Recent Reads

31. Fictitious Dishes: An Album of Literature's Most Memorable Meals
This book is like following an Instagram user who loves books and food. The author selects texts that talk about food from fifty books (you've either read, or at least heard of them all), and then creates a meal from the text and takes a photo of said meal. The book is a collection of these texts and photographs, and it's quite fun to see how the text is interpreted. I especially enjoyed the little factoids at the end of each text. A note for foodies, recipes are not included.

This little book can be read in one sitting, but I'd suggest taking breaks to eat and nap between readings/viewings. Rating: 3 stars.

32. Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey
This graphic memoir is not labeled as such, but would work really well for kids, especially girls, fourteen and up.

It's the coming of age story about a young Turkish girl who struggles to reconcile her dreams with those her father has for her. Can she be both an engineer and a scuba diver like Jacques Cousteau? It's a delightful tale of family, friendship, and self-discovery, and while it touches on some of the social, political, and religious issues of the day, it does so lightly, and readers not familiar with the backdrop can read up on the events mentioned. When there are so many voices telling you how act, and who to be, how does one have the courage to listen to her inner voice? Can she please everyone she loves without making herself miserable?

I really liked the art, the use of collages, and the fact that unlike most graphic novels, there aren't many rectangular boxes in this one. The whimsical style and light watercolors work really well for this memoir. Like memory itself, there's a bit of disjointedness, but I was rooting for young Ozge the entire time. A lovely, and quite feminist read, that I'll be putting in the hands of my nieces before too long. Rating: 4 stars.

33. Oh She Glows Every Day: Simply Satisfying Plant-Based Recipes to Keep You Glowing from the Inside Out
Over the past decade or so I've been adding more plant-based meals to my diet, and I've dipped in and out of this cookbook several times. I also follow the authors' blog, which has a wonderful variety of meals to try. While I certainly have not tried all the recipes in this book, I can unequivocally say that the author is responsible for the large amounts of kale I consume every week. If you have yet to try The Best Shredded Kale Salad (page 117) and Protein Power Rainbow Quinoa Salad (page 99), start there. Delish. Rating: 4 stars.