Megan

Show Us Your Books - April 2018

April 10, 2018 by Megan 15 Comments

It’s the second Tuesday of the month, and you know what that means - another edition of Show Us Your Books! Before I share what I’ve been reading over the past month, I wanted to let you know about a contest I’m currently hosting. In the Hungry Bookworm Spring Giveaway, I’ll be sending one lucky winner a brand new copy of America The Great Cookbook: The Food We Make for the People We Love from 100 of Our Finest Chefs and Food Heroes by Joe Yonan.

It’s a beautiful cookbook, full of delicious recipes and would be a wonderful addition to your home, or a perfect Mother’s Day gift. If you’d like to enter, you can do so here until April 21, 2018.

Spring Giveaway: Enter to Win!

April 7, 2018 by Megan Leave a Comment

Though the weather in the midwest isn't exactly cooperating, I'm forging ahead into spring! I bought some beautiful bright red tulips to decorate my kitchen. I've also decided to celebrate the warmer weather ahead with a cookbook giveaway!

I have an extra copy of the brand new America The Great Cookbook: The Food We Make for the People We Love from 100 of Our Finest Chefs and Food Heroes by Joe Yonan that I'm itching to share! I have a copy myself, and it's an absolutely gorgeous cookbook.

See? The cover is intricate and bright, making it an eye-catching addition to any cookbook collection. And inside, you'll find beautiful photo spreads featuring 100 American chefs and their delicious dishes.

If you'd like a chance to win a copy of this cookbook, hit the button below. Additional entries can be earned by sharing the contest with your friends on Facebook and Twitter or following me on Facebook or Instagram. The giveaway will run for two weeks, and I'll randomly select a winner on Sunday, April 22, 2018 and notify them via email.

Enter Contest

Good luck!

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This contest is only available to US residents. If an email address is not provided, or the winner does not provide a mailing address within one week, a new winner will be chosen.

Life of Pi + Dhal Soup

April 3, 2018 by Megan Leave a Comment

I rarely re-read books, primarily because there are so many new ones I want to read. My TBR list never stops growing - and it’s only gotten worse since I started blogging. Lately, though, I’ve been thinking that I’d like to make it a point to re-read more of my favorites. Or, more specifically, books that I enjoyed so much I bought a copy (with the intention of reading them again or lending them out for others to read). Anyway, when the Book Challenge by Erin included a category of “books that take place on a mode of transportation,” the first book that came to mind was Yann Martel’s Life of Pi. The challenge only allows for one re-read, and this was one I owned - and remember liking, so I decided to give it another go.

For the majority of the story, 227 days worth of it to be exact, Pi survives on a lifeboat with fellow passenger Richard Parker, who happens to be a Bengal tiger. Pi and his family were traveling from India to Canada with a cargo ship full of zoo animals when it shipwrecked, stranding Pi with an unusual boatmate. Though the premise promises adventure, it took a little bit to get into - the narrator describes how he stumbled upon Pi and learned his story. Pi also goes through a bit of a spiritual exploration prior to their scheduled journey, which slows things down even while providing some humor.

Fandom Foodies Linkup: #MagicalRealFood

April 1, 2018 by Megan 2 Comments

Starting today and all April long, I’ll be hosting #MagicalRealFood, a link up through Fandom Foodies dedicated to food found in and inspired by magical realism. According to Wikipedia, magical realism is “what happens when a highly detailed, realistic setting is invaded by something too strange to believe.”

When magical realism is done well, it’s absolutely one of my favorite types of fiction. But magical realism can also be found in other types of art outside of literature - movies, television shows and video games can all have elements of magical realism as well. It’s more common than you may think!

The Wedding Date + Cheese and Crackers

March 31, 2018 by Megan 2 Comments

If anyone recalls the early 2000s rom-com, The Wedding Date, starring Debra Messing and Dermot Mulroney, that is the first thing that came to mind when I heard the title of this book. Liberty Hardy praised it last month in the All the Books! podcast. It sounded like a light-hearted read and when I noticed it was available on NetGalley, I put in a request.

Jasmine Guillory’s novel The Wedding Date has a setup that is reminiscent of the movie - someone is invited to attend a wedding in which a former lover is significantly involved and they can’t bear to do it alone, so they find a complete stranger to accompany them. But, the similarities end there. Rather than hiring his date, Drew gets stuck with her in an elevator. The two of them bond over “the perfect snack” of cheese and crackers, which Alexa (a woman after my own heart) was carrying in her purse. He decides to see if this chemistry means something - not to mention the aforementioned dreaded wedding - and asks her to be his date.

Top Ten Tuesday - Books That Take Place In Another Country

March 27, 2018 by Megan 4 Comments

Happy Tuesday, everyone! It’s time for another edition of Top Ten Tuesday, a literary list with a new bookish topic every week. This Tuesday’s topic is Books That Take Place In Another Country; for me, that is anywhere other than the United States.

I love this topic because one of the best parts of reading is the ability to experience a life that’s different from your own. They also provide the opportunity to travel without leaving the comfort of your favorite armchair. While foreign settings often just feed my desire to travel, the food inspiration they provide at least allows me to experience the culture in some tangible way. I decided to look back on books I’ve already read, and when I’ve done a review (and recipe), I’ll link to it below.