Recommendations based on French Lessons: Adventures with Knife, Fork, and Corkscrewby Peter Mayle

* statistically, based on millions of data-points provided by fellow humans

  1. Encore Provence: New Adventures in the South of France

    by Peter Mayle
    A delightful collection of stories and anecdotes about the author's life in the South of France.

    A whole new feast of adventures, discoveries, hilarities, and culinary treats, liberally seasoned with a joyous mix of Gallic characters. After trying–what folly!--to live in other places, Peter ... (Goodreads)

  2. A Year in Provence

    by Peter Mayle
    A humorous memoir of a British couple's first year in Provence, France, adjusting to the culture shock and idiosyncrasies of their new home.

    In this witty and warm-hearted account, Peter Mayle tells what it is like to realize a long-cherished dream and actually move into a 200-year-old stone farmhouse in the remote country of the Lubéron ... (Goodreads)

  3. Teacher Man

    by Frank McCourt
    A memoir of the author's 30-year career as an English teacher in New York City.

    McCourt's long-awaited book about how his thirty-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer. Nearly a decade ago Frank McCourt became an unlikely star when, at the age of sixty-six, he ... (Goodreads)

  4. A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous account of a man's attempt to hike the Appalachian Trail, reflecting on the beauty and history of the American wilderness.

    The book starts with Bryson explaining his curiosity about the Appalachian Trail near his house. He and his old friend Stephen Katz start hiking the trail from Georgia in the South , and stumble in ... (Wikipedia)

  5. The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid

    by Bill Bryson
    A humorous recounting of a boy's childhood in the 1950s and his fantastical adventures.

    Bryson was born on December 8, 1951. He spent his childhood growing up in Des Moines, Iowa , part of the baby-boom generation born in the post-war years. He describes his early life and his parents, ... (Wikipedia)

  6. A Woman in Berlin: Eight Weeks in the Conquered City: A Diary

    by Marta Hillers
    An account of the struggles of a German woman during the occupation of Berlin, as she attempts to survive.

    A, New York Times Book Review, Editors' Choice For eight weeks in 1945, as Berlin fell to the Russian army, a young woman kept a daily record of life in her apartment building and among its ... (Goodreads)

  7. My Life in France

    by Julia Child
    A memoir of Julia Child's life in Paris, cooking and exploring French cuisine.

    The bestselling story of Julia's years in France–and the basis for Julie & Julia , starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams--in her own words. Although she would later singlehandedly create a new approach ... (Goodreads)

  8. Toujours Provence

    by Peter Mayle
    A humorous and charming account of the author's life in Provence, France, filled with colorful characters and delightful anecdotes.

    Taking up where his beloved A Year in Provence leaves off, Peter Mayle offers us another funny, beautifully (and deliciously) evocative book about life in Provence. With tales only one who lives ... (Goodreads)

  9. Under the Tuscan Sun

    by Frances Mayes
    A woman's journey of self-discovery and renewal through a move to Tuscany.

    The story details the trials that Frances and her husband Ed had to go through to renovate their Tuscan property, an abandoned villa ( Bramasole ) in rural Cortona in Tuscany . As university ... (Wikipedia)

  10. Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes

    by Elizabeth Bard
    A memoir of a young American woman who falls in love with a Frenchman and discovers the joys of French cuisine and culture.

    In Paris for a weekend visit, Elizabeth Bard sat down to lunch with a handsome Frenchman — and never went home again. , Was it love at first sight? Or was it the way her knife slid effortlessly ... (Barnes & Noble)

  11. Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman

    by Alice Steinbach
    A middle-aged woman travels solo through Europe, seeking adventure and self-discovery.

    "In many ways, I was an independent woman," writes Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Alice Steinbach. “For years I’d made my own choices, paid my own bills, shoveled my own snow.” But somehow she had ... (Goodreads)

  12. Jane Austen: A Life

    by Claire Tomalin
    A biography of Jane Austen, exploring her life, family, and the social context in which she wrote her beloved novels.

    At her death in 1817, Jane Austen left the world six of the most beloved novels written in English—but her shortsighted family destroyed the bulk of her letters; and if she kept any diaries, they did ... (Goodreads)

  13. The Silver Palate Cookbook

    by Julee Rosso
    A classic cookbook featuring innovative recipes and cooking techniques that revolutionized American cuisine in the 1980s.

    "This is the book that changed the way America cooks."—Barbara Kafka The Silver Palate Cookbook is the beloved classic that brings a new passion for food and entertaining into American homes. Its 350 ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

    by Marion Cunningham
    Classic cookbook with over 1,400 recipes, including traditional American dishes and international cuisine.

    Here is the great basic American cookbook–with more than 1,990 recipes, plain and fancy--that belongs in every household. Originally published in 1896 as The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book by Fannie ... (Goodreads)

  15. The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography

    by Sidney Poitier
    Sidney Poitier reflects on his life, career, and spiritual journey, exploring the meaning of success and the importance of personal integrity.

    In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguable the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence ... (Goodreads)

  16. Bella Tuscany

    by Frances Mayes
    A memoir of a writer's love affair with Tuscany, its people, food, and landscape. A celebration of the beauty of life.

    Frances Mayes invites us back for a delightful new season of friendship, festivity, and food there and throughout Italy. Frances Mayes, whose enchanting #1 New York Times bestseller Under the Tuscan ... (Goodreads)

  17. Enrique's Journey

    by Sonia Nazario
    A young man's perilous search for his mother in the US, crossing the Mexican border.

    A true story from award-winning journalist Sonia Nazario recounting the odyssey of a Honduran boy who braves hardship and peril to reach his mother in the United States. In this astonishing true ... (Goodreads)

  18. The Way to Cook

    by Julia Child
    Comprehensive guide to cooking techniques and recipes, from basic to advanced, with detailed instructions and illustrations.

    In this magnificent new cookbook, illustrated with full color throughout, Julia Child give us her magnum opus the distillation of a lifetime of cooking. And she has an important message for Americans ... (Goodreads)

  19. Wave

    by Sonali Deraniyagala
    Memoir of a family's tragic loss in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, and a woman's journey of resilience and recovery.

    On the morning of December 26, 2004, on the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Sonali Deraniyagala lost her parents, her husband, and her two young sons in the tsunami she miraculously survived. In this ... (Goodreads)

  20. A Fighting Chance

    by Elizabeth Warren
    Autobiographical account of the Senator's rise from a middle-class family to the halls of power.

    An unlikely political star tells the inspiring story of the two-decade journey that taught her how Washington really works—and really doesn't—in A Fighting Chance As a child in small-town Oklahoma, ... (Goodreads)

  21. Prisoner of Tehran

    by Marina Nemat
    A young girl's struggle for survival and freedom in the face of political oppression.

    Marina Nemat's peaceful childhood in Tehran was shattered when the Iranian Revolution of 1979 ushered in a new era of Islamic rule. After complaining to her teachers about lessons being replaced by ... (Goodreads)

  22. The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook

    by America's Test Kitchen
    A comprehensive guide to cooking, featuring over 1,000 recipes.

    A revision of the Fall 2005 BookSense pick and bestseller, this edition features a new light recipe chapter, more than 1500 color photos, heavy duty paper and binding, over 2 dozen new recipes, and ... (Goodreads)

  23. Eisenhower in War and Peace

    by Jean Edward Smith
    Biography of Dwight Eisenhower's life, from World War II to the Cold War.

    NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY, The Christian Science Monitor • St. Louis Post-Dispatch, In his magisterial bestseller FDR, Jean Edward Smith gave us a fresh, modern look at one of the ... (Goodreads)

  24. The Prose Edda

    by Snorri Sturluson
    A collection of Norse mythology and legends, including the creation of the world, the gods and goddesses, and the end of the world.

    'What was the beginning, or how did things start? What was there before?', The Prose Edda is the most renowned of all works of Scandinavian literature and our most extensive source for Norse ... (Goodreads)

  25. The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country

    by Helen Russell
    A British woman's experience immersing in the culture of Denmark, learning lessons on living a better life.

    Denmark is officially the happiest nation on Earth. When Helen Russell is forced to move to rural Jutland, can she discover the secrets of their happiness? Or will the long, dark winters and pickled ... (Goodreads)

  26. Teaching My Mother How to Give Birth

    by Warsan Shire
    A lyrical exploration of womanhood, identity, and the power of words.

    What elevates 'teaching my mother how to give birth', what gives the poems their disturbing brilliance, is Warsan Shire's ability to give simple, beautiful eloquence to the veiled world where ... (Goodreads)

  27. I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

    by Nujood Ali
    A young girl's fight against early marriage in Yemen and her victory in court.

    “I’m a simple village girl who has always obeyed the orders of my father and brothers. Since forever, I have learned to say yes to everything. Today I have decided to say no.” Nujood Ali's childhood ... (Goodreads)

  28. Big Bang: The Origin of the Universe

    by Simon Singh
    A comprehensive exploration of the Big Bang Theory, from its earliest beginnings to its implications today.

    A half century ago, a shocking Washington Post headline claimed that the world began in five cataclysmic minutes rather than having existed for all time; a skeptical scientist dubbed the maverick ... (Goodreads)

  29. Operating Instructions: A Journal of My Son's First Year

    by Anne Lamott
    An intimate diary of a mother's journey of joy and struggle raising her son.

    The most honest, wildly enjoyable book written about motherhood is surely Anne Lamott's account of her son Sam's first year. A gifted writer and teacher, Lamott ( Crooked Little Heart ) is a single ... (Goodreads)

  30. Awakenings

    by Oliver Sacks
    Exploring the effects of a mysterious sleeping sickness, the power of hope and human resilience.

    Awakenings is a 1973 non-fiction book by Oliver Sacks. It recounts the life histories of those who had been victims of the 1920s encephalitis lethargica epidemic. Sacks chronicles his efforts in the ... (Goodreads)