24 Delicious Books About Food to Devour in 2024

Books About food and Novels About food
24 Delicious Books About Food to Devour in 2024 30

We thought it would be fun to round up books that had us craving delicious treats, so below are some of our favorite fiction books about food. We’ve all been there. We are reading a book or watching a movie and some delicious dish is brought to our attention.

Then, the cravings begin. And once those cravings begin, we must get the food in question. Like hold the phone, don’t talk to me until that food has been consumed with abandon. These novels about food are as delicious to read as their titles suggest. Enjoy

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Table of Contents

Fiction Books About Food

little French Bistro

The Little French Bistro by Nina George

I loved this book! Marianne, an unhappy German woman embarks on a journey across France, by herself after a failed suicide attempt. Similar to the themes in The Little Paris Bookshop The Little French Bistro is a story about personal discovery and growth.

Ms. George is so rich in her descriptions of people, places, and food. This book was a joy to read. I loved how the characters in this story grew. They were lifted off the page until I felt that they were in the room with me. This story contained some components of magic that I loved. It was just enough to be believable without entering the realm of fairy tales. This is a must-read pick from novels about food.

recipe for persuasion

Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev

I loved the first book in the series so much. I could not wait to read this second book that is not only a Jane Austen retelling, but a delightful pick in novels about food.

I loved this fresh take on Jane Austen’s Persuasion. It was so much fun to read this classic retelling and I will admit that it made me very hungry.

Miss Cecliy

Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies: A Novel by Vicky Zimmerman

It is such a feel-good book but a fair warning- reading this book will make you very hungry! Kate’s life is not exactly where she thought it would be months before her 40th birthday. Her job is not secure and she has had to move back in with her mother after yet another break with her boyfriend.

What she finds is a grumpy, smart, and very smart 97-year-old lady named Cecily. The two ladies begin an unlikely friendship that will change them both forever. This book is charming and delightful and a great pick in novels about food.

second chance

The Second Chance Supper Club by Nicole Meier

Siblings can be our greatest source of strength or our greatest competition. Ginny and Julia Frank used to have a close sisterly bond until a tragedy from their past drove a wedge between them. 

Now estranged from each other, Ginny is still the first person Julia runs to when a headstrong decision throws her career into jeopardy. Set in the beautiful land of Arizona, Ginny and Julia have to face old wounds as Julia realizes that Ginny might just need her help too. This is a great book to add to your list of novels about food.

Fiction Books about Chefs

Audrey Hepburn Estate

Audrey Hepburn Estate by Brenda Janowitz

Emma, a celebrated chef and caterer, is upset that her childhood home is set to be demolished by a developer, Leo, who also used to live at the Audrey Hepburn Estate.

Emma was the housekeeper’s daughter, Leo, the chauffeur’s son, and rounding out their childhood trio was Henry, raised by his grandparents on the rolling estate out on Long Island. Long ago, Emma and Leo discovered a secret about Henry’s family and now that the estate is ready to be torn down, those family secrets are coming to light.

Part mystery, part love-triangle romance, this story has all the drama and intrigue I expect from Brenda Janowitz.

The Chicken Sisters

The Chicken Sisters by K.J. Dell’ Antonia

December 2020 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

This is another winner picked by Reese Witherspoon! This was an enjoyable family drama based around two sisters competing in a fictional reality tv food competition.

As the competition turns to tricks and sabotage, the sisters’ war with each other turns ugly. Family secrets just keep getting exposed and the hijinx gets better and better. This was the perfect light read to end 2020 and a perfect pick for a list of books about sisters. If you are looking for books about food, this should be on your must-read list.

sourdough

Sourdough by Robin Sloan

I adore Sloan’s book Mr. Penumbra’s 24-hour bookstore. I devoured it on New Year’s day 2015 on my way home from a family vacation. It was clever and unlike any story, I could remember. It perfectly paired technology with bookselling in an exciting new way that felt innovative. 

I was expecting the same technology and cooking innovation in sourdough and this quirky story delivered. When two brothers must leave San Fransisco because of visa issues, they give Lois their sourdough starter with the directions to keep it alive. The problem, she is a coder, not a baker. This is a fun and quirky pick from fiction books about food.

Romance Books About Food

Recipe for Charmed Life

Recipe for a Charmed Life by Rachel Linden

Georgia May Jackson is a sous-chef in Paris hoping for a big promotion where she will be the head chef at a restaurant. When she loses her boyfriend and sense of taste in one night her dreams seem like they may be gone forever.

She has no choice but to take time off and travel back home to Seattle with the hope of finding herself, her sense of taste, and her sense of purpose.

Georgia also had a way with flavors and her dishes had a way of making people feel while eating. As she heads home, she realizes that this may be more than just a gift for flavors.

I loved “The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie” and was so excited to read this book. It lived up to all my expectations and more. This is a sweet romance that will leave you smiling. #gifted

Find this book in Magical Realism Books / Books About Food / Enemies-to-Lovers Romance Books

Cafe by the Sea and other Jenny Colgan Books

The Cafe by the Sea (Mure Island Series #1) by Jenny Colgan

Jenny Colgan churns out another light beach read with heart. Cafe by the Sea is set on the gorgeous island of Muir in Scotland.

Scotland shines in this story about life in a town set in its ways and trying to resist the pull of modern life. There is a romance in this story, but the pull was more on the heroine reconnecting with her old life and family. Jenny Colgan is the queen of bakery romance novels and you can check out our list of The Best Jenny Colgan Books Ranked by Super Fans

The Proposal

The Proposal (The Wedding Date #2) by Jasmine Guillory

February 2019 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

I read this book on one plane flight.  It was light, funny, and completely predictable.  When Nikole’s “boyfriend” proposes to her at a baseball game and cannot even spell her name correctly, it is a recipe for disaster. 

Luckily, Carlos and his sister are at the game to help Nik escape the onslaught of paparazzi waiting.  You can guess the rest.  This is a great light read and the perfect pick from a list of romance books to read in the summer.

the donut trap

The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu

Jasmine has found herself in a rut working at her parent’s donut shop. She wants to do something else but, she is not sure what. When there is a rent hike and the business is threatened, Jasmine will do everything she can to save their livelihood.

Add to this story the reappearance of a college crush names Alex and this adorable rom-com has all the ingredients for a great story and is perfect for a list of books about food.

Fake it till you bake it

Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley

Donovan is an NFL player who also owns a struggling cupcake bakery with a few of his friends. Jada is internet famous, and not in a good way. She rejected a proposal on a bachelor-like TV show and now she’s got haters all over!

After taking a job at Donovan’s store, she lies to a reporter and says she was still thinking of Donovan when she rejected the proposal. 

So now she is fake-dating Donovan and helping the cupcake store in the process. But can they turn this fake relationship into something more? 

Um yes, and with SIZZLING chemistry to boot! This is a fake dating book at its steamiest and a celebrity romance as well. You will love this pick from Ultimate Beach Reads 2023.

The holiday swap

Holiday Swap by Maggie Knox

When Charlie Goodwin gets a concussion, and cannot smell or taste, she doesn’t know what to do. Her job as a chef and the promotion she has been working toward is on the line.

She begs her twin sister Cass to switch places like they did when they were kids. She will take over the bakery and Cass will pretend to be her.

This adorable holiday romance is just the book to brighten your day and put a smile on your face. How could we not put it on a list of novels about food? This is one of the best holiday books we have read!

before anyone else

Before Anyone Else by Leslie Hooten

  

For more books like these, check out our list of 6 Coffee Shop Romance Books

Olive and June Spring 2023

The Gorgeous Olive and June Spring 2023 Collection – O&J’s Farmer’s Market

Did you know the new Olive and June Spring collection is inspired by food?

Best Novels About Food: Mysteries

The Golden Spoon

The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell

Every summer for the past ten years, bakers come to a Vermont estate for filming a hit television show with the famous host and estate owner Betsy Martin. This year, something is off with the competition as things start to go awry on the set. Suddenly, a body is discovered in this locked room mystery.

Why we love it: I read this book a day and absolutely loved it. It felt like Agatha Christie meets the Great British Baking Show. There is more than meets the eye with this cozy mystery and I loved every minute. As you get to know each character, the story becomes that much better they are equal parts delightful, hilarious, and suspicious.
Find this book in Novels About Food / Domestic Thrillers / Books with Colors in the Title

arsenic and adobo

Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala

From the very first page of this book, I was completely hooked. I loved this book and could not put it down. This book is the perfect mix of cozy mystery and scrumptious food. I felt like Lousie Penny met Jenny Colgan to write this book

When Lila moves home to help her family with their restaurant, she never dreamed that she would be put in the middle of a murder investigation.

Thank you so much to Berkley Publishing for my copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

Magical Realism Novels About Food

Natalie Tans Book of Luck and Fortune

Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim

I had this book in my TBR pile since last year.  I don’t know why I did not get around to reading this book sooner but, I am so glad that I waited.  After reading Vanessa Yu’s Magical Paris Tea Shop, I immediately picked this up.  

There should be a warning included- do not read this book while you are hungry!  There are so many things about this book that I loved.  The relationships between friends and family are warm and wonderful.  This book left me with a happy feeling. This is one of my favorite novels about food.

Midnight at the blackbird cafe

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber

Anna Kate has returned to her hometown to bury her beloved grandmother. It is supposed to be a quick trip to close her grandmother’s cafe but, Anna Kate finds herself drawn to the town.

The longer Anna Kate stays, the more she finds out about her family, and the pull to fulfill a promise starts to compete directly with the pull of her heart.

This pick from novels about food was an unexpected surprise. It has a little element of magic, as well as a fairy tale, feel.

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie

The Magic of Lemon Drop Pie by Rachel Linden

After Lolly’s mother dies, she abandoned her hopes and dreams as well as the love of her life to stay and run the families struggling Seattle diner. Now, as her 33rd birthday approaches, she is sad and lost. Everyone seems to be living the life they chose except her.

For a birthday gift, her aunt gives her magic lemon drops which will allow her to relive one day in a life that might have been. What if she never broke up with her fiance? What if her mom didn’t die?

This book is such a thoughtful and original book that really makes you think- is there something you would want a “do-over”? I loved this adorable book from our ultimate beach reads 2023.

Historical Fiction Books About Food

Lessons in Chemistry and more goodreads choice awards 2022 books

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

April 2022 GMA Book Club Pick

I don’t even know where to begin with this unique contemporary fiction story. Elizabeth Zott is a chemist in the 50s when women were expected to know their place in society — their place being the kitchen and the home.

Elizabeth struggles to be taken seriously in her field and as a single mother, in this amazing book. So when an offer to host a cooking show for women is put in her path, she reluctantly takes it.

She uses her no-nonsense attitude and chemistry principles to teach the women in America to not only cook but to follow their dreams outside of the home.

Zott is a quirky character like Eleanor Oliphant with a charming daughter and a dog whose inner monologue is as quirky as hers. An absolutely wonderful book about motherhood! You can also find this book on our list of Books Like The Love Hypothesis as well.

Are you looking for the perfect book for your next book club? Check out our Lessons in Chemistry Book Club Guide. If you love this book and are looking for more, we also have 15 Books Like Lessons in Chemistry.

bakers secret

This story about a baker trying to feed her village during WWII was interesting. The plot was intriguing but the story didn’t manage to tug on my heartstrings in the way of say, The Nightengale. 

Still, I learned a lot about feeding a community during the middle of a war. I also craved bread the ENTIRE time I was reading this story. This is one of the novels about food that will make you very hungry

Fried Green Tomatoes

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flag

Fried Green Tomatoes is a book that I read years ago and have loved ever since. It is a novel about two women: middle-aged Evelyn, who is in a life slump, and Mrs. Threadgoode, who’s telling her life story. 

Her story includes two more women, tomboy Idgie and her friend Ruth back in the 1930s. The women ran The Whistle Stop Cafe in Alabama. As the story unfolds, it brings us back to the present and reveals the power of love, laughter, and most importantly, friendship.

Find this book in Coffee Shop Romance Books / Books About Food / Books With Colors in the Title

YA Novels About Food

With the Fire on High

With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo

After hearing a lot about this particular coming-of-age story, I quickly snatched it up, and let me tell you, the hype is real. This story is set in Philly (which I love) and features a Black woman of Caribbean descent who is entering her senior year of college. 

Emoni wants to be a world-class chef but struggles with pursuing her passions in the kitchen while balancing the responsibilities of having a toddler. It’s a true coming-of-age story that is as delicious to devour as the many recipes described in the book.

This book is perfect for a list of books similar to Lessons in Chemistry because the two main characters have so much in common. Both are trying to balance career and parenthood and both are chefs! And as books set in high school go, this one is five-stars.

Heartless

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Marissa Meyer is the queen of the twisted fairy tale retelling.  This story tells us about the famous queen in Alice’s Wonderland who is always yelling “Off with his head!”. It is original, well thought out, and fun to read.

Like other fairy tale retellings, this is one of the best books like the Lunar Chronicles series.

Non-Fiction Books About Food

from scratch

From Scratch by Tembi Locke

May 2019 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick

I knew what this book was about before reading it and I was still not prepared for the heartbreak and beauty within the pages. This memoir is truly a love letter to Tembi’s husband who died from cancer. This is an incredibly sad book that had me in tears.

The descriptions of the food, the people, and the love she had for her husband are unlike anything that I have read before. This is a five-star book about grief if you can read through heartache. It’s one of the Netflix book adaptations I’m planning on watching.

my first popsicle

My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings by Zosia Mamet

This Anthology of stories is all centered around memories associated with food. Some of these stories are funny and some are quite poignant as they highlight how central food is to our culture, lives, and memories.

This book is different from any of the full cast audiobooks that I have listened to because each story is written and read by a different narrator. It is a quick read (or listen) from our list of ultimate beach reads 2023.

Finding Freedom and other quick reviews in February 2021 Novel Ideas

Finding Freedom: A Cook’s Story by Erin French

My first celebrity chef memoir was not at all what I was expecting and I loved it! ⁣I found myself thinking of Erin as a friend while reading this story. I rooted for her, cried with her, and had so many food cravings it bordered on ridiculous. How can you not want to eat the delicious concoctions described on the page?⁣

I was not anticipating that this would be a story about redemption, finding inner strength, and perseverance, but that’s what it was. Erin clawed her way to the top of the restaurant game only to find herself at rock bottom. Then, she did it again. ⁣

It’s a story of a mother’s love, a woman overcoming addiction, and a damn good cook who finds herself planting roots where she least expected it.⁣

I hope someday that I will be able to eat in her famed kitchen if just to have wine recommended by her mom and see her surrounded by the love of her kitchen family. I could not think of a better book for our list of books similar to Lessons in Chemistry.⁣

Did we include your favorite book in novels about food?

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