Welcome to my final book review of 2024! When I finished this book, I finished my reading goals for the year and freed myself to read whatever I want for the last few days of the year, with no obligation to review. Honestly, I’m proud of myself for not only making all my goals but for getting caught up on reviews so I’m not writing this on like, January 5th or something.
This was the second year that my spouse and I participated in an Americanized version of Jolabokaflod, aka, exchanging books on Christmas Eve and then reading and eating chocolate throughout the day. This year, they gifted me with Bite by Bite by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, which made for lovely holiday break reading.
There are two funny things about this choice: first, I almost bought this book for them, but decided not to because I really wanted to read it, which would have made it a gift for me, too. Also, I almost chose Nezhukumatathil’s book World of Wonders as the last book for my Physical TBR Challenge, which would have had me reading them back to back! So obviously, this was a good choice on my spouse’s part.
Bite by Bite makes for very easy reading, because many of the essays are very short. You can knock one out while waiting for the kettle to boil or for a friend to respond to your text message. You can read a handful while enjoying a cup of tea. Each essay is accompanied by a lovely full-color illustration by Fumi Nakamura, which just adds to the experience.
Each essay focuses on a single food item. It might be a fruit, like mango, or a spice, like vanilla, or a dish, like halo-halo. In discussing each food, the author weaves in memories of growing up, or watching her own children grow up (they’re teenagers at the time of publication), or of the time of her life between childhood and motherhood.
For the most part, this is a really cozy collection of essays. Love shines through pretty much every page; Nezhukumatathil’s love for her family of origin, her husband, her children, her friends, and of course, food! That doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and roses. She does occasionally touch on difficult subjects: family members who have passed on; racism; school shootings; and some of the more unpleasant history behind the foods we know and love. I feel like these topics are handled with empathy and don’t really drag the tone of the book down; they are just all part of the tapestry of life, and even when we’re enjoying a cozy read, sometimes we have to acknowledge reality.
I did learn a few things from this book. There were a couple of foods I had never even heard of, such as the kaong, which is the fruit of a type of palm tree. I love that even in my 40s, I can keep learning about new foods, or new things about foods I’ve been enjoying for years.
All in all, I’d say this book is well worth a read and would make a great gift for anyone in your life who also loves food and/or personal essays.
CWs and TWs: Mentions of racism, slavery, school shootings, the pandemic, and one story about being a woman who suddenly realizes she’s alone in the middle of nowhere with a man.
Source and Format: I was gifted a hardcover copy of this book by my spouse — but I’m pretty sure they bought it at Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park.
Book Bingo Prompts
Nook & Cranny (Card 2): Taking a Sick Day. I’ve actually been really fortunate this year and I didn’t have to take any sick days. The only times when I felt unwell enough that I might not have been able to work actually fell on a weekend! All my unplanned time off ended up being for house/moving-related stuff, which didn’t really leave me with time to read. But all my PTO is in one bank, so we can pretend that when I took the 26th and 27th off to have a long holiday weekend, those were “sick days.” And as long as you weren’t feeling nauseated or fasting, this would be a great book to read while sick. The short essays free you from the need to try to keep track of a plot while fighting a fever or drifting in and out of a doze.
Book Bingo Progress
This was the last book for Nook & Cranny Card 2! I am done with bingo challenges for 2024! I have turned my cards in to the bookstore. Of course, while I was there, I picked up my 2025 cards. Stay tuned for updates in the New Year! I’m going to keep doing challenges and keep writing reviews.