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.