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The Hungry Bookworm

The Hungry Bookworm

reading + eating

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The Pull of the Stars + Irish Barmbrack

January 26, 2021 by Megan Leave a Comment

Emma Donoghue’s latest novel, The Pull of the Stars, includes a couple of elements that would normally turn me off of a novel — and, in many cases, DNF one: no quotation marks and extremely long chapters. Luckily, it also is made of things I often look for in a new read: a female-centric story, a strong sense of place, and an utterly gripping storyline. In the end, the good far outweighed the bad. I loved it.

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donaghue
Available on Bookshop.org and Amazon

The story takes place over just a few days in an Irish maternity/flu ward during the Spanish Flu Pandemic of 1918. Nurse Julia Power is tasked with taking care of flu-ridden laboring mothers and their babies until they're able to go home. The ward is really nothing more than a room, three beds cramped together without much support aside from Nurse Julia and an inexperienced volunteer. As you would expect with early 20th century childbirth on top of a devastating pandemic, the story is emotional. In it, Donoghue touches on such timely (or, in some ways, timeless) themes as healthcare, pregnancy/motherhood, societal expectations and abuses of power.  

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Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, bread, favorites, historical fiction, quick read

Kids Edition: Hey! Wake Up! + Broccoli Stew

January 23, 2021 by Megan Leave a Comment

Bedtime stories get all the love. But, one of our favorite books in this house is actually a morning story: Hey! Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton. I’m not even sure where we got our copy, which is pretty battered, but from the very first read, the rhymes were stuck in our heads and we find ourselves saying lines from the book all the time.

Hey! Wake Up! by Sandra Boynton
Available at Bookshop.org and Amazon

The book follows a morning routine, from waking up to breakfast and getting dressed, playing and morning snack. At both breakfast and morning snack, the bunny in the story gets "broccoli stew" (which no one seems to like except for the bunny). 

[Read more...] about Kids Edition: Hey! Wake Up! + Broccoli Stew

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: baking, easy prep, kid friendly, kids edition, vegetarian

Devolution + Blueberry Lavender Lemonade Popsicles

January 19, 2021 by Megan Leave a Comment

Max Brooks’ Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre is a wild ride. It is told primarily through the journal of Kate, a resident of the secluded Greenloop when it was attacked, along with a few post-massacre interviews. It’s both a scientific observation and a horror story, as we first discover Sasquatch (aka Bigfoot) with her and then watch as she and the other residents frantically scramble to protect and defend themselves when Bigfoot attacks.

Devolution by Max Brooks
Available at Bookshop.org and Amazon

This is the kind of book where I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that the book is not what it seems at the outset — which to me, at least, was a far-fetched romp about Bigfoot. Brooks does an excellent job of building his characters and the action. First, it progresses slowly, luring you in, and then aggressively so you can’t help but turn pages faster to keep up. I love seeing how different people cope in a time of crisis, and this is a study in those differences. 

[Read more...] about Devolution + Blueberry Lavender Lemonade Popsicles

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: dessert, easy prep, fiction, five ingredients or less, fruit, quick read

Big Lies in a Small Town + Collard Greens

January 14, 2021 by Megan 5 Comments

I’m excited to be a part of the paperback release party for Big Lies in a Small Town today! When I was asked to join by the Book Club Cookbook, I didn’t hesitate — I absolutely adored my previous Diane Chamberlain read, The Dream Daughter. Her latest novel centers around a post office mural painted in 1940, with a dual timeline that goes back and forth between the artist who painted it and the artist who later restores it nearly 80 years later.

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain

Chamberlain does an excellent job weaving both stories together and keeping the reader interested throughout. I didn’t necessarily like one timeline better than the other, which is so often the case in books like this; I found something worthwhile in both stories. I loved the strong women she created. 

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Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: easy prep, historical fiction, side dish, veggies

Show Us Your Books Reading Recap — What I Read in December

January 12, 2021 by Megan 8 Comments

I had a really good reading month, one of my best in a long time! Most of my reads were shorter or easy or unputdownable (or some combination of all three!), which definitely helped.

[Read more...] about Show Us Your Books Reading Recap — What I Read in December

Filed Under: book review, of interest Tagged With: book club, book list, fiction, historical fiction, mini review, nonfiction, short story, show us your books

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow + Strawberry and Cream Cheese Empanadas

January 9, 2021 by Megan Leave a Comment

I first heard about Laura Taylor Namey’s young adult novel, A Cuban Girl’s Guide to Tea and Tomorrow on one of my favorite book podcasts, All the Books! It was described as delightful and heart-squeezing by Liberty Hardy, and she said the descriptions of food made her so hungry. I knew I had to pick it up, and luckily, I was able to get a copy from the library nearly right away!

A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow

Lila is a Cuban-American girl living in Miami. As she graduates high school, Lila knew exactly what was in store for her future, but unfortunately, life had other plans. Newly adrift, she is sent to England to live with her cousin for the summer. Lila doesn’t sulk for long and soon she is getting back in the kitchen (her cousin lives at a bed and breakfast), making friends, and discovering a new future. 

[Read more...] about A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow + Strawberry and Cream Cheese Empanadas

Filed Under: book review, recipe Tagged With: books about food, dessert, easy prep, fiction, five ingredients or less, young adult

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The Hungry Bookworm brings together literature and food. Megan has an insatiable appetite for both.

As C.S. Lewis said, “Eating and reading are two pleasures that combine admirably.” Enjoy!

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Recent Posts

  • The Pull of the Stars + Irish Barmbrack
  • Kids Edition: Hey! Wake Up! + Broccoli Stew
  • Devolution + Blueberry Lavender Lemonade Popsicles
  • Big Lies in a Small Town + Collard Greens
  • Show Us Your Books Reading Recap — What I Read in December

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