Reader's quandary

Do Not Read The Comments also applies to authors' blogs. People are saying things on Aaronovitch's that make me think I might want to stop reading Broken Homes right now and wait till vol 5 comes out. Am envisioning some sort of hideous Riddle Master of Hed cliff-hanger that will have me cursing steadily for another year. What say ye who have read?

Must say, third of the way in, it's already getting a bit grim, and Aaronovitch talking about Nazi slave labour camps in his blog does not make me feel any better.

(no subject)

Have again come across a perennial WTF moment in Japan's conception of the world. Our heroes are off to a famous traditional western restaurant in Tokyo. Its signature dish: beef stew. Whenever someone is described as a great chef in Japanese works, their pièce de résistance is always beef stew. I do not know why. Maybe it's really Boeuf bourgignon served with a Côtes du Rhône or something (only our heroes drink beer, with karaage and koroke dishes on the side.) For me 'beef stew' conjures an image of home-style restaurants, all plastic-covered tables and ketchup provided, that serve mac and cheese or tomato sandwiches. Except that home-style restaurants around here don't have those either.

I'm also informed that Americans don't put ketchup on their mac and cheese. Now *that's* weird.