Books and Bites

On this episode, we discuss the eighth prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, novellas. These short novels of 200 pages or less are just the right size for reading in one sitting or trying something new. We’ve got something for everyone with cozy SciFi, a creature feature, and a dark fairy tale that both teens and adults will enjoy. 

Book Notes

• Carrie recommends A Psalm for the Wild-Builtby Becky Chambers
• Jacqueline recommends The Lost Sistersby Holly Black
• Michael recommends Below by Laurel Hightower

Bite Notes

• Sip a soothing cup of ginger thyme tea while reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built. Or try custom blending tea like Dex, a tea monk. Learn how with Homegrown Tea: An Illustrated Guide to Planting, Harvesting, and Blending Teas and Tisanes.
• Pair The Lost Sisters with peach sorbet, a smooth and easy treat.
• Chow down on savory pepperoni rolls while experiencing the thrills of Below.

On this episode, we welcome our new co-host Jacqueline Cooper and discuss the seventh prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, books that take place near the ocean. To celebrate our summer learning theme, we have an ocean of possible reads for you, including horror, cozy mystery, and fantasy.

Book Notes

• Michael recommends The Fisherman by John Langan
• Carrie recommends The Postscript Murders by Elly Griffiths
• Jacqueline recommends The Siren by Kiera Cass

Bite Notes

• Pair The Fisherman with the aptly named Leviathan Baltic Porter from Harpoon Brewery. Appearing like the black ocean in a glass, it has a nose of toasted biscuits and dark fruits with a dark chocolate and earthy finish.
• Munch your way through The Postscript Murders with Spicy, Crisp Puffed Rice Nibbles, a recipe from Madhur Jaffrey's book, Vegetarian India: A Journey through the Best of Indian Home Cooking.
• The Siren deserves a sweet treat like Lemon Layer Cake with Summer Berries, a recipe that reminds Jacqueline of picking berries, swimming, and just enjoying the sun.

 On this episode, we discuss the sixth prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, books that include Black joy. These books celebrate the richness and fullness of Black lives.

Book Notes

• Michael recommends Blacktop Wasteland by S.A. Cosby.
• Shantel recommends Seven Days in June by Tia Williams.
• Carrie recommends Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo.

Bite Notes

• Pair Blacktop Wasteland with the Richmond, VA, staple, the Sailor Sandwich. 
• Enjoy Seven Days in June with the best snickerdoodle cookie recipe.
• Find recipes from Antigua and Barbuda in the library database AtoZ World Food. Dacuna, a sweet potato dumpling, and Seafood Salad sound particularly delicious, though you could also pair Mr. Loverman with a taste of rum.

On this episode, we discuss the fifth prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, a book published in the decade you were born. We're covering the hits from the 70s, 80s, and 90s—brought to you by WJCPL!

Book Notes

• Michael recommends Pet Sematary by Stephen King.
• Carrie enjoyed Pet Sematary's direct opposite, the memoir All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot.
• Adam discusses The Revelation by Bentley Little.

Bite Notes

• Contemplate the ending of Pet Sematary with a whiskey sour.
• Grab a pint of bitter and imagine you're at the pub with James Herriott. A great choice from this side of the pond is Green Man ESB.
• Pair The Revelation with Coffee Ground Cashew Butter, a recipe that turns trash into a tasty treat! Find this recipe in Lindsay-Jean Hard’s Cooking with Scraps.

Books and Bites Podcast, Ep. 64

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we discuss the fourth prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, a biography or autobiography. You may be surprised to find biographies and autobiographies come in varied formats and styles to match any reader’s tastes.

Book Notes

• Adam recommends autobiographical Junji Ito’s Cat Diary: Yon and Mu by horror master Junji Ito.
• Michael recommends You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington by Alexis Coe, which takes an honest and sometimes humorous look at the life of George Washington.
• Carrie recommends genre-bending A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa. This book pieces together the buried history of eighteenth-century Irish poet Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill.

Bite Notes

• Indulge Juji Ito’s love for the… Lovecraftian with an Earl Grey Bourbon Pomegranate Punch, aptly titled Under the Scarlet Sea. This dark scarlet drink mixes fruity flavors, the bitterness of tea and bourbon, and some intrigue through club soda and black tapioca pearls. Find the recipe at feastinthyme.com
• Start your morning off like George Washington with a plate of hoecakes swimming in melted butter and honey. The recipe can be found in Alexis Coe’s You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington.
• Colcannon, a traditional Irish comfort dish, is the perfect accompaniment to A Ghost in the Throat. Find the recipe in Real Irish Food by David Bowers.

 On this episode, we discuss the third prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, books recommended by young people. Young is a subjective term, so feel free to define it by whatever seems young to you! Reference Librarian Mycah Sylvain kindly fills in for Michael, who is busy welcoming a new young person into his family.

Book Notes

• Carrie and her niece recommend Cat Kid Comic Club by Dav Pilkey. They also enjoy series that feature strong girls having adventures, including Ivy and Bean, Princess in Black, and Bink and Gollie.
• Mycah's younger self enjoyed Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine.
• Adam and members of the JCPL Teen Manga Club recommend Kamisama Kiss by Julietta Suzuki.

Bite Notes

• Get into the spirit of Dav Pilkey's potty humor with some dog poo brownies. They're just regular brownies shaped to look like dog poo. Katharine Hepburn's brownies bake up nice and gooey for that perfect "disgustingly delicious" taste.
• Since noodles are the next best thing to unicorns, pair Ella Enchanted with a bowl of ramen from the cookbook Let's Make Ramen: A Comic Book Cookbook by Hugh Amano.
• Why not accompany Kamisama Kiss with some tasty mochi? Make some yourself with a recipe from Mochi Magic by Kaori Becker.

On this episode, we discuss the second prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, inclusive and diverse award winners. Our Teen Librarian Jacqueline Cooper stops by to talk about the Global Reads for Teens challenge. [Content warning: the books we discuss describe abuse and racism.]

Book Notes

• Adam recommends The Bridge Home by Padma Venkatraman
• Michael recommends The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
• Carrie recommends Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey

Bite Notes

• To accompany The Bridge Home, dig into a comforting bowl of Moong Dal Payasam from Indian for Everyone: The Home Cook's Guide to Traditional Favorites, available in print or as an eBook on Hoopla.
• Pair a cold pint of Guayabera Pale Ale from Cigar City Brewing with Elwood’s and Turner’s harrowing story of survival in The Nickel Boys.
• Savor the sweetness of Trethewey's early childhood with Easy Fig Pecan Bars.

Find More Books With These Diverse Awards

Anisfield-Wolf Book Awards
Arab-American Book Awards
Asian/Pacific American Awards for Literature
Association for Asian American Studies
Black Caucus of the American Library Association Literary Awards
Lambda Literary Awards
Stonewall Book Awards

Book Notes

Adam recommends:

• Can’t Stop Cursing You with art by Natsuko Uruma and story by Kensuke Koba

Michael recommends:

• Where All Light Tends to Go by David Joy

Carrie recommends:

• The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

Bite Notes

• In the duplicitous spirit of Can't Stop Cursing You, savor the sweet, fireside smell of Yaki Imo while you and your friends suss out the traitor in your midst. Instructions for these Fire-Roasted Sweet Potatoes can be found in The Gaijin Cookbook by Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying.
• For a tasty treat with Where All Light Tends to Go, travel to the hills of North Carolina with this slow cooker Carolina-Style BBQ recipe.
• Pair The Dictionary of Lost Words with a pot of tea and Esme's specialty, scone-like rock cakes packed with dried fruit.

Book Notes

• Michael recommends Furious Hours : Murder, Fraud, and the Last Trial of Harper Lee by Casey N. Cep
• Carrie recommends Ivory Shoals by John Brandon

Bite Notes

• Pair Furious Hours with Harper Lee's satirical recipe for Crackling Cornbread.
• Swamp Cabbage Stew makes a satisfying meal when you're roughing it on the Florida frontier.

Book Notes

Carrie recommends:

• Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
• Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin

Michael recommends:

• Haunted Nights : a Horror Writers Association Anthology edited by Ellen Datlow and Lisa Morton

Adam recommends:

• Witch Hat Atelier, by Kamome Shirahama

Bite Notes

• Complement Early Morning Riser’s Taco Tuesdays with Tacos with Roasted Winter Vegetables and Red Cabbage Slaw. Carrie recommends using corn tortillas from Tortillería Y Taquería Ramírez in Lexington.
• Fall into a….well, fall mood by mixing an Apple Cider Mimosa before turning the chilling pages of Haunted Nights. 
• Apprentice witches may break from their studies with Hunny & Rosemary Cakes, inspired by Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne. These cinnamon and rosemary cakes from Kate Young’s The Little Library Cookbook  are topped with fluffy cream cheese icing and drizzled with rosemary-infused honey.