TTT: Top Ten Books That Gave Me Food Cravings

Okay, not technically this week’s topic, but I wanted to avoid blogging confessions because I feel l don’t have enough to confess that I haven’t already. If that makes any sense. But alright, if I do have to confess something bloggy, it’d definitely be my passion for playing with food in a geeky-nerdy fashion. So why not combine food and books together to make a Top Ten Tuesday post?

Food descriptions add to the feel of the environment. Sometimes to the story itself (I mean, maybe the food is so good but oh so poisoned…). More than likely, characters have important conversations over a nice fire with venison or rabbit or all that other good stuff. And those description tend to give me a craving for the food that’s currently being described. So my Top Ten Tuesday will illustrate that!

Top Ten Books That Gave Me Food Cravings:

Soulless by Gail Carriger
To be honest, I think a number of Carriger’s Parasol Protectorate and Finishing School books have descriptions of custards and teas and cakes within the story. Whether it’s Alexia tripping over a tray of delectable sweets or Sophronia letting tarts fly out onto unassuming noble ladies, there’s no denying that there’s plenty of food to be found littering the pages.
Particular craving: Tea and pastries.

A Storm of Swords by G.R.R. Martin
I’m pretty sure most of A Song of Ice and Fire have descriptions of food throughout the entirety of the series, but it’s in A Storm of Swords that I found the feasting to be prolific. It is, after all, the book with two great weddings, one of which had 77 courses planned out.
Particular craving: Meat pies and some of that Arbor wine.

Hounded by Kevin Hearne
Atticus frequents a diner-type area near his home, and often he has conversations with his vampire and werewolf lawyers there. The druid also attests that it’s the best damn place for fish and chips.
Particular craving: Fish and chips and beer.

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Given the fact that protagonist Yelena is the designated food taster, it’s imperative that the plot revolves around the foods and drinks she consumes. Snyder does a tremendously great job describing the food, and often throughout the story I’m craving several different types of food at once.
Particular craving: Sweetened buns, smallcakes, and chocolate.

Goblin Market by Christina Rossetti
This is technically a narrative poem about two sisters, one of whom gets ensnared in a trap laid out by goblins. While I could very well point to another short story version by Laini Taylor (titled “Goblin Fruit” I believe), I liked this telling because of both the Arthur Rackham illustrations that accompanied the book I had, and the poetic tone of the story itself. While I won’t necessarily take fruits from the goblins, I wouldn’t mind a bowl of fresh strawberries. And cherries. And raspberries.
Particular craving: Fresh berries.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
Several characters will continually bring up this “mysterious” fruit–which, you evidently will find out is the long-forgotten rambutan. Several other fruits and varieties of genetically-modified foods are found in the pages as well, but the rambutans are what’s up.
Particular craving: Southeast Asian fruits, particularly rambutan.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins I think this also has to do with the movie, where we see the game makers snacking on roast pig and other sumptuous meals. But Collins also did describe several feasts awaiting the Tributes before they were led off into slaughter. While Katniss may not have been hungry half the time, I sure was.
Particular craving: Venison, roast pig.

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
There were a lot of things to love about Westerfeld’s Leviathan series, but it’s Behemoth that truly and absolutely shined for me. It gave us a speculative look at Istanbul during the First World War, and my gosh, the description of aromatic Turkish coffee. Instant craving, that.
Particular craving: Turkish coffee.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
If that ain’t a given. Also another film-related thing, but the book mentions it as well. Sometimes when I go to the city and walk around the shopping district, I often do find myself taking a croissant and eating in front of the Tiffany’s windows displays. Of course, I don’t do it nearly as elegantly as Audrey Hepburn, but whatever.
Particular craving: Croissants.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
This book seems to constantly sneak up on my TTT list, but for good reason! In order to immerse the reader into the main character’s childhood, Gaiman uses the sense of taste and smell to facilitate memory. Which leads the book to several descriptions of food, from burnt toast to rolled-up pancakes to meals of beans and mash and chicken, just like how grandma made them.
Particular craving: Pancakes and rolled oats with syrup.