The Pleasing Hour

 

Book menu for The Pleasing Hour by Lily King

Food mentioned in The Pleasing Hour:
Grapes, 3, 146
Tea, 5, 35-36, 87
Cakes, 5
     Chocolate cakes, 87
Sangria, 7, 52, 55
Cookies, 116
     Butter cookies, 9
     Chocolate chip cookies, 118
Pizza, 13, 69
Sauteed mushroom croquettes, 22
Potato gallette, 23
Peanuts, 23
Olives, 25, 154
     Olives stuffed with achovies, 178
Paté, 25
Raspberry tart, 26
Stuffed artichoke hearts, 29, 31
Chocolate wafers, 36
Cold salmon mousse, 36
Stuffed lamb shoulders, 36
Lemon soufflé, 36
Wine, 36, 99-100
     Champagne, 36
     Jarrode Rosado, 178
Hard cider, 39
Raspberry torte, 48
Popcorn, 61
Beer, 62
Strawberries, 65
Toast and marmalade, 77
Hot chocolate, 78-79, 81, 141-142, 235
Coffee, 103, 120, 142, 195
Rum and Coke, 106-108
Goat cheese, 121
Plums, 124, 146
Apple-pear juice, 138
Bananas, 138
Baguettes, 138
Black licorice, 141
Cold lemon soup, 145
Fouace, 145
Melons, 146
Lemonade, 150
     Frozen lemonade, 178, 182
Almonds, 154, 183
Paella, 169
Spinach and garlic bocadillos, 161
Orange juice, 165
Chips, 178
Chocolates, 209
Banana pancakes, 211
German sausages, 211
Bratwurst, 215

Books/Authors mentioned in The Pleasing Hour:
Marcel Proust, 7
Simone de Beauvoir, 7
Marguerite Duras, 7
The Brontës, 147-148
Ernest Hemingway, 197
Anton Chekhov, 215, 222

Music mentioned in The Pleasing Hour:
"The Boxing Hour" / Simon and Garfunkel, 32
"Slow Boat to China", 178

Page numbers refer to the hardcover edition (ISBN 9780871137542)

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The Good Liar

Book menu for The Good Liar by Gregory Maguire

ISBN of edition I read: 0395906970 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in The Good Liar:
Fruit pies, 24, 31-32
Cognac, 33
Tea, 45, 123
Blackberries, 51
Blackberry tarts, 56, 59
Hard boiled eggs, 62, 64
Grapes, 62
Wine, 102
Salad 105
Sausage, 105
Apples, 105
Hard candies, 117

Books/Authors mentioned in The Good Liar:
Victor Hugo, 49, 85, 113
William Shakespeare, 78

Music mentioned in The Good Liar:
Mozart, 78

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"Oh..."

Book menu for "Oh..." by Philippe Djian

ISBN of edition I read: 9782070456284 (French edition: English translation title is Elle)

Food mentioned in "Oh...":
Sushi, 15
Peanuts, 15
Toast with raspberry jam, 20
Hawaiian beer, 26
South African dry white wine, 20
Club sandwiches, 39
Gin & tonics, 41, 95, 167, 184, 217
Salad with gizzards, 45
Andouillette de Troyes, 45
Croque-monsieur, 56
Coffee, 58
Croissants, 58
Daiquiris, 81-82
Macaroons, 95
Chocolates, 96, 209
Caviar, 114
Blinis, 114
Composed salad, 123
Buche de Noel, 130
Grog, 144-145, 204
Scones, 170-172
Black Russian, 175
Pizza, 197-198
Champagne, 222
Petit-fours, 223

Books/Authors mentioned in "Oh...":
Sherwood Anderson, 50
Virginia Woolf, 50
Vince Gilligan, 76
Eudora Welty, epigraph, 189
David Foster Wallace, 214
John Cheever , 234

Music mentioned in "Oh...":
Brian Eno, 116
Felt / Nils Frahm, 139
"We Move Lightly" / Dustin O'Halloran, 203
"Everything I Know" / Peter Broderick, 237

Television programs mentioned in "Oh...":
Mad Men, 54

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War and Peace

Book menu for War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

War and Peace has long been on my to-read list.  Twenty years ago when working with a Russian woman, I expressed my interest in reading Tolstoy.  She advised me to start with Anna Karenina.  Very wise advice!  I've since read Anna twice and loved it both times. 

Completing War and Peace was no easy task!  It took me a little over four months. But, I came away with care and compassion for Tolstoy's characters. Tolstoy is a wonderful storyteller.  I didn't enjoy the sections that were written more as an essay and made no mention of the characters, especially part two of the epilogue (36 pages).

As soon as I finished reading, I watched the new War and Peace mini-series starring Paul Dano. Dano is perfectly cast as Pierre.

 Now I'm on the hunt for a great biography on Napoleon!

ISBN or edition I read: 9781400079988 (trade paperback)


Food mentioned in War and Peace:
Tea, 5, 192, 258
Saute of madere of hazel grouse, 56, 62
Turtle soup, 62
Pineapple ice cream, 65
Champagne, 65, 337, 545, 669
Coffee, 129, 319, 569, 626
Sausage, 131, 133
Doppel Kummel, 137
Ham, 140, 509
Apple, 140-141, 509
Kasha, 172, 175, 179, 898, 995, 1094
Bread and cheese, 173
Rein wine, 210
Gingerbread, 297, 674, 725
Strawberries, 305
Pineapple, 305
Mead, 509
Roasted nuts, 509
Roasted chicken, 509, 806
Cherry liquor, 510
Walnuts and almonds, 518
Lime flower tea, 588
Kvass, 674, 905
Poppy-seed cakes, 674
Biscuits, 675
Lemonade, 691
Sunflower seeds, 698
Plums, 703
Roast lamb, 905
Baked potatoes, 970
Raisins, 1046, 1058

Books/Authors mentioned in War and Peace:

Commentaries / Julius Caesar, 24
Julie / Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 89, 1157
Laurence Sterne, 106
N.P. Nikolev (poet), 310
Moliere
     "Les Fourberies de Scapin", 1231
     "Georges Dandin", 364
Adelaide Filleul, 348
Thomas a Kempis, 354
"The Song of Solomon", 444
Poor Liza / Nikolai Karamazin, 550
The Lives of the Saints, 702
"Jaconde" / Jean de la Fontaine, 708
Les Chevaliers du Cygne / Stephanie Felicite Genlis, 743-744
Anne-Louise Germaine de Stael, 1043, 1085

Music mentioned in War and Peace:
"Spring" / Mozart, 67
Daniel Cooper (dance), 68-69
Dusek sonata, 97
Cherubini, 452
     "The Water Carrier", 519
John Field (composer), 521

Some of my favorite passages from War and Peace:

Thought Price Andrei...How good it would be to know where to look for help in this life and what to expect after it, there, beyond the grave! p.293

Man proposes, God disposes. p. 971

Said Pierre: "Once we're thrown off our habitual paths, we think all is lost; but it's only here that the new and the good begins. As long as there's life, there's happiness. There's much, much still to come." p. 1118

 

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Soulene : A Healer in Paris

Book Menu for Soulene: A Healer in Paris by Ursula Pearson

ISBN of edition I read: 9780692551929 (paperback)

Food mentioned in Soulene: A Healer in Paris:

Chicken and vegetable stew, 23
Brown bread, 23
Cider, 23
Apple clafoutis, 23
Herbal tea, 26
Apples, 37
Meat stew, 79
Nuts, 92
Sweetmeats, 92
Vegetable pottage, 92
Baked pudding, 92

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Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet

Book menu for Tarantula (The Skin I Inhabit) by Thierry Jonquet

ISBN of edition I read: 2070408019 (paperback, french language)

This is a brilliantly written novel that will stay with you for days after reading it.  It is haunting, intelligent, nonlinear, and very disturbing.  I can't wait to see the film adaptation with Antonio Banderas.

Food mentioned in Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet:
Champagne, 14, 84, 89, 139
Croissants, 17
Orange juice, 18
Honey-dipped biscotti, 18
Chocolate truffles, 21, 103
Omelet, 32
Lobster, 48
Bread, pate, sausage, 56
Red wine, 56
Coffee, 59
Fruit, 65, 136
Cheese, 65
Caviar, 66
Salmon, 66
Sorbet, 66
Cake, 66, 138-139
Tea, 84
Yogurt, 136
Oysters, 144
Snails, 144
Calamari, 144

Books/Authors mentioned in Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet
Voltaire, 60
Pacal, 60
Honore de Balzac, 66
Stendhal, 66
ARSÈNE LUPIN novels / Maurice LeBlanc, 144

Music mentioned in Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet
"The Man I Love", 12, 14, 46, 114, 155
Berlioz, 60
Chopin, 66
Liszt, 66

Magazines mentioned in Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet:
La Revue du Praticien, 14
L'Equippe, 21, 105 

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Suite Francaise: A Novel

 
Book menu for Suite Francaise: A Novel by Irene Nemirovsky

ISBN of edition I read: 9781400096275 (trade paperback)

Food mentioned in Suite Francaise: A Novel:
Filet of sole, 11
Roast beef, 13
Oranges, 17
Strawberries, 17, 102, 139, 254
Peaches, 19, 192, 219
Cheese, 19
Wine:
     Pommery, 19
     Champagne, 70, 102
Cold chicken, ham, bread, 30
Petit fours, 51
Tea, 51
Pains aux raisins, 51
Shortbread, 52
Gingerbread, 52, 79
Cherries, 64
Mineral water, 67
Coffee, 73
     Mocha coffee, 169
Apples, 79
Nuts, 79
Hot chocolate, 145, 149
Croissants, 145
Cherry tart, 146
Cream-filled choux, 146
Jam sandwiches, 212

Books/Authors mentioned in Suite Francaise: A Novel:
Marcel Proust, 18
War and Peace / Leo Tolstoy, 18
George Byron, 66

Movies mentioned in Suite Francaise: A Novel:
A Day at Solesmes Abbey, 266
From Caterpillar to Butterfly, 266

Music mentioned in Suite Francaise: A Novel:
Bach, 283
Mozart, 283

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