Raw
Gripping
On the edge of my seat
Read this book
Then tell me what you think

After his brother is murdered, Will has a sixty second elevator ride to decide if he's going to use the gun tucked into his waistband. After all, he knows the rules--no crying, no snitching, and always get revenge. But can Will follow the rules? As the elevator descends and more people linked to his brother board, Will's decision hinges on one last person...

Tuna sushi and sashimi - it's wrapped up like the rules, neat and orderly, but then as the story unfolds, the answer is raw and rough around the edges.
Smoked herring - It's the proverbial smoking gun - the representation of what happens at the end... 

This is a juicy teen romance! 

Everyone thinks they know LIbby Strout. After all, she made the news! But Libby is much, much more than the overweight girl who couldn't leave her house. If only people would see her for who she really is.

Jack Masselin has always been adept at fitting in even though he can't recognize any of his peers. But when a twisted high school game pairs him with Libby, he learns that seeing someone for who they truly are, means going beyond skin-deep.  

Now the two will have 
When Jack finally builds up the courage to take Libby on an actual date, he takes her to his favorite pizzeria so the Coke and pizza  represents a meal from their first date. The Coke also represents how, like the actual meal, Jack and Libby compliment each other. 

www.amazon.com/Holding-Up-Universe-Jennifer-Niven/dp/0385755929/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1524020201&sr=8-2&keywords=holding+up+the+universe

One of my favorite scenes from the book is represented in this snack. To prove to her high school that she' truly not afraid to be herself, even after she's been humiliated, and shunned by her classmates, Libby wears a purple bikini so I chose purple popcorn. Like the exploded kernels, Libby transforms herself into the person she's always known existed inside. 

This book serves up a heaping helping of mystique!

When Roza goes missing, most everyone in Bone Gap isn't surprised. That is, everyone except Finn. He's certain that a dangerous man kidnapped her, but every time he's asked to describe this man, he can't seem to recall one single detail. As Finn gains a new perspective, he'll uncover hidden truths but will anyone believe his discoveries?  

Plum cornbread - This spin on a classic cornbread recipe is made by digging a well in the dry ingredients and pouring in the wet ones. This symbolizes the two worlds of Bone Gap. There is also a literal reference to corn from the book.

​www.amazon.com/Bone-Gap-Laura-Ruby/dp/0062317628/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522715493&sr=8-1&keywords=the+bone+gap

If you like sweet and sour, then this is a great read for you!

In the wake of his dad's death, Jonah Daniels struggles to maintain the family restaurant and take care his five siblings, but it's more than any seventeen-year-old should handle so when Vivi Alexander, a new girl in town, sweeps not only Jonah off his feet but also the entire family, things seem more fun than they have in a long time. Vivi shows Jonah how to be young and carefree while Jonah encourages her to be more responsible. For awhile they balance each other out...until they don't. 

Italian stuffed peppers - The red one symbolizes Vivi and her adding the right amount of spiciness to Jonah's life. But the yellow one also represent Vivi because of her bringing a degree of happiness back into Jonah's life. The yellow also shows Jonah's mellow side. Two peppers obviously represent Vivi and Jonah in finding they're made of the same stuff but deal with life in their own separate ways.   

​www.amazon.com/When-We-Collided-Emery-Lord/dp/1681192039/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1522714006&sr=8-1&keywords=when+we+collided

For anyone craving LGBTQ romance, read this novel. 

When Joanna (Jo) Gordon moves to small, conservative Rome, Georgia, she makes a promise to her evangelist father to keep her sexual identity a secret for the rest of her senior year. Pretending to be straight becomes a hundred times more complicated when she falls for Mary Carlson. But a promise is a promise...isn't it?

Peach Bellini - Forbidden fruit to anyone under 21. While it's off limits to most who read the book, it's something to look forward to. Kind of like Jo being tempted by Mary Carlson. 

Cheesy Grits - This speaks to the Southern setting of the book but also because Jo showed true grit in standing up for her beliefs. 

Peach salsa - Who doesn't love a spicy romance? This salsa heats up your palate as much as Jo and Mary's relationship heated up the pages. 

BBQ Shrimp - This again speaks to the spicy relationship between Jo and Mary but also reflects the Southern setting.   

​www.amazon.com/Georgia-Peaches-Other-Forbidden-Fruit/dp/0062270982/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1521589780&sr=8-1&keywords=georgia+peaches+and+other+forbidden+fruit

The verdict is in - read this book!

Victor is supposed to spread his dad's ashes, but he has no clue as to where. So when he meets Madeline, a girl who runs with a rag-tag group of homeless kids, they help him devise a plan but carrying out the plan involves several things Victor never planned--falling in love, learning to really listen, ice cream, graveyards, and murder. 

Since the kids never had much money for food, I decided to set a limit for this meal. I spent $7.20 (as close as I could get to my intended $8) at Wendy's. It was actually kind of fun ordering things from the $.99 menu in order to create a whole meal. On another note, the Kids of Appetite has a meaning all its own, but I won't spoil it here. 

Strawberry Chiller - This represents the thriller part of the book.

Salad - Even though the kids scrounged for food, good nutrition was still important to Baz. Also, a salad is a mix and the group was a great mix of characters who formed their own family. Admittedly, green beans would've been a better choice, but I worked with what I could. (You have to read the book to know why!)

Chicken nuggets and French fries - this is sort of literal. The kids ate at a diner where a friendly waitress took care of them. So fried food is good diner food.

Frosty - This symbolizes Coco, (one of my favorite characters). She loves ice cream of all kinds. And being the youngest, this is one of the few ways the others could spoil her. 

​www.amazon.com/Kids-Appetite-David-Arnold/dp/0147513669/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520909956&sr=8-1&keywords=kids+of+appetite+by+david+arnold

You'll crush hard on this book, and it will give you all the feels right back!

As with all of Becky Albertalli's writing, I loved the characters, plot, and theme of this book.

​Molly Peskin-Suso doesn't understand the laws of attraction. How is it that two people like each other at the exact same moment? She's failed at this twenty-six times. Or maybe not at all since all twenty-six crushes never knew how she felt. But when her twin, Cassie, gets a new girlfriend, Molly thinks that crush number twenty-seven, Will, might lead to her first kiss. Except there's her new coworker, Reid. 

He's a Tolkien fanatic and doesn't have the IT factor Molly's always been a fan of...or does he? 

California rolls - this represents the fact that in order to really get what you want, you have to put yourself out there so that people can see your beautiful vulnerability. 

Rainbow cupcakes - I won't spoil the book but there's a reason to celebrate with the array of colors. You'll have to read the book to find out just why... 

​www.amazon.com/Upside-Unrequited-Becky-Albertalli/dp/006234871X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1520344648&sr=8-1&keywords=the+upside+of+unrequited+by+becky+albertalli

Buon Appetito! Sink your teeth into this sweet and savory book.

In order to fulfill Lina's mom's dying wish, she agrees to spend the summer in Tuscany with the father she never knew. It's awkward enough living with someone she doesn't know and even more so because her dad is the curator of the WWII cemetery. Lina can't wait for the summer to be over so she can go back home, but when she discovers a secret journal her mom kept, Lina embarks on a journey that leads her to love, gelato, and a long-too-hidden truth. 

Margherita Pizza - This is my take on the classic Italian pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil. In the book, as in the country, everyone loves the pizza!

​Stracciatella Gelato - As father and daughter form a bond, the two share lots of gelato especially over the stracciatella variety. 

​www.amazon.com/Love-Gelato-Jenna-Evans-Welch/dp/1481432559/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519684927&sr=8-1&keywords=love+and+gelato+by+jenna+evans+welch

This is the most poignant of all the books I've read recently because it has touched me the most. Sometimes in life you never know the impact you'll have on someone. Mentoring a troubled girl has led to me fostering this beautiful teenager who is struggling to put the broken pieces of her life back together again. Her whole story is not mine to share, but the food represented here was made with my very own girl in pieces.

www.amazon.com/Girl-Pieces-Kathleen-Glasgow/dp/1101934719

Seventeen-year-old Charlie has experienced more heartache in her young life than most people do in a lifetime. The broken glass takes away the pain and yet leaves her filled with hurt at the same time. She'll have to discover that she holds the key to freeing herself from the sentence she's given herself. Only then can she begin to heal.

​

Dive into a great book!

After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in the tiny town of Eulogy, Mississippi, Ramona's family struggles to overcome the hardships of an unexpected pregnancy, temporary housing turned not-so-temporary, making ends meets,  and relationships pulling her in directions Ramona never expected, she's learning that life can be more fluid than she thought. 

www.amazon.com/Ramona-Blue-Julie-Murphy/dp/0062418351/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1519331401&sr=8-1&keywords=ramona+blue+by+julie+murphy