Weekend picks for book lovers
What should you read this weekend? Paste BN’s picks for book lovers include a rich history of American cuisine, and two new mysteries.
Eight Flavors: The Untold Story of American Cuisine by Sarah Lohman; Simon & Schuster, 229 pp.; non-fiction
When Sarah Lohman describes herself as a “historic gastronomist,” she is being too modest. She is an accomplished writer and intrepid traveler. She knows what Americans eat, what our ancestors ate and why.
In tracing the spicy sagas of eight flavors that most modern consumers take for granted — such as black pepper, vanilla and soy sauce — Lohman’s narrative encompasses a good deal of social and political history as well.
Just as individuals are what they eat, a nation’s evolving food preferences reveal a great deal about its character. And America boasts “the most fascinating and complicated cuisine on the planet,” according to Lohman.
So where did all of our flavorful faves come from? The vast majority migrated here from other places and other people. For example, when Thomas Jefferson was posted in France in the 1780s, he took a shine to the food; he returned home not simply with recipes for decadent delicacies, but also with a French chef in tow.
Paste BN says ***½ out of four stars. “Engaging…(Lohman) writes with passion and insight.”
In Sunlight or In Shadow: Stories Inspired by the Paintings of Edward Hopper edited by Lawrence Block; Pegasus, 288 pp.; fiction
In this anthology, big-name writers including Stephen King, Lee Child and Joyce Carol Oates offer mysterious tales inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper.
Paste BN says **** stars. “Superb… Hopper, America’s great, mournful, lyric realist, deserves a tribute of this grace and sensitivity.”
The Champagne Conspiracy by Ellen Crosby; Minotaur, 368 pp.; fiction
In this seventh cozy mystery set in Virginia’s wine country, winemaker Lucie Montgomery has two mysteries to solve, when she’s not contemplating tannins.
Paste BN says *** stars. “Charming, funny... a superior cozy.”
The Way of the Writer: Reflections on the Art and Craft of Storytelling by Charles Johnson; Scribner, 256 pp.; fiction
Novelist Johnson (Middle Passage) offers a guide to good writing, drawing on the classes he taught for many years in the creative writing program at the University of Washington.
Paste BN says *** stars. “Complex, daunting and rewarding.”
Conclave by Robert Harris; Knopf, 286 pp.; fiction
Harris cracks open the doors of the Sistine Chapel to imagine the mysterious, secretive process of elevating one man to near godliness after the (fictional) pope dies.
Paste BN says *** stars. “Quietly pulsates with intrigue... Harris’ clever plot machinations slowly draw you in.”
Contributing reviewers: David Holahan, Charles Finch, Barry Singer, Jocelyn McClurg