Here are 58 books that Where The River Narrows fans have personally recommended if you like Where The River Narrows. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Bruno's Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen

Ann Claire Author Of A Cyclist's Guide to Crime & Croissants

From my list on reading trip to France.

Why am I passionate about this?

Until recently, my lovely in-laws kept a home in southern France near where my father-in-law grew up. Their hilltop village was everything my summer-in-France fantasies could imagine: red-tile roofs, overflowing flower boxes, croissants on every corner (or at least four), bustling markets, and palm trees framing a snowcapped peak. Downsizing in their eighties meant selling the house, but some of my fondest memories will always reside there. This summer most of my travels will take place from my garden in Colorado. I plan to trek the world through books. These are some of my favorite reads for an armchair trip to France through romance, mysteries, exploration, and cooking.  

Ann's book list on reading trip to France

Ann Claire Why Ann loves this book

This delectable cookbook is my sneaky way of recommending the entire Bruno, Chief of Police, mystery series by Martin Walker, set in southern France.

Bruno fits his detecting in between leisurely meals, good wine, and visits with his neighbors. Thanks to this cookbook by Martin Walker and his wife, Julia Watson, I can picture him and his village even better now and taste his delicious meals.

The recipes come from their home kitchen. Photos show the glorious Dordogne region. Anecdotes and stories tell of Bruno, cooking, village life, and the authors’ time in southern France. I want this book for my coffee table, kitchen, and soothing bedtime reading. 

By Martin Walker , Julia Watson ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bruno's Cookbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

From the author of the internationally best-selling "Bruno, Chief of Police" series, comes a sumptuous French cookbook that immerses readers in the delectable countryside cuisine of Bruno’s beloved Périgord region, featuring favorite meals from Roasted Tomato Tapenade and Tarragon Chicken to A Most Indulgent Chocolate Cake.

Bruno Courrèges, the protagonist of Martin Walker’s internationally acclaimed mystery series, is not only the local police chief of the idyllic French village of St. Denis, but he also happens to be an impassioned amateur chef. In this delightful cookbook, the culinary and cultural inspiration behind Bruno’s fictional world comes to life. Featuring meals…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry

Sylvie Gruber Author Of Bite-Sized French Pastries for the Beginner Baker

From my list on cookbooks to learn French pastry baking.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have loved French Pastry for as long as I can remember, all the way from my Mum’s kitchen as a kid in Belgium to my own kitchen here in Melbourne. I love it so much I quit my job as an architect 6 years ago to start a blog that focuses on baking and French pastry especially! This crazy experience took me all the way back to Paris to attend a French pastry program at Ecole Ducasse in 2019 and to publish my first cookbook on French pastry at the end of 2023.

Sylvie's book list on cookbooks to learn French pastry baking

Sylvie Gruber Why Sylvie loves this book

Another very extensive cookbook on French pastry, I love the unique and personal approach of Christophe Felder.

This book goes over a number of basic recipes but also contains an extensive number of more “old school”, traditional, and/or regional recipes that you might not find in other cookbooks.

I also particularly appreciate the chapter on savoury pastries.

By Christophe Felder ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Patisserie as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Newly updated and expanded with 3,500 step-by-step photographs, all the classics of French patisserie are made accessible for the home cook. For every serious home baker, French pastry represents the ultimate achievement. But to master the techniques, a written recipe can take you only so far-what is equally important is to see a professional in action, to learn the nuances of rolling out dough for croissaints or caramelizing apples for a tarte tatin. For each of the 233 recipes here, there are photographs that lead the reader through every step of the instructions. There has never been such a comprehensive…


Book cover of Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table: A Cookbook

Maria Zizka Author Of The Hostess Handbook: A Modern Guide to Entertaining

From my list on cookbooks that celebrate the art of hosting.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started hosting pretend tea parties for my stuffed animals when I was just a little girl. I made mud pies in the backyard and created huge messes in the kitchen as I taught myself to cook. I’ve always been enthralled by the warm feeling of being cared for, the love you feel deep in your heart when someone puts a plate of hot scrambled eggs in front of you after a long day. Now, as a cookbook author, I get to share that feeling with others through my own recipes and via my newsletter, Recipe of the Month. I hope you love these cookbooks as much as I do!

Maria's book list on cookbooks that celebrate the art of hosting

Maria Zizka Why Maria loves this book

There is no other cookbook that has had a greater influence on me as a writer. Suzanne’s recipes and menus for elegant yet unfussy dinner parties remain endlessly inspirational. After reading this book, I wrote a letter to Suzanne telling her how much I admired her cookbook and basically begging for a job. We ended up working together and I even got married at her restaurant.

By Suzanne Goin , Teri Gelber ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Sunday Suppers at Lucques as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Few chefs in America have won more acclaim than Suzanne Goin, owner of Lucques restaurant. A chef of impeccable pedigree, she got her start cooking at some of the best restaurants in the world–L’Arpège. Olives, and Chez Panisse, to name a few–places where she acquired top-notch skills to match her already flawless culinary instincts. “A great many cooks have come through the kitchen at Chez Panisse,” observes the legendary Alice Waters, “But Suzanne Goin was a stand-out. We all knew immediately that one day she would have a restaurant of her own, and that other cooks would be coming to…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of French Provincial Cooking

Clifford A. Wright Author Of A Mediterranean Feast: The Story of the Birth of the Celebrated Cuisines of the Mediterranean from the Merchants of Venice to the Barbary Corsairs, with More than 500 Recipes

From my list on provincial French cooking for home cooks.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an independent research scholar, food writer, and cook who won the James Beard Cookbook of the Year award and the Beard Award for the Best Writing on Food in 2000 for A Mediterranean Feast. I have written 19 books, 17 of which are cookbooks, and two on politics and history. I wrote all the food entries for Columbia University's Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and the entry for tiramisu and other sweets in the Oxford Companion to Sweets. I have written articles on politics, military affairs, foreign policy, history, and botany.

Clifford's book list on provincial French cooking for home cooks

Clifford A. Wright Why Clifford loves this book

David was one of the most famous food writers in post-World War II Europe and she introduced English readers to the cuisine that exists beyond the celebrated kitchens of the top chefs of Paris. Although the recipes are written in a more abbreviated style than one sees today, her personable stories enliven the dishes she includes so you the reader will excitedly jump right to the kitchen and get cooking.

By Elizabeth David ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked French Provincial Cooking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

First published in 1962, Elizabeth David's culinary odyssey through provincial France forever changed the way we think about food. With elegant simplicity, David explores the authentic flavors and textures of time-honored cuisines from such provinces as Alsace, Provence, Brittany, and the Savoie. Full of cooking ideas and recipes, French Provincial Cooking is a scholarly yet straightforward celebration of the traditions of French regional cooking.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and…


Book cover of The Cooking of South West France

Clifford A. Wright Author Of A Mediterranean Feast: The Story of the Birth of the Celebrated Cuisines of the Mediterranean from the Merchants of Venice to the Barbary Corsairs, with More than 500 Recipes

From my list on provincial French cooking for home cooks.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an independent research scholar, food writer, and cook who won the James Beard Cookbook of the Year award and the Beard Award for the Best Writing on Food in 2000 for A Mediterranean Feast. I have written 19 books, 17 of which are cookbooks, and two on politics and history. I wrote all the food entries for Columbia University's Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and the entry for tiramisu and other sweets in the Oxford Companion to Sweets. I have written articles on politics, military affairs, foreign policy, history, and botany.

Clifford's book list on provincial French cooking for home cooks

Clifford A. Wright Why Clifford loves this book

Wolfert made her name with her book Couscous and Other Food of Morocco, first published in 1973. This groundbreaking book was not only the first time an American writer’s topic was North African food but Wolfert explored for the first time its culinary anthropology. This book on southwest France might even be better than her couscous book. Its depth of understanding and explanation is amazing. Its thoroughness is unparalleled. Its fastidiousness might annoy some readers, but one will never claim there wasn’t enough detail. Follow this book and you will be able to make confit de canard to use in your equally authentic cassoulet of southwest France.

By Paula Wolfert ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Cooking of South West France as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Paula Wolfert is one of America's most highly respected food writers, and the author of Moroccan Cuisine which Grub Street reissued to much critical acclaim in 1998. Her highly respected book on South West France, unavailable for 15 years, is now appearing in paperback. This reissue could not be more timely with the opening of restaurants such as Club Gascon in West Spitalfields which has had unanimous plaudits from all the national restaurant critics praising its delicious South Western French classic dishes. The food of this region could well become one of the popular causes of the next year as…


Book cover of Monet's Table: The Cooking Journals of Claude Monet

Julia Crowe Author Of My First Guitar: Tales of True Love and Lost Chords from 70 Legendary Musicians

From my list on what drives an artist.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am an author, film composer, guitarist, multimedia artist, and perfumer. As a music journalist, I’ve written extensively for many major U.S. and international guitar publications before launching the website, The Guitar. My music has been featured on National Public Radio and worldwide at major U.S. and international art and design museum festivals. Part of being a writer is about expressing one’s curiosity through constant delving and engaging in the ongoing process of discovery. What compels me is the attempt to understand the inspiration that drives an artist to create a distinctively beautiful melody, fragrance, or artwork—one that grabs your attention with a mesmerizing, transfixing, and soulful quality. 

Julia's book list on what drives an artist

Julia Crowe Why Julia loves this book

A famous painter’s cookbook? If you didn’t think artists eat, think again, and start by Googling images of Monet’s kitchen at his house in Giverny. (I said eat, not cook.) Written by the wife of Madame Monet’s great-grandson, this book offers you beautiful photographs of this artwork along with diary accounts of his family life and an opportunity to understand one of the great Impressionist artists through the dishes that his wife and family prepared, including his favorite, richly green-hued pistachio cake. 

By Claire Joyes ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Monet's Table as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A member of Monet's family describes life at Giverny in the painter's day and shares family recipes.


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of French Pastry 101: Learn the Art of Classic Baking with 60 Beginner-Friendly Recipes

Jackie Kai Ellis Author Of The Measure of My Powers: A Memoir of Food, Misery, and Paris

From my list on taste of France.

Why am I passionate about this?

Jackie Kai Ellis is a designer, bestselling author, pastry chef, entrepreneur, lifestyle writer, and other bits n’ bobs. Jackie left design to pursue her passion for pastry in Paris. After finishing her studies, she founded the award-winning pâtisserie, Beaucoup Bakery & Café in Vancouver – featured in countless publications and media including Bon Appétit Magazine. Jackie turned her passion for authentic storytelling and launched her bestselling memoir, The Measure of My Powers: A memoir of food, misery, and Paris,.

Jackie's book list on taste of France

Jackie Kai Ellis Why Jackie loves this book

My apprentice, Betty Hung, who eventually inherited the bakery I founded, has written an award-winning recipe book on French pastries. It’s wonderfully photographed, well-tested and informative. I am always proud to see her create with such precision and success.

By Betty Hung ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked French Pastry 101 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

French pastry is often thought of as difficult to master, but Betty Hung-founder of the blog Yummy Workshop and co-owner of Beaucoup Bakery-makes the classic art of French baking more approachable than ever. Most of her recipes only take an hour, which makes it much less daunting for beginners.

Learn basics like pastry cream and pate sucree, and create favourites like Lemon Madeleines, Creme Brulee, Eclairs and Lady Fingers. Readers will be able to take shortcuts like using ready-made puff pastry, or, for the more adventurous baker, Betty demonstrates how to make it from scratch.

Whether you are new to…


Book cover of The Accidental Alchemist

Daryl Wood Gerber Author Of A Flicker of a Doubt

From my list on mysteries that will make you wonder whodunit.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been fascinated by paranormal stories for years. One of the first books I truly loved was A Wrinkle in Time. I loved the Dragons of Pern, as well. As a girl, I read more stories featuring witches and magical creatures than one ought. But I also loved mysteries—Nancy Drew, as well as all the Agatha Christie books. At present, I’m working on my fifth Fairy Garden Mystery, and I recently completed a mystery novella featuring an elf. To round out the experience, I have personally crafted over fifty fairy gardens. I’m pretty certain a fairy spirit had something to do with my obsession... or perhaps it all started when I kissed the Blarney Stone.

Daryl's book list on mysteries that will make you wonder whodunit

Daryl Wood Gerber Why Daryl loves this book

Years ago, I met Gigi Pandian at a mystery conference. She is a gifted and spiritual woman. I adore her writing.

In this book, Zoe Faust, an alchemist, moves to the Northwest and discovers a stowaway in her luggage—a live gargoyle named Dorian who can cook French cuisine! Oh, man, wouldn’t you love to have a “familiar” that cooks?

Zoe moved, hoping to put her old life behind her, but she can’t when she discovers her new friend Dorian is turning to stone and only she can save him. 

This story is clever beyond words. FYI, Gigi is a gargoyle expert! If you meet her, ask to see her collection of photographs.

By Gigi Pandian ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Accidental Alchemist as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Filled with magic, intrigue, and humor, this series is sure to delight fans of cozy mysteries and urban fantasy."―Bookriot

A chance for a new beginning in Portland, Oregon. A stowaway from Paris. Can alchemist Zoe Faust solve the mystery of an ancient book in time to save her new friend? Don't miss the first novel in the award-winning series from USA Today bestselling author Gigi Pandian!

Unpacking her belongings in her new fixer-upper house, alchemist Zoe Faust can't help but notice she's picked up a stowaway. Dorian Robert-Houdin is a living, breathing gargoyle―not to mention a master of French cuisine―and…


Book cover of The Apprentice: My Life in the Kitchen

George J. Siedel Author Of Seven Essentials for Business Success

From my list on leadership that doesn’t have “leadership” in the title.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I headed the Executive Education Center at the University of Michigan I had the opportunity to meet with many great leaders and observe them in action. I also enjoy interacting with faculty colleagues who conduct state-of-the-art research on leadership. Because of this experience, I believe that leaders are made, not born, and that reading biographies, psychological studies, philosophical commentary, histories, and fiction like the books on my list is one of the best ways to gain insight into what you need to become a great leader. 

George's book list on leadership that doesn’t have “leadership” in the title

George J. Siedel Why George loves this book

This is the heartwarming and inspiring story of the journey a great chef took from serving as a lowly apprentice to becoming a leader in establishing new food traditions in America. I especially enjoyed the many funny stories about Pepin and his family. Warning: the book includes many of his favorite recipes that will cause hunger pangs as you read the book. 

By Jacques Pépin ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Apprentice as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this captivating memoir, the man whom Julia Child has called “the best chef in America” tells the story of his rise from a frightened apprentice in an exacting Old World kitchen to an Emmy Award–winning superstar who taught millions of Americans how to cook and shaped the nation’s tastes in the bargain.

We see young Jacques as a homesick six-year-old boy in war-ravaged France, working on a farm in exchange for food, dodging bombs, and bearing witness as German soldiers capture his father, a fighter in the Resistance. Soon Jacques is caught up in the hurly-burly action of his…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Lulu's Provençal Table: The Food and Wine from Domaine Tempier Vineyard

Barbara Santich Author Of The Original Mediterranean Cuisine: Medieval Recipes for Today

From my list on gastronomic Provence.

Why am I passionate about this?

Since first stepping off a train at Nice I've felt an affinity with southern France, but it was a chance encounter with the local shepherd who, speaking a version of the Provençal language, alerted me to the proud past of this region and its individual identity. (I've written about this time in my book Wild Asparagus, Wild Strawberries.) A serendipitous opportunity to study ancien Provençal led me down a meandering path to a PhD that eventually became The Original Mediterranean Cuisine, and on to a career researching and teaching culinary history. My next book looks at the roots of Provençal cuisine in the eighteenth century. 

Barbara's book list on gastronomic Provence

Barbara Santich Why Barbara loves this book

Of that group of 1970 expats, only Richard Olney made France his home. Settling in Provence, he enjoyed Lulu's legendary hospitality at the Peyraud family vineyard Domaine Tempier, at nearby Bandol, and spent many hours in her kitchen recording her recipes and culinary tips ('lots of garlic'). To me, Lulu's recipes represent the heart and soul of gastronomic Provence, with direct lineage to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, such as her Daube à la Provençale with its obligatory accompaniment of macaroni. Essentially simple, her cuisine revels in the robust accents of anchovies and garlic, thyme and savory as it celebrates seasonal and local—if not quite so local as her own backyard, like our landlady on the cherry orchard near Carpentras. 

By Richard Olney ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Lulu's Provençal Table as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A food writer and editor of the Time-Life cooking series shares stories and recipes from his friendship with a legendary Provençal chef and vineyard owner.
 
Of all of the culinary treasures that Richard Olney brought home from France for his American audience, the spritely and commanding Lulu Peyraud is perhaps the most memorable. A second-generation proprietor of Provence’s noted vineyard Domaine Tempier, and producer of some of the region’s best wines and meals, Lulu has for more than fifty years been Provence’s best-kept secret. Mother of seven, Lulu still owns and operates Domaine Tempier with her family, serving up wit…


Book cover of Bruno's Cookbook: Recipes and Traditions from a French Country Kitchen
Book cover of Patisserie: Mastering the Fundamentals of French Pastry
Book cover of Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table: A Cookbook

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