The Secret History by Donna Tartt

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I have a secret fondness for books set in Ivy League environments, probably because there is something so romantically removed and ivory-tower-academia about them. Two other books that I love and which are set in these same environments are A Discovery of Witches and Ninth House, both of which I've previously blogged. Donna Tartt, whose … Continue reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt

The Final Girl’s Support Group by Grady Hendrix

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I first got this book back in late September, intending to blog it for Halloween. Hah! So much for that brilliant idea! I seem to be behind on many things lately.....can't tell if it's due to seasonal depression or just a general sense of blah-ness. Oh well, so I missed the season of ghosts, goblins, … Continue reading The Final Girl’s Support Group by Grady Hendrix

The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga

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Un uomo mediterraneo. Doesn't that have the loveliest ring to it? It translates from the Italian to "a Mediterranean man" but it means so much more than that bland phrase. Un uomo mediterraneo is elegant, dapper, romantic, tips his hat to ladies, dresses immaculately, does not rush through life but rather meanders joyfully, enjoys all … Continue reading The Sixteen Pleasures by Robert Hellenga

A Sweet and Spicy Memory: Biscochitos in New Mexico Culture

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I am very pleased and proud to share this article I was asked to write on the cultural significance of biscochitos in New Mexican culture. It is the first (but hopefully not last!) article for which I got paid, and so I feel like a real, true writer now. 🙂 I hope you enjoy reading … Continue reading A Sweet and Spicy Memory: Biscochitos in New Mexico Culture

Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp

~ foodinbooks ~ 5 Comments

A day after Halloween, I am rereading some classics from my childhood and I thought it would be fun to focus on one of my favorite scary books from when I was quite young, and one that still has an effect upon me to this day. Childhood fears are less insidious than those we learn … Continue reading Jane-Emily by Patricia Clapp

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

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We're kicking off the high holy spooky season, and in honor of the month, I am starting off with Stephen King. Today we are talking about one of the darkest books I’ve ever read, and I’ve read some bleak stuff, but this book has the distinct advantage of not only scaring the hell out of … Continue reading Pet Sematary by Stephen King

The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice

~ foodinbooks ~ 25 Comments

Being the horror aficionado that I am, and having read so much horror literature in my life (good and bad), I feel pretty comfortable in my own literary criticism and analysis of the horror genre. Any horror writer worth his or her salt is going to prove their worth when they take on the typical … Continue reading The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned by Anne Rice

Circe by Madeline Miller

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Western culture is by definition patriarchal. You see it in our art, our music, our religion, our family genealogy, our rituals, our language, and of course, in our literature. Much of our culture is predicated on what we learned from ancient cultures such as the Hebrews, the Romans, the Vikings and Anglo-Saxons; and particularly, the … Continue reading Circe by Madeline Miller

Food in Films – Moonstruck

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I grew up watching the film Moonstruck over and over and over again. The sense of romance, of the adventure of being set in New York City - a city which has fascinated me since I was a very small girl - the hilariousness of the characters and that overall sense of family all combined … Continue reading Food in Films – Moonstruck

The Master’s Apprentice by Oliver Pötzsch

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We are all familiar with the age-old concept of selling your soul to the Devil, right? I think all of us, at one time or another have had that secret desire to wish for and get our soul's deepest desire and even considered to what lengths we would go to have our heart's greatest wish. … Continue reading The Master’s Apprentice by Oliver Pötzsch