London Libraries Recommend...An Appetite for Reading is a selection of around 50 titles chosen and reviewed by the capital's librarians. The recommendations deliberately avoid pure recipe books but amongst the stories and memoirs you will find some ideas to get you cooking too.
Below are the personal stories of people who have strong views about food - they include a novel based on the true experiences of an anorexic and the memoirs of one of our best known cookery writers.
The selections includes books which are available in accessible formats on revealweb (i.e. large print, talking books or Braille) and these are indicated with 
Check out more Appetite for Reading titles:
fictionTo find the book in your local library click on the ISBN below and for a printable version of the full list click here»
ISBN: 0007205163
"Walking through the gardens of memory, I discover that my recollections are associated with the senses". Encompassing a multicultural history of seduction through food, ancient and modern stories about sex and eating, and titillating recipes are all part of Allende's fascinating odyssey. ... one of the best combinations of travel, food and storytelling
-- IslingtonCountry of origin: Chile
ISBN: 0091908930
Fascinating memoir of the author's Indian childhood, with mouthwatering memories of food and tempting recipes.
-- Newham
She has been such an influential writer, as well as an actress, and this is the story of her childhood and family, with lots of photos and recipes.She writes with such enthusiasm about food, and yet she couldn't cook until after she left home. Fascinating.
-- Southwark
An evocative story, rich with the tastes and aromas of Indian food and cooking.
-- Kingston
Actress turned cookery writer, Madhur Jaffrey's memoirs of her childhood
-- EalingCountry of origin: India
ISBN: 0747558213
Bourdain travels the world in search of the indigestible and this tale is not for those that like conventional cooking. Like it says on the cover 'a Cook's tour is an adventure story sure to give you indigestion'! The meals are bizarre and his humour is acidic. Fancy eating a cobra's heart whilst it's still beating?
-- IslingtonCountry of origin: France
Corfu banquet: a memoir with seasonal recipes - Emma Tennant
ISBN: 1840243813
This describes her parent's house in Rovinia and the heat-soaked Corfiot way of life. Interspersed with the memories are the wonderful recipes of the food that was enjoyed each season. I was inspired by this book to go on a culinary walking tour of Corfu town and although I enjoyed the company I was with, the tour guide was not so informative as Emma Tennant. She brings the sights and smells of the Mediterranean to the reader with none of the calories!
-- EalingCountry of origin: Greece
Hallelujah! The welcome table - Maya Angelou
ISBN: 1844081648
The idea of reliving your memories through food is a wonderful idea. It is amazing how even after many years an aroma of or the taste of a certain dish can bring back memories
-- BrentCountry of origin: United States
ISBN: 0747572496
The author is a journalist, sent to interview Dr Atkins, and realises it is time to understand his own obsession with food. Touching and funny at the same time.
-- City of LondonCountry of origin: United Kingdom
Julie and Julia - Julie Powell
ISBN: 0670915254
Stuck in a rut, Julie decides to take an old copy of Julia Child's 1961 book 'Mastering the art of French cooking' and cook at 500 odd recipes, one each day. The book follows her project and the impact it had on her life.
-- City of London
"Pushing thirty, living in an apartment in Queens and working at a dead-end secretarial job, Julie is, in a word, stuck. In her desperate search for an escape, she comes up with The Project - a deranged assignment, to take her mother's copy of Julia Child's 1961 classic "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and cook all 524 recipes in one year.
-- EalingCountry of origin: United States
The Kitchen congregation: a memoir - Nora Seton
ISBN: 075381075X
An beautifully written memoir about the lessons of life. All learned in the kitchen; birth, life and death are all covered in this heart-warming account, written in a style that makes you think that you are in a kitchen being chatted to whilst someone is at work. It leaves you with a warm feeling, almost as though you have just finished eating your favourite home-cooked meal.
-- WandsworthCountry of origin: United States
