Running with Scissors

Book Menu for Running with Scissors: A Memoir
by Augusten Burroughs

ISBN of the edition I read:  0312938853 (mass market paperback)

Food mentioned in Running with Scissors:
Peanuts, 2
Baked stuffed clams, 3
Bologna sandwiches with horseradish, 24
Hot dog, 25, 299
Coke, 28-29, 302
Tuna salad on white, 31
Sanka, 36
Pringles, 46
Tuna sandwich, 82
Turkey sandwich, 82
Rocky Road brownies, 81
Gruyere broccoli, 84
Orange juice, 152
Candy canes, 163
Snickers Bars, 183
Cheetos, 193
Chips Ahoy cookies, 207
Mint chocolate chip ice cream, 237
Cucumber sandwiches, 241
Nestle Crunch Bar,
Grilled cheese and tomato, 256
Boston cream pie, 257
Pecan pie, 259
Pecans, 259, 289
Diet Coke, 272
Popcorn, 284
Cheese Nips, 314
French Onion Soup, 315
Patty melts, 317
Chicken salad, 316
Potato skins, 316
Whiskey sours, 316

Books and Authors mentioned in Running with Scissors:
Jules Renard, epigraph
John Updike, 21
Emily Dickinson, 85
Stephen King, 88
The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson, 225
Ernest Hemingway, 304

Television mentioned in Running with Scissors:
Donnie and Marie Show, 5, 8
One Day at a Time, 31
All in the Family, 43
Donahue, 73
Three's Company, 113
Charlie's Angels, 255
The Love Boat, 287
The Jeffersons, 291
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, 317

Music mentioned in Running with Scissors:
Tony Orlando, 8, 11
Barry Manilow, 11, 57
Odetta, 11
Edith Piaf, 18
Blondie, 71
   "Heart of Glass", 188
Supertramp, 82
Donna Summer, 98
KISS, 109
Pat Benatar, 173, 254
Pat Boone, 178
Peaches 'N Herb, 184
Captain and Tenille, 184
Stevie Nicks, 184
"Somewhere" (West Side Story), 189
"You Light up My Life", 189
West Side Story, 214
"You're Breaking my Heart 'Cause You're Leaving" / Frankie Lane, 241
Karla Bonoff, 242
Leonard Cohen, 242
"Paper Roses" / Marie Osmond, 250
"We Need a Little Christmas" / Mame, 289

Magazines mentioned in Running with Scissors:
The New Yorker, 10, 12-13
Yankee, 98
Atlantic Monthly, 241

 Movies mentioned in Running with Scissors:
Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore, 31
Mommie Dearest, 126
Endless Love, 138, 183
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 232
Pretty Baby (with Brook Shields), 265
On Golden Pond, 285


Theater mentioned in Running with Scissors:
Man of La Mancha, 96
West Side Story, 214

Title phrase appears on pages 304-5
Natalie leaned in and put her elbows on the table. "Don't you ever just feel like we're chasing something? Something bigger. I don't know, it's like something that only you and I can see. Like we're running, running, running?"

"Yeah," I said. "We're running alright. Running with scissors."

Wicked Appetite

Book Menu for Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich

ISBN of edition I read: 9780312652913 (hard cover)

This is my very first Janet Evanovich book and the first in a new series called The Unmentionables. It is set in Salem, Massachusetts and, yes, it has a magical flair to it!

Food mentioned in Wicked Appetite:
Cupcakes  (too many pages to list! This book is ALL about cupcakes!)
Muffins, 4, 5, 116
Cinnamon rolls, 4
Almond tarts, 4
Apple Strudels, 4
Cookies, 8
Lasagna, 13, 15, 47, 49
Pizza, 16, 19, 20-22, 55-6, 96
Crabcake sliders, 45
Bar nuts, 45
Hot dogs, 51
Peanuts, 51
Bagel with cream cheese, 55
Coffee, 55, 119
Raisin bread, 58
Gummy bears, 63
Sponge cake, 65
Lobster bisque, 65
cheese souffle, 65
Snickers bars, 84
Peppermint patties, 84, 86
Hershey's Kisses, 84
Doughnuts, 104-5
Chocolate mints, 106-7
Rice Krispies treats, 123
Meat Pies, 134-5, 225-6
Funnel cake, 156-7
Apple fritter, 157
Corn muffins, 170
Grilled cheese, 184, 186
Rice pudding, 203-4
Pound cake, 209
Steak, mashed potato, green beans, 257
Vanilla pudding, 257
Cheeseburgers, fries, milkshakes, 279-80 

Books mentioned in Wicked Appetite:
Harry Potter, 6, 64
The Wizard of Oz, 64 
Superman, 92
Batman, 92
The Hardy Boys, 96
Spider-Man, 171
Swamp Thing, 171

Television mentioned in Wicked Appetite:
Bewitched, 10
Funniest Home Videos, 15
The Honeymooners, 113

Movies mentioned in Wicked Appetite:
The Wizard of Oz, 65
Animal House, 96
Madagascar, 226
Home Alone, 283

Magazines mentioned in Wicked Appetite:
Cooking Light, 65

Music mentioned in Wicked Appetite:
Haydn, 96
Mozart, 96
"Thriller" / Michael Jackson, 305 

Art mentioned in Wicked Appetite:
Hieronymus Bosch, 234
  Painting, "The Seven Deadly Sins and the Four Last Things", 234 

Flipped

 
Book Menu for Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen

ISBN of the edition I read:  0375825444 (paperback)

There is now a film adaptation of this book.  I have not seen it yet but it's on my list.

Food mentioned in Flipped:
Lemon Bundt cake, 14
Carrot salad, 29
Pomegranates, 36
Eggs, 74
Fettuccine, 56
Cheese-stuffed potato, 83
Corn flakes, 117
Pancakes, fried eggs, hash, 118
Poached salmon, crab risotto, steamed vegetables, 123
Cheerios, 129
Pancakes, 130
Strawberry milkshake, 134
Ice cream (chocolate swirl fudge), 136
Blackberry cheesecake, 147
Deviled eggs, 169
Strawberry tarts, 175, 201
Apple tarts, 182
Chicken salad sandwiches, 199
Oriental noodles, 199
Baby grapes, 199
Iced tea, 199
Fortune cookies, 199
Roast beef and muenster cheese sandwiches, 201

Books mentioned in Flipped:
Tom Clancy, 20

Great vocabulary in Flipped:
catapulted, 13
aesthetic, 22
transcended, 33
heady, 37
dilapidated, 55
indeterminate, 65
callously, 90
iridescent, 96
imminent, 118

Questions for Flipped:
What does the sycamore tree symbolize?

Who do you most relate to Bryce or Julianna?

Is there any significance to the cleaned yard and new lawn?(page 194)

What do you think of the book title and cover design?

What is Bryce's strongest quality?  And Julia's?  Their challenges?

What did you think about the Basket Boy auction?

What if anything do eggs symbolize?

What did you think of the alternation chapters and the same story being told twice?

Libraries mentioned in Flipped:
pages 126-128
page 142-143: Thursday our social studies class went to the library to do research for our famous historical figure report. I'd chosen Susan B. Anthony...

This site has links to books sold on Bookshop.org. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores. We receive a small commission for all Bookshop.org purchases that originate from this page. Thank you for supporting Book Menus and independent bookstores.

 

 

The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

Menu for The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

by E.L. Konigsburg

ISBN of edition I read 0689866364 (hardcover)

Food mentioned in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Coffee (with real cream and lump sugar), 8
Tuna sandwiches, 24
Bologna sandwiches, 24
Chocolate chip cookies, 24
Cookies, 47
Milk, 47
Palacsinta, 123
Blintzes, 132
Dobos torte, 153
Sacher torte, 153
Mulled cider, 175
Doughnuts, 175
Crackers, 219
Beef jerky, 219,
Trail mix, 219
Coke Cola, 231
Grapefruit juice, 289
Boursin cheese, 289

Books and Authors mentioned in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
The Roses / Pierre-Joseph Redoute, 133, 191
Alfred Tennyson, (poet), 206, 216

Music mentioned in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Thriller / Michael Jackson, 47
Mozart, 174

Misc. in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Roses, 9, 117, 133, 190-1

Questions for The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

Can you relate to Margaret's experiences at camp?

What do you think about Margaret's uncles?

What, if any, are the similarities between Margaret and her uncles?

What is the significance of the town's name (Epiphany)?

How does each character experience the towers? (page 66 Margaret says: Like a kiss or a walk in the woods, the towers were meant to be experience, not inventoried.)

Subjects in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Watts Towers
Hungary
Activism
Folk Art

Libraries mentioned in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place

Page 8 :   I loved 19 Schuyler Place. It was within walking distance of Town Square, a city bus stop, the main library, and the pedestrian mall downtown.

Page 117 :   Jake sat on the edge of my bed. "And you, Miss Margaret Rose, I'll need you to go to the library and find a picture of the most beautiful rose rose you can find."

Page 190 :   Next to the place where Jacob was to sit, I put the library book, opened to the rose rose I had selected.

Activities for The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
Draw the towers
Build a model of the towers
Redesign the book cover

Great vocabulary in The Outcasts of 19 Schuyler Place
incorrigible, 20
narcissistic, 44
predicate, 45
incandescent, 51
panache, 92
perfidy, 121
frisson, 202
manacled, 232
dirigible, 233

Seeking Book Menu Titles

I have plenty of titles on the back burner to add to this blog.  I am basically working on all of the books I've read in the last four or five years.

However, if any one in the blogosphere would like me to post a Book Menu for a book of your choice, let me know!  If it's a book I haven't read yet, give me a week or so to read it, then I'll post the Book Menu.  I can even email you when the post is up. 

Do you have a Community Read program coming up? What about your next book group titles? Send me the title and I'll dissect it!  I hope to hear from you and can't wait to see what you suggest for titles.

The Soloist: a lost dream, an unlikely friendship, and the redemptive power of music

Book Menu for The Soloist by Steve Lopez

ISBN for edition I read  9780399155062 (hardcover)

This is yet another book turned film. I couldn't put this book down and I advise having the tissues ready when you watch the movie!  I read this book and watched the movie last year but I was quickly reminded of both when I chanced upon a recent episode of Secret Millionaire. http://tinyurl.com/3u5cqjj  A rich businessman visits Skid Row and leaves several large checks with agencies helping the homeless there.

Food mentioned in The Soloist
Hamburgers, 34
Chicken and beans dinner, 60
Soda, 62
Sandwich cookies, 125
Spaghetti, 185
Chocolate, 203

Music mentioned in The Soloist (this is just a sampling!)
Beethoven, preface 15, 18 (throughout)
Stevie Wonder, preface
Tschaikovsky, 4, 5, 61
Miles Davis, 4
Ernest Bloch, 12, 15
Mozart, 12
Brahms, 12, 61
Dvorak, 12
Haydn, 12
Yo-Yo Ma, 16, 23, 32, 72
Mendelson

Books and Authors mentioned in The Soloist
Los Angeles Times newspaper
E.E. Cummings, 33
Hamlet / William Shakespeare, 64
The Color Purple / Alice Walker, 175
Herman Hesse, 205

Libraries mentioned in The Soloist
page 61: Nathaniel dips into his car for a list of sheet music. He says he spent some time at the Central Library earlier in the day but couldn't find the desired Brahms double concerto...

page 166: A week after the lesson with Pete Snyder, Nathaniel approaches Robinson with a question. Can he please park his buggy in the apartment while he goes to look for some sheet music at the library?

The Secret Life of Bees

 

Book Menu for The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

ISBN of edition I read: 9780142001745 (paperback)

Food mentioned in The Secret Life of Bees
Peaches, 8, 15
Butter beans, 10
Cobbler, 15, 217
Angel Food Cake, 28
Boiled Peanuts, 44
Jell-0, 45
Cantaloupes, 50
Pickled eggs, 62
Barbecue pork, 62
Coca-cola, 62, 64, 139, 217
Salted peanuts, 62, 139, 217
Buttermilk cookies, 62
Pimiento-cheese sandwiches, 62, 181
Honey (throughout)
Cheery Cokes, 65
Banana splits, 65
Orangeade, 72, 130
Sweet potato biscuits, 78
Raspberry tea, 84
Biscuits, 84
Banana, 84
Banana pudding, 86
Banana cream pie, 86, 209
Sweet Iced Tea, 86, 156
Pancakes, 102
Root beer, 112
Bologna sandwiches, 120, 152
Candlestick salad, 120
Chocolate cake, 137
Fried okra, 152
Pork chop sandwiches and slaw, 168
Ham, 207
Fried chicken, 207
Green beans, 207
Caramel cake, 207
Macaroni and cheese, 207
Deviled eggs, 207
Smothered chicken, 217
Honey cake, 221, 225

Books and authors mentioned in The Secret Life of Bees :
Man and Insects: Insect Allies and Enemies / L. Hugh Newman, 1
Lost Horizon, 15
Shakespeare, 15, 57
Emily Dickinson, 16
Henry David Thoreau, 57
   Walden , 57
The Queen Must Die: And Other Affairs of Bees and Men / Willaim Longgood, 115
Jane Eyre / Charlotte Bronte , 130
Dancing Bees: An Account of the Life and Senses of the Honey Bee / Karl von Frisch, 189
Robert Frost, 237
William Blake, 274-5

Music mentioned in The Secret Life of Bees
The Supremes , 50
The Beatles , 66
Cello, 94, 107, 110, 185
"Amazing Grace", 110
"Go Tell It on the Mountain", 110
"I Found My Thrill on Blueberry Hill" / Fats Domino Jukebox , 116-7
"Viva Las Vegas" / Elvis Presley , 116-117
Miles Davis , 117
Beethoven, 155
"Another Saturday Night" / Sam Cooke , 176
Nat King Cole , 284

Television shows mentioned in The Secret Life of Bees
The Fugitive , 123
American Bandstand, 175

Libraries mentioned in The Secret Life of Bees
page 130 : [August] was rocking back and forth, having her orangeade break and reading her new book, which she'd gotten from the bookmobile. I turned my head to read the title. Jane Eyre.

page 135: One [story] about August driving a honeymobile around, similar to the bookmobile, only she had jars of honey to dispense instead of books.

page 285: August sat with her elbows on the tabletop, drinking the last of her coffee and reading another book from the bookmobile.

*This site has links to books sold on Bookshop.org. Bookshop.org supports independent bookstores.We receive a small commission for all Bookshop.org purchases that originate from this page. Thank you for supporting Book Menus and independent bookstores.