A Lion Among Men

Book menu for A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire

ISBN of edition I read: 9780060548926  (hardcover)

Food mentioned in A Lion Among Men:
Risotto, xv
Wine, 3, 154
Chocolate, 4
Cognac, 4
Olives, 7, 254, 256
Apples, 11
Cocoa, 18
Sherry, 32, 78, 174
Strawberries, 40
Fruit pies, 44
Blueberries, 55
Vermouth, 71
Butter rolls, 88
Gin, 96
Potato stew, 98
Coffee, 125
Chicken stew, 159
Saffron cream, 169
Oatmeal fritters, 190
Tea, 253
Crumpets, 253
Ham sandwiches, 254
Garlic muffins, 261

Books/Authors mentioned in A Lion Among Men:
Goethe, epigraph
"I Consider My Luck" (from the anthology Brothers and Beasts) / Eric Kraft
     epigraph

One of my favorite passages from A Lion Among Men:
page 291: [Brrr] didn't remember that a mere book might reek of sex, possibility, fecundity. Yet a book has a ripe furrow and a yielding spine, he thought, and the nuances to be teased from its pages are nearly infinite in their variety and coquettish appeal. And what new life can emerge from a book. Any book, maybe."

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Son of a Witch

Book menu for Son of Witch by Gregory Maguire

ISBN of edition I read: 0060548932 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in Son of a Witch:
Brandy, 7
Tea, 15
Asparagus cream soup, 34
Gingerbread, 37, 118, 141
Sherry, 70, 188
Beer, 79, 108
Crumpets, 103
Butter roll, 103
Coffee, 138, 144
Coddled eggs, 144
Pudding, 163
Lobster bisque, 163
Wine, 168, 208
Whiskey, 178
Meat pasty, 186
Ham sandwiches, 188
Cocoa, 194
Nuts, 206, 291
     Walnuts, 296
Apples, 206
Cider, 211
Tea, 236, 266
Sausage and beans, 272
Blood sausage, 277
Mutton, 277
Salami, 277

Some of my favorite Son of a Witch passages:
p. 128: "We are a fountain of shimmering contradictions, most of us. Beautiful in the concept, if we're lucky, but frequently tedious or regrettable as we flesh ourselves out."

p. 130: "In their generous apprehension of the world, for their insatiable appetite for the world, the young are to be forgiven."

p. 131: "[Liir] circled the Emerald City, afraid if he landed he would return to being slightly dead. How could anyone live without flying?"

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A Game of Thrones

 
Book menu for A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

ISBN of edition I read:  9780553103540

This is the first novel of five in the A Song of Ice and Fire series and HBO has turned it into a hugely popular series.

Food mentioned in A Game of Thrones :
Mulled wine, 3, 222, 226, 343
Melons, 34, 329
Peaches, 34
Summerwine, 41, 44, 250, 268, 492
Honeyed chicken, 43, 198
Spice wine, 46
Blackberries, 65
Honey duck & orange snap peppers, 82
Bread and cheese, 106, 311, 454, 531, 649
Bacon & soft boiled eggs, 113
Blackberry preserves with bread, butter, honey, 113
Mint tea, 113
Bread and honey, 116-117
Lemon cakes, 119, 225, 251, 396, 601
Fish stew, 143
Mutton stew, 157
Apples, 165
Crab legs, 171
Pumpkin soup, 181
Roasted ribs crusted with garlic and herbs, 181
Scones, 183
Fruit, cheese, & fry bread, 198
Suckling pig, 208, 299, 564
Pigeon pie, 208, 251
Turnips in butter, 208
Mead, 208
Iced milk with honey, 210 
Pork pie, 223, 226
Blueberry tarts, 225, 599
Hot cider, 226
Sweet cakes, 239-240
Sweetgrass, 250
Strawberries, 250
Barley and venison soup, 251
Sweetgrass, spinach & plum salad with crushed nuts, 251
Snails in honey and garlic, 251
Trout, 251
Sweetbreads, 251
Baked apples, 251
Boiled goose eggs & fried fish with bacon & onion, 261
Oranges, 261
     Blood orange, 397-8
Lamprey pie, 299
Pomegranates, 329, 413
Plums, 329, 413
Blackberries and cream, 362
Orange-scented wine 362
Rack of lamb crusted with garlic & herbs with mashed turnip, 372
Spinach, chickpea, and turnip greens salad, 372
Iced blueberries and sweet cream, 372
Cold strawberry pie, 396
Honeyed wine, 402
Figs, 414
Applecakes, 430
Blood sausage, 430
Roast chicken and greens, 454
Beef and barley stew, 454
Honey fingers, 490
Sausages, 491
     Garlic sausages, 566
Fruit and cheese, 512
Lemon tarts, 599
Apricot tarts, 599
Dates, 631
Beef and bacon pie, 647
Hard boiled eggs & fried bread, ham steak & dried plums, 652

Title mentioned on pages: 196, 408, 425, 525, 663

Libraries mentioned on pages: 72, 73, 101, 110, 183, 375, 377, 430, 433
 

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The Night Circus

Book menu for The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

ISBN of edition I read: 0385534639 (Hardcover)

Food mentioned in The Night Circus:
Tea, 9-11, 31
   Mint tea, 156-157
French bread and cheese, 26, 33
Bordeaux wine, 33
Scones with jam and clotted cream, 39
Brandy, 45, 59, 137, 243
Caramel apples, 50, 125-7, 385
Cider, 50, 109, 111, 143, 171-172, 175
Popcorn, 51, 125-127, 143
     Chocolate covered popcorn, 89
     Caramel popcorn, 89
Sparkling wine, 58
Coffee, 59, 137
Vermouth-poached oysters, 67
Apples, 90, 200
Champagne, 133
Absinthe, 156
Chocolates, 164
     Chocolate mice with almond ears and licorice tails, 170, 195
Cinnamon rolls, 195-196
Cocoa, 195-197
     Spiced cocoa, 241
Chocolate-covered strawberries, 228, 276
Dumplings, 241

Books/Authors mentioned in The Night Circus :
Oscar Wilde, 7
William Shakespeare, 251, 294, 319
     Hamlet, 320
     As You Like It, 321
     The Tempest, 369

Discussion questions for The Night Circus:
1. Compare Celia to Marco
2. For what is the circus a metaphor?
3. What roles do the colors black, white, gray and red play?

Libraries/Librarians mentioned in The Night Circus:
pages, 25, 30, 58, 88, 134-135, 138

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Firesong by William Nicholson

 
Book menu for Firesong by William Nicholson

ISBN of edition I read: 0786818018 (trade paperback)

This is the third book in The Wind On Fire Trilogy.

Food mentioned in Firesong by William Nicholson:
Nuts, 18
Berries, 18
     Blackberries, 161
Bread, 56, 265
Milk, 56, 265
Melon, 177
Coconuts, 178
Corn cakes, 210
Custard, 311
Chocolate buttons, 383
Honey cakes, 399

Great vocabulary mentioned in Firesong by William Nicholson:
determinedly, 15
mottled, 41
riven, 73
loped, 78, 100
gait, 91
tenacity, 91
chasm, 100
singly, 107
surreptitious, 111
copiously, 126
intolerable, 164
voluminous, 173
consternation, 215
undulated, 219
glinting, 219
careering, 223
cloisters, 231
ambit, 247
eddying, 247
apoplectic, 249
impenetrable, 271
tirade, 315
ostentatiously, 321
astraddle, 323
mottled, 325
confluence, 328
vertiginous, 349
abate, 353
reverence, 359
lithe, 363
miasma, 392

Discussion questions for Firesong by William Nicholson:
What is Albard's attitude towards Bowman?
What is Sis's opinion of the Manth people?
How does Kes feel about herself?

Libraries mentioned in Firesong by William Nicholson:
page 44: He heard a chatter of thought-voices saying, what an absurdity you are! Go back to your library, librarian! Nobody pays you any attention.

page 187: Branco began to feel that he should have taken on this role earlier. After all, in the old days, in Aramanth, he had been a magistrate, whereas Hanno had only been a librarian.

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The Invention of Hugo Cabret

 
Book menu for The Invention of Hugo Cabret:

ISBN of edition I read: 9780439813785 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in The Invention of Hugo Cabret:
Coffee, 142, 152
Pastries, 142
Croissants, 152, 384, 412, 479, 481

Books/Authors mentioned in The Invention of Hugo Cabret:
Jules Verne, 147
Fairy Tales of Hans Christian Andersen, 147
Edison's Eve: A Magical History of the Quest for Mechanical Life
     by Gaby Wood, 527

Movies mentioned in The Invention of Hugo Cabret:
Safety Last, 173
The Million, 202
A Train Arrives in the Station, 347
A Trip To The Moon , 354, 360, 363, 392, 478, 506

Actors mentioned in  The Invention of Hugo Cabret:
Charlie Chaplin , 203-4
Jean Renoir, 203
Buster Keaton, 203

Libraries mentioned in The Invention of Hugo Cabret:
pages 319, 338, 343, 361, 363, 371, 494

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The Seven Songs of Merlin

 

Book Menu for The Seven Songs of Merlin by T.A. Barron

ISBN of edition I read: 0441009476 (trade paperback)

This is book 2 in the Lost Years of Merlin series.

Food mentioned in The Seven Songs of Merlin:
Berries, 21
Ambrosia bread, 150
Honey-soaked nuts, 242
Rosemary mint tea, 242

Great vocabulary in The Seven Songs of Merlin:
gamboled, 2
nefarious, 6
rankle, 21
hubris, 92

Discussion questions for The Seven Songs of Merlin:
They are several songs/poems in this story? Do you have a favorite?
Would else could the seven songs be called? 

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The Wings of Merlin

 
Book menu for The Wings of Merlin by T.A. Barron

ISBN of edition I read: 0441010245 (trade paperback)

This is book 5 and the last installment in the Lost Years of Merlin series.
 

Food mentioned in The Wings of Merlin:
Gooseberries, 10
Raspberry syrup, 22
Walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, 24
Biscuits, 26
Baked apples with honey & cinnamon, 26
Oatcakes, 60, 74, 165
Berries, 74, 123
   Strawberries, 102, 123
   Blackberries, 123
Fruit pastry, 114
Pears, 123
Cherries, 123
Apples, 123
Plums, 123
Grapes, 123
Oatmeal porridge, 144
Apple cider, 144, 165
Dried fruit, 165

Books/Authors mentioned in The Wings of Merlin:
"Merlin and the White Death" (poem), Robert Williams Buchanan, epigraph

Music mentioned in The Wings of Merlin:
psaltery (instrument), 18
harps, 244
flute, 244

Great vocabulary in The Wings of Merlin:
iridescence, 11
chortling, 49
divisiveness, 65
astride, 73
copse, 73
verdant, 130
raucous, 150, 179
tumultuous, 151
boisterously, 166
coalesce, 196
reverberations, 221
incessant, 221

Discussion questions for The Wings of Merlin:
What was Merlin's most important lesson?
What do you think is Merlin's most useful power?
     Which power will best serve him in Britannia?
     Which of his powers would you most like to have?
What is Merlin's biggest flaw?
What does Rhita Gawr symbolize?
Describe the older Merlin. What would you say to your older self, if you could?

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Abhorsen

 Book menu for Abhorsen by Garth Nix
  
ISBN of edition I read: 0060528737 (paperback)

This is the sequel to Sabriel and Lirael.

Food mentioned in Abhorsen by Garth Nix:
Carrots, 4
Bread and cheese, 77
Boiled egg and toast, 110
Dried meat, 111
Dried fruit, 111
Biscuits, 111
Tea, 207
Cinnamon biscuits, 240
Toffee, 321
Gin and tonic, 408

Great vocabulary in Abhorsen by Garth Nix:
debonair, 12, 403
formidable, 18
suppurating, 19
aggrievedly, 43
precarious, 47
acquiescing, 49
cacophony, 58
undulating, 58, 103
immolate, 99
surreptitiously, 208
peremptory, 228, 353
inimicable, 262
cantankerous, 272
putrescent, 326
tenuous, 333
anomalies, 395
assuaged, 421
emaciated, 475

Music mentioned in Abhorsen by Garth Nix:
Panpipes, 37, 58, 60,63, 192
wind flutes, 269

Discussion questions for Abhorsen by Garth Nix:
What were Sam and Lirael's quests and did they succeed?

Most courageous character or act?  Least courageous?

Before the ending how did you feel about Mogget?

What do like most about Clayr?

What do you think about the maps at the front of the book?  Did you refer to them?  Were they helpful?

How is Lirael different from you?

What would the story be like if Lirael's character were a man?

Which book of the trilogy was your favorite?

If you were to film this story which characters would you leave out if you couldn't use them all?  Would it be black and white or color or combo?

Would this trilogy make a good television series?

"He would never need to cross again, he knew, for the Wall would be one of the first things his master would destroy, along with all other works of the despised", page 331  What does the Wall symbolize?

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Book menu for Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

ISBN of edition I read: 0316160172 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
Soda, 19, 40, 118
   Coke, 172
Apples, 19, 207
Bagels, 20, 242
Eggs and bacon, 31
Steak and potatoes, 33 
Cereal and Orange juice, 54
Chicken enchiladas, 78
Lemonade, 86, 91
Sandwiches, 118
Mushroom ravioli, 169
Granola bar, 196
Pizza, 207, 215
Grilled cheese sandwiches, 237
Lasagna, 250, 293

Books/Authors mentioned in Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
Genesis 2:17 / The Bible, epigraph
Bronte, 15
   Wuthering Heights / Emily Bronte, 34
William Shakespeare, 15
   Macbeth , 110, 140
Geoffrey Chaucer, 15
William Faulkner, 15
Jane Austen,  147
   Pride and Prejudice, 148
   Sense and Sensibility, 148
  Mansfield Park, 148 

 Music mentioned in Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
Claude Debussy , 105, 229
   "Claire de lune", 104
"Nocturnes" / Frederic Chopin, 252

Great vocabulary in Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
omnipresent, 3
verbose, 5
dejectedly, 9
sallower, 10
pallid, 10
precariously, 14
prattled, 17
surreptitiously, 23
antagonistic, 23
animatedly, 40, 72
cursorily, 45
providentially, 56
petulance, 74
unerringly, 86
vacillating, 89
infinitesimally, 103
undulated, 117
attenuated, 123
raucously, 157
chortling, 158
ostentatious, 199, 223
futilely, 209
Injudicious, 215
sinuous, 247
   sinously, 264, 346
gratuitous, 252
incandescent, 260
scintillating, 260
contrite, 269
masochistic, 274
acerbic, 283
seraphic, 283
leonine, 324
euphoric, 397
balefully, 399
superfluous, 413
tersely, 429, 493
askance, 439
thrumming, 443
impasse, 477
vicarious, 482
mercurial, 497

Discussion questions for Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
Why can't Edward read Bella's thoughts?
Discuss the book's title. Where in the novel is the title mentioned? (p.232,495, 497)  What, if any, is its significance?
Discuss the book's cover design.
Why did the author include the scene with the vampires playing baseball?

Libraries mentioned in Twilight by Stephenie Meyer:
page 38: I did drive to the library Saturday, but it was so poorly stocked that I didn't bother to get a card; I would have to make a date to visit Olympia or Seattle soon and find a good bookstore.

page 80: "Well, I wanted to get a few books -- the library here is pretty limited -- and maybe look at some clothes."

page 250: "No, Dad, don't change your plans. I've got a million things to do...homework, laundry...I need to go to the library and the grocery store. I'll be in and out all day...you go have fun."

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The Amulet of Samarkand

 
Book Menu for The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

ISBN of edition I read: 0786852550 (trade paperback)

Food mentioned in The Amulet of Samarkand:
Mille-feuille, 10
Ice cream, 28
Hot chocolate, 52-3, 205
Biscuits, 53, 101
Tea, 57, 100-1, 148, 282
Cornflakes, 87
Toast, 87
Sandwiches, 60
Mango Chutney on Ham and salad, 138
Chocolate spread sandwiches, 174
Cucumber sandwiches, 215
Tomato soup, 232
Tomato and cucumber sandwich, 262
Shortbread, 282
Sugared doughnuts, 309
Red wine, 14
Coffee, 90
Champagne, 184, 186
Lime cordial, 184

Great vocabulary in The Amulet of Samarkand:
pentacle, 4
sepulchral, 7
petulant, 7, 96
parley, 7
emollient, 8
moldered, 9
enmity, 11, 47
fastidious, 12
bulbous, 17
urbanely, 23
comely, 23
garishly, 29
imperceptibly, 31, 220
amorphous, 40
dossing, 43
cantankerous, 50
anon, 69
pestilence, 70
acclimatized, 73
effrontery, 84
duplicitous, 85
deference, 90
peremptorily, 92
gnashing 94
mandibles, 94, 272
implacable, 97
supercilious, 104
sniggered, 105
careered, 108
ignominy, 110
contrition, 113
banal, 113
harangued, 113
smote, 112
voluble, 120
ostentatious, 128
sycophantic, 128, 152
alighted, 144
doleful, 155
filched, 171
peevishly, 185
imperious, 186, 357
mellifluous, 194
prodigious, 197
bedraggled, 198, 344
repartee, 218
rueful, 218
vestiges, 232
chortled, 244
misbegotten, 259
gesticulated, 264, 270
plangent, 274
magnanimity, 276
asperity, 277
contentious, 280
irascibility, 291
laudably, 318
undulated, 426
protuberances, 428
unedifying, 444

Geographical references in The Amulet of Samarkand:
Prague, 5, 59, 64, 97, 313
London, 8
   Trafalgar Square, 38
   Westminster Abbey, 75
   Tower of London, 210

Discussion questions for The Amulet of Samarkand:
What is the author's opinion of humans?

Are there any metaphor's in this story/writing (Magicians for politicians?)

What elements of this story remind you of other books you've read?

Are there any parallels between this story and that of Oliver Twist? , 314 (2nd parag.), 321(3rd parag.)

In what time period do you think this story is set?

What did you think about the frequent changes in verb tense and points of view?

Libraries mentioned in The Amulet of Samarkand:
pages 21, 29, 66, 93, 138, 177-8, 227, 311, 320-1, 327, 339, 382-3, 390, 406-7

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