Books and Bites

Book Notes

Michael recommends:

• The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling
• Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey
• Redshirts by John Scalzi
• Salvation Day by Kali Wallace

Adam recommends:

• Wires and Nerve v. 1, written by Marissa Meyer; illustrated by Doug Holgate
• Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Takeuchi, Naoko; translated by William Flanagan
• Land of the Lustrous by Haruko Ichikawa; translated by Alethea Nibley

Carrie recommends:

• The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
• The Ocean at the End of the Laneby Neil Gaiman
• The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
• The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

Bite Notes

• Take comfort in a dish of Dutch oven-cooked pot roast while you read Caitlin Starling's anxiety-inducing The Luminous Dead. You can find the recipe in Matty Matheson's Matty Matheson: A Cookbook. 
• Pair Wires and Nerve with Homemade Moon Pies. These are delicious cookies sandwiched with marshmallow crème and dipped in chocolate.
• If only the characters in The Buried Giant had a batch of Crispy Peanut Butter Treats with Chocolate Chips to fortify them on their quest! Find this recipe in Alicia Silverstone's cookbook The Kind Diet.

Book Notes

Carrie recommends:

• Still Life by Louise Penny
• Autumn by Ali Smith
• The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King
• 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith

Michael recommends:

• Agents of Dreamland by Caitlin R. Kiernan
• Nevernight by Jay Kristoff
• Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
• Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse

Adam recommends:

• Quincredible: Quest to Be the Best, written by Rodney Barnes and illustrated by Selina Espiritu
• The Novice by Taran Matharu
• A Blade So Black by LL McKinney
• The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

Bite Notes

• You could go all out and try the Roast Turkey and Chestnut Stuffing that the characters enjoy in Still Life. Or bake Dorie Greenspan's Lemon Meringue Cookie recipe. It's inspired by Inspector Gamache's love of that dessert. 
• Pair Caitlin R. Kiernan’s Agents of Dreamland with a delicious, alien-fungus-free dish of pasta with whiskey, wine, and mushrooms. 
• Enjoy the complex flavors of Dijon Apricot Chicken Salad when you read Quincredible. Find the recipe in The Everything Salad Book by Aysha Schurman.

Book Notes

Adam and Michael recommend:

• Food: A Love Story by Jim Gaffigan

Michael also recommends:

• Matty Matheson: Home Style Cookery by Matty Matheson
• Victuals: An Appalachian Journey, With Recipes by Ronni Lundy
• The World Atlas of Coffee by James Hoffmann

Adam also recommends:

• The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill
• The Drunken Botanistby Amy Stewart
• With the Fire on Highby Elizabeth Acevedo

Carrie recommends:

• Eat Joy, edited by Natalie Eve Garrett
• An Everlasting Mealby Tamar Adler
• Be My Guest : Reflections on Food, Community, and the Meaning of Generosityby Priya Basil
• Jacques Pépin Quick + Simple : Simply Wonderful Meals with Surprisingly Little Effortby Jacques Pépin
• As Always, Julia : The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto : Food, Friendship, and the Making of a Masterpiece
• Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Childby Bob Spitz

Bite Notes

• Jim Gaffigan would approve of The Famous Original Genuinely Not Ray’s Sandwich Extravaganza, which is also the perfect sandwich to eat while driving.
• Another pairing for Jim Gaffigan’s Food is the L. A. Dirty Dog. The recipe can be found in Roy Choi’s L. A. Son. 
• According to Claire Messud, one of the writers contributing to Eat Joy, Mrs. Hemmings's Chocolate Brownies have helped her "through exams, loneliness, even despair." They are just the thing for a cold pandemic night.

Book Notes

Adam recommends:

• Madam Belle: Sexy, Money, and Influence in a Southern Brothel by Maryjean Wall
• Birds of Opulence by Crystal Wilkinson
• The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
• The Thing About Leftovers by CC Payne
• Echoes Between Us by Katie Mcgarry

Michael recommends:

• Whispers in the Dark by Laurel Hightower
• Hillbilly Hustle by Wesley Browne
• Battletown Witch: Leah Smock, the Evolution of Witchcraft, and the Last Witch Burning in America by Gerald D. Fischer
• Dark Highway: Love, Murder, and Revenge in 1930’s Kentucky by Ann Dangelo

Carrie recommends:

• For Black Girls Like Me by Mariama J. Lockington
• Come and Go, Molly Snow by Mary Ann Taylor-Hall
• The Once and Future Witchesby Alix E. Harrow
• So We Can Glow by Leesa Cross-Smith
• In the Shadow of the Valley by Bobi Conn
• At the Center of All Beauty: Solitude and the Creative Life by Fenton Johnson

Bite Notes

• Breeze through Madam Belle with a tart glass of sour cherry lemonade, made with sour cherries, lemon, simple syrup, and club soda. The recipe can be found in Classic Kentucky Meals by Rona Roberts.
• The spice and sweetness of Heaven Hill Distillery’s Larceny Bourbon pairs perfectly with Laurel Hightower’s Whispers in the Dark. 
• You can easily make a pizza that's better than Domino's with the recipe for Quick Pizza Dough from the New York Times.

Book Notes

Carrie recommends:

• Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghostsby Kate Racculia
• Things in Jarsby Jess Kidd
• Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
• Belovedby Toni Morrison

Adam recommends:

• The Hellbound Heartby Clive Barker
• Taproot: A Story about a Gardener and a Ghost, written and illustrated by Keezy Young
• Justice League Dark Vol. 1: In the Dark by Peter Milligan

Michael recommends:

• The Siren and The Specter by Jonathan Janz
• The Shiningby Stephen King
• The Saturday Night Ghost Club by Craig Davidson
• Ghostland: An American History in Haunted Places by Colin Dickey

Bite Notes

• With its orange and black color-scheme and sweet and spicy flavors, the Halloween Stew from Liana Krissof's Vegetarian for a New Generation is the perfect accompaniment to Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts.
• Take a break from hunting the spirits of Alexander House and enjoy a glass of New Holland’s Pumpkin Ale.
• Accompany the tortuous need for fulfillment in The Hellbound Heart with a tall, cold glass of Troubled Leisure. Find the recipe in Cocktail Codex.

Book Notes

Michael recommends:

• Black Fire by Hernan Rodriguez
• Night Witches by Garth Ennis

Carrie recommends:

• Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
• The Queen of the Sea by Dylan Meconis

Adam recommends:

• Dreadful Ed & Mary Scary; written by Andrew Cosby and illustrated by Troy Nixey 
• The Gashlycrumb Tinies by Edward Gorey 

Bite Notes

• Transport yourself to the abandoned village in Black Fire with the traditional Ukrainian village dish of Potatoes with Pork and Shallots, a recipe found in Mamushka by Olia Hercules.
• Raise a glass of Black Currant Vodka to the Night Witches! The recipe can also be found in Mamushka by Olia Hercules. 
• A churro’s sweet and crunchy fried dough would be the perfect thing to munch on while reading Nimona.
• Eat breakfast like a queen with a bowl of Instant Pot Oatmeal with Apples and Cinnamon. You won’t need a nunnery kitchen maid to prepare this porridge—just throw everything in the Instant Pot in the morning and let it do its thing while you’re getting ready.
• Pair Dreadful Ed and Mary Scary with anise biscotti. These twice-baked cookies combine anise and almond for a dark, nutty flavor that’s perfect for dunking in a cup of strong coffee. Find the recipe in Spiced from America’s Test Kitchen.
• Have a chill, adult storytime when you enjoy The Gashlycrumb Tinies with Vincent’s Ruin–a bittersweet cocktail featuring bourbon, a hint of absinthe, and St. Germain Elderflower liqueur. Find the recipe in Absinthe Cocktails: 50 Ways to Mix with the Green Fairy by Kate Simon and Lara Ferroni. 

Book Notes

Adam recommends:

• Much Ado About Nothing, adapted by Richard Appignanesi and illustrated by Emma Vieceli.
• Wonderland, written and illustrated by Yugo Ishikawa

Michael recommends:

• The Auctioneer by Joan Sampson
• We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

Carrie recommends:

• The Street by Ann Petry
• So Big by Edna Ferber

Bite Notes

• Accompany the tart romance of Much Ado About Nothing with a fresh strawberry granita. This Italian iced dessert is made with fresh strawberries, sugar, ice, and the added options of lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. The recipe can be found on AllRecipes.com 
• The tiny horror story Wonderland deserves equally tiny snacks! How bout mini homemade pop tarts? These pocket-sized pastries pack a fruitful flavor with just a few ingredients. Check out this recipe and other teeny tastes in Tiny Food Party: Bite-size Recipes for Miniature Meals by Teri Lyn Fisher & Jenny Park. 
• Transport yourself to Harlowe, New Hampshire, with a dish of Mountain Green Beans & Taters, a recipe from Ronni Lundy’s Victuals.
• Pull up a chair to the Blackwood family dinner table and enjoy a delicious main dish of roasted spring lamb.
• Toast The Street with a glass of Black is Beautiful beer, a collaborative brewing effort that attempts "to bring awareness to the injustices that many people of color face daily." 
• Pair So Big with the Raw Thai Citrus Crunch Salad from Anna Jones's A Modern Way to Eat. This salad will have even cabbage haters seeing its beauty. 

Book Notes

Carrie recommends:

• The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
• Drinking Coffee Elsewhere by ZZ Packer

Adam recommends:

• The Dark Crystal: Creation Myths Vol. 1, written by Brian Holguin
• Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens, written by Sarah Webb, Bartosz Sztybor, Aud Koch, and Chan Chau

Michael recommends:

• Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
• We Live Inside Your Eyes by Kealan Patrick Burke

Bite Notes

• If you'd like to try making your own kombucha to pair with The Book of Delights, we have several books that can help, including The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea.
• Read stories about the origins of life on Thra, the birth of Aughra, and the arrival of complex lifeforms while savoring a frozen Kombucha Berry Pop. The recipe can be found in For the Love of Popsicles by Sarah Bond.
• In honor of Adjei-Brenyah's New York roots, pair his short story collection, Friday Black, with Brooklyn Brewery’s refreshing Stonewall Inn IPA.
• Like Dina in the title story of Drinking Coffee Elsewhere, you can transport yourself to another country with a strong cup of Turkish or Armenian coffee.
• Complement the varied flavors of regional folklore in Jim Henson’s The Storyteller: Sirens with a bubbly, savory-sweet Cucumber Mint Cooler. The recipe can be found in Homemade Soda by Andrew Schloss. 
• Take comfort in a bowl of Colcannon, a traditional Irish dish, after reading Burke’s terrifying We Live Inside Your Eyes. 

Book Notes

Michael recommends:

• The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
• IQ by Joe Ide

Carrie recommends:

• Blanche on the Lam by Barbara Neely
• This Lovely City by Louise Hare

Adam recommends:

• Shuri Vol. 1: The Search for the Black Panther by Nnedi Okorafor
• Archival Quality; written by Ivy Noelle Weir, illustrated by Steenz

Bite Notes

• Pair Bayley Hazen Blue, a delicious blue cheese, from Vermont's own Jasper Hill Farm with Jennifer McMahon’s The Winter People.
• Piece together the clues with Isaiah and Dodson over a bowl of New Orleans-style gumbo with a recipe found on tastesbetterfromscratch.com.
• Add a kick to plain old sweet tea with Lemongrass and Ginger Iced Tea. This spicy, fragrant blend of black tea, lemongrass, fresh ginger, and honey is a great match for the sophisticated and straight-talking narrator of Blanche on the Lam. The recipe appears in North Carolina chef Ashley English's book Quench.
• In This Lovely City, Lawrie and his friends serve a version of rum punch at their gatherings, and it sounds like the perfect fruity summer cocktail to sip while you're reading this book. You can find AtoZ World Food on the databases page of our website.
• “Storm” into some snacking with Mandazi, an airy doughnut flavored with coconut, cardamom, and cinnamon. You’re “Shuri” to love it! Find the recipe on AtoZ World Food, available on our databases page.
• Accompany Archival Quality's slow-brewing mystery with a jar of Sun Tea. All you need is a clear jar, purified water, tea, and the warm summer sun! Add fresh mint, lavender, or chamomile for extra flavor. Instructions can be found on AtoZ World Food, available on our databases page.

Book Notes

Carrie recommends:

• The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa; translated from the Japanese by Stephen Snyder
• Mirror, Shoulder, Signal by Dorthe Nors; translated from the Dutch by Misha Hoekstra

Adam recommends:

• Lone Wolf and Cub Vol. 1: The Assassin's Road by Kazuo Koike; illustrated by Goseki Kojima, Frank Miller
• Batman: The Jiro Kuwata Batmanga, Vol. 1 by Jiro Kuwata

Michael recommends:

• Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi ; translated from the Arabic by Jonathan Wright
• Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt ; translated from the Dutch by Nancy Forest-Flier.

Bite Notes

• Pair The Housekeeper and the Professor with a Japanese Hamburg Steak, or hambagu, a popular home-cooked, Western-style dish which, like the American hamburger and Salisbury steak, has its roots in Germany. 
•  Bake a Danish Dream Cake to enjoy with Mirror, Shoulder, Signal.
• As Hadi recounts his tale of the Whatitsname in Frankenstein in Baghdad, grill up a plate of Iraqi Kabobs with a recipe that can be found on yummly.com.
• Enjoy the Dutch roots of Black Spring, New York, by making Broodje Rookworst, a Dutch sausage and sauerkraut sandwich, from a recipe found on thespruceeats.com.
• Pair Batman's fusion of Western-Japanese culture with omelet rice, a popular breakfast for families in Japan. The recipe can be found in Japanese Cooking Made Simple, available on Hoopla.
• The pop culture-influencing read Lone Wolf and Cub goes well with Fluffy Cheesecake, a Japanese take on our favorite Golden Girls accompaniment. The recipe can be found in Japanese Cooking Made Simple, available on Hoopla.