April is here! When I’m not sweeping pollen off the porch or my car, I love being outside in the warm spring sunshine. There’s just something perfect about reading outside at this time of year. And what’s even better, it’s almost time for summer recipes. So today, we’re talking about two of my favorite food books, each with their own takes on delicious foods of all kinds. But first, bookish goods!
Looking to elevate your reading life? Tailored Book Recommendations is here to help with handpicked recommendations. Tell the Bibliologists at Tailored Book Recommendations about what you love and what you don’t. You can get your recommendations via email or receive hardcovers or paperbacks in the mail. And with quarterly or annual plans available, TBR has something for every budget. Plans start at just $18! Subscribe today.
Bookish Goods
Bread & Butter Bookmark by hellolittlesomething
Since we’re talking about food books today, I thought these adorable little bookmarks were perfect. I love illustrations of food. Too cute. $3
New Releases
No Son of Mine: A Memoir by Jonathan Corcoran
Right around the time the pandemic starts, Jonathan Corcoran’s mother dies. In this deeply moving memoir, Corcoran works through his grief for a woman who disowned him when she found out that he was gay. He takes us back to his childhood in the mountains of West Virginia, giving us insights into his life growing up as a gay Appalachian boy.
The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tometich
Annabelle Tometich’s story opens when her mother is arrested for shooting at a man messing with her mango trees. Tometich’s new memoir is funny and heartwarming as it looks at her childhood growing up as a mixed-race Filipina living in suburban Florida.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci
I am obsessed with all sorts of stories around food, but Italian food is one of my favorites. So when I picked up Taste by Stanley Tucci, I knew I was in for a good time. Tucci tells us the story of his life through his relationship with food. We learn about his childhood as an Italian American and the many meals he ate with his family. We go to Italy as he reconnects with his heritage and then to New York City as he pursues his acting career. No matter where Stanley Tucci goes, he is sure to find a great plate of food. I loved how Tucci also describes the dishes with such detail that we can attempt to make the dishes ourselves — he even provides recipes for some of his favorites!
Mango and Peppercorns: A Memoir of Food, an Unlikely Family, and the American Dream by Tung Nguyen, Katherine Manning, Lyn Nguyen, with Elisa Ung
Tung Nguyen and Katherine Manning met in the 1970s when Manning hosted Nguyen, who had just fled Vietnam at the end of the war. Their relationship grew into something like family as they became business partners and started Hy Vong, a Vietnamese restaurant in Miami. Lyn Nguyen, Tung Nguyen’s daughter, also grew up working at the family restaurant. These three women tell their stories, which are interconnected and overlapping. This multi-narrative effect gives this memoir a unique feel, reminding food lovers of the incredible amount of work that goes into creating a restaurant and the great food they serve.
You can find me over on my substack Winchester Ave, over on Instagram @kdwinchester, on TikTok @kendrawinchester, or on my podcast Read Appalachia. As always, feel free to drop me a line at kendra.d.winchester@gmail.com. For even MORE bookish content, you can find my articles over on Book Riot.
Happy reading, Friends!
~ Kendra