Title: Meal

Author: Blue Delliquanti with Soleil Ho

Format: Graphic Novel

Genre: Fiction

Why did you choose to read this book?

The cover drew me to it at first. I like food and I like books about food and the images of the characters looked fun. Then, once I realized it was about eating bugs I was even more fascinated. 

What did you like about it?

I really liked the diverse cast of characters the book has along with the LGBT romance. Lots of representation of groups that are underrepresented in publishing. I also really enjoyed learning about some of the history of eating insects from various cultures. I’ve never tried any myself, but the dishes described are depicted just like any other food someone might get homesick for which is different from the way I’ve read about them in the past. The book does a good job illustrating the fact that eating insects as a sustainable protein isn’t a new idea, it’s an old one.

Though, I must admit that while I want to want to try eating bugs, I just don’t. There is a significant mental block on the whole put-bugs-in-your-mouth thing. One time, there was a dead spider in my water glass that I didn’t notice until I drank it. I screamed. Water went everywhere.

Was there anything noteworthy about the book?

It has recipes! I’ll leave trying the recipes out to some other, braver, reader. I’m not about to bring a tarantula into my house. Dead or alive. 

With what would you pair this book?

Ideally, tacos de chapulines. Tacos with grasshoppers that the main character made in the book. Realistically, the closest I could come would probably be brownies made with a mix of regular flour and cricket flour. If you put enough chocolate on something I’ll probably be able to eat it. Maybe. If you don’t tell me what it is ahead of time.