"The Empress of Ice Cream" by Anthony Capella

I love to read (thus the book blog), and I love to eat (thus my other blog with lots of recipes).  It's not often that literature combines these two loves.  However, that is exactly what author Anthony Capella does.  He writes foodie novels.  They aren't just novels that mention food, or cookbooks that mention stories.  They are beautiful novels that are carefully crafted to make food an integral part of the novel.  There is always an intense relationship with food.  If you were to remove all of the parts related to food, then the little bits of the novel left just wouldn't make sense.

Capella's newest novel, "The Empress of Ice Cream" tells the story of an ice cream maker.  Not just an ice cream maker, but the first true maker of ice cream and a master of frozen desserts.  It spans from Italy to France to England in the days of King Louis the 14th (the "Sun King").  It is an interesting read with a good mix of history and invention, characters and food.

To read my review of Anthony Capella's "The Empress of Ice Cream", click here.

To visit Anthony Capella's official website and find out more about "The Empress of Ice Cream" or any of this other novels, click here.

"The White Queen" by Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory is pretty much the queen of historical fiction, especially if it's about the British monarchy.  Once again, Gregory proves with "The White Queen" why her books are best-sellers.  It's an excellent historical novel with a lot of well-researched facts, great writing, and an intriguing story line that involves the reader.

"The White Queen" is set during the War of the Roses.  The main character is Elizabeth Woodville, the Lancastrian associated widow who became King Edward IV's York Queen.

To read my slightly longer and more in-depth review of Philippa Gregory's "The White Queen", click here.

The next book in The Cousins' War series (Philippa Gregory's trilogy set during the War of the Roses) is "The Red Queen".  The main character in "The Red Queen" is one of Woodville's adversaries who appears in "The White Queen" as a minor character.  I look forward to learning more about her and seeing history through her perspective.

To visit Philippa Gregory's official website to find out more about these or any of her other books, click here.

"The Secret Wife of King George IV" by Diane Haeger

"The Secret Wife of King George IV", by Diane Haeger, is a fascinating historical novel about the romance between Maria Fitzherbert and George IV (he begins the book as Prince of Wales and later becomes King).  The novel is based on the historical facts of their relationship, and shows some interesting royal history that is not generally known.  Yet rather than reading like a history text book, the book focuses on their personalities and relationship throughout their troubled love affair (including their secret marriage).

For more about "The Secret Wife of King George IV" by Diane Haeger, click here.