Drive by James Sallis

Book menu for Drive by James Sallis

ISBN of edition I read: 1590581814 (hardcover)

I really didn't like the writing in this novel.  But, it has a great plot with a non-linear story.  I look forward to seeing  the film adaptation with Ryan Gosling. There is lots of food mentioned in it for such a short book..yum!


Food mentioned in Drive by James Sallis:
Horchata, 5
Slow-cooked pork and yucca, 9, 58
Burrito with machaca, tomatoes and jalapenos, 9
Spam and mint jelly on toast, 11, 145
Corn bread, 21
Rice with shrimp and chicken, 28
Tortillas with bean dip and
     slice cucumbers, tomatoes and radishes, 28
Chips and salsa, 37-8
Pizza (throughout the book)
     Sausage and extra cheese, 39
     Pepperoni and double cheese, 141
Steak and eggs, 52
Roast beef, 52, 109
Meat loat, 52, 109
Fried chicken, 52
Chicken friend steak, 52
Modelo beer, 58
Buffet items, 67
Steak with onions, peppers, and tomatoes, 72
Black beans, 72
Coke, 98
Buchanan's scotch, 100-1, 146
Hot wings, 109
Three-layer jello salad, 109
Pudding, 109
Carrot and celery sticks, 109
Green bean casserole, 109
Peanut butter sandwich, 113
Carrot juice, 118
Earl Grey tea, 119
Chocolate croissants, 119
Burgers, 125, 132
     with fried and coleslaw, 35-6
Steaks, 125
Chips, 125
     Fritos, 125
Vienna sausages, 125
Sardines, 125
Five-flavor shrimp, 127
Egg rolls, 127
Refried beans, 139
Pork stew with tomatoes, 139
Hunter's stew with homemade sausage, 153
Stuffed cabbage, 153
Onions and beef, 153
Pierogi, 153
Beef roulades, 153
Potato pancakes, 153
Borscht, 153
Duck, 153-55
Cognac, 155
Wine (Cabernet-Merlot blend), 154-55

Books/Authors mentioned in Drive by James Sallis:
Richard Stark, 5
George Pelecanos, 5
John Shannon, 5
Gary Phillips, 5
Henry James, 6
Virginia Woolf, 7
Johnny Walker, 13
Gray's Anatomy / Henry Gray, 64
"Nothing Gold can Stay" (poem) / Robert Frost, 85
"Bright Segment" (short story) / Theodore Sturgeon, 95
Don Quixote / Cervantes, 150
Jorge Luis Borges, 150-1

Movies mentioned in Drive by James Sallis:
Road House, 4
Glass Ceiling, 48
African Queen, 54
Thunder Road, 94, 96
The Thin Man, 111

Television program mentioned in Drive by James Sallis:
The Rockford Files, 111

Music mentioned in Drive by James Sallis:
I Pagliacci (opera), 95
"Jumpin' Jack Flash" / The Rolling Stones, 104
Eddie Lang and Lonnie Johnson duets, 115
George Barnes, 115
Sidney Bechet, 115
Django, 115

India Calling

Book menu for India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation's Remaking by Anand Giridharadas

ISBN of edition I read: 9780805091779 (hardcover)

This is very well-written book by the son of Indian parents who emigrated to the United States in the 1970s. The author was born and raised in America but moved to India for a few years after college. His book describes the time spent in his parents native land and how India has changed and not changed in the last thirty years.


Food mentioned in India Calling:
Baingan kabharta, 3
Rajma chawal, 3
Mutter paneer, 3
Penne with tomato sauce, 3
Kit Kat bars, 4
Aloo parathas, 4, 216, 232, 234
Johnnie Walker Back, 5
Stilton cheese, 5
Omelets, 8, 38
Bhel puri, 12
Cheesecake, 20
Samosas, 27
Pakodas, 27, 62
Vadas, 27
Chai, 27, 202
Rotis, 36, 52, 132
Jalebis, 62
Tea sandwiches, 78
Domino's pizza, 84
Gin and tonics, 90
Chaat, 95
Ice cream, 97
Dosas, 98
Mangos, 107
Lentil soup, 175
Fried capsicum, 175
Pani puri, 188
Croissants, 202
Chapatis, 202
Nimbu panni, 227
Chicken and mutton with sliced cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, 228
Popsicles, 229

Books mentioned in India Calling:
Superstar India / Shobhaa De, 14
Enid Blyton, 16
Jane Austen, 16
W. Somerset Maugham, 16
The Great Gatsby / F. Scott Fitzgerald, 21
How to Win Friends and Influence People / Dale Carnegie, 59
Kabir (poet), 72
Rabindranath Tagore, 73, 250
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 77
Langston Hughes, 82
"Is There an Indian Way of Thinking?" (article) / A.K. Ramanujan, 113
Immanuel Kant, 113
Jawaharlal Nehru, 115, 123, 137
William Dalrymple, 13
The Development Dictionary / Wolfgang Sachs, 142
Thomas Friedman, 150

Movies mentioned in India Calling:
Jab We Met, 84
Right Yaaa Wrong, 84
U Me Aur Hum, 84
Brahmachari, 120
Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, 173

Music mentioned in India Calling:
Miles Davis, 16-17
Ravi Shankar, 84

Television mentioned in India Calling :
The Great Indian, ?
Laughter Challenge, 49
He-Man, 54
Spider-man, 54
Batman, 54
Mahabharata, 54
Indian Idol, 127
Friends, 170
Seinfeld, 170
Sex and the City, 170

Libraries mentioned in India Calling:
page 4: "It was the sensible frugality of getting books from the library rather than the bookstore..."

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Book menu for The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

ISBN of edition I read: 9780307454546 (trade paperback)

Food mentioned in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
Cafe latte, 16, 298, 482
Aquavit, 21, 180, 276, 351, 580
Reimersholms brandy, 23
Coffee, 39, 45, 50, 57, 73, 75, 79, 106, 115, 210
Fruitcake, 73
Christmas ham, 75
Christmas cake, 75
Pastries, 80
Roast hare with currant jelly and potatoes, 111
Red wine, 111, 200
Sponge cake, 142-3
Moose steak, 185
Lamb  cutlets with potatoes in cream sauce, 200
Cognac, 208
Sandwiches
     Cheese sandwiches with pickles, 227
     Cheese, caviar and egg on rye, 271
     Roast beef or turkey or avocado on bagels, 328, 330
     Pickled herring in mustard sauce and egg sandwich, 351
     Cheese, liver sausage and pickles on rye, 461
     Liver pate and cucumber sandwich, 580
Kefir, 253
Apples, 253
Fried sausage with potatoes and beets, 254
Aberlour scotch, 268
Bacon pancakes with lingonberries, 277
Toast with cheese and marmalade, 284
Venison stew, 287
Lamb chops sauteed in red wine, 374
Coffee cake, 550
Glogg, 580

Books/Authors mentioned in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
Astrid Lindren, 13
     The Children of Noisy Village, 291
     Kalle Blomkvist and Rasmus, 291
     Pippi Longstocking, 291
Dorothy Sayers, 95
Carina Rydberg, 140
Hopalong Cassidy novels, 140
Elizabeth George, 142
Sue Grafton, 254
The Laser Man / Gellert Tamas, 255
Famous Five novels / Enid Blyton, 291
The Metro Mystery / Sivar Ahlrud, 291
Lennart Hyland, 348
The Mermaids Singing  / Val McDermid, 351, 353, 363
Sara Paretsky, 396
Ake Edwardson, 582

Movies mentioned in The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo:
The Lord of the Rings, 210
Gone with the Wind , 436

Music mentioned in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
Tommy Dorsey, 185
John Coltrane, 185
"A Night in Tunisia", 186
Best of the Eurhythmics
     "Sweet Dreams", 315
Elvis Presley, 538, 583

Magazines mentioned in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo:
Arena, 51
Ordfront, 51, 265
Rekord-magasinet, 140, 199, 291
Modern Times, 207
Tidsfordriv, 291
Lektyr, 291
Bildjournalen, 291
Se, 291
Mitt Livs Novell, 291-2
Soldier of Fortune, 556

Libraries mentioned in The Girl in the Dragon Tattoo:
pages 142, 210, 245, 356

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True at First Light

Book menu for True at First Light by Ernest Hemingway

ISBN of edition I read:  0684849216 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in True at First Light:
Campari and gin, 28
Chocolate, 31
Coke, 33
Tea, 43, 65
Friend egg sandwich, 68
Fruit, 68
Breakfast, 72
Apricots, 72
Hard candies, 124
Brioche, 147
Cider, 162, 172
Papaya, 294

Books/authors mentioned in True at First Light:
War and Peace / Leo Tolstoy, 10
Ralph Ellison, 10
     Invisible Man, 11
The Prince / Niccolo Machiavelli
James Thurber, 93
Robinson Crusoe / Daniel Defoe, 94
D.H. Lawrence, 95
     Sons and Lovers, 96
Stendhall, 96
Henry James, 133
Burmese Days /George Orwell, 139
Too Late the Phalarope / Alan Paton, 146
Marcel Proust, 149
Gerald Hanley, 162
F. Scott Fitzgerald, 171
George Sand, 189
Dante, 189
William Shakespeare, 204
Wuthering Heights / Emily Bronte, 286

Magazines mentioned in True at First Light:
 New Yorker, 31
Readers Digest, 160

Movies mentioned in True at First Light:
The Old Man and the Sea, 10

The Elegant Gathering of White Snows

Book menu for The Elegant Gathering of White Snows by Kris Radish

ISBN of edition I read: 0553382411 (paperback)

Food mentioned in The Elegant Gathering of White Snows:
Red Jello, 6
Tuna salad, 6
Chips and salsa, 6
Potato chips,7
Pickled eggs, 14
Eggs and bacon, 15
Apples, 36
Granola bars, 36
Frozen burritos, 46
Veggie pizza, 46
Turkey, potatoes, broccoli, cherry pie, 46
Christmas cookies 65
Coffee, 76
Chocolate-covered doughnuts, 76
Banana bread,
Vodka gimlets, 125
Potato salad, 141
Carrot sticks, 141
Wine, 141
Oolong Tea, 175
Frozen pizzas, 183, 192
Lemonade, 217
Brownies, 217
Ham Sandwiches, 218
Celery and carrot sticks, 218
Blue cheese stuffed olives, 224
Brandy Alexanders, 224
Thin spicy pizza, 224
Doughnuts, 230, 311
Pizza 234, 257
Hot chocolate, 257
S'mores, 263
Bananas, 311

Books mentioned in The Elegant Gathering of White Snows:
 Nancy Drew series,  122
The Female Orgasm / Seymour Fisher, 198

Music mentioned in The Elegant Gathering of White Snows:
Nanci Griffith, vi
Laura Nyro, vi
Metallica, 148

Libraries mentioned in The Elegant Gathering of White Snows:
Page 122: For Christmas that year, I hoped and prayed for a set of my own Nancy Drew books instead of having to borrow them from the library.

Page 278: So the women sat on the bench out near the university library, and Carolyn told Cynthia about the walkers in Wisconsin. Carolyn had a feeling that Cynthia could well understand a woman or  a man in search of something miraculous and wonderful, and she was right.

Page 280: In the months that the two women had spent talking in the cafeteria, empty classrooms or on the steps of the library, both of them had inched closer and closer to each other. 

Slaves of the Mastery

Book menu for Slaves of the Mastery by William Nicholson

ISBN of edition I read  0786805706 (hardcover)

This is the second book in the Wind of Fire trilogy.

Food mentioned in Slaves of the Mastery:
Pastries, 48
Honey, 63
Hot buttered pancakes, 72
Pie, 82
Berries, seeds, nuts, 127
Tea, 151
Lard cakes, 151
Sweet cakes, 247
Wine, 247

Music mentioned in Slaves of the Mastery:
virtuoso violin, 214
fiddles and pipes, 246

Great vocabulary mentioned in Slaves of the Mastery:
chasseurs, 2
lithe, 8
augur, 70
lissom, 77, 251
implacable, 116
sinuous, 122
protuberance, 126
goaded, 156
retinue, 256
jangle, 296

Discussion questions for Slaves of the Mastery:
Each member of the Hath family and other main characters seem to have their own way of coping. What are they?

The "Intervals" are written in the present tense.  The rest of the chapters are in the past tense.  Is this an intentional technique by the author?  Why? Successful?

Could the author have been thinking of the plight of the Jews when writing about "the homeland"?

Libraries mentioned in Slaves of the Mastery:
pages 157, 166

The Double Bind: A Novel

Book menu for The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian

ISBN of edition I read:  9781400047468 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in The Double Bind :
Lemonade, 21
Ben and Jerry's ice cream, 39
Coffee, 43, 95, 256
Hot chocolate, 43, 120, 122
Apples and pears, 50
Bagels and blueberry cream cheese, 50
Orange Juice, 50
Tea, 50, 97
Ice cream, 69, 169
Macintosh apples, 83
Candy apple, 84
Pizza, 85
Waffles, 85
Chocolate chip muffin, 122
Yogurt, 128
Mexican breakfast pie, 145
French toast, 146
Jelly doughnuts, 146
Yoo-Hoos, 154
Curried egg salad, 169
Cole Slaw, 170
Grilled cheese, 170
Bottled water, 202
Muffin 202
Juice, 204, 226
Scone, 204
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 64, 217, 303
Wine, 226
Popcorn, 235
Junior Mints, 235, 239, 240, 242
Sweet Tarts, 243
Red Bull, 352

Books/authors mentioned in The Double Bind :
A Long Way Down / Nick Hornby, epigraph
The Great Gatsby / F. Scott Fitzgerald, 11-12, 34, 341
Robert Frost, 229, 289
Barbara Park , 32
Beverly Cleary, 32
The Scarlet Pimpernel / Baroness Orczy, 35
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 81
The Wizard of Oz / Frank L. Baum, 87

Music mentioned in The Double Bind :
Eartha Kitt , 228, 230
Chuck Berry, 229, 289
Bob Dylan, 25, 136, 230
Joan Baez , 25
Muddy Waters 57, 71, 136, 273
Duke Ellington, 112
Billie Holiday, 112
Artie Shaw, 112
Musical Knights, 112
Horace Heidt, 112

Magazines mentioned in The Double Bind: A Novel:
Life, 91
CosmoGirl, 161
Highlight, 161
The Atlantic, 211
Looks, 149
Backbeat, 273

Plays mentioned in The Double Bind: A Novel:
The King and I, 34
Hairspray, 34
42nd Street, 80
The Miracle Worker, 165

Libraries mentioned in The Double Bind: A Novel:
pages: 133, 148, 174, 201, 202, 283