Ecco | Book Chatter

Butter
By Asako Yuzuki
Ecco, 9780063236417, October 2024, 464 pp.

The Short of It:

Can anyone live without butter? Yes, but why would you want to?

The Rest of It:

The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer, and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story~the publisher

Manako Kajii, held in a Tokyo detention house for the murders of businessmen, who she allegedly seduced with her delicious gourmet cooking. The case has piqued everyone’s interest. Who is this woman? What is her motive? She’s tight-lipped and refuses to speak to the press, even with the possibility of it helping her case.

Enter Rika Machida. A journalist, assigned to interview Kajii. Kajii wants nothing to do with the press and refuses all interviews until Rika sends her a message asking for her recipe for beef stew. Turns out the beef “stew” is really Beef Bourguignon. Rika is FAR from a chef. Barely able to piece together a ramen packet. She has no clue what she is stepping into but knows that if Kajii is going to talk, it’s going to be about food.

Rika’s introduction into foodie culture is slow, beginning with really delicious rice and lots of butter. Good butter. Imported butter. Butter that is hard to find due to a butter shortage. The richness that it imparts to food is second to none and Kajii makes Rika well aware of this.

As Rika experiments with food, she becomes Kajii’s muse as she delights in Kajii’s favorite meals and then reports back to her how the dish made her feel. This interaction allows Kajii to experience these dishes from the confinement of the detention center.

Rika’s relationship with Kajii spills into her relationships with her close friends and they begin to question her intentions. What started off as an interview opportunity turns into something else. These relationship are complicated, cushioned between delicious food.

If you are looking for a crime thriller type of read, I’d hesitate to recommend Butter. Kajii’s interactions with her victims are centered around food culture, living a certain way, and gazing deeply into not only her victims but those who choose to know her. There’s not much in the way of court proceedings or evidence collection. But, if food is your thing, you will literally eat this one up. I gained six pounds while reading this book. No lie.

Inspired by the real case of a convicted con woman and serial killer—the “Konkatsu Killer”

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Bookshop.org affiliate links.

Memorial Drive
By Natasha Trethewey
Ecco, 9780062248589, June 2021, 224pp.

The Short of It:

A beautiful, heartbreaking memoir. If memoirs aren’t your thing, don’t let that stop you from picking this one up.

The Rest of It:

“Natasha Trethewey was 19 when her mother was murdered by her stepfather in 1985. For decades, she hid the event, and memories of her mother, in the recesses of her mind while she went on to win a Pulitzer Prize and become the Poet Laureate of the United States. Now, decades later, she opens herself up to her past to produce a harrowing yet beautiful memorial.”
— Mike Hare, Northshire Saratoga, Saratoga Springs, NY

My book club chose this book for March. Initially I had a hard time finding a library copy so I went with the audio, which is just beautiful but just a few chapters in, I knew I’d want to own a copy so I bought the paperback. Trethewey is a poet so the passages are often heartbreakingly beautiful. I found myself reading a chapter and then taking a little time to sit with it before moving on to the next. I first heard about this book when Obama chose it for one of his “best of” lists. He’s not wrong.

Besides the beauty of the written word itself, I could not help but be affected by Trethewey’s grief and obvious pain over her mother’s death at the hand of her stepfather. Both mother and daughter dealt with his abuse. Steps were taken to ensure their safety, and yet the legal system still failed them. The murder took place in 1985 but really, when it comes to domestic violence not a whole lot has changed.

While reading this book, I was reminded of all the drama over Kanye and his recent threats to Pete Davidson, who is now dating Kanye’s ex. That celebrity couple is in the public eye. The rants and threats are made publicly and still, little is being done. Trevor Noah recently called it out. If a women like Kim K can’t feel protected, then who can?

While discussing this book, many of Trethewey’s poems were shared and they are just beautiful. If you decide to pick this book up, check out her other works too.

Source: Borrowed
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

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