Tag: olive oil

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

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This book was previously blogged about by a fellow food blogger, Cara Nicoletti, whose page Yummy Books was one of the inspirations for starting my own food and book blog. The Vacationers is about a family's secrets and dysfunctions that come out over two weeks when they are vacationing in their house in Mallorca. I … Continue reading The Vacationers by Emma Straub

Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

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Though I disliked the movie, which was absolutely nothing like the book (and not in a good way,) Under the Tuscan Sun is so beautifully written that you almost feel as though you're walking through sunlit fields of sunflowers in the countryside surrounding Cortona. Normally, I don't go for these types of memoirs, simply because the … Continue reading Under the Tuscan Sun by Frances Mayes

Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

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In memory of my beloved grandfather Tito Baca, who lived his life to the fullest. Just like Zorba. Zorba the Greek is a man well known to me. This book, as well as the movie, was something I read as a teenager, not really "getting" it, but when I came across a used edition in … Continue reading Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

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One of the books I'd want to have with me if stranded on a desert island, this noir-style novel has everything you could want in an adventure story. The Shadow of the Wind is set in post-WWII Barcelona, and has tongue-in-cheek melodrama, mystery, forbidden love, a spooky mansion, hints of the supernatural, a strange, scarred … Continue reading The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

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Thanks to ET for the photography. Anymore, reading about the experiences of immigrants who come to this country seems to be the norm. It makes sense, after all. We are a country built almost entirely upon waves of immigrants from around the globe. My own family were immigrants from Spain and the Netherlands via Mexico … Continue reading The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

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Photography by me. I'm kind of embarrassed to admit this, but I never liked Death Comes for the Archbishop, probably because it was required reading when I was in the 6th grade. Anything forced is never something I want to do, even when it comes to reading. Isn't it amazing, though, how different it can … Continue reading Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather

The Shining by Stephen King

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Thanks to CHC for the photography. I don't think Stephen King has ever been accused of being a foodie, though he is most certainly the most visceral writer I've ever encountered. I've been reading his books since my early teens, starting with The Shining, as well as many others. But the story of the Torrance … Continue reading The Shining by Stephen King

The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

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Poe was always my literary boyfriend, even from a young age. I remember reading Edgar Allan Poe's Complete Tales and Poems as a little girl and being simultaneously freaked out and enchanted. He scared the living daylights out of me, but I still read his stories. I remember being terrified of black cats after coming … Continue reading The Pit and the Pendulum by Edgar Allan Poe

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

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The premise of this novel, The Little Paris Bookshop, is that books are medicine for the heart and the soul. I love that idea and believe it's true. Books have been my constant companion since childhood, my comfort when sad, and my solace when all hope seemed lost. I remember my grandmother, Nana Jean, reading … Continue reading The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

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I don't normally go for "best sellers," mainly because I've found that what sometimes constitutes a best seller, such as Fifty Shades of Grey, is actually terrible literature. In this case, I was quite happy to be wrong. The Girl on the Train is wildly popular and being made into a movie, and is so … Continue reading The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins