Literary Lists: Food in Fiction


I think we can all agree that food and fiction are two of the best things in the world.  So, this list is going to combine them!

This is a list of my favorite books with food in the title – or simply about food.

So, grab a snack, because this list might make you hungry!

In Romance

Chocolat by Joanne Harris A small French town is turned upside down by the arrival of a bewitching chocolate confectioner, Vianne Rocher, and her spirited young daughter.

Purchase Chocolat here.

Spice by Seressia Glass  Nadia Spiceland works in the business of temptation. The confections she crafts at the Sugar and Spice Bakery and Café lure in the locals. But one customer is interested in more than just her delectable sticky buns!

Purchase Spice here.

In Historical Fiction

Appetite by Philip Kazan Nino Latini is the son of a butcher, but once his unique talent is discovered (he can taste each individual ingredient, even in the smallest quantities, in any dish) he becomes chef to some of the most famous of Renaissance personalities.

Purchase Appetite here.

The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard C. Morais  “Slumdog Millionaire meets Ratatouille” (The New York Times Book Review) in this “delicious fairytale-like read” (NPR) about family, nationality, and the mysteries of good taste.

Purchase The Hundred-Foot Journey here.

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan  This novel focuses on four Chinese American immigrant families in San Francisco who start a club known as The Joy Luck Club, playing mahjong for money while feasting on a variety of foods.

Purchase The Joy Luck Club here.


In Memoirs

Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler  A thrilling novel of the senses and a coming-of-age tale, following a small-town girl into the electrifying world of New York City and the education of a lifetime at one of the most exclusive restaurants in Manhattan.

Purchase Sweetbitter here.

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body by Roxane Gay In her phenomenally popular essays and long-running Tumblr blog, Roxane Gay has written with intimacy and sensitivity about food and body, using her own emotional and psychological struggles as a means of exploring our shared anxieties over pleasure, consumption, appearance, and health.

Purchase Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body here.

In Children’s Books

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi and Ron Barrett Chewandswallow is a place where the food falls from the sky. Instead of rain or snow they get hot dogs and a drizzle of soda, or peas and carrots! Things started going wrong in Chewandswallow though and the weather went nuts!

Purchase Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs here.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Willy Wonka’s famous chocolate factory is opening at last! But only five lucky children will be allowed inside. One of the winners is Charlie Bucket, Our Hero, a boy who is honest and kind, brave and true, and good and ready for the wildest time of his life!

Purchase Charlie and the Chocolate Factory here.

Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss We get to follow Sam-I-Am as he insists that this unusual treat is indeed a delectable snack to be savored everywhere and in every way.

Purchase Green Eggs and Ham here.

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