Calling fellow food and book lovers! Do you want to feel immersed in the nostalgia of your favorite bowl of noodle soup? What about appreciate a fresh bite of summer fruit and where it came from? These authors explore food as it relates to memory, cu...
Map
Sections
7
queer romance fiction
graphic novels & picture books
celebrity memoir
nonfiction: short essays & memoir
cozy fiction
poetry
queer romance fiction
I remember this being an almost enthralling sapphic romance. Memorable and impactful story. Big CW for eating disorders/ disordered eating and body stuff, but if you're in a more grounded place with that in your life I do recommend! Can read with a f...
Milk Fed
this is a captivating modern queer romance with many characters to root for! featuring an enby neurodivergent character who I really loved. I added this to the food category because the first meet cute scene happens at a bar. Also, the act of creatin...
Triple Sec
this book had me HOOKED from start to finish and was worth all the hype (which means a lot coming from me bc I can be a skeptic of more popular picks!). If you're a romantic who loves food, wine, and travel, or someone who simply wants to get lost in...
The Pairing: Special 1st Edition
graphic novels & picture books
This is a children's book that I absolutely enjoyed as an adult!! Get a taste of the diversity in some of LAs neighborhoods by chasing after the paletero man (popsicle cart man) and dreaming over all the delicious flavors of paletas he sells!
Paletero Man
mooncakes was a delight! a witchy and sweet little graphic novel that will charm and entertain all your senses.
Mooncakes
awesome book about soul food and family tradition around food!
Soul Food Sunday
This was an AWESOME book for children that I learned from as an adult too. Would be a great gift for the parents or community gardeners in your life. Shows the power of school-aged kids in Harlem who transformed an empty trash lot into a thriving gar...
Cultivado en Harlem (Harlem Grown)
I read this while on a camping trip with friends and I remember feeling really inspired. A great non-intimidating introductory guide for folks newer to gardening who are ready to learn! Also the illustration style is so gorgeous and lush, love it.
I grew up watching Food Network and dreaming of becoming a chef. While I didn't end up taking that path, I've always been fascinated to learn more about folks who did grow to become renowned chefs. Marcus Samuelsson's story of family and identity and...
Yes, Chef
If you're moving through a phase of grief or want a space to tap into grief in your everyday life, this is the book for you. The ultimate “thought daughter” memoir. Zauner narrates her ties to food through her tried yet close relationship with her la...
Crying in H Mart
Alton is such a funny & smart guy and this memoir was nothing short of charming. The anecdote about the bread and the dumpster was hilarious.
Food for Thought
I enjoyed Ina's memoir much more than I expected! I love how she wove anecdotes about entreprenuership, her love story with her husband, and early career lessons into this book. Felt interesting and inspiring rather than aloof or holier than though, ...
Be Ready When the Luck Happens
nonfiction: short essays & memoir
This was delectable! Each chapter centers on a different food ie) vanilla, fig, crawfish, lumpia, framed by a gorgeous illustration. The author shares raw personal anecdotes along with the racial and cultural histories behind the ingredients. Carve o...
Bite by Bite
i made so many doodles and notes in my journal when reading this! you'll learn a lot of cool history behind plants and crops and their geographic & cultural stories.
Dispersals: On Plants, Borders, and Belonging
Jeff Chu entered Seminary with an interest in theology and left his time working at the Farminary with a renewed love for food! Loved the honest reflection on his learnings, shortcomings, and meals in community! Great read
Good Soil
wow this book was remarkably powerful. if you’re looking to read more works by indigenous authors, this is a must read. a raw and honest tale of Nephi’s journey through addiction via food, community, and connecting to the history of his white mountai...
Our Knives Will Save Us - memoir
cozy fiction
This is the first book in the three-part series and it sets the cozy and tender tone for the books to follow! You'll meet some cool characters and piece together their backstories (ie where they grew up, family memories, past regrets or traumas) as t...
The Kamogawa Food Detectives
A cozy sweet fantasy book that's a fan favorite for a reason. Grab a cup of coffee or tea and your favorite cinnamon bun and get reading to explore this world :)
Legends & Lattes
The nostalgia of the Kamogawa Food Detectives continues in book 2 of the series! Feel like you're recreating the diners' favorite dishes alongside the chef, or play detective along with his daughter to figure out why they crave the meals they do! A s...
The Restaurant of Lost Recipes
this series was WONDERFUL. I loved that the chapter structure repeated but the dish and individual customer's backstory changed, so you felt like you were on a nostalgic journey of recreating past memories through this special dish with them. warm &a...
Menu of Happiness
poetry
Ross Joy delivers with this gem of a collection he's gifted us. You will appreciate fall orchards and plums and neighbors and gardens more after reading this!
Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude
I remember reading the titular poem “The Orange” back in school and it stuck with me. So, I knew I had to buy this collection to gift to an old friend. Its simple nostalgia is timeless and makes this book a favorite of pals of all ages.
The Orange and Other Poems
speculative fiction/ fantasy
this was a fascinating book. still surprises me that it's not more known because it's genius. it's like if the kamogawa food detectives met black mirror- futuristic and awe inspiring but intriguing and clever.
Life Ceremony
futuristic noodle shop friends in a world on fire? count us in. part thriller part dystopian speculative fiction part comedy, you'll be laughing and crying as you read.