Welcome to October, and the tenth month of the Read with MLC 2025 Reading Challenge! This month’s goal is to read a cookbook or a book about food. October typically signals a change in the weather here in the Magnolia State and we use even a slight drop in the temperature as an excuse to pull out our recipes for hearty chilis, stews, and soups. October is National Pizza, Popcorn, Pork, and Seafood Months, as well as the last week of Oktoberfest… just think of all that sausage and sauerkraut! Thanksgiving and Christmas are right around the corner, too, so October is a great time to perfect any new recipes you want to try on your coworkers, friends, and relatives.
Where should you go to find cookbooks featuring foods you want to eat? Your local public library is a great place to start! Many libraries have devoted cookbook sections that hold cookbooks geared to certain diets and lifestyles, cookbooks written by celebrities and celebrity chefs, and even cookbooks put together by local groups, like the Junior League, local theaters, and local churches. If you want to read books about food, micro-histories have become all the rage in recent years. You can read the history of just about any staple ingredient and unlock a wealth of information about cooks of centuries past. Some chefs have written biographies about themselves and include foods and recipes they enjoy, while others deliver simple travelogues that include tasty treats. Last but not least are food books that are pure fiction, but include dreamy descriptions of everything delicious. Check out your library’s card catalog to see what they have to offer, and don’t forget to look into interlibrary loan if they don’t have exactly what you’re looking for. (Hot tip: our catalog is here.)
If you can’t find what you want in the catalog, you have another option. MLC’s BookMatch service is an incredible way to find new books custom chosen just for you. Your answers on our short form give us an idea of your likes and dislikes; we’ll send you a short list of suggested titles tailored to your specific tastes. Now, rinse out your measuring cups and flour that rolling pin… and until next time, happy reading!
Elisabeth Scott
Reference Librarian
