My Summer Reading List
The Fragrant Books I’m Reading This Summer.
Summer is fast approaching so, as I like to do every year, I want to share some of the aromatic reads I’ll be enjoying on my hammock over the coming months. 🏖
Orwell’s Nose
By John Sutherland
When I heard about this book, I knew I had to read it because it was so different from any literary concept I had ever heard of. I read Orwell’s novel 1984 in school, but never considered evaluating this work, or any others from Orwell’s collection, through the nose. If you love literature, and you want to get another perspective, this should be a fascinating read for sure.
Publisher Summary: In 2012 writer John Sutherland permanently lost his sense of smell. At about the same time, he embarked on a rereading of George Orwell and, still coping with his recent disability, noticed something Orwell was positively obsessed with smell. In this original, irreverent biography, Sutherland offers a fresh account of Orwell’s life and works, one that sniffs out a unique, scented trail that wends from Burmese Days through Nineteen Eighty-Four and on to The Road to Wigan Pier.
Climbing the Mango Tree
By Madhur Jaffrey
I love Indian food, and I especially love trying out recipes from cookbook author Madhur Jaffrey. So, when I heard that she had written a memoir I knew I had to read it. This book is first on my list to read this summer.
Publisher’s Summary: Today's most highly regarded writer on Indian food gives us an enchanting memoir of her childhood in Delhi in an age and a society that has since disappeared. Madhur (meaning "sweet as honey") Jaffrey grew up in a large family compound where her grandfather often presided over dinners at which forty or more members of his extended family would savor together the wonderfully flavorful dishes that were forever imprinted on Madhur's palate. And, at the end, this treasure of a book contains a secret ingredient, more than thirty family recipes recovered from Madhur's childhood, which she now shares with us.
The Perfume Project
By Divrina Dhingra
This book is so good, I’m looking forward to revisiting many chapters again this summer because there’s so much to take in. If you’re curious about the history of aromatic materials, you’ll find this book absolutely fascinating. I also interviewed the author for my podcast; you can listen to our conversation here.
Publisher’s Summary: In this vivid narrative that blends the science of aromatics with travel writing, history and insights into India’s contemporary perfume trade, Divrina Dhingra investigates the idea of scent as a powerful trigger for memories and emotions, as well as a mode of self-expression and identity. In her telling, aromatic ingredients are not a mere indulgence, but instead, the backbone of the country’s struggling perfume industry and as a source of livelihood for many. A compelling, unusual narrative by a writer schooled in the art of perfumery.
Eight Flavors
By Sarah Lohman
I get a little giddy when I randomly come across a book (I surprisingly discovered it on Spotify audio book recos) and can’t wait to read it for its unique perspective on American culture, by way of aromatic ingredients. If you haven’t guessed already, I love history, and this olfactory perspective will certainly be intriguing.
Publisher’s Summary: The United States boasts a culturally and ethnically diverse population which makes for a continually changing culinary landscape. But a young historical gastronomist named Sarah Lohman discovered that American food is united by eight flavors: black pepper, vanilla, curry powder, chili powder, soy sauce, garlic, MSG, and Sriracha. Lohman sets out to explore how these influential ingredients made their way to the American table.
Elixir: A Parisian Perfume House and the Quest for the Secret of Life
By Theresa Levitt
Ok, ok, here’s another history book with an olfactory bent, but this one dives deep into so many different elements that I’m sure to get an array of insights to help me better understand the ongoing debate between synthetic and natural materials. I can’t wait to dive in.
Publisher’s Summary: A story of alchemy in Bohemian Paris, where two scientific outcasts discovered a fundamental distinction between natural and synthetic chemicals that inaugurated an enduring scientific mystery. For centuries, scientists believed that living matter possessed a special quality, a spirit or essence, that differentiated it from nonliving matter. But by the nineteenth century, the scientific consensus was that the building blocks of one were identical to the building blocks of the other. Elixir tells the story of two young chemists who were not convinced, and how their work rewrote the boundary between life and nonlife.
The Museum of Scent: Exploring the Curious and Wondrous World of Fragrance
By Mandy Aftel
Natural Perfumer Mandy Aftel is a treasure here in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you ever have the chance to visit her museum in Berkeley, you won’t be disappointed. But if you can’t come visit, this book is your chance to take an in-depth, virtual tour. While not exactly the same as sniffing the actual materials, this book is the next best thing. Listen to my interview with the author here.
Publisher’s Summary: Mandy Aftel has created this beautiful book, illustrated with treasures from her museum’s collection, so that readers at home can immerse themselves in the world of scent. She guides us through the different families of botanical fragrances (including flowers, woods, leaves and grasses, and resins), depicting each plant with a hand-colored antique woodcut and revealing its olfactory notes and lore. Special chapters are devoted to the most rare and precious fragrances, such as ambergris, formed of a rare secretion of the sperm whale, and to antique essential oil bottles, handwritten recipe books, and other evocative artifacts. The Museum of Scent , which includes a bookmark subtly scented with a natural essence, invites us on a sensuous, imaginative journey.
Where We Meet the World: The Story of the Senses
By Ashley Ward
I’m the type of person who likes to know the “why” of things and this book should give me greater insight into the scientific reasons our five senses work the way they do. I’m really looking forward to reading this one.
Publisher’s Summary: The thrilling story of how our senses evolved and how they shape our encounters with the world. Our senses are what make life worth living. They allow us to appreciate a sip of an ice-cold drink, the sound of laughter, the touch of a lover. But only recently have incredible advances in sensory biology given us the ability to understand how and why our senses evolved as they have.
Flavorama: A Guide to Unlocking the Art and Science of Flavor
By Arielle Johnson
I just received this newly released book and it’s already a favorite in the olfactory community. I look forward to getting tips and hacks to make my food taste even better because, let’s be honest, there’s nothing more joyous than a satisfying meal.
Publisher’s Summary: You don’t need a lab or a professional kitchen, or even a background in science, to get something out of the science of flavor. With Flavorama, you’ll be able to easily finesse flavor while cooking to give any dish a little oomph, easily swap out an ingredient for one you have on hand, use a recipe or technique to improvise something new, or boldly replicate a flavor. Out of basil for pesto? Pivot and use mint, shiso, or tarragon, all are members of the same “herbal-aromatic” flavor family, for a new-but-somehow-familiar herb sauce. Or add a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of flaky salt to chocolate ice cream, a simple hack for deliciously complex flavor. Included are 99 recipes so you can hit the ground running with your new science-of-flavor.
No Place for Plants
By Dr. Kelly Ablard & Frauke Galia
Ok, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include some summer reading for the children in your life. I’m really proud of the book we’ve written and I hope the story not only inspires children to connect with nature more, but to do so through their nose. Listen to the authors’ conversation here.
Publisher’s Summary: No Place for Plants is a vibrantly illustrated children's picture book that tells the story of a modern day 8-year-old Native American girl from Los Angeles, California named Pukuu’ who is on a mission to save her community garden. Every Sunday, Pukuu', her wise grandmother Ashuuk, and their pet desert tortoise Paa'ar walk to their community garden to spend time with their friends, including the plants, animals, and insects. But one Sunday, as they are walking to the garden, smelling the plants along the way, they arrive there to find some no-good, absolutely terrible news that could change everything.
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Let me know what you’re reading this summer in the comments. Will any of these books be on your list?