2024 December Reading Challenge

[Elizabeth]

Hello all,

In December, there are a lot of really great opportunities to get together with friends and family, and enjoy a meal. Your challenge for December is to read a book that has something to do with food.

That means you could read a cookbook like Food Is Love: Plant-Based Indian-Inspired Recipes to Feel Joy and Connection or Recipes from the World of Tolkien: Inspired By the Legends. There are a lot of cookbooks inspired by literature, like The Redwall Cookbook or The Official Game of Thrones Cookbook: Recipes from King's Landing to the Dothraki Sea.

Or you could look into reading a fictional story where the main character works with food somehow, like they're a baker or chef. There are a ton of cozy mysteries with pun filled titles that fit that criteria, like Joanna Fluke's Pink Lemonade Cake Murder or Murder is a Piece of Cake or Battered and Buried, or Deep Fried Death.

We also have romances that do this too, like Deep Fried Death or A Taste of Sage.

For those nonfiction readers, who don't want to peruse the cookbooks, you can also checkout food memoirs, or memoirs from chefs like Ina Garten's Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir or What I Ate in One Year by Stanley Tucci.

Good luck!

[Greg]

I read Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss.

That's 10/10 Challenges, 14/14 Books for the year!

[E.M.]

I'll be reading Fondant Fumble by Jenn McKinlay.

[Elizabeth]

Greg wrote: "I'm reading
Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us
by Michael Moss."

That sounds very interesting!

[Deborah]

I am currently reading Triss by Brian Jacques. While the book is not directly related, Feasts and food are frequent discussed throughout the book. Thoughts on this qualifying for this prompt?

[Debbie]

I'm going to read Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich. Trenton's preeminent barbeque chef is killed and Lula is certain his death is related to the upcoming Barbeque Sauce cook-off. To do research, Lula decides she will enter the contest. Our "I don't know how to cook" former 'ho turned office worker and Stephanie Plum assistant bounty hunter has summed up her plan as "how hard can it be?" If you know the series, you know mayhem and laughter ensue with lots of trips for doughnuts, Mr. Cluck-in-a-bucket fried chicken, and family dinners. Food abounds in any Stephanie Plum story, but this one is even focused on food. Yummy, yummy, yummy.

[Elizabeth]

Deborah wrote: "I am currently reading Triss by Brian Jacques. While the book is not directly related, Feasts and food are frequent discussed throughout the book. Thoughts on this qualifying for this prompt?"

I love Redwall books. And yes, food is always very important in those stories. So, if you think it counts, it counts! (But, I also think it should count. I didn't have all the different Redwall Cookbooks for nothing. lol)

[Elizabeth]

E.M. wrote: "I'll be reading Fondant Fumble by Jenn McKinlay."

Ooh! I haven't read these! (Adds to never ending to be read list.)

[Deborah]

Elizabeth wrote: "I love Redwall books. And yes, food is always very important in those stories. So, if you think it counts, it counts! (But, I also think it should count. I didn't have all the different Redwall Cookbooks for nothing. lol)

That's what I decided. Triss especially has a hare that is obsessed with food. (Actually he kind of steals the show, he is a fun character.)

[Clancy]

I'm going to read The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski. There's a lot of cooking, a chef and recipes.

[Deborah]

I finished Triss. That makes 14/14 this year!

[Elizabeth]

Deborah wrote: "I finished Triss. That makes 14/14 this year!"

Nice!

[Em]

I will read A Crime of Passion Fruit by Ellie Alexander. A mystery series centered around a bakery in Ashland, Oregon (home of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and a lovely town in real life).Completed 12-26.

[Elizabeth]

Can you guys believe that this month is almost over?! Only one more week to let me know if you've finished the book you've selected to be entered into the prize drawing!

[Linda]

I just finished Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke. It was another fun book in the Hannah Swenson Mysteries.

[Linda]

Deborah wrote: "I am currently reading Triss by Brian Jacques. While the book is not directly related, Feasts and food are frequent discussed throughout the book. Thoughts on this qualifying for this prompt?"

That is one of the Redwall books I haven't read yet. They always have a lot of food in their stories so I think it would count.

[Whitney]

I read Catered All The Way by Annabeth Albert.

[Darin]

I read “Most Requested Copycat Dishes.” I found a couple of recipes I might try.

[Carolyn]

I read The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong.It has a baker as a main character and they talk a lot about what she bakes. I LOVED this book.

[Teresa]

I tried getting through When Food Is Comfort, but it wasn't meant to be this month.

[Debbie]

I have finished reading Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich ( Review ) . I love all the laughter and mayhem in the Stephanie Plum series.

[Debbie]

Happy New Year to all and I look forward to a new year of fun and exciting challenges!

[Linda]

Happy New Year to all!

[Teresa]

Happy New Year!

[Em]

Debbie wrote: "I have finished reading Finger Lickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich ( Review ) . I love all the laughter and mayhem in the Stephanie Plum series."

Agreed!

[Elizabeth]

Greg is our prize drawing winner for December’s reading challenge for reading Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us by Michael Moss.

Congratulations!

[Debbie]

Congrads, Greg.

[Teresa]

Congrats, Greg!