Fans pick 100 books like A Cheesemonger's History of The British Isles

By Ned Palmer,

Here are 100 books that A Cheesemonger's History of The British Isles fans have personally recommended if you like A Cheesemonger's History of The British Isles. 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 The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and Its Citrus Fruit

Marc Millon Author Of Italy in a Wineglass: The Taste of History

From my list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been researching and writing about wine, food, and travel for over 40 years (my first book, The Wine and Food of Europe, co-authored with my photographer wife Kim Millon, was published in 1982). I love to travel, I love to eat, and I love to drink wine. Most of all, I am interested in placing food and wine within a cultural and historical context. I have a weekly podcast, “Wine, Food, and Travel with Marc Millon,” which allows me to explore these topics by speaking directly to people. I hope you enjoy the books on my list as much as I do.

Marc's book list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time

Marc Millon Why did Marc love this book?

I could almost immediately smell the gorgeous scent of citrus wafting from the pages of this beautiful book through the magic of Helena Atlee’s precisely detailed writing.

Who would have thought that the story of Italy’s varied and numerous citrus plantations would take me on a journey all across the country, from Sicily’s west coast to the fragrant lemon gardens of Lake Garda, and in time from when the Arabs introduced bitter oranges up to the workings of the citrus industry today.

I love this book because it simply tells the fragrant story of how fruit, in various manifestations, has come to be cultivated all around the country and to represent something of the soul and the spirit of the Italian people.

By Helena Attlee,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked The Land Where Lemons Grow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Land Where Lemons Grow is the sweeping story of Italy's cultural history told through the history of its citrus crops. From the early migration of citrus from the foothills of the Himalayas to Italy's shores to the persistent role of unique crops such as bergamot (and its place in the perfume and cosmetics industries) and the vital role played by Calabria's unique Diamante citrons in the Jewish celebration of Sukkoth, author Helena Attlee brings the fascinating history and its gustatory delights to life.

Whether the Battle of Oranges in Ivrea, the gardens of Tuscany, or the story of the…


Book cover of Salt: A World History

Marc Millon Author Of Italy in a Wineglass: The Taste of History

From my list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been researching and writing about wine, food, and travel for over 40 years (my first book, The Wine and Food of Europe, co-authored with my photographer wife Kim Millon, was published in 1982). I love to travel, I love to eat, and I love to drink wine. Most of all, I am interested in placing food and wine within a cultural and historical context. I have a weekly podcast, “Wine, Food, and Travel with Marc Millon,” which allows me to explore these topics by speaking directly to people. I hope you enjoy the books on my list as much as I do.

Marc's book list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time

Marc Millon Why did Marc love this book?

Salt, neither you nor I would be alive without this mundane, everyday product that we scarcely give a second thought to. Salt is essential for human life, explains Mark Kurlansky, and the ingenious ways in which it is harvested and utilised all around the world, from antiquity to now, is the subject of this fascinating book.

I traveled in this book from China to western Sicily, from the North Atlantic, where fishermen preserved their catch of cod in salt, to the Indian sub-continent, where salt marches were eventually to lead to the emancipation of a nation. The Chinese wrote about gathering salt 8000 years ago; methods were perfected by the Phoenicians and the Romans, and salt is still evaporated by the sun and wind alone, hand-harvested through evaporation with hand tools as it has been for millennia.

The story of salt is the story of human civilisation.

By Mark Kurlansky,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Salt as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

“Kurlansky finds the world in a grain of salt.” - New York Times Book Review

An unlikely world history from the bestselling author of Cod and The Basque History of the World

Best-selling author Mark Kurlansky turns his attention to a common household item with a long and intriguing history: salt. The only rock we eat, salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning, and its story is a glittering, often surprising part of the history of humankind. A substance so valuable it served as currency, salt has influenced the establishment of trade routes and cities, provoked and financed wars,…


Book cover of Delizia!: The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food

Marc Millon Author Of Italy in a Wineglass: The Taste of History

From my list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been researching and writing about wine, food, and travel for over 40 years (my first book, The Wine and Food of Europe, co-authored with my photographer wife Kim Millon, was published in 1982). I love to travel, I love to eat, and I love to drink wine. Most of all, I am interested in placing food and wine within a cultural and historical context. I have a weekly podcast, “Wine, Food, and Travel with Marc Millon,” which allows me to explore these topics by speaking directly to people. I hope you enjoy the books on my list as much as I do.

Marc's book list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time

Marc Millon Why did Marc love this book?

I love travelling to Italy’s great cities: Florence, Venice, Rome, Naples, Palermo, Bologna, Turin. One of the great pleasures is enjoying the local foods and wines. In this book, John Dickie demonstrates that Italy’s famed regional cuisines have origins not in the countryside but in the peculiar and particular workings of these great urban entities.

By exploring foods through links to cities, and cities through the foods that are unique to each, whether because of foreign influences, systems of agricultural tender, or through highlighting differences between working, merchant, and aristocratic classes, Dickie gave me greater insight and appreciation into place through the food that you or I will encounter on our plates, wherever in Italy we might happen to find ourselves.

By John Dickie,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

'If only we could all write as brilliantly on Italy and its food as John Dickie does. He may well know Italy and Italians better than they know themselves' Stanley Tucci

The new edition of the much-loved classic, with a fresh chapter that brings the surprising and moreish tale of the Italian way of eating right up to the present.

Delizia! takes the reader on a revelatory historical journey through the flavours of the cities that shaped the Italian love for good eating. From the bustle of Medieval Milan, to the bombast of Fascist Rome; from the pleasure gardens of…


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Book cover of An Italian Feast: The Celebrated Provincial Cuisines of Italy from Como to Palermo

An Italian Feast By Clifford A. Wright,

An Italian Feast celebrates the cuisines of the Italian provinces from Como to Palermo. A culinary guide and book of ready reference meant to be the most comprehensive book on Italian cuisine, and it includes over 800 recipes from the 109 provinces of Italy's 20 regions.

An Italian Feast is…

Book cover of Palmento: A Sicilian Wine Odyssey

Marc Millon Author Of Italy in a Wineglass: The Taste of History

From my list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time.

Why am I passionate about this?

I have been researching and writing about wine, food, and travel for over 40 years (my first book, The Wine and Food of Europe, co-authored with my photographer wife Kim Millon, was published in 1982). I love to travel, I love to eat, and I love to drink wine. Most of all, I am interested in placing food and wine within a cultural and historical context. I have a weekly podcast, “Wine, Food, and Travel with Marc Millon,” which allows me to explore these topics by speaking directly to people. I hope you enjoy the books on my list as much as I do.

Marc's book list on food and wine that take you places and allow you to travel in time

Marc Millon Why did Marc love this book?

I love travel, wine, and learning more about the people who create wine. This book ticks all these boxes.

It takes me all across Sicily, one of Italy’s most exciting and dynamic wine regions. In the course of these travels, I get to meet the people who have transformed Sicilian wine from pedestrian to world-class.

Camuto is a masterful storyteller. His descriptions of encounters with winemakers, what they look like, and the meals they share together are as interesting as the up-to-the-minute information he imparts about the wines they are now bringing to the world. This is a must-read for lovers of Sicily and all lovers of Italian wine.

By Robert V. Camuto,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

Inspired by a deep passion for wine, an Italian heritage, and a desire for a land somewhat wilder than his home in southern France, Robert V. Camuto set out to explore Sicily's emerging wine scene. What he discovered during more than a year of traveling the region, however, was far more than a fascinating wine frontier.
Chronicling his journey through Palermo to Marsala, and across the rugged interior of Sicily to the heights of Mount Etna, Camuto captures the personalities and flavors and the traditions and natural riches that have made Italy's largest and oldest wine region the world traveler's…


Book cover of Vegan Cheese: Simple, Delicious Plant-Based Recipes

Veronika Sophia Robinson Author Of The Mystic Cookfire: The Sacred Art of Creating Food to Nurture Friends and Family

From my list on conscious plant-based cookery.

Why am I passionate about this?

Veronika Sophia Robinson has eaten a plant-based diet for forty-eight years and knows what healthy and delicious vegan and vegetarian food should taste like. She has had extensive experience in cooking for others whether around her kitchen table or in a yurt with no electricity feeding up to fifty families for five days (for many years). The Mystic Cookfire is a tome of over 400 pages. It is an expression of her deep love and respect for food, conscious cookery, and intentional eating. Her second recipe book Love From My Kitchen is a collection of vegan, gluten-free recipes based on the four elements: fire, earth, air, and water. She’s delighted that her granddaughter is a fourth-generation vegetarian.

Veronika's book list on conscious plant-based cookery

Veronika Sophia Robinson Why did Veronika love this book?

Whether for reasons of ethics or health, more and more people are looking for dairy cheese substitutes. Commercial versions are often poor imitations. This book is like winning cheese lotto! There are 60 plant-based cheeses (no easy feat) made using vegetables, tofu, seeds and nuts, ranging from firm to sharp, creamy to mild. These recipes draw on only natural ingredients and techniques. You can create the perfect cheese platter with spreads, sauces, sprinkles, block and wheel cheeses, soft and fresh cheeses, and accompaniments. Easy to follow. Beautiful photography.

By Jules Aron,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

It isn't necessary to be intimidated by the idea of making cheese-vegan cheese is simple and straightforward with clean, basic ingredients. Here, Jules Aron shares the tricks of the trade for making sauces, cheese you can grate or slice, and soft spreadable options, using homemade nut milks, vegetables and natural helpers like carrageenan, agar-agar and nutritional yeast. Her flavoursome creations are enhanced with herbs and spices and run from incredibly easy to more complex, mimicking familiar cheeses, including: French-Style Brie, Herbed Feta, Aged Gruyere.

Armed with tips for building the perfect cheese plate and drink pairings, budding vegan cheese-makers will…


Book cover of Cheese Sex Death: A Bible for the Cheese Obsessed

Rachel Riederman Author Of Once Upon A Rind In Hollywood: 50 Movie-Themed Cheese Platters and Snack Boards for Film Fanatics

From my list on cookbooks to be the host with most.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was a clothing designer in NYC in a previous life. I would cram friends into my small apartment and have dinner parties whenever I could. I love food, cooking, and entertaining. Food is a way to show love, but for me, cooking was also a way to flex my creative muscle outside a creatively and emotionally draining industry. For years I mused about how to pivot into the food industry without being a classically trained chef. Upon being laid off in 2020 the door was finally opened for me to move on a begin a career in food styling and photography. Once Upon a Rind in Hollywood is my first cookbook.

Rachel's book list on cookbooks to be the host with most

Rachel Riederman Why did Rachel love this book?

I came across this cool and edgy “bible” for the cheese obsessed as I began working on my cheese-themed snack board book.

I enjoy good cheese and know a thing or two about it, but I am no expert, and this book has been and continues to be an invaluable resource for buying, serving, and enjoying cheese.

Cheese Sex Death: A Bible for the Cheese Obsessed written by Kubick, an ex-cheesemonger, is truly an encyclopedia of cheese. The book is written in a cheeky tone playing into biblical references regarding the worship of “Cheesus.”

It is smartly laid out, explaining the history of cheese, how to buy and properly store cheese, a breakdown of types of cheese, tools to serve it, and lots of clever food and drink pairings.

This book has all you need to know about the ritual of enjoying cheese.

Since it is written in a fun…

By Erika Kubick,

Why should I read it?

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

What is this book about?

From lauded cheesemonger and creator of the popular blog Cheese Sex Death, a bible for everything you need to know about cheese

For many people, the world of artisan cheese is an intriguing but intimidating place. There are so many strange smells, unusual textures, exotic names, and rules for serving. Where should a neophyte begin?

From evangelist cheesemonger Erika Kubick, this comprehensive book guides readers to become confident connoisseurs and worshippers of Cheesus. A preacher of the curd word, Kubick provides the Ten Commandments of Cheese, which breaks down this complex world into simplified bites. A welcoming sanctuary devoted to…


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Book cover of Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS

Marriage and Fatherhood in the Nazi SS By Amy Carney,

When I was writing this book, several of my friends jokingly called it the Nazi baby book, with one insisting it would make a great title. Nazi Babies – admittedly, that is a catchy title, but that’s not exactly what my book is about. SS babies would be slightly more…

Book cover of The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Anna Kopp Author Of The Marble Queen

From my list on queer fantasy graphic novels for young adults.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was a queer teen in the early 2000s, I didn’t have sapphic books or media available to me aside from anime, and even then, the dubbed versions on TV were scrubbed of queerness (I’m looking at you, Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura). I did have Revolutionary Girl Utena, and it was everything to me: fantasy, ballgowns, and girls dancing together. I wrote my book for that me who craved to see herself in beautiful, fantastical stories, and it’s why I love the fact that we have so many more out there right now that I can recommend to all of you!

Anna's book list on queer fantasy graphic novels for young adults

Anna Kopp Why did Anna love this book?

This book made me laugh out loud. There were so many cheese puns that my face hurt from my perpetual grin after reading it.

I love having a queer book with lots of heart and low stakes, where I can just relax and enjoy the fun. And the outfits! I need these dresses and suits in my life!

By Deya Muniz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Lady Camembert wants to live life on her own terms, without marriage. Well, without marrying a man, that is. But the law of the land is that women cannot inherit. So when her father passes away, she does the only thing she can: She disguises herself as a man and moves to the capital city of the Kingdom of Fromage to start over as Count Camembert.

But it's hard to keep a low profile when the beautiful Princess Brie, with her fierce activism and great sense of fashion, catches her attention. Camembert can't resist getting to know the princess, but…


Book cover of Tweet Cute

Danielle Banas Author Of The Good for Nothings

From my list on young adult for readers who want to laugh out loud.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m the author of the humorous YA novels The Supervillain and Me and The Good for Nothings. I’ve been telling stories since I could talk, including the night I recited an entire Mickey Mouse scratch and sniff book to my mother at bedtime (she’s so proud), and the numerous evenings I subjected my friends and family to another one of my home “movies” set in front of a poorly painted bedsheet backdrop in my basement. I owe my writing career to Spider-Man (Andrew Garfield’s version), who inspired my first book. I spent countless college classes thinking about him instead of paying attention, but it all worked out in the end.

Danielle's book list on young adult for readers who want to laugh out loud

Danielle Banas Why did Danielle love this book?

The humor in this book is delightfully… cheesy. Pun intended. Tweet Cute is about Jack and Pepper, son and daughter of the owners of a mom-and-pop deli and a massive fast-food chain, respectively, who get into a Twitter war once it is revealed that one has stolen the other’s secret family grilled cheese recipe. This book has three things that I absolutely adore: It’s set in New York City, the characters engage almost constantly in witty banter, and it’s packed with puns about—you guessed it—grilled cheese. But humor aside, Tweet Cute is a terrific story about tight-knit families, teenagers dealing with the pressures surrounding high school graduation, and ultimately, following your own path.

By Emma Lord,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Tweet Cute as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Meet Pepper, swim team captain, chronic over achiever, and all-around perfectionist. Her family may be falling apart, but their massive fast-food chain is booming - mainly thanks to Pepper, who is barely managing to juggle real life while secretly running Big League Burger's massive Twitter account.

Enter Jack, class clown and constant thorn in Pepper's side. When he isn't trying to duck out of his obscenely popular twin's shadow, he's busy working in his family's deli. His relationship with the business that holds his future might be love/hate, but when Big League Burger steals his grandma's iconic grilled cheese recipe,…


Book cover of Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life

Ronnie F. Lee Author Of Know Money No Problem: A Guide to Positive Personal Economics

From my list on creating a better you.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an ordinary person who was able to achieve an extraordinary life for myself. My parents, who currently do not own a home, have always struggled to make ends meet. When I left the US Army at 23 with only $3,000 in savings, I quickly spent it while trying to adjust to civilian life in a foreign country. With a limited college education, I turned to books for inspiration. These books provided me with insights into the details behind success stories and changed my mindset. I was motivated to write my own book, Know Money No Problem, to pay it forward and help others achieve their own version of success. 

Ronnie's book list on creating a better you

Ronnie F. Lee Why did Ronnie love this book?

To truly stay ahead of failure, one must embrace discomfort and avoid becoming stagnant. Life is a constant race, and if you stop running, you cannot win. Who Moved My Cheese? serves as a great example that is easy to read, digest, and a powerful reminder to keep pushing forward in the race of life.

The book highlights the importance of not taking good fortune for granted and avoiding getting too comfortable. It teaches that everything is constantly evolving, and it is essential to remain vigilant and open to new opportunities.

I once used this book to teach a group of high schoolers how to stay alert to opportunities and overcome the fear of discomfort.

By Spencer Johnson,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Who Moved My Cheese? An A-Mazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Who Moved My Cheese? is a simple parable that reveals profound truths. It is the amusing and enlightening story of four characters who live in a maze and look for cheese to nourish them and make them happy. Cheese is a metaphor for what you want to have in life, for example a good job, a loving relationship, money or possessions, health or spiritual peace of mind. The maze is where you look for what you want, perhaps the organisation you work in, or the family or community you live in. The problem is that the cheese keeps moving.

In…


Book cover of Am I Overthinking This?: Over-Answering Life's Questions in 101 Charts

Ben Orlin Author Of Math Games with Bad Drawings: 75 1/4 Simple, Challenging, Go-Anywhere Games--And Why They Matter

From my list on math books with genuinely good drawings.

Why am I passionate about this?

Explaining math demands great visuals. I should know: I explain math for a living, and I cannot draw. Like, at all. The LA Times art director once compared my cartoons to the work of children and institutionalized patients. (He printed them anyway.) In the nerdier corners of the internet, I’m known as the “Math with Bad Drawings” guy, and as a purveyor of artless art, I’ve developed an eye for the good stuff: striking visuals that bring mathematical concepts to life. Here are five books that blow my stick figures out of the water. (But please buy my book anyway, if for no deeper reason than pity.)

Ben's book list on math books with genuinely good drawings

Ben Orlin Why did Ben love this book?

I adore these images. Each is like a tiny memoir wrapped in a graph. Even beyond the puzzle-like pleasure of decoding them, I love Rial’s playful use of real objects. Coffee rings form a Venn diagram about coffee addiction. Floss traces a line graph on dental hygiene. Half-eaten cheese sticks become the bars on a chart of cheese consumption. A delicious book, in every sense!

By Michelle Rial,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Am I Overthinking This? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Am I overthinking this? Probably.

This is a book of questions with answers, over-answers, and many charts: Did I screw up? How do I achieve work-life balance? Am I eating too much cheese? Do I have too many plants? Like a conversation with your non-judgmental best friend, Michelle Rial delivers a playful take on the little dilemmas that loom large in the mind of every adult through artful charts and funny, insightful questions.

* Building on her popular Instagram account @michellerial, Am I Overthinking This? brings whimsical charm to topics big and small
* Offers solidarity for the stressed, answers…


Book cover of The Land Where Lemons Grow: The Story of Italy and Its Citrus Fruit
Book cover of Salt: A World History
Book cover of Delizia!: The Epic History of the Italians and Their Food

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