Sponsored by Lit Stitch: 25 Cross-Stitch Patterns for Book Lovers
Inside Book Riot’s Lit Stitch, you’ll find a number of badass, bookish cross-stitch patterns. Some of these are for bookmarks, others are for wall decor, and still others can take on a whole host of finished outcomes. What they have in common is their literary bent—the patterns speak to all manner of literary-minded book lovers, who are happy to display their nerdier sides. And what better way than through your own cross-stitch art to hang on your wall, prop on your desk, or even gift to friends and family. And most, if not all, are beginner friendly and can be completed in a few hours—instant stitchification! So grab yourself some excellent embroidery floss, hoops, and needles, and pick out one or more of these great cross-stitch patterns for your next project.
Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed. How we doing, people of the club? I have a lighter subject topic for us this week: let’s talk graphic memoirs! This medium is working wonders for my very distracted brain right now; something about the art is so soothing and tricks my brain into reading print. I absolutely love all three of these suggestions not only for that art, but for the larger life topics they take on. Y’all know light with a side of serious is my favorite book club style! Let’s get to it then.
To the club!!
Nibbles and Sips
I made my super easy shrimp tacos over the weekend, the sunniest one I’ve seen in Portland since October. I opened up the windows, let the beautiful breeze blow through my apartment, and washed down the tacos with a cold pilsner. Whether you want to whip some up for yourself, your quarantine buddies, or bring them along on an (appropriately safe and distanced) book club meeting in the park (if that’s allowed wherever you live), I think these tacos are perfect for the warmer weather.
Ingredients: Uncooked shrimp (shelled and deveined), tortillas, chopped onion and cilantro, simple guacamole (mashed avocado with a little lemon juice and salt), salsa of your choice, shrimp taco spice blend*, and a teaspoon or two of flour
*cumin, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, salt
Pat the shrimp down with a paper towel so they’re nice and dry, then coat liberally with the spice blend. Once coated, add a squeeze of lemon juice and allow to marinate for 15 min. Heat a pan on medium-high heat with a splash of oil, then—and this is a crucial step— sprinkle some flour over the shrimp. Eyeball this part; you want all the shrimp to have a light flour dusting, but precision isn’t important. Now cook shrimp for three minutes on each side (do not disturb in the meantime!). Serve with warm corn tortillas, salsa, guac, onions, and cilantro!
Book Club Books with Pictures
Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? By Ron Chast – Very few writers can make me laugh hysterically and sob uncontrollably in one book quite like Roz Chast. Be warned: this graphic memoir of Chast’s experience watching her parents age and then managing their care through the end of their lives is a punch to the gut, especially if you’ve recent experienced the loss of an elderly loved one. But there’s such a great convo to be had here about the unique set of emotions and responsibilities that we take on in this scenario: the pain of seeing the people you love deteriorate, the financial and emotional burden of overseeing their healthcare and affairs, the guilt of feeling overwhelmed by that burden, how messed up our healthcare system and the cost of dying is in this country… whew, I could go on. In the middle of all that sad stuff, Roz Chast also manages to insert her signature humor. I loved this graphic memoir so hard.
Embroideries by Marjane Satrapi – Most people know writer and cartoonist Marjane Satrapi for her bestselling graphic memoir Persepolis about her childhood in Iran and her adolescence in Europe. Embroideries is a little less well known but so. freaking. hilarious. I don’t even know how to classify it; it’s not quite a graphic memoir, not quite a biography. It’s a very enlightening look into the sex lives of six Iranian women: Satrapi’s mother, grandmother, aunts, and their friends are gathered for an afternoon of drinking and (and spilling) tea, and the talk of course turns to love, sex and their various dealings with men. I loved this so much and hope you will too; have a good chat on the social and cultural stereotypes that are shattered in these women’s candid conversations. Perhaps also loop in an examination of women’s sexual agency and freedoms in modern society.
Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisely: Any newsletter where I get to sneak in food writing is a good one, n’est-ce pas? Lucy Knisley is the daughter of a chef and a gourmet who fed her brie and squid as a kid and ripped into her the one time she asked for ketchup (how dare!). You could say her foodieness (that’s a word, right?) was practically in her blood! This super funny and thoughtful memoir takes us through Knisley’s childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood, imparting a love of food at every stage that I can’t help but find infectious. Between the stories are casual recipes, facts about cheese (!!), and of course drawings that are adorable to boot. My favorite quote: “After all, my family worships nothing as we do food, and the trinity of cooking, dining out, and eating.” I need a print of that to hang in my home!
Suggestion Section
For those ready to safely take book club outside again: follow this example.
Not that you needed another reason to read Colson Whitehead, but The Nickel Boys did just win him his second Pulitzer. Here are some book club discussion points for the book, so get at that!
The cutest book club! (and if you’re going to try and chime in with any Meghan Marple hate… don’t.)
Are you keeping up with the Vox book club? Here’s the week one wrap up for Donna Tartt’s The Secret History.
Thanks for hanging with me today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with your burning book club questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the Audiobooks newsletter, catch me once a month on the All the Books podcast, and watch me ramble about even more new books every Tuesday on our YouTube channel.
Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa