The Menu: A Culinary-inspired alternative to the 5-star book rating system
Both my parents read aloud to us kids while we were young, and it fostered in us a deep love of literature. My youngest two siblings and I frequently chat about what we’re reading and share recommendations, a topic that never ceases to bring me joy. Not as much joy as my nieces and nephews, but joy none the same.
One thing I particularly love about us is the breadth of our literary interests. My brother prefers Sci-Fi, High Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, and Fan Fiction. My sister also enjoys a myriad of Fantasy sub-genres, YA, inspirational fiction, and some contemporary fiction. My go-tos are Lit Fic, Up Market, Classics, Dystopian/Post Apocalyptic and a dash of Magical Realism. When there’s smart genre bending and experimental elements within my categories, I’m delighted. I’m more concerned with character development, but they’re more engaged with plot-driven titles. But we’re unified in our demand for quality writing.
Some time ago, we got into an animated debate about how many stars a specific book deserved. I can’t remember the title in question, but despite the ‘evidence’ we offered and examples we each cited, none of us wavered.
We all know that reviews are subjective, and opinions over what constitutes a ‘good’ or ‘bad book’ differ widely. And what exactly does ‘quality’ writing mean? How many books have we, regardless of our individual preferences, missed out on? And to what extent have authors success been curtailed, or bolstered because of idiomatic evaluation? So why then, do readers continue to use an ineffective and potentially deleterious system?
Our solution to this quandary was to create a rating system that compares books in relation to each other. It’s still subjective, but we swapped the dogmatic with a spectrum. (So much is better explained with a spectrum.)
I humbly submit to you, The Menu.
There are four categories in our book-menu: Appetizer, Side Dish, Main Course, and Dessert.
Appetizers and Desserts are lighter reads; some books are snacks, and get your literary juices flowing, and others are sweeter, a special treat. You may crave these books and indulge in them from time to time, but you might not want a steady diet of them. Think beach reads.
Side Dishes are a little more substantive. They could be comfort foods, something you re-read. It could pair well with your Main Course. Maybe it’s a sequel. It could be a companion book, etc.
Main Dishes sustain you, fill you up. You may have to sink your teeth into it. It may require a bit of digesting before moving on to something else. I tend to place classics or award winners in this category. I might not even enjoy it that much, but I can see the value or appreciate risks the author took.
Within these categories are three subcategories, each richer and perhaps more calorie-dense than the previous. For example, we chose Chips and Salsa, Shrimp Cocktail, and Buffalo Wings for our appetizer menu. Like any metaphor, it can break down if you push it too far. What is beautiful about this concept is that it’s entirely customizable. Don’t like chips and salsa? Then replace it with fried pickles. Only read cozy mysteries? No problem. Create a menu for yourself—a way to make sense of your own reading diet. Or modify it a group or event, like your book club. There are no wrong answers unless a read is so distasteful that you puke a
Below is my family’s very noteably white-people food catagories. (Believe it or not, these we argued over at length.) But book examples I’ve listed are entirely my own. I’ve tried to incorporate a number of genres and range of publication dates. What do you think about my choices? Would you keep their placement or shuffle them? If you decide to create your own Menu I’d love to see it! Post it in the comments or send me a copy at jenwritesnow@gmail.com
Enjoy!
The Menu
a la Chez Metcalf
Appetizers
Chips and Salsa
· Book Lovers, by Emily Henry
· Divine Rivals, by Rebecca Ross
· The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig
· Texts from Jane Eyre: And Other Conversations with Your Favorite Literary Characters, by Daniel M. Lavery
· The Once and Future Witches, by Alix E. Harrow
Shrimp Cocktail
· Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus
· The Maid, by Nita Prose
· The Book of Speculation, by Erika Swyler
· The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon
· In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle
Buffalo Wings
· Lilith, by Nikki Marmery
· Woman in the Library, by Sulari Gentill
· The Ministry of Time, by Kaliane Bradly
· An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, by Hank Green
· The Measure, by Nikki Erlick
Side dishes
Seasonal Veggies
· Have Some Questions for You, by Rebecca Makkai
· The Atlas Six series, by Olivie Blake
· Where the Forest Meets the Stars, by Glendy Vanderah
· The Great Alone, by Kristen Hannah
· Our Missing Hearts, by Celeste Ng
Rice or Potatoes
· Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley
· The Power, by Naomi Alderman
· Station Eleven, by Emily St. John Mandel
· The Martian, by Andy Weir
· Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
· Body of Stars, by Laura Maylene Walter
Baked Mac and Cheese
· The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab
· Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen
· A Hundred Secret Senses, by Amy Tan
· The Hunger Games series, by Suzanne Collins
· The Book of Form and Emptiness, by Ruth Ozeki
Main Dish
Pizza
· Chain Gang All-Stars, by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
· Victim, by Andrew Boryga
· The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store, by James McBride
· Yellowface, by R. F. Kuang
· Good Material, by Dolly Alderton
Casseroles
· The Rabbit Hutch, by Tess Gunty)
· Tom Lake, by Ann Patchet
· The Handmaids Tale, by Margaret Atwood
· Catch-22, by Joseph Heller
· Olive Kitterage, by Elizabeth Strout
· I Cheerfully Refuse, by Leif Enger
· American Dirt, by Jeanine Cummins
· There There, by Tommy Orange
· Loving the Dead and Gone, by Judith Turner-Yamamoto
Steak
· Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin
· Cloud Cuckoo Land, by Anthony Doerr
· Middlesex, by Jeffery Eugenides
· Butcher, by Joyce Carol Oates
· The Orphan Master’s Son, by Adam Johnson
· As I Lay Dying, by William Faulkner
· The Bell Jar, by Sylvia Plath
Desserts
Chocolate Chip Cookies
· Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen
· The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires, by Grady Hendrix
· Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt
· Once Upon a River, by Diane Setterfield
Molten Lava Cake
· The Lost Apothecary, by Sarah Penner
· Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaimen
· Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, by Gail Honeyman
· The Water Dancer, by Ta-Nehisi Coates
Tiramisu
· Gingerbread, by Helen Oyeyemi
· The Starless Sea, by Erin Morgenstern
· Small Things Like These, by Claire Keegan
· Orbital, by Samantha Harvey
