a girl?  It means manipulation pure and simple.  Create drama, film drama, air drama for all the world to see.  That is what Everlasting is all about. 

The main female characters are Quinn and Rachel.  Quinn is the Executive Producer of Everlasting, this show is her life and she will do anything to make it a success.  Rachel is one of the show producers.  In the first season she returns to Everlasting after having a monumental breakdown on camera during Everlasting's finale.   Rachel is damaged, actually everyone making and starring in Everlasting seems to be damaged. 

A few more notable characters are Chet and Jeremy.  Chet is the creator of Everlasting (or so he would have you believe), he has a substance abuse problem, a wife, and has been having a long-term affair with Quinn.  Jeremy is one of the cameramen and Rachel's ex-boyfriend.  Jeremy starts out as a sympathetic character, but apparently Everlasting sucks the soul right out of you and everyone associated with the show becomes horrible.

To give you an idea about how successful UnREAL has been, after season 1, Lifetime renewed the show for a second and third season.  It is possible the show won't last more than 3 seasons, but I will tune in for as long as it lasts.  Each season is 10 episodes so it has excellent binge-watching potential.

Disclaimer: This show is rated Mature for some serious adult content, including sex and language. It may be on Lifetime, but it is something you would expect to see on HBO or Showtime.

~Amy, Adult Services  

Staff Review: "The Last One" by Alexandra Oliva

We've all been there. You're making small talk at a social gathering, and a seemingly innocuous question turns into a conversational landmine.

"How's your cat doing? Still tearing up the couch?" you ask.

"No," your acquaintance responds, "she died last week."

Awkward silence descends.

It's common knowledge that you avoid the obviously controversial topics of politics and religion, but it's much easier to slip and ask a personally treacherous question about careers or relationships. Who wants to discuss the complications of their romantic life with near strangers and distant relatives? Add in all the varied social pressure around reproductive choices for women (the clock is ticking!), and you have a real recipe for disaster.

Zoo* is twenty-nine, happily married with an enjoyable career, and she decides to avoid the question of children for just a little bit longer by signing up for a reality TV competition focused on wilderness survival. Think, Survivor, but set in a wilderness area in Pennsylvania instead of somewhere more distant. Zoo's choice to pick adventure (and avoidance) over convention made perfect sense to me as a reader and a woman who's faced similar social pressures in her life.

I did not expect to find such a depth or resonance of character when I checked out The Last One by Alexandra Oliva. I wasn't looking for a reflection on the potential loss of self (or at least freedom) that can come from motherhood. Nope, I wanted to read Oliva's debut novel because I enjoy the escapism of a good survival tale, especially a survival tale in the face of The End of the World As We Know It.

The chapters alternate between a behind the scenes view of the reality competition and Zoo's continued struggle to survive alone in the wilderness. In the first chapter readers learn that a mysterious infection with a very high mortality rate will rapidly spread across the eastern United States (and entire world), leaving Zoo stranded and unaware.

The Last One will be near the top of my Best of list for 2016 for the way that Oliva mixes literary introspection, sharp human observation, and a suspenseful action plot. This is a fully absorbing weekend read that stuck with me even after I finished the last page, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a gripping tale of survival.

~Sarah, Adult Services


*Not her real name. Zoo is the nickname given to her by the TV show's production team, and as a reader you don't learn her real name until much later in the book.