Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

Thanks to AL for the photography. Don't you love a story told from an unexpected viewpoint, or from a character who has traditionally been portrayed in a certain way? It gives a much-needed shift in perspective, I think. Seeing things in only one way is both boring and limiting. It's good to expand your worldview … Continue reading Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier

The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

Dedicated to my dear friend Kate Parker. "Well, this is Italian rain!" I came across the book The Enchanted April while browsing on Amazon.com one afternoon when I should have been working. Having loved the film so much, I decided the time had come to see how faithful to the book it had been. The … Continue reading The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim

The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

One of the reasons I started this blog, beyond the joy of combining my loves of reading and cooking, was also my desire to travel, whether physically or through the pages of books. I wanted to challenge myself as well, to cook food that was outside my comfort zone. I've always wanted to gain a … Continue reading The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

Help For The Haunted by John Searles

I like my horror stories with a side of intelligence, and Help for the Haunted delivers in spades. It's a quintessential coming of age story set in Maryland in the late 1980s. The premise: a young girl, Sylvie Mason, witnesses her parents' murder one snowy night. But Mom and Dad are not your ordinary, everyday … Continue reading Help For The Haunted by John Searles

The Bible

I find the Bible quite fascinating to read, as literature. Please don't stone me for saying that. I grew up Catholic and I have utmost respect for people's beliefs. But for me, The Bible, from my earliest memories of reading a made-for-kids version with lots of cool pictures that my dad bought me from some … Continue reading The Bible

The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker

This book, The Golem and The Jinni, is the literary equivalent of being in an opium dream. Strange creatures, lyrical and unusual prose, mad leaps of logic, fantasy oases in the desert, and food descriptions that are so real you can almost smell the scent of cinnamon and yogurt and herbs. The premise, a woman … Continue reading The Golem and The Jinni by Helene Wecker