Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

I read:
From Russia with Love: A James Bond Novel by Ian Fleming

BIO: Use a literary connection (e.g., Appley Ever After for a fairy tale retelling, or From Russia With Buzz for a James Bond book)
REJECT: A book involving Intelligence – AI, espionage or abilities

Finished: 03/12/2024
Rating: 4 stars

Flavor: From Russia With Buzz

I read A Girl Called Samson by Amy Harmon. It fit the flavor "Berry Revolutionary" because it's set during the American Revolution.

For this prompt, I read The Whole Town's Talking, correlating to the flavor Americone Dream.

The Book I chose for this prompt


short and sweet review: 5.0
This was a great book. I enjoyed reading this book. I felt as tho Stella was selfish throughout the whole book. Like, girl!! Her actions even affected her WHITE child. Jud was the real MVP in the story. She deserves all her flowers.

lexiskat wrote: "The Book I chose for this prompt


..."



I loved this book and I'm curious how this is connected to ice cream?

lexiskat wrote: "The Book I chose for this prompt


...I loved this book and I'm curious how this is connected to ice cream?"

I wondered that, too! Perhaps because ice cream (at our house, at least) always has the property of vanishing? ;-)



I loved this book and I'm curious how this is connected to ice cream?"

Well, I don't know about the book content. But the cover reminds me of a scoop of superman and a scoop of spumoni.

:P

JenniferAustin wrote: "Perhaps because ice cream (at our house, at least) always has the property of vanishing? ;-) ..."



LOL I actually thought of that and I'm really wondering if that's the connection

I'm doing the challenge three times. Once with fiction, once with non-fiction, and once with picture books.
I've finished A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream for all three.

For fiction, Secrets of the Chocolate House by Paula Brackston
Flavor: Chocolate Comfort

For Nonfiction, Save Room for Pie: Food Songs and Chewy Ruminations by Roy Blount Jr.
Flavor: Pecan Pie

For Picture Books, Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers
Flavor Fossil Fuel

The Devil's Bones
Devil's Food Chocolate Sorbet discontinued flavor

Nadine in NY wrote: "lexiskat wrote: "The Book I chose for this prompt


..."



I loved this book and I'm curious how this is connected to ice cream?"

I would assume Vanishing Half = Half Baked

Kendra wrote: "I would assume Vanishing Half = Half Baked ..."




oh that makes sense! maybe that's it

I read Black Cherry Blues by James Lee Burke for this prompt, as indicated in my previous post.
Read April 6; 4*

I read See How They Run by Rachel Howell Hall. It is a thriller set at the protagonist's brother's "Glamping" place. After I read it, I realized that there is (or was - not sure) a Ben & Jerry's flavor called: Glampfire Trail Mix, so that worked out.

Nadine in NY wrote: "Kendra wrote: "I would assume Vanishing Half = Half Baked ..."

oh that makes sense! maybe that's it"

Half vanishing is what always happens the first night, after I pick up a pint of ice cream.

I read Normal People by Sally Rooney relating to the "Dublin Mudslide" flavor as it is set mostly in Dublin and pertains to the relationship between two students at Trinity college. I considered quitting at the beginning, as it opens with the two main characters in high school, and high school drama is not my thing. However, the book itself is oddly page-turn-y -- I'm not sure why, as plot-wise very little happens, there's a general sad vibe about the whole affair between sad characters who can't communicate. I found the prose unmemorable but easy to read and flew through it in a couple of days. Ultimately I appreciated it more towards the end as the relationship complexities grow, but I can't say I enjoyed it either. It's for a certain type of reader who is probably a shade younger than me and will relate to the characters more (I assume).

Joanna wrote: "So, in my grocery shopping on the weekend I happened to check out the ice cream aisle and spotted a new to me Ben and Jerry's flavour, An Eclair Affair: https://www.benandjerrys.ca/en/flavou......"

I just finished The London Bookshop Affair for the Intelligence prompt. It could work here.

For this prompt I read The Great Alone. I related it to the Ben and Jerry's ice cream flavor Baked Alaska which I think is discontinued. The book took place in Alaska. I'd recommend the book if you haven't read it already. There are a bunch of trigger warnings that go with it however. I haven't cried that much reading a book in a long time.

I do like some Ben and Jerry's flavors but I'm mostly a plain ice cream fan. Gvie me a pint of chocolate Haagen Dazs and I'm set.

I read . There's cherry blossoms on the front & back. Cherry Garcia.

TASK #19 ~ A book connected in some way to any of the flavors of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 1
The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
Read ~ 4.17
Pages ~ 307
Rationale ~ BERRY Wild Whirl, BluesBERRY, and multiple other BERRY flavors

Review ~ ★★★★
Lots of characters, but as they are all from the same family, it's not that hard to keep track of them. There are three narrators: Ben (the oldest), Joe (the youngest who is dying of what appears to be cancer), and Nora (who used to be Ruthie before she was kidnapped). It's a complicated story, full of grief, secrets, tragedy, and racism. I picked it up because of its beautiful cover and intriguing blurb, but it is a wonderfully good story.


~ ♞ ~

BOOK 2
The Patron Saint of Second Chances by Christine Simon
Pages ~ 304
Read ~ 4.20.24
Rationale ~ Mint Chocolate CHANCE

Review ~ ★★★★
Hilarious fun read. This would be a really cute movie.

Someone has added The Stranding
to the list - I have it on my TBR but wondered - how does it relate to the flavours?

Marie (UK) wrote: "Someone has added The Stranding
to the list - I have it on my TBR but wondered - how does it relate to the flavours?"

Under the title on the listopia, click on the green letters “1 person voted.” This will show you why someone voted on it. In this case Dalex added the book because of the Fossil Fuel flavor. So I’m guessing the book has a plot involving coal, oil or the resulting future climate disaster.

I used to work for an ice cream company, and I heard some weird suggestions, but none quite like that. Death by chocolate got some angry feedback, but it sold well.

NancyJ wrote: "Marie (UK) wrote: "Someone has added The Stranding
to the list - I have it on my TBR but wondered - how does it relate to the flavours?"

Under the title on the listopia, click on t..."

Nancy thanks for the info

NancyJ wrote: "I used to work for an ice cream company, and I heard some weird suggestions, but none quite like that. Death by chocolate got some angry feedback, but it sold well."

Seriously?! Death by Chocolate? So weird. :) Sounds deliciously decadent to me. :) :) :)

I read the Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton (takes place in New York) New York double fudge chunk

Just read an ARC where the main character is in heaven (The Worst Perfect Moment) and it struck me.... Ben & Jerry's Fairway to Heaven....

I read Migrations

I am linking it to the flavours
Phish Food - much of the narrative takes place on a Fishing Boat

and to Turtle Soup
as their first catch of the journey has to be returned to the ocean to protect a sea turtle p 75 "" a huge sea turtle caught in the net"

Flavor: Cherry Garcia

Wisconsin's Door County (setting of this book) is KNOWN for its cherries!

✔ – 02May24
A Death In Door County – Annelise Ryan – 3***
First in a new series featuring Morgan Carter, bookstore owner and cryptozoologist. Several bodies are found washed up on the beaches of Washington Island in Lake Michigan, all bearing unusual injuries that look like bites from a giant, unknown animal. I loved the setting in Wisconsin’s Door County, and I loved Morgan’s dog, Newt. The plot stretched credulity and the solution to the mystery felt rushed as well as implausible. Still, a fast read and moderately enjoyable.
LINK to my full review

I read The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser. It's set in Harlem, New York so it fits the flavor "New York Super Fudge Chunk."

For my list, I have Over the Top and Back: The Autobiography by Tom Jones.

For the flavour "PB Over the Top".

I read Welcome the the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum for this one because coffee figures prominently in it. It's an enjoyable little book if you're looking for something gentle.

I ended up choosing the flavor Cool Britannia and this book to fit: The Frozen Thames

I read Legends & Lattes and connected it to coffee coffee buzzbuzzbuzz

I just read Altamont: The Rolling Stones, the Hells Angels, and the Inside Story of Rock's Darkest Day

The Grateful Dead actually play a large role in the events of the book, so it's already got that connection. But as I was scrolling through the flavors just to torture myself, I noticed that the description of just regular chocolate ice cream is "SMOOTH like Jagger Chocolate Ice Cream". :D

I couldn’t find a list of flavours, so I read Almond by Won-Pyung Sohn, as I did find a reference to some of their ice creams being made with almond milk!

@Terri - I hope you enjoyed your book. In case you are interested in finding a flavor name to match, links to two list of flavors (current and discontinued) are in the opening comment of this thread, the same place where the Listopia is. Creative thinking though without having seen them!

Ah! Thank you! I didn’t realise! There are a few discontinued flavours with ‘Almond’ in the name, so I think I’m good!

For this prompt, I read:
The Summer That Melted Everything by Tiffany McDaniel - 3* - My Review

Finished Some Enchanted Éclair by Bailey Cates earlier this month, which links to the flavor An Eclair Affair.

Samantha wrote: "In looking at the lists of flavors I immediately thought of They're Going to Love You when I saw Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The proceeds went to the Elton John AIDS Foundation. I am..."

The Great Believers works with that theme too.

NancyJ wrote: "Samantha wrote: "In looking at the lists of flavors I immediately thought of They're Going to Love You when I saw Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The proceeds went to the Elton John AIDS..."

I am so happy you mentioned this! This one also came to mind but I could not for the life of me remember the name (just the description). I am terrible about adding things to my TBR but it is there now!

Samantha wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Samantha wrote: "In looking at the lists of flavors I immediately thought of They're Going to Love You when I saw Goodbye Yellow Brick Road. The proceeds went to the ..."

Adding it to the tbr is no guarantee for me. There are too many. There is another one I want to read and all I remember is that it’s set in or near Westchester County NY. I’ll keep thinking.

I didn’t think I would end up with many books for this prompt, but apparently it put me in a New York State of mind. The beautiful cities prompt helped too.

New York Fudge Chunk :
The Seven Year Slip, The Spectacular, The Alienist, The Poet X, The Glass Hotel, The Chaperone, Naked in Death

Nonfiction:
Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man's Fight for Justice - White Russian
Darwin Comes to Town: How the Urban Jungle Drives Evolution - Urban Jumble

Others I liked
The Berry Pickers - Berry Berry Extraordinary, and many others
When Life Gives You Mangos- Jamaican me Crazy and Mango Mango sorbet
Beyond That, the Sea - Wild Maine Blueberry
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - Dublin Mudslide
Visions of Heat - Hunka Burnin Fudge 😉

For anyone who hasn’t filled the Ben & Jerry’s prompt, they just came out with a new special edition flavor — good for anyone who wants to read about politics or dairy products….
“Churn Out the Vote”

https://www.allrecipes.com/ben-and-je...

Tracy wrote: "For anyone who hasn’t filled the Ben & Jerry’s prompt, they just came out with a new special edition flavor — good for anyone who wants to read about politics or dairy products….
“Churn Out the Vot..."

Thanks Tracy. That’s for me! I’d like a prompt on politics, but a lot of people hate it. My definition must be broader than most people’s. I saw it in every fantasy novel I read this year (royal politics can be deadly).

Well NancyJ - that helped more than I thought it would! I’m glad :)

For this prompt I read The Masquerades of Spring by Ben Aaronovitch. It is set in New York City, so relates to New York Super Fudge Chunk.

I will be reading The Toffee Factory Girls by Glenda Young. It relates to the flavour Coffee Toffee Bar Crunch.