CARBS! CARBS! CARBS! CARBS!

I made fettucine alfredo last night, so this tag I found at the always-great Nerdy Talks Book Blog felt fitting.

There’s a chance last night’s fettucine put me in a carb coma. Guess how long I overslept this morning?

Actually, don’t guess.

 

Macaroni and Cheese

The most heartfelt work you ever read

I picked a weird one.

I assumed Lydia Meredith would gloss over certain parts of her marriage.

Instead, I learned the specifics of her sex life.

Though I disagreed with some of the book’s conclusions, I appreciated its sincerity. I love when authors admit the singularity of their experiences without telling me what to do.

 

Spaghetti and Meatballs

A work you know inside and out (like you can twirl with your fork)

I can quote entire passages of The Princess Diaries.

That’s what you get after 15 years, multiple audiobook listens, and trillions of rereads.

 

Lasagna

A work filled with complex layers

My sister-in-law bought me A Book That Takes Its Time last Christmas.

Mindfulness is more complex than I thought.

 

Stuffed Shells

A work that is attention-grabbing (stuffed with goodness) from start to finish

“It is the first of November and so, today, someone will die.”

WHAT A START.

SEVERAL people die in the first 20 pages of this book.

The death toll rises until the races end.

Then the story cuts to a bittersweet finale.

I finally finished rereading this last night.

My heart swelled.

“He is slow, and the sea sings to us both, but he returns to me.”

 

Penne alla Vodka

A work for a younger audience with an adult theme hidden inside

The Sissy Duckling was rereleased a couple years ago.

I found it at my alma mater’s book shop. My friend found me crying in the children’s section.

This book touched on my feelings about gender norms and parental acceptance.

I plan to read this to my kids someday. I want them to know they’re fine the way they are.

 

Elbow Macaroni

A book that is easy to read

Pick any Ellen Hopkins book.

While the topics are horrifying (non-stop trigger warnings), each 600-page novel is written in verse.

I feel so accomplished after finishing one of these monsters in less than a day.

 

Farfalle (Bow Ties)

A work you would read to catch someone’s attention

Once again, MY PARENTS READ THIS BLOG.

That knocked out two of my cheekier answers.

I like to be upfront about my feminism. It puts people off, sure, but I’d rather they know what they’re getting into.

Hey there, stranger on the train. See this? Get with it or get lost.

 

Noodles

A long work that was a great experience to read

This might sound odd, seeing as I’ve never said a nice word about Stephen King:

Dreamcatcher is my favorite novel of his.

Google says the book is only 600ish pages; the paperback I read was almost 1,000.

I loved every part of it.

I also couldn’t go to the bathroom alone for a week. It happens.

I was surprised by the ending. I remember the surviving two characters having a POSITIVE conversation about God.

Um, Stephen? Hi. You seem to have changed your tune. I’d LOVE to hear about this ending in your own words.

 

Lo Mein

Your favorite work of Eastern literature or book about the east

In answering this prompt, I learned that though I profess interest in East Indian authors, I don’t read many of their books. The ones I do read, I don’t enjoy. Come on, Cutting For Stone, did it HAVE to be SURGERY?

I hesitate to list this book because it’s not an Own Voices novel.

I’ll do it anyway.

Life of Pi is my favorite book featuring a character of East Indian descent…written by a Spanish-Canadian.

I have The Bastard of Istanbul and The Inheritance of Loss on my shelf. I also have a list of books to read written by Asian authors with Asian main characters.

I will make an effort to find a new favorite.

 

Ditalini

A writer you feel is essential to a particular genre

Okay, PAUSE.

Who considers DITALINI an ESSENTIAL pasta?

Ditalini is GROSS.

On to the prompt: I say this without having read Salman Rushdie.

Here’s the thing, though: Rushdie writes weird, controversial, incomprehensible work.

Magical realism needs more authors willing to take giant risks.

 

Favorite Pasta

Your favorite pasta

I love ravioli.

You can put anything in ravioli and it’ll still taste good.

Try it.

 

Sunday Night at Grandma’s

You are ALL INVITED to take part in this fun tag.

Take a seat.

Pass the plate.

Pour some sauce.

Sprinkle some cheese.

And, if you have time, watch Josh’s original video.