The Master’s Apprentice by Oliver Pötzsch

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

The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester

One of the most verbose and least credible narrators I've come across in recent literature, the hero of The Debt to Pleasure, one Tarquin Winot, is a total and complete food snob. He opens the book with the line "This is not a conventional cookbook,” and no, it most certainly is not. Just as Tarquin … Continue reading The Debt to Pleasure by John Lanchester

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

Sexy Sunday! Little Birds by Anaïs Nin

It's Sunday near the end of Lent, so what else could I have possibly read except some hard-core erotica by one of the world's foremost feminist writers? Yes, it's Sexy Sunday again, and Nicole of The Bookworm Drinketh has posted her own take on this book - and her alcoholic escape - over at her … Continue reading Sexy Sunday! Little Birds by Anaïs Nin

Sexy Sunday! Exit to Eden by Anne Rampling (Anne Rice)

WARNING: THIS BLOG POST CONTAINS VERY EXPLICIT SEXUAL REFERENCES AND LANGUAGE! LUCKY YOU! So Nicole at The Bookworm Drinketh and I are doin' the sexy again.......no, not like that, you perverts! We're revitalizing our blog collaboration Sexy Sunday, where we read a book notorious for its sex scenes, she blogs it in conjunction with a … Continue reading Sexy Sunday! Exit to Eden by Anne Rampling (Anne Rice)

Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

I've felt a bit burnt out with my blog writing lately, though I can't figure out if it's because I've read through most of the books I really wanted to, or just haven't felt the yen to cook. It's a combination of both, but I think the New Year and wintertime is so gray and … Continue reading Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris

Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

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 Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

This is the third Neil Gaiman book I've blogged, loving as I do his writing and the way he so smoothly moves his characters between reality and the shadowy, mythic "other" world where things are never quite what they seem. Gaiman's books are universal no matter your age because he treats childhood with the same … Continue reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Ghost Story by Peter Straub

"What was the worst thing you've ever done? I won't tell you that, but I'll tell you the worst thing that ever happened to me.....the most dreadful thing." That's how Ghost Story begins, with The Chowder Society telling terrifying tales. The Chowder Society sounds like a cooking club, doesn't it? Not in this book, though. To close … Continue reading Ghost Story by Peter Straub

Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

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