Hi, historical fiction fans!
I’ve been gathering up recipes for Thanksgiving with my family. It’s the first time in several years that a big group of us will be able to get together, and I’m excited to bring a few delicious dishes of my own to the table. Food and love have always been closely intertwined in my family, and despite its racist and colonial origins, that’s what Thanksgiving has always meant to me. It’s not about some vision of the past that never really existed; it’s about coming together to share food and love, to be thankful for what we have, and, whenever possible, to give back to others.
That means sharing not only with your own loved ones but with the wider community and world, as well. If you want to share some love this November, I highly recommend checking out The Wôpanâak Language Reclamation Project (which has a 3-star rating on Charity Navigator) or your local food bank. If you don’t have a specific one you’d like to donate to, check out the Arkansas Foodbank, my home state’s effort to combat hunger, with a 4-star rating on Charity Navigator. You can likely find your own community’s food bank by searching the Charity Navigator site, as well. Let’s take care of each other this Thanksgiving.
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Bookish Goods
Little Women Blanket from Good on Ya Studio
I want to cozy up with this lovely blanket from Etsy while I sip on some tea and crack open a classic book, don’t you? $72.
New Releases
The War Begins in Paris by Theodore Wheeler (November 14, 2023)
Two war correspondents in 1938 Paris, one a shy Mennonite woman, the other a legendary journalist, are drawn together and then torn apart as one becomes a fascist mouthpiece for Nazism. But how can a born and bred pacifist stop a woman hellbent on destruction?
Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park (November 7, 2023)
In this alternate history of Korea, the Japanese occupation in 1918 that dissolved after WWII has instead persisted, and now, a group of Korean patriots are working to unite a divided country. Through the eyes and actions of wildly different characters, Park imagines a past, present, and future in which utopia is possible.
For a more comprehensive list of new releases, check out our New Books newsletter.
Riot Recommendations
The best parts of Thanksgiving are family and food, so this week, I’m looking at books that dive deep into food, cooking, and family.
Good Taste by Caroline Scott
In England during the grips of the Great Depression, an author worried about her future is commissioned to write a history of food in Great Britain. Unfortunately, Britain isn’t exactly known for its food. Stella is determined to succeed anyway, and when her car breaks down, an antiques dealer shows her a side of England she never knew before, along with exactly the sorts of stories and food she needs to write a bestselling book.
The Chef’s Secret by Crystal King
Bartolomeo Scappi, a legendary Renaissance chef who served several popes and wrote one of the best-selling cookbooks of all time, warns his nephew that the contents of two strongboxes could put all their lives in danger if he doesn’t burn them. But Giovanni wants to learn his uncle’s secrets, and, after deciphering the journals he finds inside, he discovers a life story full of food, deception, and illicit love—not to mention recipes certain people would do anything to get in their possessions.
The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan
Winnie and Helen are best friends who have always kept each other’s secrets. But now, Helen believes she is dying and wants the truth to be known. Helen’s secrets aren’t only her own, though, and Winnie determines that if the truth is going to come out, she’ll be the one to tell it—including the parts even Helen herself doesn’t know.
That’s it for now, folks! Stay subscribed for more stories of yesteryear.
If you want to talk books, historical or otherwise, you can find me @rachelsbrittain on Goodreads, Instagram, and Litsy, my favorite bookish social media.
Right now, I’m reading A Crane Among Wolves by June Hur. What about you?