Highlighting the Mystery/Thriller Collection in December

With the fall semester drawing to a close and the winter holidays on the horizon, it is an excellent time to pick up some books to read over winter break. If you are ready to escape from class reading lists and academic texts, it is an excellent time to check out the holdings in the Leisure Reading collection. This month we are highlighting the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense section, and today we have a couple of reviews of new books in that genre.

Nameless, by Debra Webb
FBI Agent Ryan McBride was forced out of the agency for a kidnapping gone bad. Now, three years later, someone who thinks it was wrong that he was ousted wants him back in action. A young girl is kidnapped and the kidnapper will only deal with McBride, and the agency is forced to temporary reinstate him. The kidnapper sends clues to the girl’s whereabouts and signs them Devoted Fan. After McBride successfully finds her, the devoted fan kidnaps another victim. Devoted Fan hopes to show that the FBI made a mistake by forcing Agent McBride out and that by solving the kidnappings, he is the greatest agent the FBI ever had.

Rough Country, by John Sanford
Virgil Flowers is called away from a fishing tournament to investigate the shooting death of a woman at a resort in a nearby town. Certain clues left at the scene make the police think the shooter was a woman. As the investigation continues, the police discover other murders that seem to be related to the murder at the resort; but the attempted murder of another woman who has no connection to any of the other murder victims takes the police in a different direction. Thrown into the mix is an all girl country music band that seems to be the center of all the trouble.

- Eva Cook, mystery/thriller selector

Culinary Fiction

Love to read about food but prefer to read fiction? Today we’ve got a couple of novels to suggest for you.

Banana Heart Summer, by Merlinda Bobis

“For those who love to love and eat
For those who long to love and eat”

This is the first line of this lovely novel, set in a small town in the Philippines. 12-year old Nenita struggles with hunger, the trials of growing up, and an abusive mother. She ties her stories together with vivid descriptions of food – you can almost taste the fried bananas.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Potato peel pie doesn’t really sound like a delectable dish, but creativity is necessary in a time of war. London journalist Juliet Ashton is researching the small English Channel island of Guernsey, which was occupied by the Nazis during World War II. She begins to correspond with the people of Guernsey, all of whom have intriguing tales to tell—some heartbreaking; some hilarious. This is a great book to take home for Thanksgiving.

- Heidi Buchanan, contemporary fiction selector

International, Regional, and Ethnic Cuisine

“Food month” is still in full swing here at Hunter Library. Today we’re highlighting three books that look at ethnic cuisine in different ways: one is a history, one a memoir, and one a cookbook; but they all provide recipes that are likely different from your typical daily fare. Read on, and check back next week, when we will be reviewing some food-related novels.

Hog and Hominy: Soul Food from Africa to America, by Frederick Douglass Opie
This book presents a history of African American foodways, chronicling the origins, development, and influences of what is now known as “soul food”. Author Frederick Douglass Opie starts with the Atlantic slave trade and examines how traditional African cooking was adapted by slaves in British Colonial America, and follows historical events such as the Great Migration, the Great Depression, and segregation with an eye for how they influenced culinary trends in the African American community. The text includes historical photographs, a handful of recipes, and notes on where to go for further reading.

Tastes Like Cuba: An Exile’s Hunger for Home, by Eduardo Machado
A memoir based around playwright Eduardo Machado’s remembrances of the food of his home country. Machado and his family fled from Cuba in 1961, and here he tells the story of his early life in Cuba followed by his family’s adaptation to life in the United States, with food as the thread that ties the story together. Every chapter includes recipes.

You Are Where You Eat: Stories and Recipes from the Neighborhoods of New Orleans, by Elsa Hahne
A fascinating combination of biography and cookbook, documenting the lives and recipes of more than thirty home cooks in post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. Each chapter introduces a different cook, and each includes unique and interesting recipes, ranging from crawfish samosas (page 38) to “Cold Alligator Pear Bisque” (page 119; this doesn’t actually include alligator, “alligator pear” is another term for avocado!). As with the composition of New Orleans itself, the cultural and culinary backgrounds of the people in the book are diverse – including Creole, Native American, Mexican, Cajun, African American, and German, to name a few. The book is fascinating and appealing; a combination of cookbook and cultural study, complete with impressive photography and uncluttered design.

- Anna Craft, nonfiction selector

Culinary memoirs

Food writing isn’t limited to cookbooks and diet guides – today we are looking at a sampling of food-related memoirs, recommended for everyone from the foodie to the aspiring chef.

Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany, by Bill Buford
This memoir follows Author Bill Buford as he becomes indoctrinated into the world of professional cooking through trial-by-fire experiences and apprenticeships in kitchens from New York to Tuscany. One of these kitchens is in Mario Batali’s three-star restaurant Babbo, and Buford breaks from the memoir form to provide some backstory on Batali and his rise to fame. An engaging read for anyone interested in the behind-the-scenes world of professional cooking.

Wrestling with Gravy: A Life, with Food, by Jonathan Reynolds
Author Jonathan Reynolds may be familiar to readers from his biweekly food columns in The New York Times Magazine. He a man of many hats – actor, screenwriter, and playwright to name a few – and here he looks at his life through the lens of his lifelong interest in food. The book is interspersed with occasional recipes.

The Kitchen Diaries: A Year in the Kitchen with Nigel Slater, by Nigel Slater
The Kitchen Diaries is a day-by-day journal of a year in food writer Nigel Slater’s eating endeavors, complete with recipes and mouth-watering photographs. The focus is on the food and there are numerous recipes along the way; but the book reads as a journal-ed narrative, with entries tied together by Slater’s thoughtful reflections on life through eating, cooking, and entertaining. Slater is an excellent writer with an obvious love for and knowledge of food and cooking; and I can’t even flip through this without getting hungry!

- Anna Craft, nonfiction selector

Eating for health

Hunter Library’s Leisure Reading collection offers a wide array of cookbooks, including some for the health-and-diet conscious. If you are looking to lose weight, eat healthier, or if your diet is restricted due to gluten or lactose intolerance, we have some books you may want to check out. But remember – when you’re evaluating health claims and thinking about changing your eating habits, a talk with your doctor is a good place to start.

Chef MD’s Big Book of Culinary Medicine: A Food Lover’s Road Map to Losing Weight, Preventing Disease, and Getting Really Healthy, by John La Puma, M.D.
John La Puma writes from the unique perspective of someone who has been to both medical school and culinary school – he considers his field “culinary medicine” and defines it as “food that deliciously prevents and controls common conditions.” In the first part of the book he explains more about culinary medicine; he follows that with chapters on stocking a healthy kitchen, recipe and meal ideas with nutritional analysis, and eating suggestions for various health conditions. Also included is a bibliography, organized by subject, with suggestions for further reading.

Rethinking Thin: The New Science of Weight Loss – and the Myths and Realities of Dieting, by Gina Kolata
This is not a book about how to get thin quickly – but it is highly recommended for readers looking for an educated perspective on the “weight loss wars” going on in our country. Author Gina Kolata, a science writer for the New York Times, presents an engaging and well-written look at dieting in our thin-obsessed society. She looks at the history of fad diets in America and examines why most diets fail; while also following a real-life group of dieters in a University of Pennsylvania study comparing effects of the Atkins diet versus a low calorie diet – all written with a non-biased, common-sense approach.

The Eat Well Cookbook: Dairy-free and Gluten-free Recipes for Food Lovers, by Jan Purser and Kathy Snowball
A beautifully photographed cookbook filled with recipes designed for those with sensitivities or allergies to gluten and/or dairy products. The authors start out with tips on healthy eating and living, including how to manage food allergies, lose weight, and reduce stress. The recipes range from favorites like French toast with fruit compote to exotic dishes like grilled kofta with pomegranate and parsley salad. I want to try the baked pumpkin ‘gnocchi’ with roasted tomatoes and salsa verde!

- Anna Craft, nonfiction selector

Ethical Eating

Vegan? Vegetarian? Flexitarian? Trying to find your place in regards to making responsible food choices? Here are some books with a little food for thought, whether you’re considering cutting meat and/or animal products out of your diet, or if you eat meat but want to learn more about making healthy or green choices at the supermarket.

The Compassionate Carnivore, by Catherine Friend

Catherine Friend, carnivore and co-owner of a small farm that raises sheep for meat, looks at the ethics of eating meat. She considers environmental concerns such as sustainability in farming, the lives and deaths of farm animals and why their quality of life is important, as well as how people can make healthier and more responsible eating choices without completely giving up the consumption of meat.

Student’s Go Vegan Cookbook, by Carole Raymond

Interested in learning more about veganism or adding more vegan recipes to your repertoire? Or are you ready to take the plunge and completely cut animal products out of your diet? Either way, this book can help. Carole Raymond, author of The Student’s Vegetarian Cookbook, here looks at the basics of veganism, and includes health information, resources for further reading, and recipes for dishes ranging from breakfasts to main dishes to desserts and hitting everything in between. Most of the recipes are simple and quick, ideal for the busy student schedule.

- Anna Craft, nonfiction selector

Food Histories

Interested in how different foods are important to different parts of the world? Ever wanted to know more about the evolution of a certain dish? Today we’re looking at histories of specific dishes and types of food. These are just a sampling of what you can find in Hunter Library’s collection – all of these books are available in our Leisure Reading collection, but you can find more downstairs in the general collection, or order additional resources through ABC Express or Interlibrary Loan.

Beans: A History, by Ken Albala

Integral to the foodways of cultures the world over, beans and their historical and contemporary places in food and culture are examined here by culinary historian Ken Albala. In this book you’ll find history, science, recipes, and anecdotes, all told in a readable and engaging style. Albala also provides excellent references for those interested in further reading in relevant historical and scientific sources, or more deliciously – related cookbooks!

Ice Cream: the Delicious History, by Marilyn Powell

Love ice cream? Want to know more about its history? Or maybe you’re curious about ice cream headaches or the origins of the banana split? This is the book for you! Author Marilyn Powell traces at the history of this cold confection and how it has become the treat we know and love today. Powell includes a handful of recipes; among them is Thomas Jefferson’s own recipe for vanilla ice cream. Also included are notes on where to go for further reading.

Pancake: A Global History, by Ken Albala

More food history from Ken Albala – this time he is looking at pancakes and their sweet and savory relatives the world over, such as the Japanese okonomiyaki, the Ethiopian injera, the Indian dosa, and the Russian blini. Included are color photographs, recipes, and pointers for further reading. This volume is part of The Edible Series, which includes current and forthcoming books on topics such as pie, chocolate, curry, tea, and beer.

- Anna Craft, nonfiction selector

November: Focus on Food

For the month of November, Hunter Library’s Leisure Reading Group is highlighting the “edible” parts of our collection. Today we’re featuring some of the cookbooks in our collection – but cookbooks aren’t the only sort of food writing you’ll find here! Keep reading this blog all month as we feature other culinary parts of the Leisure Reading collection, including food history, culinary memoirs, eating for health, ethical eating, international cuisine, and fiction with culinary ties. Also be sure to check out our bookcart display in the Leisure Reading area, where you’ll find the titles we feature here, in addition to many other related books!

Whether you’re an experienced chef or you’re new to learning about cooking, our collection of cookbooks can help you spice things up in your kitchen with some fresh recipe ideas. Today we are looking at just a few examples of what you can find in the Leisure Reading collection – and remember, you can find many more cookbooks downstairs in the general collection. Search our online catalog, browse the TX section downstairs, or ask a librarian if you need help finding more.

The Foster’s Market Cookbook, by Sara Foster
If you’ve been to Foster’s Market in Durham or Chapel Hill, you’re probably already a fan of Sara Foster and her fresh, delicious meal ideas. If you haven’t gotten to experience Foster’s Market for yourself, this cookbook lets you try some of these dishes in the comfort of your own home. Recipes focus on seasonal ingredients and fresh flavors with some Southern flair. You’ll find scones, biscuits, quickbreads, omelets, frittatas, soups, sandwiches, salads, and all kinds of main dishes. The desserts are one of my favorite parts – try the Coconut Macaroons (page 247), the Blondies (page 252), or the Fresh Peach Cobbler (page 298).

Eating In: The Ultimate Comfort Food for Entertaining at Home, by Alison Price and Nanette Newman
This book angles itself towards those who want host leisurely meals for friends and family, complete with easy-to-prepare dishes that are delicious but not necessarily fancy. Dish ideas range from suggestions for breakfast to side dishes to desserts to dinners, with everything in between. The layout is clean with easy-to-follow recipes, and the photography is simply mouthwatering. I especially want to try the Apple, lime and ginger refresher (page 15), the Pumpkin waffles (page 30), and the Potato gratin (page 115)!

The 150 Best American Recipes, edited by Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens
This large book compiles favorites from the yearly Best American Recipes series. Recipes from well-known chefs and food personalities are represented, along with recipes from “undiscovered” cooks. Mark Bittman, Sara Foster, Thomas Keller, and Jamie Oliver are just some of the names you’ll find attached to recipes here; but the focus is really on the food. The recipes are tried and tested and range across cuisine styles, so there should be something for almost anyone. I want to try the charred tomatillo guacamole with seeded tortilla triangles (page 4), the lentil soup (page 54), the carrot, parsley, and pine nut salad with fried goat cheese (page 74), the cremini mushrooms with chive pasta (page 108), and the sticky toffee pudding with chocolate chips and toffee sauce (page 330).

- Anna Craft, nonfiction selector

Vampire Reads: Where to go to Find More

If you haven’t found something to sink your teeth into in our vampire reviews so far, here are some resources that may be able to help you find what you want. And remember, if you’re interested in a title that isn’t in our collection, you can use ABC Express or Interlibrary Loan to order it!

The Monster Librarian is one source for reviews of vampire fiction. A number of the books he reviews are either in our Horror collection or are currently on order. These include Vampire Apocalypse (Derek Gunn), Salem’s Lot (Stephen King), Vampyrrhic (Simon Clark), Blood Red (James A. Moore), Trailer Trash (Scott T. Goudsward) as well as others. Use the subject heading Vampires—Fiction to find others. He also writes reviews of young adult (YA) titles.

There is also an excellent Vampire bibliography, titled Vampire Readings: The Online Vampire Bibliography. This is an annotated listing, by author, and includes horror, romance and YA titles.
The bibliographer, Patricia Altner, also has a blog of more current vampire news.

Another good site for reviews of vampire fiction is LoveVampires. One can search for books by title or author and there is excellent information here on series “in reading order”! Each title has a synopsis as well as a review, and though not as comprehensive as the site above, the material is thorough.
Here is an interview with the editor of LoveVampires.

Lastly, there is a decent general discussion at Wikipedia on vampire fiction, with a list of historical titles of vampire books.

–Bob Strauss, Hunter Library Horror bibliographer, Oct. 14, 2009

More Vampire Romance

This week Hunter Library Leisure Reading is continuing to look at vampire-related fiction in our collection. Today we have a review of a comic/horror vampire love story; later this week we’ll be looking at some internet resources that can help you find further reading material.

You Suck: A Love Story, by Christopher Moore
From the author of Bloodsucking Fiends: A Love Story, comes the sequel vampire novel sure to raise your blood pressure level just from all the laughing you’re going to be doing! Not being a big fan of vampires, I began reading this book with every intention to just skim it in order to get the main points—and all vampire behavior aside—the writing hooked me! This is a funny book—a sort of comic-horror combo.
When nineteen year old Tommy falls for Jody, by page two he is “…dead, in love, and angry.” He’s also hungry—but the burrito he microwaves just doesn’t do it. Although he can now see in the dark, has superior hearing (he can even hear heartbeats), his need for nourishment leads him to buy a huge cat named Chet. This is because he wants to start his vampire life slowly, so instead of finding a person, he gets this cat. He and Jody shave it, and Tommy proceeds to chase Chet around the apartment. He catches him and….OK TIME OUT. POOR CAT! I know this is a vampire story, but geeze.
One of my favorite parts of the book is when Tommy and Jody, not satisfied with Chet (thank goodness), take to the streets to find new victims. After dining on an alcoholic street guy, Jody gets a hangover and says she feels like “death warmed over.”
The review for You Suck in LoveVampires, gives it an almost perfect score and the reviewer says: “…by far the funniest parts of You Suck are ‘The Chronicles of Abby Normal.’ Abby is the sixteen year old goth girl that Tommy recruits as his and Jody’s new minion. The Chronicles are entries from Abby’s diary and you can read her version of events as told in teenage girl goth style: “So I’m all…, she’s like…, and I’m like…, and she’s all…, and I was all….” The Chronicles of Abby Normal are hilarious and it’s worth reading You Suck for them alone.”
The Harper Collins Christopher Moore site sums it up very well:
“So if you’re looking for San Francisco scenery, hot vampire sex (similar to hot monkey sex, but hotter), giant shaven cats, the Cheddar Princess of Fond du Lac, and the Fighting Beatniks of Allen Ginsberg High School — four words:
YOU SUCK.
It doesn’t.”
- Sharon McLaurin, Romance selector