Book Snacking part 1: when there are too many exciting reads to pick one

I've been unmercifully crippled by migraines for the last few days. I'm blaming them on storm systems, but most of the lovely ladies in my families are migraine sufferers of varying degrees, so it may just be my turn. If you've had the pleasure of being visited by a migraine (kind of like being visited by a harpy), then you know that one of the most annoying parts is that you aren't sick... but you can't really do anything, including read. In celebration of the end of this headache (I hope!), I thought I'd do a post about one of my favorite reading rituals: book snacking.

Book snacking is not for everyone. It involves carrying an enormous pile of books to your favorite spot. If you pass anyone along the way, you're obligated to say, "A little light reading," with a straight face and keep walking. Once you're comfortably ensconced - under a tree, on the couch, etc. - then you proceed to sample a small bite from each title. Maybe you read a chapter. Maybe you read a page. Maybe you read five sentences, get upset, and move to another book to cleanse your palate. These are the books I'm snacking on now - with the tastes they remind me of!

 I have enormous issues with the Outlander series (abuse, making the gay guy the villain...) but I did really enjoy the first book. Its sequel, however, has been a struggle -- the perfect kind of book for book snacking. I read a few pages, get irritated, and toss it onto the pile. The food it reminds me of is horehound candy: an unusual and interesting taste, but not something you want too many pieces of!

 Because Gettysburg is a summer battle, I always try to pay it some form of tribute... usually by watching the film and screaming, "Bayonets!" along with Chamberlain. This year, I've turned to this recent publication about the battle. Since the gentleness of summer gets tangled up with the sourness that is war and loss, I'm representing this one with lemon drops.

 Ghettoside is an important read addressing, as it does, issues of race, the limits of law, and the fact that the nation with the largest military in the world can't keep its citizens safe in their own neighborhoods. This work is full of moments that make me sit up, shocked, so I've given it the honorary flavor of a Zagnut - that confusing coconut/ peanut butter combo!

Star Wars reminds me of being a kid and I've returned to this title because (1) I remember being irritated with it when I was a kid and (2) it remains one of the few critically acclaimed novels in the franchise. I've chosen blue raspberry for representation here because, as everyone knows, when you're a kid blue is a flavor as well as a color and, well, the villain is blue!

Speaking of being a kid, I've been doing some nostalgia-motivated reading this summer and returning to the works of Christopher Pike. They're quick, they're fun, and they make me laugh about the things I worried about at that age. To represent these, I couldn't find the image I wanted, but my sister backs me up on the fact that there once existed unicorn and Pegasus gummies in foil packs... and it was a big deal to get the white ones.The best I could find was great white sharks, but you get the idea.

More books (and more snacks!) to come in part 2!