Adaptations and Retellings

Books and Bites Podcast, Ep. 49

JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.

On this episode, we discuss the third prompt in the Books and Bites 2021 Reading Challenge, books that retell or adapt another story.

We’re changing the podcast format up a little bit with this episode and dividing this month’s discussion into two separate episodes. Today we’ll each give a detailed review of one book, and then in a couple weeks we’ll air another episode with some brief recommendations from each of us.

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Book Notes

  • Carrie enjoyed The Mere Wife by Maria Dhavana Headley, a feminist retelling of Beowulf.
  • Unless you’re a fan of realistic fiction that focuses on social drama, Adam advises staying away from Anna K: A Love Story by Jenny Lee, an adaptation of Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina.
  • Michael recommends Victor LaValle’s Destroyer written by Victor LaValle and illustrated by Dietrich Smith.  This graphic novel reimagines Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Bite Notes

  • An Aquafaba Whiskey Sour will help you ride out the ups and downs in The Mere Wife.
  • For some sweet to go with his probably-too-sour review, Adam suggests indulging in a traditional Korean Valentine’s treat, pepero cake. For pepero cake and other Korean recipes, check out Korean Cooking Simplified by Lori Yun.
  • Pair Victor Lavalle’s Destroyer with the pre-prohibition cocktail, Corpse Reviver, No.2.