What I'm Reading Lately

Books and newsletters to add to your list, plus my thoughts on Banza

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a big reader. Spending an afternoon with a good book is ideal and I love talking about books with friends and family. I track my reading on Goodreads but I wanted to share a few recent favorites, as well as a few favorite newsletters if you’re looking to expand your roster. I’m an avid library user (I own none of these books but spreading the love is free) and place holds via the app (you can also use it for ebooks).

You can see past book recommendations here and in the gift guide. As always, these are Bookshop affiliate links, so I’ll make a few cents if you make a purchase, at no cost to you.

Taste Makers: Seven Immigrant Women Who Revolutionized Food in America by Mayukh Sen: I’ve never read a book quite like this—each chapter focuses on a different women who made an impact on food culture in America. Some are big names (like Julia Child, the one American, and Marcella Hazan) and others, like blind Mexican born chef Elena Zelayeta, I had never heard of. Sen uses as much of the subject’s own voice as possible and writes about the subject’s accomplishments and the significant hurdles they faced. It’s also a bit of the history of food media and how a very small number of white gatekeepers had tremendous power over these women and their careers. This is Sen’s first book and I interviewed him back in 2018 when we were both new to freelancing.

The Perfect Find by Tia Williams: I first read Tia Williams last year (I love Seven Days in June) and I love her writing. The Perfect Find follows a 40 year old fashion editor, Jenna Jones, who has to take a practically entry level job working for her frenemy after she takes a sudden break to deal with a personal crisis. On the job, she falls for a much younger video producer who is the one person she should not be dating. I read this very quickly and cannot wait to watch the movie version, starring Gabrielle Union and Nicey Nash. If you like this, you’ll also love The Idea of You. This book is from 2016 and the fashion references reflect that, but I still really enjoyed it.