By following the clear instructions step-by-step, I had a pair finished before I knew it and I was hooked. Soon I discovered another favorite book, Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road: Sock Patterns for the Traveling Knitter. Each pattern is inspired by a different country, and I found a pattern that I really liked, the Conwy, that I could easily manage. After knocking a couple pairs of these off, I was ready to try designing my own socks. Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch with its basic sock design and tons of patterns to choose from, made that a snap. What's next? You might just find me checking out a book to try knitting a pair from the toe up.
TS

I especially enjoy listening to these books, and I recently finished the highly entertaining Heat: An Amateur’s Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany by Bill Buford.

Bill Buford is a journalist and foodie who decided to find out what it was really like to be a chef. He gained admission to the Babbo kitchen (a restaurant owned by his idol, Mario Batali) and in earthy, amusing prose tells of his three years learning – and surviving – the high pressure world of creating amazing food. Once on this path, Buford begins traveling to places such as Italy where he is introduced to additional cooking methods and cuisine – as well as the characters who prepare them (one person is introduced as being "fond of his drink and capable of starting a fight in an empty room"). The audiobook is wonderfully read and - warning - will leave you hungry!

Another author I really enjoy reading/listening to is Ruth Reichl, who has a lyrical way with words and as former editor-in-chief of Gourmet magazine, as well as a restaurant critic of the The New York Times (1993-1999), knows her food. I started with Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret life of a Critic in Disguise.

We have a list with more memoirs, as well as some of the many great fiction titles that also have cooking as a central theme, called "Stirring the Plot" - take a look for more mouth-watering reading ideas!

marlise

Have you discovered "My Discoveries" in Aquabrowser yet? This is one slick feature. Available from the library's new online catalog, use it to create personalized virtual book lists that can be accessed remotely, anytime.

As good reads are recommended to me by both patrons & staff, I've started tagging them as such to help me remember who suggested what and why. Handy!

Click on the MY DISCOVERIES box to get started. Need help? Stop by the Information Services or Readers Services Desks.

jdc

"Join us for Chicago's most popular book binge. Browse through more than 120,000 used books in 70 categories. Scour the sale for amazing deals on cookbooks, music, fiction, art books, children's literature, collectibles, and much, much more. Most books are under $2."

Let the treasure-hunting begin!

jdc

Avid readers can look forward to a new work from Sara Gruen, the author of Water for Elephants. In Ape House a group of apes are kidnapped from a language laboratory and subsequently cast on a reality TV show (love that premise!!).

In By Nightfall, Michael Cunningham, the author of The Hours, tells the story of a happily married, middle-aged couple whose world is rocked (and not in a good way) when her brother shows up.

Fans of Jonathan Franzen's 2001 best-seller The Corrections get their Freedom from waiting for his next take on contemporary anxiety with a new tale that targets arch conservative politics, the green movement, and Big Coal.

Best-selling author Julia Glass returns with The Widower's Tale, the story of an active but lonely man who rexamines the choices he made in the years following his wife's death.

Fans of John Sandford's "Prey" spin-off series will welcome back Virgil Flowers as he investigates a multi-generation, multi-family conspiracy involving a series of monstrous crimes in Bad Blood.

And speaking of series, Janet Evanovich launches a new one with Wicked Appetite, introducing pastry chef Lizzie Tucker.
ch

Recent Staff Picks for thrillers include The Afghan by Frederick Forsyth and The Virgin of Small Plains by Nancy Pickard

marlise

The first one I've fallen for is Alicia Silverstone's The Kind Diet. I was on the hold list several weeks for this and it was worth the wait. Silverstone is vegan and in a not too preachy way she makes a case for eating plants rich in vitamins and minerals, avoiding sugar, being kind to your body and to the planet. There are some exotic ingredients that I haven't found in local markets, but there are also plenty of easy-to-find-and cook items. Check it out! (641.5636 SIL)

Needing something to wash down all that Nabeyaki udon, my hankerings drifted to thoughts of smoothies.

This healthy drink cookbook passed all my cookbook criteria: funny/inspiring text, great visuals and recipes which are tasty and doable. Innocent is a UK company trying to make the world a calmer place one smoothie at a time. (641.875 INN)

And finally, I'm a little bit in love with Mark Bittman (and Phil Jackson, but that's growing stale) of The NY TImes. He's written extensively about the food industry. His recipes are usually quite simple and yet totally delicious. I've been enjoying How to Cook Everything: Vegetarian Cooking. (641.5636 BIT)

Jane S.

Edinburg was lovely, but you certainly don't have to travel that far for your own literary thrill. If you need a starting point, why not check out Traveling Literary America: A Complete Guide to Literary Landmarks by B. J. Welborn. For more options even closer to home, there's The Booklover's Guide to the Midwest: A Literary Tour by Greg Holden. Happy exploring!

marlise

jdc

The ESPN World Cup Companion: Everything You Need to Know About the Planet's Biggest Sports Event by David Hirshey and Roger Bennett (796.334668 HIR)

The World Cup: The Complete History by Terry Crouch (796.334668 CRO)

Kick the Balls: An Offensive Suburban Odyssey by Alan Black (796.334 BLA)
"Fever Pitch meets Trainspotting in this laugh-out loud, caustic account of one man's attempt to coach a peewee soccer team"

Bloody confused!: A Clueless American Sportswriter Seeks Solace in English Soccer by Chuck Culpepper (796.334 CUL)
"In the throes of becoming jaded and cynical about the American sportswriting scene, Culpepper, a London-based Los Angeles Times journalist covering European sporting events, writes about the internationally known Premiership soccer league and its overzealous fans..."

More Than Just a Game: Soccer vs. Apartheid: The Most Important Soccer Story Ever Told by Chuck Korr with Marvin Close (796.334 KOR)

Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the US, Japan, Australia, Turkey--and Even Iraq--are Destined to Become the Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski (796.334 KUP)

Outcasts United: A Refugee Team, An American Town by Warren St. John (796.334 StJ)
"The extraordinary tale of a refugee youth soccer team and the transformation of a small American town"

Love and Blood: At the World Cup with the Footballers, Fans, and Freaks by Jamie Trecker (796.334668 TRE)

mcs

But not just one--how about a book that suggests 100 Must-Read Books for Men? If your dad loves Clancy and Patterson, Ludlum and W.E.B. Griffin, he's going to appreciate this little paperback packed with suggestions for the reader who enjoys detailed, fast-paced thrillers.

Want to take a look? A copy is available at the Readers Services Desk.

jdc

ch

My recent favorite is by romance writer Tessa Dare who used her own camera and family toys to make a creative and funny trailer for her "Stud Club" trilogy. Enjoy!