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Home by Marilynne Robinson

The third in her trilogy about Gilead, Robinson tells the story of a family and its community from yet another viewpoint, that of Glory Boughton the unmarrried daughter come home to care for her ailing father. The character development in an old refrain of loved ones in pain is exquisite. John, her brother the outsider, comes vividly off the pages in his tender love and despair.

Haunted Ground

Haunted ground by Erin Hart

This character-driven mystery introduces us to Irish archaeologist Cormac Maguire and American pathologist Nora Gavin, who team up to learn more after a decapitated woman is found preserved in a bog in Ireland. Nora is running away from a personal tragedy back in the United States, and Cormac is recovering from the death of a close friend. Together they search for answers in the historical death of a woman, and a current missing woman. The characters are richly drawn, as is the countryside of Ireland, with a strong dose of Irish folklore and musical tradition thrown in.

Heart's blood

Heart's blood by Juliet Marillier

In 12th Century Ireland, Caitrin is fleeing an abusive suitor and finds work as a scribe to a struggling and crippled chieftain, Anluan. Caitrin goes through his family documents and begins to uncover an evil sorcery that has plagued Anluan's family. With enemies approaching, Caitrin must help Anluan overcome this evil and save their budding romance. Heart's Blood is an adventurous love story and reminded me of Beauty and the Beast, one of my favorite fairy tales.

The physiology of taste

The physiology of taste by Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin ; translated by Anne DraytonOne of the great classics of food writing, still fun to read and filled with insights almost 200 years later.

Julie and Julia

Julie and Julia : 365 days, 524 recipes, 1 tiny apartment kitchen : how one girl risked her marriage, her job, and her sanity to master the art of living / Julie Powell.Join Julie Powell as she tries to cook the entire "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" cookbook in one year. Her funny story started out as a blog and turned into one hilarious story about the adventures of trying something new.

American fried

American fried: adventures of a happy eater by Calvin Trillin
Trillin is just as serious about food as some of the more earnest writers on this list, but also hysterically funny. His main thesis is that the local food usually is best, not the "continental cuisine" served in the pretentious restaurants found everywhere which he names generically "La Maison de la Casa House". This book is the first in his Tummy Trilogy, which moves on to Alice, Let's Eat, and finishes with Third Helpings -- a delectable three-course meal, all in our collection.

Fast food nation

Fast food nation : the dark side of the all-American meal by Eric SchlosserAnalyzing the influence of the fast food industry on American society, an award-winning journalist explores the homogenization of American culture and the impact of the fast food industry on modern-day health, economy, politics, popular culture, entertainment, food production, and more.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: a year of food life by Barbara Kingsolver

The National Humanities Medal-winning author of The Poisonwood Bible follows the author's family's efforts to live on locally and home-grown foods, an endeavor through which they learned lighthearted truths about food production and the connection between health and diet.

The omnivore's dilemma

The omnivore's dilemma : a natural history of four meals by Michael PollanAn ecological and anthropological study of eating offers insight into food consumption in the twenty-first century, explaining how an abundance of unlimited food varieties reveals the responsibilities of everyday consumers to protect their health and the environment.

The Art of Eating

The Art of Eating by M.F.K. FisherA compendium of the first five books by the famous food and autobiographical writer, filled with her mixture of insights into gastronomy and life in general. Her dry humor seasons the experience, as when she noted during the food shortages of World War II "when the wolf is at the door, one should invite him in and have him for dinner."

The taste of America

The taste of America by John L. Hess & Karen Hess
This polemic about American cooking grabs the food establishment by the back of the neck and gives it a good shake. It does this partly by setting the historical record straight and partly by exposing the conceits, lazy thinking, and nutritional gobbledegook of so many food writers. Karen Hess was a food historian, John L. Hess was a reporter with a nose for the telling detail, and together they have written a book that is eye-opening, deliciously mean, and, unexpectedly, affectingly evocative. Sadly, it is just as pertinent today as it was in 1977, when it first appeared.

Mrs. Mike : the story of Katherine Mary Flannigan

Mrs. Mike : the story of Katherine Mary Flannigan by Benedict and Nancy Freedman

Katherine O'Fallon, of Boston, marries a Canadian Mountie named Mike Flanagan. Together they live a large life in the wilderness dealing with hardship and loss with their neighbors, both white and native, in an engaging and bighearted way.

Brooklyn: a novel

Brooklyn: a novel by Colm Toibin

Brooklyn is a beautifully written novel about an Irish girl who moves to Brooklyn in the 1950s to find work. Toibin sensitively relates the protagonist's ambivalence about both Ireland and Brooklyn and her inability to reconcile the two different worlds.

Cocaine blues

Cocaine blues by Kerry GreenwoodThis is the start of a series that was originally published in Australia that are now being republished here. Phryne (rhymes with brine-y) Fisher is an independent 1920s female sleuth, who solves a jewel theft while bored in England, and then moves to Melbourne to investigate the mysterious illness of the daughter of a family friend. Meet the interesting cast of characters that you will come to know and love in subsequent books. Phryne is feisty, wealthy, and enjoys fine clothing, fine food, and fine men.

Death at La Fenice

Death at La Fenice : a novel of suspense by Donna Leon

The first in the series featuring Commissario Guido Brunetti. Brunetti is called in when a famous conductor dies of poisoning during an intermission at La Fenice. The city of Venice is the backdrop to an abundance of suspects, as Brunetti, with little help from his superior or the other policemen assigned to him, deftly investigates.

Candyfreak

Candyfreak : a journey through the chocolate underbelly of America by Steve Almond

The aptly named Almond has a jones for almost any kind of candy, especially if it’s made by the smaller and quirkier manufacturers. Part rant, part social history, part confession, this funny and bittersweet book will not only tell you a lot you didn’t know about candy itself but reveal show you the role it plays in all our lives as a source of pleasure and an escape from pain.

Mangoes & curry leaves : culinary travels through the great subcontinent

Mangoes & curry leaves : culinary travels through the great subcontinent by Jeffrey Aldford & Naomi Duguid

The “Great Subcontinent” is the land mass that embraces Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and, most obviously, India. This handsomely produced volume, full of stunning photographs, personal, crisply descriptive text, and authentic, often simple recipes, takes the reader on a serendipitous voyage of discovery. As in their other inviting books on Asian themes, the authors, a husband-and-wife team, wander through outdoor markets, sample street food, and chat to all manner of cooks, inviting the reader to come explore with them a world of pungent spice and stunning flavor.

Vegetables from amaranth to zucchini

Vegetables from amaranth to zucchini : the essential reference by Elizabeth Schneider

This extraordinary reference work (350 entries, 275 full-color photographs, 500 recipes) provides nearly everything you might want to know about an unusual vegetable (she doesn’t deal with the familiar ones)—where it comes from and where in the world it is especially treasured (not always the same place), what other names it has, what it tastes like, what to look for when you buy it, and how it can be cooked. Schneider approached chefs, cooking teachers, and native cooks for exemplary recipes, but she also gives clear basic cooking techniques so that you can just bring your find home, prepare it, and serve it with supper.

In defense of food : an eater's manifesto

In defense of food : an eater's manifesto by Michael Pollan

Cites the reasons why people have become so confused about their dietary choices and discusses the importance of enjoyable moderate eating of mostly traditional plant foods.

Delights and Prejudices

Delights and prejudices by James Beard. Drawings by Earl Thollander

This American culinary icon began life on the Oregon coast, where his mother ran a high-class boarding house renowned for the quality of its food. Beard’s was not a happy childhood, but it was a feast for all the senses, since the raw ingredients were incomparable and the dishes were international in flavor and epicurean in quality. Beard would learn to transform these experiences into the basis of a long and successful career writing cookbooks, teaching at his own cooking school and, later, on his own television shows, and helping establish notable New York restaurants.

The man who ate everything

The man who ate everything : and other gastronomic feats, disputes, and pleasurable pursuits by Jeffrey Steingarten

By temperament, the author, Vogue’s indomitable food columnist, is the sort of person who is not only willing to ask the chef for a recipe but to chase him around the restaurant kitchen until he gets it. The results are a heady mix of wittily intellectual inquiry and glorious gluttony, plumbing the mysteries of french fries (make them in horse fat), pursuing the secrets of perfect ice cream, or spelling out the dangers of eating salad.

Three Bags Full

Three bags full : a sheep detective story by Leonie Swann

This entertaining mystery, in which a flock of Irish sheep search for their shepherd's killer, delivers more than it promises. As you'd expect, it's funny, charming, and imaginative... but it's not just a lighthearted cozy. The sheep are real, fascinating characters with as much tragedy as comedy in their lives, and the author never forgets that they aren't simply humans in woolly coats.

By turns hilarious, mysterious, and lyrical, this fine debut novel transcends its genre and should appeal to a broad range of fiction readers.

Beautifully translated from the German by Anthea Bell.

Lulu's Provencal table

Lulu's Provencal table by Richard Olney

No one writes about French cooking in English as well as Richard Olney, and this collaboration with Lulu Peyraud offers a rare delight—quality time spent in the kitchen in the company of an extraordinary Provençal cook. She chatters as she cooks, Olney listens and observes, and the result is perhaps the best description ever given of a cook who works not from recipes but from instinct, years of practice, and hands-on familiarity.

Home cooking

Home cooking and More home cooking : a writer returns to the kitchen by Laurie Colwin

Although Laurie Colwin is best known for her novels, she was also a gifted food writer, perhaps because her novelist’s sensibility provided a lively and unusual perspective on the trials and joys of “ordinary” home cooking. To name just three of the essays—Stuffed Breast of Veal: A Bad Idea; Repulsive Dinners: A Memoir; Easy Cooking for Exhausted People—is to show that here is a writer staking out her own delightfully opinionated territory. And the recipes are as rewarding to make as the prose is to read.

The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

This bestselling debut novel has become one of my favorites. Skeeter, a new college graduate of Ole Miss, returns home in 1962 dreaming of becoming a writer. She takes a columnist position giving household cleaning advice to housewives. Knowing little on the subject, she asks advice of her friend's black maid, Aibileen. Each week, Skeeter learns more about Aibileen's life and her stories as a maid. She then meets Aibileen's friend, Minny, a sassy and outspoken maid with equally interesting stories. Together the three women come together on a risky project that will bring change and awareness to their community.

An omelette and a glass of wine

An omelette and a glass of wine by Elizabeth David

This collection of essays originally published in British newspapers and magazines allows easy entry into the writing of one of the greatest food writers of all time. Her books are glorious but dense; but here she touches deftly and lightly on all manner of culinary topics, from what makes a true sardine to the pleasures of cooking French food in your own little holiday kitchen in France. There are recipes throughout, but read this book for its witty, evocative, clear-eyed prose.

Hungry planet : what the world eats

Hungry planet : what the world eats photographs by Peter Menzel and written by Faith D'Aluisio

A photo-chronicle that visits families in twenty-four countries in every inhabited continent, each photographed amidst their weekly food purchases. The accompanying text details food-intake lists with costs noted; provides typical family recipes; and draws on this data to produce such illuminating essays as "Diabesity," about the worldwide epidemic of obesity and diabetes.

American food writing : an anthology with classic recipes

American food writing : an anthology with classic recipes edited by Molly O'Neill

This wide-ranging collection of essays, journal entries, excerpts from novels, and selected recipes spans three centuries of American eating, in prose that is often as appetizing as its subjects. Even dedicated readers of food writing will find much here that is completely unfamiliar, and those new to the genre will put the book down with a fresh respect for and delight in our astonishing culinary largess.

The particular sadness of lemon cake

The particular sadness of lemon cake by Aimee Bender

Rose has a magical gift; she is able to taste people's emotions in the food that they prepare. Rose views this gift as a curse. She is able to feel the emotions of her family and friends and learn their deepest secrets. With solid writing and an original storyline, this new novel is quickly working its way up the bestseller lists.

Stay

Stay by Allie Larkin

A heartbroken woman, Van, tries to get on with her life after the man she is in love with marries her best friend. During a late night Rin Tin Tin marathon, she accidentally buys a Slovakian German Shepard while under the influence of vodka. With the dog's help, Van works to rebuild her life and meets a handsome veterinarian.

The art of racing in the rain : a novel

The art of racing in the rain : a novel by Garth Stein

The art of racing in the rain is one of my favorite books this year. The novel is narrated by a dog, Enzo, who observes and supports his family going through a crisis. His insights are spot on. This book made me rather emotional: I laughed out loud when Enzo attacked the "dancing zebra;" I cried when a loved one died; I got mad, really mad at the "evil twins." This novel is touching and meaningful in so many ways.

Cod : a biography of the fish that changed the world

Cod : a biography of the fish that changed the world by Mark Kurlansky.

This book will, of course, teach you a fair amount about codfish, but it will also teach you a great deal about history. As it turns out, the history of cod fisheries and the the trade in salted cod have had an enormous impact on world events, playing a crucial role in the slave trade, the exploration of the New World, and the American Revolutionary War. Mr. Kurlansky's writing is engaging; he will make you excited about cod.

Wax Poetics [magazine]

Wax Poetics

Are you the sort of person who's interested in Gilberto Gil, Stax Records, Roger Troutman, John Coltrane, J Dilla or the history of the Wah-Wah pedal? If you've answered in the affirmative, you ought to be investigating Waxpoetics. Luckily for you, Forbes has a subscription! This magazine is packed with soul, jazz, funk, Tropicalia and hip-hop music stories. Furthermore, recent issues are accompanied by a 7" vinyl record.

Stuff : compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things

Stuff : compulsive hoarding and the meaning of things / Randy O. Frost and Gail Steketee.

This is a fascinating account of how people get to the point that their living space is unlivable because of the sheer volume of possessions they can't manage to get rid of. The authors explore case histories and the psychological and neurological reasons behind hoarding behavior. There's a little bit of someone you know in here.

The girl who chased the moon : a novel

The girl who chased the moon : a novel by Sarah Addison Allen

Seventeen-year-old, Emily Benedict, comes to live with her grandfather following the death of her mother. Hoping to solve the mysteries of her mother's childhood, Emily soon meets the many colorful characters of Mullaby, North Carolina. There are many supernatural happenings including: mood changing wallpaper, dancing lights in the backyards, and the smell of pastries that can bring people home from afar. A satisfying and magical read.

Noah's Compass

Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler

In this humorous tale, Liam Pennywell finds himself in a hospital, not knowing how he got there and grappling for memories. In a wonderful tale of a life contracted and then expanded, we have an unlikely hero - the schmucky father and ex-husband who finally becomes beloved.

Fire & grace [CD]

Fire & grace by Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas

A fantastic collection of new and old Scottish fiddle tunes, with Alasdair Fraser on fiddle and Natalie Haas on cello. Alasdair Fraser is a master and Natalie Haas's cello playing his perfect complement. Natalie plays beautiful counterpoint, but she has also mastered the fiddler's "chop", and uses it effectively in her driving rhythmic accompaniments. Having listened to this recording I find it difficult to understand why the cello is not used more often in this style of music!

The complete Flanders & Swann [CD]

The complete Flanders & Swann by Donald Swann and Michael Flanders

I fell in love with the songs of Michael Flanders and Donald Swann as a teenager when I discovered At the Drop of a Hat among my parents neglected collection of LPs. I couldn't imagine any songs more wonderfully silly than "The gnu song" and "The reluctant cannibal", and Flanders and Swann's delivery was charismatic, charming, more than a little endearing. The same album also contained the wonderfully clever "Ill wind", which consisted of an amusing text set to the music of a Mozart horn concerto—complete with a cadenza. I was hooked.

The Complete Flanders and Swann contains all those familiar songs from At the Drop of a Hat, as well as songs from At the drop of another hat, The bestiary of Flanders and Swann, and some previously unreleased material. I recommend it!

My latest grievance

My latest grievance by Elinor Lipman

Chafing under the stifling and claustrophobic care of her liberal parents, Frederica Hatch finds her snug world transformed by Laura Lee French, a new college dorm mother and wannabe former Rockette who had once been married to Frederica's earnest and unglamorous father.

The Namesake

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Follow Gogol and his traditional Indian family as they confront issues of belonging and non-belonging in the US. This is an engaging story that tackles questions of cultural identity.

The Master Butchers Singing Club

The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich

Although death looms large in Erdrich's emotionally powerful, richly detailed new novel, it does so in a "world where butchers sing like angels.Returning to his quiet German village home after World War I, trained killer Fidelis Waldvogel, accompanied by his new wife, starts a new life in America and finds his life irrevocably changed by a new relationship.

On Kingdom Mountain

On Kingdom Mountain by Howard Frank Mosher

Mosher has created a delightful character in Jane Hubbell Kinneson, a Vermont Abenaki Scot, who lives alone on her family mountain and does more things in an hour than most do in a day. Her life takes a zany turn when she saves the life of a colorful stranger who dreams of riches. While trying to dig up the past, they are also trying to save the future of an even greater treasure - the Kinneson legacy.

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke

This book has magic and Englishmen, but isn't like Harry Potter. It is very Dickensian and creates a world where magic is part of everyday life. A fascinating, involving tale.

Passage

Passage by Connie Willis

A clinical psychologist obsessed with near death experiences, Joanna Lander joins forces with Dr. Richard Wright, a neurologist who has come up with a way to manufacture NDEs in the laboratory with the help of a mind-altering drug, but the experiments may yield far more than she ever anticipated when she volunteers to become a test subject in the experiment. This book a a mind-bender.

Jayber Crow

Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry

Another one of Berry's lovable Port William characters. Jayber, the town's bachelor barber, lives his life seemingly quietly but he has his own secret desires, hopes and disappointments. This book is a lovely paean to life.

The Pig Did It

The pig did it by Joseph Caldwell

If you want to fall all over your self with sheer glee then get this book post haste. A stirring Irish shaggy pig story and free-for-all from start to finish.

Jake Fades: A novel of impermanence

Jake Fades: A novel of impermanence by David Guy

A Zen novel - what a concept! I read it in one sitting (no pun intended). This is about a funny little Zen master who gets Alzheimers. A book that is sad and wonderful. I loved the characters so much I wanted them to be real.

Inside Job

Inside Job by Connie Willis

Willis, one of sf's most spirited writers, rounds on the New Age; pays tribute to a great, skeptical journalist, and upends doubters and fakes alike. Unexpected ending.

The Pillars of the Earth

The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

Set in 12th-century England, the narrative concerns the building of a cathedral in the fictional town of Kingsbridge. The ambitions of three men merge, conflict and collide through four decades during which social and political upheaval and the internal politics of the church affect the progress of the cathedral and the fortunes of the protagonists.

The greener shore : a novel of the druids of Hibernia

The greener shore : a novel of the druids of Hibernia by Morgan Llywelyn

Fleeing the destruction of the Sacred Grove by the invading Roman army, Ainvar the druid and the remnants of his clan flee Gaul to settle in Hibernia, where they find other Celts and druids. Along with his wife, Briga, a powerful druid in her own right, he sets out to rebuild their lives in a new homeland which is beautiful and mystical like the wanderers who are drawn to it. Sequel to The Druids.

Things invisible to see

Things invisible to see by Nancy Willard

A freak accident leaves Clare Bishop paralyzed from the waist down, but with the ability to see the future, enter the bodies of animals, and talk with Death .

The God of Animals

The God of Animals by Aryn Kyle

Heartbreaking coming of age novel about a girl growing up on a Ranch. Dealing with the death of a schoolmate, a depressed mother, a father trying to keep the Ranch going, and a sister who has run off with her boyfriend, this story will leave you rooting for the family to overcome all the obstacles.

Eating Heaven

Eating Heaven by Jennie Shortridge

Eleanor Samuels, a lonely young woman who lives for food, finds her way toward family and love while taking care of her "Uncle" Benny. Very humorous and warm.

The Eyre Affair

The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde

Surreal and hilariously funny, this alternate history, the debut novel of British author Fforde, will appeal to lovers of zany genre work (think Douglas Adams) and lovers of classic literature alike. Set in 1985 in an alternate London, literature is (refreshingly) so important that you can get punished for forging Byronic verses. Then someone starts kidnapping literary characters from their manuscripts. Jane Eyre's disappearance is particularly traumatic and Special Operative Thursday Next must stop this before it's too late.

The Djinn in the nightingale's eye

The Djinn in the nightingale's eye : five fairy stories by A.S. Byatt

A collection of fairy tales for adults. The title novella is on a middle-aged Englishwoman attending a writers' conference in Turkey. She picks up an antique bottle and as she is washing it a djinn appears, offering to grant her three wishes. She is aware of the untoward consequences of hasty wish-making so after careful consideration, she asks for a younger body, then requests he make love to her. Very fun!

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon

This is a terrific novel about an autistic boy who tries to solve a mystery in his neighborhood and ends up exploring much further both geographically and emotionally. The main character is very real and also very endearing. It is available on CD too and the reader is wonderful.

American theocracy

American theocracy : the peril and politics of radical religion, oil, and borrowed money in the 21st century by Kevin P. Phillips

This book offers useful insight into American hubris. Fascinating background on the SBC (Southern Baptist Convention) and the intertwining of oil, religion and debt.