The perfect companion to a delicious meal is a good book – if you’re a foodie who loves to read, here are some great books to try the next time you’re at Barnes and Nobles.
Pasta Wars
This novel by Elisa Lorello tells the story of Katie Cravens, the successful CEO of Pasta Pronto – the leading frozen food line that offers “Carbs for the Calorie Conscious.”
Katie is used to having it all, the perfect body, the perfect job, the perfect fiancé… but when she finds her fiancé in bed with another woman and a quality control fiasco wreaks havoc on her product, she finds that life can be full of surprises.
Enter Katie’s saving grace – the Ristorante Caramelli – a family run restaurant in Rome that presents her with a mutually beneficial partnership opportunity. That seems easy enough for Katie – but when she butts heads with Luca, the handsome, passionate, and hotheaded co-owner of Caramelli, things prove to be more difficult than she’d ever anticipated.
Katie sets out to earn Luca’s respect by learning to cook and savor Italian food and manages to learn a thing or two about love and herself along the way.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27071405-pasta-wars
Good Reads Rating: 3.6 out of 5
My Life in France
A memoir by Julia Child, My Life in France is the story of just that – Child tells the story of her foray into cooking and her discovery of France – the language, the culture, the people, and of course, the cuisine.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5084.My_Life_in_France
Good Reads Rating: 4.16 out of 5
Gourmet Rhapsody
This novel by Muriel Barbery and Alison Anderson follows begins in the heart of Paris, where we find the famous food critic Pierre Athens on his deathbed.
In his final hours he laments about his life in Paris and his culinary career and his desire to taste the “Flavor par excellence.” A story about the celebration of life and its pleasures, Gourmet Rhapsody follows not only Athens, but the stories and memories of those around him, who reflect on their history with him.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6366085-gourmet-rhapsody?from_search=true
Good Reads Rating: 3.21 out of 5
The Restaurant Critic’s Wife
The Restaurant Critic’s Wife by Elizabeth LaBan tells the story of Lila Soto. Lila used to have a great corporate job, time for travel, and a happy life, but after settling down, leaving her job and moving to a new city, Lila’s feeling out of sorts.
Her husband is a food critic sworn to anonymity, and between keeping his identity hidden, taking care of the household, and watching her children, she’s beginning to miss her old life more and more.
She feels stranded – cut off from the world due to her husband’s job sensitivity and her household duties – but when Lila receives an offer she can’t refuse from her old boss to return to work part-time, she accepts and discovers that a little tenacity and self-indulgent behavior can be a good thing.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25828495-the-restaurant-critic-s-wife?from_search=true
Good Reads Rating: 3.42 out of 5
Eat Pray Love
Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert follows our author; in a life of total fulfillment and happiness (she has a husband that she loves, a beautiful home, and successful career), Elizabeth finds herself feeling depressed, panicked, and empty.
We follow her on her journey to find herself, search for happiness, and achieve enlightenment through three different cultures – the pleasure of Italy (eat), the spiritual devotion of India (pray), and the balance of Indonesia (love).
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19501.Eat_Pray_Love?from_search=true
Good Reads Rating: 3.51 out of 5
The Man Who Ate Everything
Jeffrey Steingarten, the food critic for Vogue sets to sample and create different foods around the world. In this memoir, he humorously tells of his travels and his experiments with cooking and eating.
Good Reads Rating: 3.88 out of 5
Audrey At Home: Memories of My Mother’s Kitchen
If you love Audrey Hepburn, you’ll love this intimate look into her life and legacy written by her youngest son.
The book details Luca Dotti’s fondest memories with his mother and includes detailed snippets about her life off of the big screen and insight into her relationships wih her friends and family – though more specifically her sons.
The book also includes and cookbook section with recipes of Audrey’s to try.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22608110-audrey-at-home?from_search=true
Good Reads Rating: 4.06 out of 5
Heartburn
The late director Nora Ephron’s Heartburn tells the story of the very pregnant Rachel Samstat after she discovers that her husband is in love with another woman. Rachel writes cookbooks and between her efforts to get her husband back, she also recommends comfort food recipes for the broken hearted.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/225343.Heartburn?from_search=true
Good Reads Rating: 3.57 out of 5
Image Credit: pexels