Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

I suppose this book would fall under the category "chick-lit" which I generally loathe. However, I read Bridget Jones's Diary years ago and remember laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes, and the film version with Renee Zellwegger, was similarly hilarious and heart-felt. It's still as funny today and I found myself snickering … Continue reading Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding

Cooking With Fernet-Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson

This book is hilariously funny, riffing satirically on those chick-lit memoirs from the early 2000s in which a heroine ends up living abroad, usually Italy or France, renovates a house, learns to cook, falls in love, and finds herself, though not necessarily in that order. The book Under The Tuscan Sun is referenced often, but … Continue reading Cooking With Fernet-Branca by James Hamilton-Paterson

Food in Films – Coco

El Dia de los Muertos - the Day of the Dead in English - is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the spirits of our beloved dead. It is far more complex than that, but who among us can't relate to having lost a loved one, missing them, and wanting to honor their spirits? I know … Continue reading Food in Films – Coco

Coraline by Neil Gaiman

I didn't actually read this book when I was a kid, but since it's ostensibly a kid's book that weirded me out having read it as an adult, I think it fits snugly into my own Halloween canon this year. Coraline is just plain creepy. It hits a nerve for any kid, me included, who … Continue reading Coraline by Neil Gaiman

The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs

I thought it would be fun to blog about books I loved as a kid that also scared the crap out of me. I clean out books on a fairly regular basis because I buy so many of them, and I donate many to Little Free Libraries around my city. So while cleaning out my … Continue reading The Curse of the Blue Figurine by John Bellairs

Food in Films – Beetlejuice

Well, it's that time of year again, the high holy season of horror, darkness and goth - October! My personal favorite time of year, when I can indulge my love of all things dark and deathly. I can wear black from head to toe and no one bats an eye. I can watch all the … Continue reading Food in Films – Beetlejuice

Rio Grande Fall by Rudolfo Anaya

If you've been following my blog since it started, you'll know of my deep and abiding love for the literary works of Rudolfo Anaya. A native of my home state of New Mexico, he was one of the first writers to gain national and worldwide attention for his books set here in the Land of … Continue reading Rio Grande Fall by Rudolfo Anaya

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

Well, I had to, didn't I? It's October. What other book could I possibly blog about other than The Exorcist, that classic tale of demonic possession, faith, and terror? I'd never read the book, though I've seen the movie many times, especially in October. The film hasn't lost its shock value, though it's not as … Continue reading The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty

The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Apparently I missed National Hobbit Day, which was on Sunday, September 22. Well, hell! Who knew this was a thing? Me, it would seem. Anyway, three days later, I present this lovely blog post in homage to my favorite fictional fantasy foodies! Who, I ask you, doesn't love The Lord of the Rings trilogy, whether … Continue reading The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Ode to Tomatoes (A Poem) by Pablo Neruda

I don't know about you, but I've never been big on poetry. The rhythm and meters necessary to appropriately read poems just bog me down. I love hearing poetry read by someone who understands how it should be enunciated, but when I try to read poetry, either in my head or out loud, I sound … Continue reading Ode to Tomatoes (A Poem) by Pablo Neruda