The Namesake

                                                                                   

                                                          

Book menu for The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

ISBN of edition I read: 0618485228

We read this for my book group.  I had looked forward to it since the movie adaptation looked good. I was disappointed with the writing: much of the story is written in the passive voice.  I am not sure this novel works in the present tense.  It had potential and I was interested in the connection to Russian authors. I happened to be reading Anna Karenina while trudging through The Namesake. I was all too glad to finish the chore of Lahiri's novel and devote myself entirely to Tolstoy!

Food mentioned in The Namesake: (highlights)
Lamb curry, 10, 72
Dal, 10, 39, 72, 162, 180, 276
Pistachio ice cream, 10
Broccoli quiche, 33
Samosas, 35, 50, 147-149
Goat and potato stew, 37
Halwa, 38
Biryani, 39, 164
Chicken curry and rice, 54
Tandoori, 64, 229
Sandeshes, 72
Bouillabaise, 137, 198
Osso buco, 137
Pink lassi, 147
Aloo dum, 155
Paella with clams and mussels, 156
Sancerre (wine), 198
Porcini ravioli, 203
Coq au vin, 209
Mishti, 216
Aloo gobi, 223
Pakoras, 229
Spaghetti allo vongole, 241
Falafel sandwich, 271
Blood oranges, 272
Mincemeat croquettes, 274
Lamb korma, 277
Sweet yogurt and pantuas, 277

Books/Authors mentioned in The Namesake:
Nikolai Gogol, 13, 17, 21, 28-9, 56, 66, 77, 88
     "The Overcoat" (short story), epigraph, 89, 245, 290
     The Stories of Nikolai Gogol, 74, 288
     "The Nose" (short story), 89
     The Government Inspector (play), 90
     Dead Souls (novel),90-91
Alfred Tennyson, 7, 29
William Wordsworth, 7, 29
     "The Daffodils" (poem), 9
Aristotle, 7
William Shakespeare, 7, 118
     Timon of Athens, 110
Charles Dickens, 12
Graham Greene, 12
     The Comedians, 173
Somerset Maugham, 12
Fyodor Dostoyevsky, 78
      The Brothers Karamazov, 13
 Leo Tolstoy
      Anna Karenina, 13
     War and Peace, 13 
Ivan Turgenev, 91
      Fathers and Sons, 13
The Cat in the Hat / Dr. Seuss, 50
The Hardy Boys / Franklin W. Dixon, 78
Pride and Prejudice / Jane Austen, 73
The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy / Douglas Adams, 75
The Hobbit (Movie Tie-In) / J.R.R. Tolkien, 75
Laura Ingalls Wilder, 83
The Great Gatsby / F. Scott Fitzgerald, 88
The Good Earth (Oprah's Book Club) / Pearl S. Buck, 88
The Red Badge of Courage / Stephen Crane, 88
Ethan Frome / Edith Wharton, 88
William Faulkner, 89
Ernest Hemingway, 89
"The Necklace and Other Tales (Modern Library Classics)" / Guy de Maupassant, 90
Alexandr Pushkin, 90
Divided Soul:The Life of Gogol / Henri Troyat, 92
Nietzche, 93
Moliere, 99
Oscar Wilde, 114
Virginia Woolf, 114
Journey to the East / Le Corbusier, 116
Ben Johnson (poet), 121
Gustave Flaubert, 255
The Man without Qualities / Robert Musil, 259
The Red and the Black / Stendhal, 261
Princeton Encyclopedia of Poetry and Poetics, 267
Marcel Proust, 267
The Swiss Family Robinson / Johann David Wyss, 288
On the Road / Jack Kerouac, 288
The Communist Manifesto / Karl Marx, 288

Magazines mentioned in The Namesake:
Desh, 16, 44
Time , 51, 55
National Geographic , 76
Reader's Digest , 98
The New Yorker , 109
Food & Wine , 270

Movies mentioned in The Namesake:
Gone with the Wind , 30
The Seven Year Itch , 30
Ritwik Ghatek, 38
Satyajit Ray, 38
The Big Chill , 87
The Rocky Horror Picture Show , 93
I, Claudius, 135
Alphaville, 259

Music mentioned in The Namesake:
Nazrul, 38
Tagore, 78
The Beatles, 116
     The White Album , 74
     Abbey Road , 269
Bob Dylan, 93, 99
Eric Clapton, 93
The Clash
     London Calling , 102
Talking Heads, 77, 102
Brian Eno , 105
Elvis Costello, 105
Charlie Parker , 105
Simon and Garfunkel, 117
Neil Young , 117
Cat Stevens, 117
Abba , 224
Bossa Nova, 228
Crosby, Stills & Nash, 257
Bartok , 266

Television programs mentioned in The Namesake:
The Price is Right, 54
Guiding Light, 54
$10,000 Pyramid, 54
Sesame Street, 54
Electric Company, 54
The Love Boat , 73, 211
Fantasy Island , 73, 211

Libraries mentioned in The Namesake:
pages 48-50, 56, 66, 71, 104, 107, 114, 120, 149, 160, 162-3, 168, 238, 257, 279  

 

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Mockingjay

Book Menu for Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

ISBN of edition I read: 9780439023511 (hardcover)

This is the third and final book in the Hunger Games trilogy: another riveting page turner!  What a shame we have to wait until November 2013 for the film adaptation of Catching Fire.

Food mentioned in Mockingjay:
Fruit, 26, 35
Hot grain, 35
Milk, 35
Mashed turnip, 36
Coffee, 42, 157-160
Bean and onion stew, 51
Fish and okra stew, 62
Stewed garlic and squash, 104
Cheese sandwiches, 121
Blackberries, 127-8
Pea soup, 139
Apple cider, 226
Wedding cake, 227-8, 242
Fish and beet stew, 237
Beef stew, 239-40, 323
Cheese buns, 272
Cookies, 292
     Cream-filled cookies, 293
     Fig cookies, 330
Cod chowder, 293
Lamb stew, 293
Potato and bean stew, 301
Chicken and rice soup, 301
Liver pate, 330
Chopped ham and potato hash, 333
Canned peaches, 336
Crackers, 336
Eggs and toast, 380

Great vocabulary in Mockingjay:
writhing, 4
glean, 7
indelible, 18
circuitous, 158
indivisible, 176
estimation, 240

Discussion questions for Mockingjay :
What surprised you the most in this story?
Provide examples of humor in this dark novel.
Describe Katniss' relationship with Haymitch.
When did Katniss decide to kill President Coin?
Rewrite the last chapter of this novel.
Describe the author's writing style Mockingjay.
If you could meet Suzanne Collins, what would you say to her?

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Fifty Shades Freed

Book menu for Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James

ISBN of edition I read: 9780345803504

Food mentioned in Fifty Shades Freed:
Perrier, 8
Diet Coke, 8, 10
Champagne
     Pink champagne, 17, 386
     Bollinger , 18, 88
     Cristal, 297-8, 300
Smoked salmon,19
Roast partridge, 19
Green bean salad, 19
Dauphinoise potatoes, 19
Gin and tonic, 28-9, 38
Nuts and olives, 28-9
Salted almonds and cashews, 32
Gazpacho, 44

Creme brulee, 44-5

Strawberries, 520

     Strawberries and cream, 93

Ham and avocados, 130-1

Twinings English Breakfast Tea, 150, 479

Wine

     Sauvignon blanc, 153

     Sancerre,  240

     Frascati, 281, 301

     Pouilly Fume , 298

Granola, 189, 374

     with Greek yogurt and blueberries, 

Omelet, 190, 514

     Omelet with spinach, mushrooms, cheese, 221

 Latte, 199

Strawberry mojito, 205-6

PBJ, 215

Orange juice, 219

Lamb with mint and yogurt sauce, 242

Pitta and hummus, 242

Stuffed vine leaves, 242

Mixed antipasto, 281

Strawberry daquiris, 285, 301

Peronis (beer), 301

Chocolate mousse, 302

Waffles, 318

Chocolate cake, 387

Tarte tatin, 394

Doughnuts, 402-3

Chicken chasseur, 418

Cream cheese and salmon bagel, 439, 444

Spaghetti Bolognese, 441

Chicken soup, 468, 472-3

Oatmeal with dried fruits, 479

Pancakes and bacon, 479

Chicken stew, 494

Lemonade, 503

Scrambled eggs and wheat toast, 515, 516

Popsicles, 540

Macaroni and cheese, 553

Ice cream, 553

Bagel, 572

Books/Authors mentioned in Fifty Shades Freed :

The Complete Works of Charles Dickens, 33, 49, 89, 121

Jackie Collins, 59

King Lear / William Shakespeare, 167

Jane Austen, 303, 575

Thomas Hardy, 303

Jane Eyre / Charlotte Bronte, 339, 346, 575

Are You My Mother? / P.D. Eastman, 501

The Lorax / Dr. Seuss, 543

Dr. Seuss, 552

Movies mentioned in Fifty Shades Freed:

The Philadelphia Story , 363

Television programs mentioned in Fifty Shades Freed:

The X-Files, 137

Music mentioned in Fifty Shades Freed :

"Your Love is King"/Sade, 65, 334, 355

"Wherever You Will Go" / The Calling, 93

Faure's Requiem, 157

Bach, 245, 249

     Bach: Goldberg Variations, 249

"Suffocation", Prelude in E Minor / Chopin, 264

"Say a Little Prayer" / Aretha Franklin, 282

"Walk On By " / Dionne Warwick, 283

"Sexy Bitch", 304

Dido, 394

Thomas Tallis, 528

Travel in Fifty Shades Freed:

Monte Carlo, Monaco, 5, 9, 139

London, 18

Paris, 18

Cannes, 40

St Paul De Vence , 52-3, 91

     Hotel Saint Paul, 54

Versailles, 77-8

     Hall of Mirrors, 81

Zax Nightclub in Aspen, 298

Miscellaneous in Fifty Shades Freed:

Florence D'Elle (artist), 53, 68

"Venus de Milo" (statue), 67

Lycia Trouton (artist), 559

JIMMY CHOO (fashion designer), 21

Manolo Blahnik shoes, 284, 291, 308

Louboutin shoes, 573

Need a list like this for a book you're reading or an upcoming book-related event? Email me at ndemers62@hotmail.com for a free quote. (Please include "Book Menu Request" in the subject line). 

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.