The Fatal Gift of Beauty

Nina Burleigh's latest novel, "The Fatal Gift Of Beauty" was a definite page-turner. The book goes into detail about Italy's culture and beliefs. Even though the tragic murder of Meredith Kercher, I did not follow the news or trial closely. I recently watched the Netflix documentary "Amanda Knox" and read Burleigh's investigative story of Kercher's murder and Italy's trial of the century. I can now understand why the media was so fixated on this particular case. Still, so much of it still remains a mystery in some way.  But all of it was very tragic: Kercher's gruesome murder and Knox and Sollecito's imprisonment. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the Amanda Knox case or anyone who is interested in a murder mystery.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The London Cookbook

Aleksandra Crapanzano's "The London Cookbook" takes you on a journey throughout London to some of it's finest restaurants. I never thought of London being an epicenter of fancy food. The one time I've visited, I don't recall the food much. What a shame that I did not get a chance to visit some of the restaurants and tried some of their food. This cookbook is a compilation of some of London's best chefs and their dishes. The cookbook is broken down to the following: Light Fare; Soups; Pasta, Rice and Grains; Vegetarian; Seafood; Fowl; Meat: Desserts: Chilled Desserts: Cocktails. This cookbook is rather varied with a good number of recipes to try from. A good number of the recipes are rather easy and simple while some other recipes require more time. I really loved the black and white photography of London and wished there were more in the cookbook.

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.

The Bread Baker's Apprentice

Peter Reinhart's book, "The Bread Baker's Apprentice: Mastering The Art Of Extraordinary Bread" is a serious book. It received the James Beard Foundation Book Award and The IACP Cookbook Award and the heavy book is over 300 pages. The book has detailed instructions on how to prepare, proof, bake, shape a multitude of bread. I don't bake a lot of breads, but the pictures look delicious. I never really thought a simple loaf of bread would be so difficult and time consuming, but it takes a lot of patience and an artistry to get bread right. This bread book is a bread lover's dream come true!

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.