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 Call of the Wrens Book Club Questions and Recipe

The Call of the Wrens Book Club Questions and Recipe

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The Call of the Wrens is a dual timeline story following two women who join the Wrens (the nickname for the Women’s Royal Naval Service). The first timeline follows the first group of Wrens in WWI and the second timeline follows the second group in WWII. As their stories intersect, the reader learns about these brave groups of women who served Britain in many capacities during the world wars. Interwoven in both timelines are two unforgettable love stories, friendships between brave women, and characters who battle their own internal enemies even while serving bravely during the war.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Bread and Butter Pudding

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If you love an English setting, gothic vibes, and women’s rights, you’ll likely enjoy Ashton Hall. This recipe for Bread and Butter Pudding was inspired by Lauren Belfer’s own love for the dish! Basically a pastry and a pudding in one dish, this dessert is best served warm. This version full of raisins and chocolate chips is comfort in a dish.

Lavender Bourbon Smash

Lavender Bourbon Smash

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This recipe for Lavender Bourbon Smash was inspired by Noue Kirwan’s debut, Long Past Summer. A fantastic second chance romance, its a story that some readers have called Sweet Home Alabama for Black girls. With a sizzling romance, a complicated backstory, character wounds, and a difficult friendship to navigate, a cocktail recipe was the perfect pairing for this novel. And this bourbon smash with lavender, mint and basil is special treat!

Long Past Summer Book Club Questions and Recipe

Long Past Summer Book Club Questions and Recipe

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Noue Kirwan’s debut, Long Past Summer, is a fantastic second chance romance story that some readers have called Sweet Home Alabama for Black girls.
The novel alternates between the main characters’ past and their present. As Cameron and Mikaela fall in love the summer after high school graduation, their current, separate lives collide once more when Mikaela’s firm represents Cameron, a successful photographer, in a lawsuit over a photo that happens to feature Mikaela all those years ago.