Book Hunger

I don't know about you, but books make me hungry. Sometimes movies do too, but not as often. The movie that never fails is Disney's Pollyanna. Every time I watch it I want a giant piece of white cake with chocolate frosting. Yummy.

Maybe it's the description in books or maybe the fact that my mind lingers on it longer when I’m reading about something for a paragraph or more instead of merely seeing a quick image on the screen. Whatever it is that makes books have the effect they do on my stomach - I like it.

I read at the gym a lot while I'm cycling or walking. (Not a good thing for a diet in my case, is it?) By the time I'm finished I'm absolutely famished, especially when I go planning to have a really late lunch or dinner after my workout. The book I'm reading right now, Our Lady of Pain by Elena Forbes, has made me come home craving a frittata, Chinese take-out, custard, and tea. (Actually I came away feeling glad I was well stocked in tea, as one of the main characters was stuck with chamomile - which I'm not very fond of and she wasn't either.) I know there's something else I came home craving one night, but it's not coming to mind.

In the last book I finished writing the biggest food item was a cheese and pepperoni pizza. Not my favorite, but the 10-year-old main character sure loved it. The one I'm working on now hasn't gotten around to a lot of food yet - excepting some melted ice cream.

I've got Joanne Harris's Chocolat on my bookshelf (she's among my favorite authors). I love the movie, but I haven't actually started the book yet. When I do, I don't think I'll be weighing myself.