It may still be pushing 80 degrees in many parts of the U.S., but as evidenced by the excitement for Pillsbury cookies and pumpkin cold foam, fall once again cannot come soon enough. While we wait in anticipation for the leaves to turn, now is as good a time as any to stock up your bookshelves for those upcoming cozy nights. However, for any foodie, it often proves difficult to find a casual read that isn’t a book of recipes. But, we got you covered! Here’s our picks for the best food-themed books to bundle up with — best paired with a hot drink and fuzzy blankets.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Michelle Zauner, known musically as Japanese Breakfast, tells the true and heart wrenching story of her complicated relationship with her mother. After her mother’s sudden cancer diagnosis, Zauner attempts to reconnect with her via Korean food, often returning to nostalgic recipes and foods that taste of home. This special memoir is a reminder of how food is a vessel for cultural memory and reveals how it can carry us through grief and loss.
Save Me The Plums: My Gourmet Memoir by Ruth Reichl
Seasoned food writer and restaurant critic Ruth Reichl recounts her early years in the industry and her unexpected breakthrough as an editor for Gourmet Magazine. Pre-Internet, Reichl shares an insider look at how this publication uniquely transformed the world of food writing and critique — all under her leadership.
Writers and Lovers by Lily King
In the midst of an early 30s mid-life crisis, protagonist Casey Peabody struggles to piece together what’s left of her dreams while waiting tables in Harvard Square. At work, she deals with snobby, wealthy customers while at home, she throws together her own meals and tries to continue her perpetually-unfinished novel. While food might not be the first thing one thinks of when diving into this story, Lily King consistently hints at the various ways in which food and food culture can play a role in our lives.
Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
Mother Kambirinachi is estranged from her twin daughters, Kehinde and Taiye, when Kehinde experiences a childhood trauma that alters the course of her life. Meanwhile, Taiye, feeling guilt for her sister’s suffering, escapes her pain through casual hookups. Food and cooking is what eventually brings Taiye peace, while Kehinde works in a restaurant in Montreal. Ekwuyasi’s flowing prose shares the story of these three women who find solace in food and its comfort, and how they eventually all return to Lagos to repair olds wounds nearly a decade later.
Still Life by Louise Penny
Still Life is a mystery-thriller that is instigated by the discovery of Jane Neal’s dead body in the woods, a once well-loved artist in the small village of Three Pines. While categorized as a who-dun-it, the book also explores themes of human nature and secrets, while still keeping a delightful, cozy ambience with the town’s beloved bistro and B&B. Set in Quebec’s beautiful fall season, this is a riveting yet heartwarming story that is interspersed with delicious descriptions of food that will keep your mouth watering.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Chemist Elizabeth Zott didn’t expect to find herself as a single mother, nonetheless the host of the hit cooking TV show Supper at Six. Her science knowledge bodes well for her in the culinary world, yet her honest and straightforward attitude about feminism stirs the pot, making controversial claims on air about the role of a 1960s housewife. This novel is hilarious and outside-of-the-box–a perfect read for food and science lovers alike.
Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
A true love letter to the Midwest, this book tells the story of single father Lars Thorvald and his daughter, Eva, as he is determined to teach her a love of food. Eva goes on to become a talented chef, cooking up Minnesota favorites like lutefisk and dessert bars. Interestingly, while the novel is centered around Eva’s development, the novel is told from the perspectives of other people who knew her throughout her life. Heartening and bittersweet, Kitchens of the Great Midwest reveals how food can create a sense of community and identity.