Slow Books
Slow Books is a curated list of books and resources that speak to Slow Food values. We hope to connect readers with food writing that inspires thought and discussion about the food you love, diverse food cultures, historical foodways, food justice and the joy of eating.
SLOW Books recommendATIONs
We use bookshop.org to host our booklists; their sales support independent bookstores and Slow Food USA.
THIS MONTH’S RECOMMENDATIONS
August 2024 book selected by Slow Books team member Margaret
Lasagna Means I Love You
by Kate O’Shaugnessy
When Mo ends up in foster care following the death of her grandmother, she feels abandoned and alone. However, the discovery of a homemade cookbook leads Mo to discoveries about the power of food to bring people together, share stories, and find their new place in a confusing world. Includes recipes for readers to make and enjoy. This book received a starred Kirkus review and is on the Golden Dome book list for Vermont.
Seasons at Lakeside Dairy
by Lizzetta LaFalle-Collins
A family tale about the author’s grandfather whose persistence and skill created a thriving business in post-Reconstruction South. From Eat Your Books site: “The author structures her narrative around familial creative storytelling heard as a child, supported by family ephemera about the dairy and the family’s social and community engagement. Family members’ voices are interwoven into each chapter with direct quotations, creative storytelling, historical contexts, ephemera, and healthier recipes based on family favorites.”
Discussion Guides
Explore our 2023 Network Wide Read-Along selection by Elizabeth Acevedo: With the Fire on High.
For the 2022 Network-Wide Read-Along, the Slow Books team chose Grist: A Practical Guide to Cooking Grains, Beans, Seeds, and Legumes by Abra Berens. Here are some additional reading materials to enhance your enjoyment of this epic ode to some of our favorite foods.
PUBLISHER’S WEBSITE
AUTHOR’S WEBSITE
PURCHASE THE BOOK FROM BOOKSHOP!
In 2021, Slow Books selected Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass as its network-wide read-along for the year. They created a Discussion Guide and revised their Virtual Book Club Toolkit. Watch a video recording of a session where the Slow Books team offered tips on how to host a chapter-wide book club focused on the book.
Suggest a Book
The Slow Food Book Curators
Jovanna Perez Anzaldua
Susan Schiliro Guegan
Susan Schiliro Guegan, BCHN®, NC, is a Nutrition Consultant, Board Certified in Holistic Nutrition, who has been a Slow Food member for many years. Being a part of the Slow Books team is a great connection to many of her passions related to food, plants, culture, agricultural practices, soil and overall health.
Tammy Maitland
Tammy is a coastal Massachusetts transplant who has been living in the high desert of New Mexico since 2004. In the past few years, her love of food has blossomed right along with her growing obsession with books! She is an elementary school librarian, and has been involved with Slow Food ABQ & Slow Food Santa Fe. You can find her on Instagram as @quibit_the_cat.
Katie Johnson
Martina Stanley
Martina is a San Francisco native with an impassioned heart for community, sustainability, and service. Martina’s passion for social equity, sustainable food practices, and cultural history resonates through her advocacy and leadership. She is an avid lover of coffee, wine, and literature which for her are not just indulgences but symbols of the intricate relationship between people, land, and tradition. Martina is committed to the ethos of good, clean and fair food for all.
With a career spanning over fifteen years, Martina has developed a deep expertise in nonprofit management and public sector finance. She is in her second year on Slow Food Atlanta’s board, serving as Food Justice Co-Chair and Book Club Organizer.
Margaret Woodruff
Margaret Woodruff first learned about Slow Food while researching local foods for library programs at her library in Vermont. Since that time, she has been part of the Slow Food Vermont board and worked to fold Slow Food initiatives into libraries across the state, including Plant-a-Seed gardens at the Charlotte Library where she serves as director. Books and food seem like such a natural combination!