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Americans in France: Mastering the Art of French Murder and (not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living

26 Apr

Mastering the Art of French Murder
by Colleen Cambridge
Mastering the Art of French Murder is the first book in a new series by Colleen Cambridge. I received an advanced reader’s copy from the publisher and Netgalley so I could give you an honest review. The novel is set in post WWII Paris, where Julia Child’s fictional best friend, Tabitha, is living with her Grandfather and “Oncle” Rafe. Fans of Julia and France will be happy to see that details about both were well researched and Cambridge depicts them in loving detail. Tabitha worked in a factory during war time in Michigan and feels at odds with returning to a world where women are expected to wear dresses and simply get married, so takes the opportunity to temporarily relocate to Paris and works as an English tutor, while trying to decide what her next chapter in life will be. She also struggles in the kitchen and looks to her friend for cooking tips, which allows for some fun, light hearted moments amongst a mystery committed with Julia’s own chef knife. I enjoyed Tabitha and her interactions with her family and friends, but they mystery itself is also a clever one that draws from historic details. I’m hoping there will be many more in the charming American in Paris Mystery Series. Cambridge is the pen name of Colleen Gleason who has published a variety of books including the Phyllida Bright Mysteries, another cozy series published under Colleen Cambridge.

If you are left hungering for French food after reading the story, you can check out how to make everything from Boeuf Bourguignon to Chocolate Soufflé from Julia Child in The French Chef Volumes 1-4.

For those looking for books about or including Julia for kids check out my previous post where I helped my son do research about the culinary icon.

(not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living
by Mark Greenside
(not quite) Mastering the Art of French Living is the sequel to Mark Greenside’s memoir I’ll Never be French (no matter what I do). Greenside though now splitting his time between America and France is still learning to fit in. This memoir discusses everything from his struggles with driving, money exchange, healthcare and learning to be more adventurous with food. I was particularly interested in this work since I had spent a summer in Brittany and Paris with my grandparents as a teenager and was eager to see how his experiences were similar or different from my own in comparison to his time in Brittany. Greenside definitely is a bit of a curmudgeon, but in putting forth this version of himself the annoyance or frustrations he feels struggling with another culture play off as humorous and more self-deprecating than offensive towards those he interacts with, which can always be a possibility with travel fiction. I listened to the audiobook version narrated by Richard Poe, who brings Greenside’s humorous and at times touching tales to life.

Looking for more Americans in Paris; check out my review of the adorable TV series, Emily in Paris.

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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Sweet Fairytales from Hoopla: A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking and Fairytale Baking

7 Sep

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking
by T. Kingfisher
My mother’s favorite children’s story was a Golden Book edition of The Gingerbread Man by Nancy Nolte; she’d often read it to my sister and I and now our children as well.  You probably have heard a version of it about a gingerbread man who runs away and no one can catch.  What isn’t really ever explained is how the gingerbread man came to life in the first place.  Kingfisher’s A Wizard Guide to Defensive Baking might give a hint at how it could take place. 

The hero of A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking, Mona is a fourteen-year-old who despite having some wizarding powers, works in her aunt’s bakery.  That’s because unlike other wizards, her powers work solely on baked goods; her familiar is a sourdough starter and she can create gingerbread man golems.  However, when a body turns up at the bakery, Mona’s life begins to change and she learns that her powers might be just what is needed to save the city from dark forces.  You can borrow it as a digital audiobook from Hoopla; Patricia Santomasso gives a stellar performance which brings the spunky young heroine to life.

If you like spins on classic tales, you might also want to check out Kingfisher’s recent adaptation of Poe’s The Fall of the House of Usher, What Moves the Dead, which I previously reviewed.  Several of the over 150 audiobooks that Santomasso has recorded are available from Hoopla including the most recent books in the Lucky O’Toole Vegas Adventure Mystery Series.

Fairytale Baking
by Christin Geweke
Warning, listening to Kingfisher’s work might leave you desiring sugary delights, but Christin Geweke’s Fairytale Baking has plenty of sweet treats if you love to bake to cure your cravings. 

Fairytale Baking recipes are broken into five sections, before each section is a story that provides loose inspiration towards the recipes that follow.  The fairytales included are Snow-White and Rose-red (Classic Beauties); Hansel and Gretel (Sweet and Scrumptious); Mother Holle (Icing Sugar and Chocolate); The Star-Money (Divine Baking) and The Princess and the Pea (Airy Delights).  She also includes some helpful hints at the beginning of the book such as the proper use of gelatin and how to substitute ground nuts for some of the flour in a recipe.

You’re sure to find something you want to try in recipes Geweke describes as the type which, “marries exquisite classics with contemporary ingredients,” Like many classic fairytales from the Brothers Grimm, there are spins on German favorites like Baumkuchen Triangles and an Orange and Pistachio Kugelhopf or like the influential work of Charles Perrault‎, French delicacies such as Spiced Macarons and Crème Brulee Tartlets.  But every country and region have their own classic stories and hence there are also treats like the Austrian Light Sachertorte, Italian Tiramisu Cake and Asian inspired Matcha and Vanilla Cookies.  I’d like to try the Chocolate Hazelnut Swiss Roll and Macadamia Cupcakes now that the summer’s heat is receding and it is perfect time to have the oven on to take away the morning chill.

Do you have a favorite fairytale inspired book or baked treat?  Share it with us in the comments!

Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager

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