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Explore the Bob’s Burgers Bookshelf with These 6 Book-Character Pairings

by  | September 22
Belchers at the table in Bob's Burgers

The Belchers are one of the funniest families on TV, and Bob’s Burgers has followed their insane but lovable adventures for ten seasons now. Long-suffering chef Bob, energetic and optimist Linda, awkward lovesick teen Tina, creative and crazy Gene, and terrifying chaotic gremlin Louise really grow on you. So, in honor of the start of their eleventh season on the air, here’s a look at what the cast of Bob’s Burgers would likely have on their bookshelves.

Let Them Eat Pancakes

Let Them Eat Pancakes

by Craig Carlson

For Bob

A chef going against the grain? Check. Opening one’s first business and utilizing “exotic” ingredients? Check. Food puns? Big check. Bob and Craig Carlson have a lot in common, which is why Bob would absolutely devour this memoir. Carlson had a dream: opening the first American diner in Paris. Convincing Parisians to enjoy typical American breakfast foods was hard enough, let alone getting French banks to give him the loans necessary to open the diner in the first place. Carlson’s sweet vignettes about adjusting to life in France, hunting down ingredients, and dealing with the various customers who pass through his door would likely resonate with Bob, struggling to keep his own restaurant relevant and afloat. Definitely the perfect literary treat for a struggling chef looking to find some laughter and some hope.

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The Winemaker's Wife

The Winemaker's Wife

by Kristin Harmel

For Linda

Linda’s flair for the dramatic and taste for the finer things in life would attract her to this historical romance. Inès and Céline are two women tied together by the French champagne house Maison Chauveau, with Inès married to its owner and Céline, who is Jewish, married to the head winemaker. On the brink of World War II, with the Germans on their way to invade France, the two women face impossible choices that will seal their fates in ways they never could have imagined. Filled with romance, drama, and intrigue too good to spoil, The Winemaker's Wife is a tale of regret and family secrets that would enthrall Linda and likely lead her to try to get her sister or her friend Gretchen to read it so she could have someone to discuss this juicy, thrilling plot with.

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Radiance

Radiance

by Grace Draven

For Tina

Tina is an avid writer of friend fiction, which is basically real-person fan fiction, which often follows over-the-top romance tropes. She’s got to get her ideas from somewhere, so why not from an epic high- fantasy, paranormal romance? Radiance follows the strategic marriage of Brishen and Ildiko, two lesser members of royal families from two different species who end up going from strangers to friends to falling in love. It has all the things Tina loves: a lovely, quirky heroine; a brooding boy who is the object of her affection; smart and witty dialogue; a slow-burn plot of falling in love; paranormal elements. Honestly, if there were a dance battle at any point, it would be the perfect fit for all of Tina’s lovably strange fantasies about her and Jimmy Pesto Jr.

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My Squirrel Days

My Squirrel Days

by Ellie Kemper

For Gene

Gene may very well be a musical genius, or he might be nuts. Who knows? But one thing’s for sure; he’d find a kindred spirit in comedian and actress Ellie Kemper. Gene and Ellie actually have a lot in common. For one, both are well-intentioned optimists who are smart but also very weird. Just as likely to say the right thing as they are to say the very honest but kooky thing. In her book, My Squirrel Days, Kemper details how she befriends squirrels (sort of) and went to Princeton (yes, that Princeton), pursuing her dreams of acting and washing her dad’s car with a Brillo pad. You know, the kind of zany, oddball adventures Gene would absolutely get into. Equal parts memoir and essays about things like ice cream brands, this book will have you in stitches with all the crazy, wonderful joy only Ellie Kemper could provide.

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Vicious

Vicious

by V.E. Schwab

For Louise

A tale of revenge, featuring mad science, epic payback plotting, and dark characters? This one might as well have Louise Belcher’s name written right on the cover. Vicious follows Victor, a student who develops a theory about how to make someone get superpowers, which he ends up proving correct by testing it out on himself. However, his best friend Eli (who also gets powers) ends up turning him in for the accidental death of Eli’s girlfriend. After a decade, Victor breaks out and is looking for revenge on Eli, who has made it his mission to kill every person with any special abilities. Friendships ruined, siblings turned against one another, and an epic chess match of wills and bodies—this is the kind of plot Louise would concoct herself. Gritty, dark, and deliciously devious, our bunny-hat-wearing youngest Belcher would definitely get sucked into this superpowered world.

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Britt-Marie Was Here

Britt-Marie Was Here

by Fredrik Backman

For Teddy

Poor Teddy, he wants to belong so badly. If he could become a Belcher, he would in a heartbeat. While his presence in the restaurant, and on the show, is often a somewhat pathetic one, it just wouldn’t be Bob’s Burgers if he were gone. That’s why Britt-Marie Was Here is the perfect book for him. Britt-Marie’s existence in the small town of Borg is...less than ideal. She has left her cheating husband and is often treated like a fussy busybody whose opinions on cleanliness and order are not welcome. But she ends up finding meaning in coaching the town’s underdog soccer team, and among her less-than-perfect fellow townspeople. The main character’s sense of isolation and loneliness, as well as her ability to say the wrong thing at the wrong time, would likely resonate with Teddy, who is as lonely and awkward as they come. Still, the novel would provide hope that he can find his place, even if that place is only at the counter of Bob’s restaurant.

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Photo Credit // BOB’S BURGERS © 2020 by Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Categories // Bookish Lists • TV

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A reporter by trade, Sara Roncero-Menendez is a lover of horror, sci-fi, and all things pop culture. From indies to classics to even the strangest genre pieces, all movies, TV shows, and books are fair game for a binge-fest. Follow her on Twitter @sararomenen or at her website, www.sara-roncero-menendez.com
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