Tag: eating

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

~ foodinbooks ~ 33 Comments

Very much a fairy tale for adults, Neverwhere tells the story of Richard Mayhew, a London commuter who stops to help a young woman lying bleeding on the sidewalk one night, and finds himself in the alternate universe of London Underground. The parallels with Alice in Wonderland are fairly obvious - falling into an underground … Continue reading Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

~ foodinbooks ~ 27 Comments

Though an interesting read, it was also occasionally difficult to continue The Sea, The Sea, so convoluted are the mental musings of Charles Arrowby, the main character. I never fully connected to him or any other character, though the setting - an isolated house on a cliff overlooking the ocean - sounds appropriately Gothic and … Continue reading The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch

The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

~ foodinbooks ~ 17 Comments

Any book set in Venice is always moved to the top of my reading list. And of course, any book set in Venice about cooking and food is going to have the most special place in my heart. The Book of Unholy Mischief definitely takes the cake here! Luciano is the narrator, a young boy who … Continue reading The Book of Unholy Mischief by Elle Newmark

The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols

~ foodinbooks ~ 25 Comments

At last, we are in New Mexico! My home state is written about beautifully in this classic, The Milagro Beanfield War. Set in the mythical village of Milagro (there is actually a Milagro, NM, but the real town is nothing like the book's version), it's the story of Joe Mondragón and his fight for water … Continue reading The Milagro Beanfield War by John Nichols

The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan

~ foodinbooks ~ 8 Comments

What I found fascinating about The Dead House is the fact that it's narrated in first person by a character who is not the focus of the story, but whose own story is as much a part of the overall arc as the main character. Mike is an art dealer and his best friend is … Continue reading The Dead House by Billy O’Callaghan

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

~ foodinbooks ~ 16 Comments

This book, Little Women, has an incredibly special place in my heart, for many reasons. The first is that my edition, shown here, was bought for me by my father David, for my 12th birthday many years ago, in which he wrote me a deeply loving message, which I still read when I am feeling … Continue reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

~ foodinbooks ~ 8 Comments

Happy New Year! To start off 2018, I take us back to Venice, dear readers. But it's not the Venice of dreams and watery, lyrical descriptions. This 16th-century Venice, elegantly depicted In The Company of the Courtesan, is a hard, rough place, stinking of rotten canal water and fish, and is as often the deathplace of … Continue reading In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare

~ foodinbooks ~ 11 Comments

Ah Hamlet, the tragic and doomed Prince of Denmark, whose family puts the "fun" in dysfunctional. What I always liked about Hamlet is that his twisted family dynamic makes my own family look rather normal in comparison. Or maybe it goes to show that we all have messed-up family dynamics, and sometimes, as in Hamlet's … Continue reading The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark by William Shakespeare

Underrated by Josh Abraham

~ foodinbooks ~ 9 Comments

I don't normally read a lot of non-fiction, mainly because I read to escape reality......particularly these days, when the world around us seems to be going insane. But having discovered this pop culture gem, Underrated, while waiting at my dentist's office, I changed my mind. Slightly. Josh Abraham takes some of the most classic pundits … Continue reading Underrated by Josh Abraham

The Unburied by Charles Palliser

~ foodinbooks ~ 14 Comments

Charles Palliser is my favorite author after Umberto Eco, writing as he does in the most lucid, erudite, intellectual and bawdy style that sucks you into the vivid, dirty, and virulent world of Victorian, post-Industrial England. His settings are the traditional British country house or vicarage, manor or townhouse, and his Dickensian-named characters show off the … Continue reading The Unburied by Charles Palliser