I found this on one of the blogs I follow, Books are the New Black who found it at One Book More. It was originally created by Reviews from the Stacks, and the idea is to spell the month using the first letter of book titles.
March: Caffeine (National Caffeine Month – Books with a beverage on the cover or in the title)
It was not that easy to find books that fit the topic but I managed, somehow:
MARCH
M
Clarke, Stephen "Merde actually" (aka In the Merde for Love) - 2006
Paul West, the author's alter ego, has opened a British tea room in Paris. He struggles with the French authorities who don't accept anything not precisely written in French and with French girls, their families and the French in general.
(Follow-up to "A Year in the Merde")
A
Şafak, Elif "Araf" (aka The Saint of Incipient Insanities) - 2004
An interesting book. Three roommates from Turkey, Morocco and Spain in Boston, one has a Mexican-American, another an American girlfriend. All of them have to fit into the society they are in, they struggle in their own different ways. The author managed to describe these diverse characters in such a way that you could feel with them. I loved the way the various stereotypes and prejudices were dealt with, or not.
R
McCarthy, Pete "The Road to McCarthy: Around the World in Search of Ireland" - 2002
Pete McCarthy traveled through Ireland to find any bar with his name in "McCarthy's Bar".
This time he travels from Ireland to Morocco, New York, the Caribbeans, Tasmania, all sorts of destinations that somehow have to do with the name McCarthy, places you wouldn't even imagine having a link to Ireland at all. But Pete McCarthy found it.
Clarke, Stephen "Merde actually" (aka In the Merde for Love) - 2006
Paul West, the author's alter ego, has opened a British tea room in Paris. He struggles with the French authorities who don't accept anything not precisely written in French and with French girls, their families and the French in general.
(Follow-up to "A Year in the Merde")
A
Şafak, Elif "Araf" (aka The Saint of Incipient Insanities) - 2004
An interesting book. Three roommates from Turkey, Morocco and Spain in Boston, one has a Mexican-American, another an American girlfriend. All of them have to fit into the society they are in, they struggle in their own different ways. The author managed to describe these diverse characters in such a way that you could feel with them. I loved the way the various stereotypes and prejudices were dealt with, or not.
R
McCarthy, Pete "The Road to McCarthy: Around the World in Search of Ireland" - 2002
Pete McCarthy traveled through Ireland to find any bar with his name in "McCarthy's Bar".
This time he travels from Ireland to Morocco, New York, the Caribbeans, Tasmania, all sorts of destinations that somehow have to do with the name McCarthy, places you wouldn't even imagine having a link to Ireland at all. But Pete McCarthy found it.
C
Mortenson, Greg "Three Cups of Tea" (with David Oliver Relin) - 2006
A Pakistani proverb says "when you share the first cup of tea you're a stranger, with the second cup you are a friend, and with the third cup you become family."
Greg Mortenson gets lost on his way back from K2. He reaches a tiny little village in Pakistan and meets the most helpful people in the world. He see the conditions they live in and promises to come back and build them a school. He keeps his promise and carries on to build more than 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
H
McCall Smith, Alexander "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" - "The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café" (15) - 2014
Mma Ramotswe and her No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency will always have a special place in my heart. I love her kindness and cleverness, she is the type of person you would like to have as a friend. And there are not twenty murders in every book, there are hardly any. Just other everyday problems anyone of us could have.
Mortenson, Greg "Three Cups of Tea" (with David Oliver Relin) - 2006
A Pakistani proverb says "when you share the first cup of tea you're a stranger, with the second cup you are a friend, and with the third cup you become family."
Greg Mortenson gets lost on his way back from K2. He reaches a tiny little village in Pakistan and meets the most helpful people in the world. He see the conditions they live in and promises to come back and build them a school. He keeps his promise and carries on to build more than 50 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
H
McCall Smith, Alexander "The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency" - "The Handsome Man's De Luxe Café" (15) - 2014
Mma Ramotswe and her No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency will always have a special place in my heart. I love her kindness and cleverness, she is the type of person you would like to have as a friend. And there are not twenty murders in every book, there are hardly any. Just other everyday problems anyone of us could have.
* * *
Not all of them are about caffeine drinks or beverages at first sight but, believe me, they all match the brief.
Happy Reading!
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Hello Marianne, this is a great idea. Puts a smile on my face. Have a good day and read. Alexander McCall Smith is one of my top favourite authors. I've read most of his books except the latest ones. The Isabel Dalhousie series is a favourite of mine.
ReplyDeleteHi, C&B, I'm glad you liked my chain. Yes, not the best word but the M-books are great. I have only read the first of the Mma Ramotswe books by McCall Smith and two of the Scotland Street one. I enjoyed them. Never tried the Isabel Dalhousie series, must have a look. Thanks.
DeleteI don't think I could've found any books that fit the theme for this month. Well done!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lark. It was a tough one and I somehow found some although not all of them were about caffeinated drinks but at least somehow food related.
DeleteExcellent work! I could not have found books for the theme this month. I am sticking to my personal goal of using books from my backlog, way back on my TBR.
ReplyDeleteThat's as great an idea as any, Sarah. I might consider that another month if I get stuck. The trouble is, I never know when I will eventually be reading any book on my TBR pile. Could be next week, could be in five years. LOL
DeleteThat looks fun and you did a magnificent job. I have read the Clarke and McCartney books.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tina. It is fun, even though some months are tougher than others. I still have a Stephen Clarke book on my TBR pile. Might read that for Paris in July.
DeleteThat definitely put a smile on my face and especially the first book you used to spell the month. I don’t know the book but definitely remember the word “merde” from my French lessons at school many years ago. I hope you have a wonderful month. 💐📚 Sabine
ReplyDeleteI am glad you liked it, Sabine. Yes, that is one of the words one learns first in any foreign language, even at school.
DeleteWhat a pity you couldn't leave a link to your page, I would have loved to visit it.
Have you read all of them?
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Sarah. Yes, I hardly ever use books I have not read, yet and I prefer using books I liked (though sometimes I have to use one or two books I didn't care for but I always mention that). If you click on the book titles, the link leads you to my review of them.
DeleteThat makes sense. If I was using books I'd read, I wouldn't want to use books I didn't like, because it would feel like a rec of the book.
DeleteMy point exactly, Sarah. I have though, when I needed the letter. But very rarely.
DeleteI suppose it would be tough for some of the themes.
DeleteThe biggest problem occurs with the vowels and those letters that occur more than once. E and R are especially tought. But the worst letter is Y.
DeleteWell done! I have only read the 3rd. No, not even #1!!
ReplyDeleteI think you should read the first one, Emma, I always like to know how others experience my country. You don't have to read all of his books but one might be interesting.
DeleteBRAVA for using the theme!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Davida. I always enjoy a challenge.
Delete