Paul Hollywood might want to read these books
I think that Guy Fieri should host the Oscars. That’s possibly because I believe that no award show is fit without some good food and well-meaning-but-equally-quippy comments of which Fieri has plenty. It’s likely also because, over quarantine, I found the beauty of cooking and baking shows.
There is one in particular, beyond the bright lights and loud voices of the Food Network, from another continent. Maybe you know of it. There’s some gingham tablecloths, a certain judge with blue eyes that can see directly into your souls, two mischievous sidekicks, “bingate” and a mantra that there shall be “no soggy bottoms:” the “Great British Bake Off”
(or GBBO depending on your persuasion). I was excited when I opened Twitter to see Netflix announce a new episode of the show will be released every Friday starting Sept. 24. I was ecstatic for yet another reason to look forward to Fridays and perhaps an excuse to try my hand at a way-too-complicated recipe.
My personal culinary talent extends only to the frozen food aisle at Trader Joe’s. My own lack of expertise isn’t to say that I can’t appreciate food. In fact, it is probably because of my limited recipe expertise that I love food so much. Of course, nowhere are food descriptions so plentiful than books (and recipe books, I suppose).
The first book that makes me crave food is “This Time Next Year” by Sophie Cousens. It’s chock-full of female friendship, the “where do you see yourself this time next year?” and, of course, food. Our main character Minnie Cooper (yes, you read that right) is a chef battling bad luck that characterizes her whole life. At a New Year’s Eve party that falls on her birthday, she spends the whole night trapped in the bathroom and her rescuer happens to be Quinn Hamilton, who she believes has stolen her luck. This book makes me crave food as Minnie’s pie business, No Hard Fillings, is frequently lauded for having the absolute best pies. It’s a sweet book that has its share of grand romantic gestures,missed opportunities and fittingly, more than one reference to GBBO.
You may have heard about slam-poet Elizabeth Acevedo’s breakout freshman novel “The Poet X,” but I think it’s about time that you also checked out her 2019 novel “With the Fire on High,” which tackles teen pregnancy, ambition and a teen’s culinary aspirations. Our main character, high school senior Emoni, treats the kitchen as therapy. Emoni hopes to go to Spain to become a chef and cook with her culinary arts class, but her child “Babygirl” has changed all of that. In place of section dividers, each one begins with a recipe such as “Emoni’s ‘No Use Crying Over Spilled Strawberry Milk’” and instructions that include “keep on the stove for the duration of three listens to a Cardi B song.” Acevedo’s prose is as sharp and as warm as the verse that made up “The Poet X” and the book feels familiar — not because it is derivative but because I suppose that’s what food does to you.
Whenever I hear bubblegum pop on the radio, I immediately remember that I am probably due for a reread of Jenny Han’s much-adored “To all the Boys I’ve Loved Before.” I am nearly certain that you have probably heard that title in relation to adaptation stars Noah Centineo and Lana Condor, but I am here to remind you (from my own personal experience) the book is better! Han’s first installment in the trilogy is akin to bubblegum pop, not because it is pure fluff, but because it feels bright while tackling some significant issues. If Acevedo’s books scream autumn, Han’s books feel like the one day in between winter and spring. In the first chapter, two of the three sisters make snickerdoodles together, already symbolizing how food brings them together. The plot follows our main character Lara Jean and her five love letters that get mistakenly sent out by a mysterious someone and the chaos that ensues as a result. Han writes as if Lara Jean is just talking to the reader about her day over a cup of coffee in a very aesthetically pleasing coffee shop.
The final book that makes me hungry is actually a longtime favorite I find to be terribly underrated. “The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender” by Leslye Walton is a young adult, magical-realism, multigenerational story that deserves to be adorning your “BookTok” feed. It follows a family through many different eras and heartbreaks. Of course, the image of a French bakery with warm bread and pastries is brought to life by the lyrical writing. I’ve never been able to write a coherent review of this book partially because of how it has nestled itself into my favorites shelf. It is a perfect read as we make our way into autumn.
If the forthcoming season of pumpkin bread and warm soup has already invited you back into the world of reading, check out the books above. Maybe by the time of my next column, I’ll have mastered Lara Jean’s snickerdoodles.
Rachel Bernstein is a senior writing about books in relation to the arts and entertainment news of the week. Her column “Read a Book Today” runs every other Friday.