August

Book menu for August by Romina Paula; translated from Spanish by Jennifer Croft

I've started reading more literary translations because I'd like to try doing some translations (French to English) myself.  This winter and spring I read all of Jennifer Crofts translations. She translates from Spanish and Polish and was slated to be on the faculty of the 2020 Bread Loaf Translators Conference. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the conference has been postponed until 2021. I was to attend the conference and so was reading up on Ms. Croft. I hope she is on the faculty next year and that I get to meet her then. I also highly recommend her memoir, Homesick.


August is a quick but somber and mysterious novel that follows a twenty-something Argentine woman who travels back to her hometown on the fifth anniversary of her best friend's death.

Food mentioned in August:
Wine, 69, 120,, 175-176, 178, 180
     White wine, 1, 3, 62, 124
          Chablis, 2
Coffee, 1, 13, 128, 170
Whiskey, 13
Chocolates, 14
Yerba Mate, 15, 41, 121, 123, 139-140, 144, 170
Beer, 77-78, 167, 172, 175-176, 185
Salami and Cheese sandwiches, 128
Cookies, 139
Steak and fries, 176-178
Provencal toast, 176
Ice cream, 181
Dulce de leche, 181
Peanuts, 185
Orange juice, 196
Yogurt, 196
Croissants, 196

Books/Authors mentioned in August:
Hospital Britanico / Hector Viel Temperley, epigraph
Pablo Neruda, 55
The Little Prince / Antoine de Saint-Exupery, 158

Films mentioned in August:
Bleu, 8
Rouge, 8
The Sound of Music, 21
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 112
Reality Bites, 125-126, 141, 176
Mermaid, 126
Beetlejuice, 126

Music mentioned in August:
Ricardo Montaner, 16
Counting Crows, 56-57, 125, 145-146
     "Round Here", 56, 146
The Police, 70
     "Every Breath You Take", 75
     "King of Pain", 76
Bob Marley, 83
Babasonicos, 152, 155, 157

TV Shows mentioned in August:
Six Feet Under, 3, 20
The Simpsons, 125, 179

Page numbers refer to the paperback edition (ISBN: 9781558614307)

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Caging Skies

Book menu for Caging Skies by Christine Leunens

Caging Skies was adapted into the award-winning film Jojo Rabbit. The wonderful movie is a loose adaptation of this very dark novel. If you've seen the film but haven't read this novel, you're missing out on a haunting tale that stays with you for days after reading it.

Food mentioned in Caging Skies:
Sekt, 10
Schnitzel, 5
Kaiserchmarrn, 15
Coffee, 29, 34, 55, 99-100
Cake, 37
Apples, 56, 77, 170
Brioche, 86
Omelet, 127
Beef Stroganoff, 127
Walnuts, 171
Olives, 175
Vodka, 181
Serviettenknodel, 223-224
Sugar-coated almonds, 242
Fudge, 242
Caramel popcorn, 242
Pancakes, 242
Boxed chocolates, 242
Punschkrapfen, 283

Books/Authors mentioned in Caging Skies:
Sigmund Freud, 30
Kurt Freitag, 30
Paul Nettl, 30
Heinrich Heine, 30
Robert Musil, 30
Tractus Logico-philosophicus / Ludwig Wittgenstein, 74 

Music mentioned in Caging Skies:
"Die Fledermaus" / Johann Strauss, 87
"Slumber Now, Ye Eyes So Weary" / J.S. Bach, 91
Edith Piaf, 188

Discussable Quote:
"The most secret, powerful gift given to a man isn't life, but the capacity to snip at it in his mind, trim it in his heart, cultivate all the branches that should have been and were given life within the nicks in his will, the cuts of his soul. This is where the tree of life is hidden, grafted in each and every man."
(page 293)

Page numbers refer to the hardcover edition (ISBN: 978140739088) 

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Bloom

Book menu for Bloom by by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau

Bloom is a poignant graphic novel for young adults. It also has a very unique color scheme of just blue, black, and white. And, you WILL be craving freshly-baked sourdough bread when you finish reading it!


Food mentioned in Bloom:
Doughnuts, 42
Carrot Cake, 67
Coffee, 69-70
Baguettes, 75
Blueberry muffins, 95
Streusel, 95-96
Sourdough rolls, 111, 114-115, 117
Croissants, 111
Funnel cakes, 172
Red velvet cupcakes, 185, 190, 200
Baklava, 224
Spanokopita, 224
Bagels, 237
Ravani cake, 254
Keke Fa'i, 276

Television shows mentioned in Bloom:
Gilmore Girls

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Find Me

Book Menu for Find Me: A Novel by André Aciman 
Find Me is the sequel to Call Me By Your Name. 

Food mentioned in Find Me: 

Coffee, 7, 49, 58-59, 66, 100, 110-111, 137, 141, 162, 162, 205, 252, 254     
     Double Americanos, 70 Cake, 18, 27-28, 33, 48 
Profiteroles, 18 Fish, 28, 31, 33-34, 66, 106      Branzini, 40 Leafy greens, 28, 32 Scallops, 31, 33 Wine, 33-34, 36, 38-39, 42, 97, 106, 116     
     Friuli, 31     
     Sancerre, 31-32     
     Barbaresco, 116     
     Calvados, 176, 182-183     
     Prosecco, 216, 220, 232, 234-236  
Persimmons, 32, 52, 106  
Puntarelle, 36  
Walnuts, 52, 66, 100  
Oranges, 63-64  
Chicken soup, 63  
Hot toddies, 63 
Gelato, 85      
Grapefruit, 85      
Pistachio, 85  
Goat cheese, 97  
Figs, 101-102, 106  
Sardines, 106  
Berries, 106  
Peaches, 106 
Plums, 106  
Apricots, 106 
Mulled cider, 123, 126, 199, 211 
Caol Ila scotch, 130  
Pain Poilâno, 130 
Croissants, 205 

Chicken pot pie, 224 

Cabbage salad, 224 

Martinis, 232 

Boiled eggs, 253 

Books/Authors mentioned in Find Me:  
Dostoyevsky, 19-20  
Edith Wharton, 22  
The Memoirs of Chateaubriand / François-René Chateaubriand, 57, 100  
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, 82, 92  
Howards End / E. M. Forster, 167 
Cavafy (Greek poet), 250, 257-258  

Music mentioned in Find Me: 
 Mozart, 24, 185-186, 189, 208      
     Concerti in E-flat Major and D Minor     
      Piano concerto in D Minor, 185  
Beethoven, 104, 106, 127, 206, 208      
     Sonata in D Minor, 137      
      Waldstein sonata, 185, 187, 191-192       
Kol Nidre, 191-192, 203  
Haydn, 122-123, 127  
Brahms, 190  
Bach, 227, 229-231, 233, 237, 243-244 
     “Bohemian Rhapsody”, 228

Discussable passages from Find Me: 
 p.223: "And some of our fondest desires end up meaning more to us unrealized than tested..."

p.254: "...time is always the price we pay for the unlived life"

p.210: "You know, life is not so original after all. It has uncanny ways of reminding us that, even without a God, there is a flash of retrospective brilliance in the way fate plays its cards. It doesn't deal us fifty-two cards; it deals, say, four or five, and they happen to be the same ones our parents and grandparents and great-grandparents played. The cards look pretty frayed and bent. The choice of sequences is limited: at some point the cards will repeat themselves, seldom in the same order but always in a pattern that seems uncannily familiar. Sometimes the last card is not even played by the one whose life ended. Fate doesn't always respect what we believe is the end of a life. It will deal your last card to those who come after. Which is why I think all lives are condemned to remain unfinished."

Title mentioned on pages 115, 208-209, 243, 260

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Watchmen

Book menu for Watchmen by Alan Moore

Food mentioned in Watchmen:
Beer, 47, 71, 107, 118, 163
Bourbon, 55
Coffee, 84, 100, 155, 222
Popcorn, 111
Indonesian takeout, 131
Hamburgers, 256
Scotch mist, 300

Music mentioned in Watchmen:
Wagner, 3, 5
     "The Rid of the Valkyries", 3, 4
Elvis Presley, 107, 119
The Beatles, 107
Pale Horse, 222, 337, 378, 383
Devo, 222
Billie Holiday, 222, 238
Nellie Lutcher, 222
Louis Jordan, 222
"Unforgettable" / Nat King Cole, 225
Mick Jagger, 378
Bruce Springstein, 378
Cage (band), 380
Krzysztof Penderecki (composer), 380
Pierry Henry (composer), 380
Terry Riley (composer), 380

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Where'd You Go Bernadette

Book menu for Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple


Food mentioned in Where'd You Go Bernadette:
Doughnuts, 21
Coconut cream pie, 26
Garlic spread, 26
Lemonade, 33
Chocolate cake, 33
Rosemary Tarte Tatin, 47
Salt and Pepper Calamari, 68
Fried Shrimp, 70
Burritos, 94
Enchiladas, 94
Margaritas, 94f
Rose water ice cream, 133
Licorice, 148
     Red licorice, 262
Popcorn, 162, 164, 262
French toast, 232
Pink Penguin cocktail, 235, 300
Cabernet, 235
Whiskey sours, 235
Pizza, 240
Tequila, 247
Ice cram, 250
     Salted caramel ice cream, 251
Lasagna, 250
Potato chips, 264
Olives, 264
Peanuts, 265
Roast beef, 267
Yorkshire pudding, 267
Cheese puffs, 281
Argentinian BBQ, 296
Pineapple, 319

Books mentioned in Where'd You Go Bernadette:
Othello / William Shakespeare, 218
The Worst Journey in the World / Apsley Cherry-Garrard, 313

Music mentioned in Where'd You Go Bernadette:
Joni Mitchell, 29
Grateful Dead, 38
Pearl Jam, 47
Beatles, 79, 289
     Abbey Road, 79-81, 88-89
Prince, 115
     "Let's Go Crazy", 116
"O' Holy Night", 224
Morrissey, 247-248
Bruce Springstein, 259
"Man in the Mirror" / Michael Jackson, 277

Movies mentioned in Where'd You Go Bernadette:
Up, 70
Apocalypse Now, 113
Clock Work Orange, 135
Moulin Rouge, 248
A Hard Day's Night, 264
Funny Face, 264
That's Entertainment, 264
Xanadu, 264

Television shows mentioned in Where'd You Go Bernadette:
Friends, 148
Bewitched, 162

Page numbers refer to the hardcover edition (ISBN: 9780316204279)

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Chances Are

Book menu for Chances Are by Richard Russo

ISBN of edition I read: 9781101947746  (hardcover)


Food mentioned in Chances Are:
 Whiskey, 10, 13
Coffee, 10, 32, 108-109, 124, 149, 243
Chile rellenos, 13
Spaghetti with sausage,meatballs, and pork shoulder in
     tomato sauce, 19
Stroganoff, 27
Potato chips, 29
     with onion dip, 145
Wine, 30, 39 44-45
     Chardonnay, 47
Beer, 30, 39, 51, 55, 139-140, 198, 200
Scotch, 30, 221
Bloody Marys, 62, 80, 174, 221, 227-228, 253
Pumpkin spice lattes, 64
Fried clams, 74
Iced tea, 84
Clam rolls, 90, 92 94, 173
Pancakes, 96, 175
Ice cream cones, 96, 139
Boston cream pie, 109
Burgers, 140, 145
Brat sausages, 140
Cheesecake, 140, 230-233
Scrambled eggs and home fries, 149
Cole slaw, 173-174
Baked beans, 173-174
Corn bread, 173
Deviled eggs, 173
Crudo, 175
Coke, 230
Italian pastries, 231
Chicken fried steak, 236
Baked haddock, 236
Eggs Florentine, 253
Chowder, 301


Books/Authors mentioned in Chances Are: 
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow / Washington Irving,14
The Three Musketeers / Alexander Dumas, 24-25, 149, 180
Thomas Merton, 45, 47
     The Seven Storey Mountain, 17
Alexander McCall-Smith, 120


Music mentioned in Chances Are:
"Miss Atomic Bomb" / The Killers, epigraph
The Doors, 4
Buffalo Springfield, 4
"O, Canada", 5
Cat Stevens, 29-30
     "Peace Train", 30
The Decemberists, 64
Belle and Sebastian, 64, 175
Mumford and Sons, 64, 176
Tom Waits, 64
Leonard Cohen, 64
Josh Ritter, 64
Bruce Springstein, 64
Montovani, 64
Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, 65
Nat King Cole, 65
"Chances Are" / Johnny Mathis, 65, 145-146, 228

Grace Slick, 72, 187-188, 194
     "Somebody to Love", 194, 236
Creedence Clearwater Revival, 116, 144
Crosby, Stills, and Nash, 141
Nutbush City Limits / Ike and Tina Turner, 179
Janis Joplin, 272
The Who, 272
Jim Morrison, 272
Richie Havens, 272
Bob Seger, 278
Tina Turner, 278

One of my favorite passages from Chances Are:
"But that's the thing about lies, right? Individually they don't amount to much, but you never know how many others you'll need to tell in order to protect that first one, and damned if they don't add up. Over time they get all tangled up until one day you realize it isn't event the lies themselves that matter. It's that somehow lying has become you default mode.And the person you lie to most is yourself" [p.245]

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