Mallory

I’m Mallory Barnes, a fiction writer living in West Texas. My hope here is to encourage reading and discussion. In the digital age, we often live together so separately. Community and intellectual discussion are harder and harder to come by. I hope that Book Club Bites can help alleviate that by encouraging the birth and growth of book clubs.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Book Club Questions and Recipe

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Book Club Questions and Recipe

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek tackles two unique subjects in history that you may not be familiar with–the Pack Horse Librarians and the Blue People of Kentucky. The Pack Horse Library was part of Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration in 1930s. The blue-skinned people of Kentucky were a real group of people born with blue skin who lived in the mountains of Appalachia.

Scripture Cake with Figs, Almonds and Honey

Scripture Cake

Did you know that scripture cakes were very popular in Appalachia and the South at the turn of the 20th century? Maybe you’re wondering what exactly a scripture cake is. Women at the time would find verses from the Bible that mention a food ingredient and write out an entire recipe using just verses in an effort to teach their children the Bible and cooking at the same time.

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Book Club Discussion Questions

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Book Club Discussion Questions

In the poverty-stricken Appalachian town of Troublesome Creek, Roosevelt’s Pack Horse Library Project aims to bring education to citizens so far up the mountains that they’ve rarely seen a book. Cussy Mary is a proud Pack Horse Librarian, but she’s also a Blue. The last of the blue-skinned people of Kentucky, according to her father, a group thought of as untouchable and cursed.

Where the Crawdads Sing Book Club Questions and Recipe

Where the Crawdads Sing Book Club Questions and Recipe

If you haven’t heard of Where the Crawdads Sing yet, I’d be surprised. The book, released in 2018, has already sold 7 million copies as of this writing. Still, it’s a pretty new release, especially for some book clubs who require that a book is readily available through a library before they select it to read. Delia Owens’ background in zoology adds a significant depth to Kya’s love for the marsh and its creatures, taking the novel beyond a normal love-triangle and murder mystery plot.

Apple Cake with Honey Bourbon Glaze

Apple Cake with Honey Bourbon Glaze

Whether it’s fall, winter, or the middle of summer, nothing beats a slice of spice cake, a warm cup of coffee, and good discussion with your closest friends. That includes your book club!

This spice cake made with apples, cinnamon, nutmeg, and pecans is comforting and delicious.