Blog Tour: The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr – Bookish Recipe and Giveaway!

Hi everyone!

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr!  This was such an amazing book (and you’ll be seeing my review this week, as well!), and I’m excited to share in the celebration for this awesome novel.  For my stop, I have a book inspired treat that I made – cupcakes!  There’s also a giveaway at the end of the post, so that you can enter for a chance to win one of five copies of the book.  Enjoy, and thanks for stopping by!

First, here is some information about the book:

The One Memory of Flora Banks

Author: Emily Barr

Publication Date: May 2nd, 2017

Publisher: Philomel Books

Synopsis: Seventeen-year-old Flora Banks has no short-term memory. She lives under the careful watch of her parents, in a town she is familiar with, among people who are equally familiar with her story. She has not been able to recall any part of her past since she was ten, when the tumor that was removed from her brain took with it her ability to make new memories. That is, until she kisses Drake, her best friend’s boyfriend, the night before he leaves town. Miraculously, this singular memory breaks through Flora’s fractured mind, and sticks. Flora is convinced that Drake and their shared kiss are responsible for restoring her memory and making her whole again. So when an encouraging email from Drake suggests she meet him on the other side of the world, Flora knows with certainty that this is the first step in reclaiming her life.

With little more than the tattoo “be brave” inked into her skin, and written reminders of who she is, how old, where she lives, and why her memory is so limited, Flora sets off on an impossible journey to the land of the midnight sun–Svalbard, Norway. There she is determined to find Drake, and to explore the romantic possibilities and hopeful future that their reunion promises her. But from the moment she arrives in the arctic, nothing is quite as it seems, and Flora must “be brave” if she is ever to learn the truth about herself, and to make it safely home.

Rich with psychological twists, powerful moments of hope, despair, and confusion, and a landscape very much a character unto itself, FLORA BANKS is an emotionally compelling and immersive read that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit, the depths of the human heart, and the power of the human mind.

Goodreads   |   Amazon   |   Barnes & Noble

Interested in seeing my thoughts on the book (hint – I gave it 5 stars)?

  Click here to read my review for The One Memory of Flora Banks!

So I have a thing for cupcakes – they’re cute, they taste awesome, and they are so much fun to decorate.  So as soon as I saw the cover for The One Memory of Flora Banks, I knew that I was going to be making cupcakes to go along with the book.  They aren’t the most elegant cupcakes in the world (of course), but they were so much fun to decorate.

For this book inspired recipe, I wanted to keep it simple, so I just used a boxed cake mix and canned frosting.  I used white cake mix and white frosting – it doesn’t really matter which brand you use, and you can probably even use a different flavor for the cupcakes themselves – I imagine they would be pretty if you decided to make chocolate cupcakes, too!  If you’re feeling extra creative, you can always whip up your favorite recipe for both the cupcakes and the frosting.

What You Need to Make The One Memory of Flora Banks inspired cupcakes:

• 1 box of cake mix (your choice in flavor, I used Betty Crocker White Cake Mix)
• Water, oil, and egg whites according to package
• 1 can of frosting (again your choice – I used Pillsbury white frosting)
• 1 can Wilton Color Mist food color spray in blue
• Silver decorator sprinkles (I used Wilton Pearlized Sugar in silver)
• Foil cupcake liners

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How to Make The One Memory of Flora Banks inspired cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven according to package directions.  While oven preheats, line cupcake pans with foil liners
2. Prepare cake mix according to package directions, scoop about three tablespoonfuls into each cupcake liner.
3. Bake according to package directions (mine took about 18 minutes).
4. Let cupcakes cool – I gave mine about 45 minutes to cool completely.
5. Using a pastry bag and a piping tip (I used the Wilton 1M Open Star Piping Tip), pipe frosting around the cupcake.
6. Use the Wilton Color Mist spray to spray the desired area of frosting with the blue food coloring.
7. Sprinkle the top with the silver decorator sugar.
8. Enjoy!

Emily Barr (www.emilybarr.com) began her career as a journalist at the Guardian before realizing that she was drawn more toward books. After taking a year to go backpacking for a column assignment, she returned home with the idea for her first book, the New York Times bestseller Backpack, and never looked back. She has since written 11 additional books for adults. The One Memory of Flora Banks is her young adult debut. Emily lives in Cornwall with her partner and their children. You can follow her on Twitter @emily_barr.

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Enter for a chance to win one (1) of five (5) copies of The One Memory of Flora Banks by Emily Barr (ARV: $17.99 each).

a Rafflecopter giveaway
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Enter between 12:00 AM Eastern Time on May 1, 2017 and 12:00 AM on May 22, 2017.  Open to residents of the fifty United States and the District of Columbia who are 13 and older. Winners will be selected at random on or about May 24, 2017. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received. Void where prohibited or restricted by law.

Week One:

May 1 – Butter My Books – Guest Post
May 2 – Novel Novice – Svalbad Travel Guide
May 3 – No More Grumpy Bookseller – Review
May 4 – Pink Polka Dot Books – Review + Favorite Quotes
May 5 – Tales of the Ravenous Reader – Mood Board

Week Two:

May 8 – Midsummer Reads – Author Q&A
May 9 – Margie’s Must Reads – Review
May 10 – Adventures of a Book Junkie – Author Q&A
May 11 – Bibliophile Gathering – Review
May 12 – Brittany’s Book Rambles – Guest Post

Week Three:

May 15 – Fiktshun – Guest Post
May 16 – The Book’s Buzz – Guest Post
May 17 – Here’s to Happy Endings – Flora Banks Inspired Recipe
May 18 – Andi’s ABCs – Flora Banks Bookish DIY
May 19 – In Wonderland – Review