5 Very Different Books About Eggs

(Graphic: Nancy Gonzalez/TueNight.com)

Eggs, those delicious sources of protein, are also packed with symbolism and meaning. A book list based on the idea of “egg” could include titles about pregnancy, birth, infertility, new beginnings, chickens and so much more. Instead of selecting one theme, this list includes books from five different genres: Memoir, science fiction, mystery, cooking and even children’s literature.

tuenight the egg and i bookmaven's best Betty MacDonald bethanne patrick
(Photo: Courtesy Amazon.com)

The Egg and I: Life on a Wilderness Chicken Ranch by Betty MacDonald
Ms. MacDonald had a farm — and no, it wasn’t that kind of “chicken ranch!” From 1927 to 1931, Betty MacDonald and her husband ran (or attempted to run) a chicken farm on Washington State’s Olympic Peninsula. While dated, the book (also a 1946 movie starring Claudette Colbert and Fred MacMurray) is still very funny — especially if you’re trying to raise urban chickens in your Park Slope backyard.

tuenight bookmaven's best margaret atwood bluebeard's egg bethanne patrick
(Photo: Courtesy Barnesandnoble.com)

Bluebeard’s Egg and Other Stories by Margaret Atwood
These Margaret Atwood-penned short stories are a departure from the author’s more well-known pieces such as The Handmaid’s Tale. They’re quieter than much of her other work, and based on folktales that Atwood entwines with 1980s-era life and people to explore themes about marriage, identity and the environment.

tuenight donna leon the golden egg bookmaven's best bethanne patrick
(Photo: Courtesy Barnesandnoble.com)

The Golden Egg: An Inspector Guido Brunetti Mystery by Donna Leon
If you haven’t read Leon, watch out: You might be in for a spate of binge reading! Her Inspector Brunetti is a smart, sophisticated Venetian who deplores injustice, loves his family and enjoys his country’s good wines. This 2013 addition to the series involves the death of a deaf and mentally challenged man, leading Brunetti to reflect on the brain, language and communication.

the perfect egg tuenight bookmaven's best bethanne patrick
(Photo: Courtesy Amazon.com)

The Perfect Egg: A Fresh Take on Recipes for Morning, Noon, and Night by Teri Lynn Fisher
First of all, who doesn’t love “breakfast for dinner?” Second, even if you learned your killer omelet technique from Julia Child, you’ll learn some new tricks for egg dishes in this compendium. Ten Speed Press publishes some of the best and loveliest cookbooks around, and The Perfect Egg is no exception—70 recipes, from simple to sublime, breakfast to dinner, savory to sweet.

tuenight dr. seuss green eggs and ham bethanne patrick bookmaven's best
(Image: Courtesy RandomHouse.com)

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss
Picky eaters everywhere (some of you fell into that category, once, right?) know the anthem of Dr. Seuss’s quirky 1960 story: “I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-Am.” Like most of the good doctor’s work, this book is infectious and nonsensical and gently wise, all at once. Even better: As a Beginner’s Book, it contains just 50 words. Not bad for a perennial bestseller!

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2 Responses

  1. Michelle Rafter

    I read all the Mrs. Piggle Wiggle books to my kids so was blown away when I discovered Betty MacDonald had written something above a 2nd grade reading level. And what a book! I’ve never lived on a farm but do hail from the Pacific Northwest and devoured every word of her amazing memoir. I blogged about her a couple years ago is response to Seattle writer Claire Dederer’s beautiful essay about another MacDonald memoir, Anybody Can Do anything:
    http://michellerafter.com/2011/01/21/recommended-reading-for-writers-for-jan-21-2011/

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  2. Editor’s Note: Crack It Open | Tue Night

    […] Bethanne recommends one less than a half dozen books about eggs […]

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