Books and Bites
Jessamine County Public Library
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Top 10 Books and Bites Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Books and Bites episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Books and Bites for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Books and Bites episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
03/08/24 • 29 min
On this episode, we celebrate Women's History Month with fiction and nonfiction about women's history, one of the prompts on the Winter-Spring 2024 Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge. From a graphic novel about Soviet women fighter pilots to a page-turning book about the evolution of female bodies, we'll show you that there's nothing dull about women's history.
Michael's Pick
The Night Witches is a graphic novel written by Garth Ennis and illustrated by Russ Braun. During World War II, the Soviet Union formed the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, recruiting women to fly night missions, bombing the invading Nazis as they cut deeper into Russia. The Nazis came to dub them the “Nachthexen” or “Night Witches.”
The novel follows Anna Kharkova, a fictional Night Witch. It opens as Anna is recruited to join the 588th regiment with her friend and gunner, Zoya. If you're a World War II history buff or a fan of military history, you might enjoy this powerful story.
Pairing: A glass of Kompot, homemade fruit juice enjoyed by many Russian and Ukrainian families.
Carrie's Pick
Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human Evolutionby Cat Bohannon upends popular and scientific belief to argue that female bodies have been the primary agents of humans' evolutionary change.
Bohannon builds her case over nine well researched and lively chapters: Milk, Womb, Perception, Legs, Tools, Brain, Voice, Menopause, and Love.
Pairing: Chocolate Covered Frozen Bananas in honor of our matriarchal primate relatives.
Jacqueline's Pick
The Lovely War by Julie Berry tells the love stories of two WWI couples through the frame of the Goddess of Love's own love story.
She seeks to answer the age-old question: "Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another?" but her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband, Hephaestus, uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music, revealing that War is no match for the power of Love.
Pairing: The war-time treat Lemon Sponge Cake. It's made with rice flour instead of wheat, which was in short supply during World War I.
Thursday, March 14, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
Connect with fellow book lovers at a party that celebrates readers! Join us for some silent reading time followed by bookish conversation. If you’re participating in the Books & Bites Bingo reading challenge, you’ll earn another free bingo square of your choice just for attending.
No registration is required.
10/02/19 • 25 min
Book Notes
Michael recommends:
- Moonshine by Brian Azzarello and Eduardo Risso
- Kill Creek by Scott Thomas
Melissa recommends:
- Good Talk by Mira Jacob (link to our catalog coming soon!)
- The Grace Year by Kim Liggett
Carrie recommends:
- Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughan and Cliff Chiang
- Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
Bite Notes
- Enjoy a cocktail of Werewolf’s Blood as you try to survive the mob and werewolf war and make it out of the West Virginia mountains alive.
- Sip a cold pint of Shlafly’s Pumpkin Ale as you join Sam McGarver and try to escape the horrors of the Kill Creek house before it’s too late.
- Enjoy Mrs. Caliban with Avocado and Lemon Zest Spaghetti from Anna Jones’s A Modern Way to Eat. Since most of the ingredients are pantry staples, it’s the perfect meal to whip up when a frogman drops in unexpectedly.
- Pair Good Talk with south Indian rice pudding, Paal Payasam or the Syrian Christian version made with rice flakes, Palada Payasam.
- The Grace Year would go well with the Early Autumn Apples on Hot Toast recipe found in Nigel Slater’s cookbook Ripe.
Can't Miss Summer Reads: Books and Bites podcast, Ep. 29
Books and Bites
07/10/19 • 28 min
JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them. This month, Carrie and Melissa welcome Michael to talk about good books for summer reading--whether you're outside by the pool or staying cool inside.
09/06/22 • 41 min
On this episode, we celebrate the freedom to read with the ninth prompt in the Books and Bites 2022 Reading Challenge, read a banned or challenged book. Dr. Ron Critchfield, JCPL's Executive Director, joins us to discuss the importance of intellectual freedom, the role of parents in helping their children choose books, the problems with censorship, and more.
What's the Difference Between Banned and Challenged Books?
According to the American Library Association, book challenges are "documented requests to remove materials from schools or libraries." A banned book is one that has been removed in response to a challenge.
Book Notes
- Jacqueline recommends The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
- Michael recommends Animal Farm by George Orwell
- Carrie recommends Lawn Boy by Jonathan Evison
- Find more banned or challenged books on the ALA's Top 10 Most Challenged Books page or on their Frequently Challenged Books page. You can also stop by the library display in our adult section or ask a librarian for help.
Bite Notes
- Pair The Hate U Give with Red Velvet Cake with Ermine Frosting, a Southern specialty that Starr's neighbor has perfected.
- Yorkshire Wensleydale & Cranberries is the perfect cheese to snack on while reading Animal Farm.
- Martha's American Food: A Celebration of Our Nation's Most Treasured Dishes, from Coast to Coast includes recipes for both Cedar-Plank Roasted Salmon and Pike Place Fish and Chips. Celebrate your freedom to read Lawn Boy with whichever sounds best to you.
11/06/19 • 34 min
Librarian Approved Books: Books and Bites Podcast, Ep. 38
Books and Bites
04/20/20 • 33 min
Book Notes
Adam recommends:
- The Wild Book by Margarita Engle
- Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
Michael recommends:
- FantasticLand by Mike Bockoven
- Slash by Hunter Shea
Carrie recommends:
- History of the Rain by Niall Williams
- The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss
Bite Notes
- For The Wild Book's bubbly, colorful story, make Fizz and Fruit Popsicles from Raquel Rabade Roque’s The Cuban Kitchen Cuisine.
- Accompany the psychological turmoil of Long Way Down with “Eggs in Purgatory,” found in Questlove’s Mixtape Potluck Cookbook.
- After a harrowing day spent at FantasticLand, whip up a batch of Grilled Cheese Dogs.
- There's nothing better than coming home to a hot bowl of Cholent after surviving a frigid night of being hunted by the Wraith in the ruins of the Hayden Resort.
- Pair History of the Rain with The Good Shepherd's Pie, a vegan update of the classic Irish shepherd's pie that you can find in Jae Steele's cookbook Get it Ripe: A Fresh Take on Vegan Cooking and Living.
- Enjoy The Hearts of Horses with a meatless—or nearly meatless—soup made with whatever ingredients you have on hand. Tamar Adler's minestrone recipe offers lots of suggestions for seasonal substitutions. You can find it in her book An Everlasting Mealor on Saveur.com.
TBR Lists: Books and Bites podcast, Ep. 31
Books and Bites
09/04/19 • 33 min
Book Notes
Carrie reads:
- Get in Trouble by Kelly Link
- My Ántonia by Willa Cather
Michael reads:
- 20th Century Ghosts by Joe Hill
- The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Melissa reads:
- Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein
- The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde
Bite Notes
- Pair Get in Trouble with a slice of Florida Key Lime Pie, available on our website. You can tell from the state of the copy pictured that it's a favorite recipe in Carrie's family. For a less sweet pie, use 3/4 cup of sugar instead of a full cup. Carrie recommends Nellie & Joe's key lime juice, which you can usually find at Kroger. The pie is also great when served frozen.
- The kolaches mentioned in My Ántonia are still enjoyed in areas of the United States where Czech immigrants settled. Read more about the history of this Czech pastry and find a recipe on toriavey.com.
- Try the recipe from the website Caroline's Cooking for the Trinidadian snack Pineapple Chow. It's just like the dish Tommy Tester enjoyed at the Victoria Society.
- Enjoy this easy recipe for the New England staple the Fluffernutter sandwich as you relish each story in 20th Century Ghosts by New England’s very own Joe Hill.
- Try the Jabberwock cocktail from the Savoy Cocktail Book in honor of the Vorpal's Special that Tuesday Next orders in The Eyre Affair.
Books with Magic: Books and Bites Podcast, Ep. 84
Books and Bites
12/04/23 • 23 min
This month, we discuss books with magic, our final prompt from the 2023 Books and Bites Bingo Reading Challenge. Our picks include an anthology of witchy tales; a novel about the magic of sourdough starter, robot arms, and the human who works with both; and a YA fairytale set in contemporary times.
If you’re participating in Books & Bites Bingo, don’t forget to turn in your bingo card throughout the month of December!
Michael’s Pick
The anthology Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery, edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering, contains 18 stories from authors like Sherrilyn Kenyon, Sarah Langan, Tananarive Due, Alma Katsu, and Kelley Armstrong.
These stories of witchery range from cozy and humorous, to fantastical, to spooky and downright scary.
Pairing: Channel your inner Audrey from the story “Bless Your Heart” and whip up a batch of Seven-Layer Magic Bars.
Carrie's Pick
In Robin Sloan’s novel Sourdough, main character Lois is a young programmer who works at General Dexterity, a San Francisco tech company that programs robotic arms.
Lois works so much, she sometimes sleeps at the office and drinks meal replacements instead of eating. But when two brothers give her their sourdough starter, a whole new world opens up to her, one filled with the magic inside a new community food market–including her own singing, possibly sinister starter.
Pairing: San Francisco Sourdough from the book Super Sourdough by Great British Baking Show contestant James Morton.
Jacqueline's Pick
The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black is an enchanting YA fairytale set in contemporary times. In this novel, Black returns to her dangerous, alluring world of faerie tales. This fantasy novel’s complex worldbuilding is full of romance, terror, and adventure.
Pairing: Old Fashioned Blackberry Pie, a recipe that will remind you of the magic that is childhood, when you could play all day, spending hours in the sun picking wild blackberries.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Books and Bites have?
Books and Bites currently has 96 episodes available.
What topics does Books and Bites cover?
The podcast is about Reading, Podcasts, Books and Education.
What is the most popular episode on Books and Bites?
The episode title 'Bluebird, Bluebird and What to Read Next: Books and Bites podcast, Ep. 33' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Books and Bites?
The average episode length on Books and Bites is 28 minutes.
How often are episodes of Books and Bites released?
Episodes of Books and Bites are typically released every 28 days.
When was the first episode of Books and Bites?
The first episode of Books and Bites was released on Dec 7, 2016.
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