#marsha mehran

[princessofmistake]

Forse ci sono cose che non puoi dire nemmeno a te stessa, pensò. In fondo, che cos’è l’io se non un mistero?

[aforcedelire]

Une soupe à la grenade, Marsha Mehran

Trois sœurs, débarquées d’Iran et parties juste à temps avant la Révolution, arrivent à Londres puis en Irlande dans un petit village loin de tout. Elles décident de monter un restaurant, le Babylon Café, où elles proposent des plats typiques de leur pays natal. Au début, elles sont très mal vues et très mal accueillies par les habitants ; puis, petit à petit, ils vont se prendre d’affection et se lier avec elles. Sans compter que leur cuisine est un peu spéciale : elle participe à débloquer des envies depuis longtemps enfouies (envie de créer une pièce de théâtre, ce genre de choses).

En plus de tout ça, on a une petite histoire d’amour choupette entre la plus jeune sœur et un habitant du village. On apprend petit à petit les circonstances de leur départ d’Iran, ce qui s’est passé, ce qui leur est arrivé, le tout de façon très pudique.

C’était sympa sur le moment, mais malheureusement j’ai trouvé ce roman clairement oubliable… le deuxième tome sort à la rentrée, mais je ne sais pas encore si je vais le lire. Je suis un peu déçue, j’en attendais davantage !

20/06/2023

[danielemuzzarelli]

Non bisogna mai lasciarsi guidare dall'egoismo dei desideri altrui.

Marsha Mehran, Istituto di bellezza Margaret Thatcher

[angela-miccioli]

Non bisogna mai lasciarsi guidare dall'egoismo dei desideri altrui.

Marsha Mehran

Boccioli di poesia

[letsreadwomen]

kitchen stories for the holidays

In honour of the holiday season, I’ve compiled a few stories where kitchens, food, cooking, or recipes are an important factor. This was partly prompted by this post about Bread Magic, which got me thinking about the great power of food as a source of life as well as a way to bring people together.

(*) indicates (some of) the main character(s) and / or author(s) is / are not straight

The classics

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

Como Agua Para Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

Aphrodite: A Memoir Of The Senses by Isabel Allende

Fiction

Latinx

With The Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore*

Once Upon A Time In Rio by Francisco Azevedo

Asian

The Surprising Power Of A Good Dumpling by Wai Chim

The Mistress Of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Sweet Bean Paste by Durian Sukegawa

The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan

Pomegranate Soup | Rosewater And Soda Bread by Marsha Mehran

Summer Of Salt by Katrina Leno*

Cinnamon And Gunpowder by Eli Brown

Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The School Of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

When The Moon Fell In Love With The Sun by @porchwood (fanfiction) 

Non fiction

Feed The Resistance: Recipes + Ideas For Getting Involved by Julia Turshen

Blood, Bones And Butter: The Inadvertent Education Of A Reluctant Chef by Gabrielle Hamilton*

Russ & Daughters: Reflections And Recipes From The House That Herring Built by Mark Russ Federman

Relish: My Life In The Kitchen by Lucy Knisley (graphic novel)*

Collected tales

Hungry Hearts: 13 Tales Of Food & Love edited by Elsie Chapman and Caroline Tung Richmond*

Tastes And Tales From Russia by Alla Danishevsky

Further inspiration

Barnes & Nobles’ Fantasy For Foodies

@lgbtqreads‘ Queer Chef Romances

@bookriot‘s Culinary Murder Mysteries

@bookriot​‘s Books About Food History

@bookriot‘s LGBT Food Memoirs

@buzzfeed‘s Books Every Foodie Needs

Goodreads’ Food Magic Books

Goodreads’ Foodie list

(If you like these recommendation lists and would like to support me and my decaf coffee habit, please consider donating to my Ko-Fi. Happy reading!)

[cam-the-orange-cat]

Food in Fiction

I’m one of those American kids that grew up with Otter Pops and other sugar-water, artificially dyed and flavored frozen treats. A few weeks ago, however, I bought my first box of Helados-Mexico fruit and cream bars, and my whole world changed. 

Yes - I know - store-bought paletas are nothing compared to the real deal. But damn, do I wish my mom had bought these for me when I was a kid. I’m paleta-obsessed. I’ve never been one to cook (my brother is teaching me how to use the blender), but I’ve been experimenting day after day trying to recreate this new magic (and, as a broke college student, recreate them cheap). Blueberry paletas are currently in the freezer.

Recently, this experience got me thinking: Do my characters eat? What are they eating? Why are they eating that? Were they raised on sugar-water popsicles? Or did they enjoy the finer things in life (like paletas)?

Writing food isn’t restricted to eating it either. Maybe Susan is trying a new recipe for her vegetarian boyfriend. Maybe, at a baseball game, Arnold is flicking mustard into the hair of the guy in front of him. 

Food is so integral in our own every day lives, it just makes sense that it should play some sort of role in our characters’, even if it’s just in the background. So, what can writing about food do for our stories? 

Food can give readers a taste of a character’s personality and insight into their state of mind. Samantha Downing explains in an article for Penguin Random House: 

“Imagine two characters meet at a coffee shop to discuss a topic integral to your story. Maybe one lost a job, or their spouse is having an affair, or maybe they’re having an all-out war with a neighbor. The dialogue may be the most important part of this scene, but it doesn’t have to be the only important part.

“For example, if both characters order the same thing — say, medium lattes — that’s hardly notable. Or if what they order isn’t mentioned at all, it becomes irrelevant. But what if one character orders a plain black coffee, and the other orders a jumbo cinnamon roll with an extra-large salted caramel mocha? And which ordered which? Does the one with the problem order the food, or is it the one who has to listen? Either way, the scene just became a lot more interesting.”

Food can add to world building, give depth to a setting. Maybe you’re a fantasy writer. You’ve probably had the fleeting thought of how trade works in your world. Your cities along the coast likely have access to a vast menu of seafood. But what does it taste like? Does the cuisine lean toward spicy? Saucy? Do they grill the fish or eat it raw like sushi? 

Imagine your assassin sitting down for a meal in a dark corner of a run-down, family resturaunt. The waitress sets down a bowl of a scallion stew. It’s steamy and pungent in herbs. The broth is red with tomatoes. Golden potatoes float near the surface. After a long day of chasing after an envelope, the meal is hearty and welcome. 

James Beard, an American cook, once said, “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” Food in fiction offers us, as authors, a chance to connect to our readers. Take advantage, and write more food!

For inspiration, check out these books and webcomics that feature food:

The Secret Ingredient of Wishes - Novel by Susan Bishop Crispell

Garden Spells - Novel by Sarah Addison Allen 

Pomegranate Soup - Novel by Marsha Mehran

Cinnamon and Gunpowder - Novel by Eli Brown

Under the Cajun Moon - Novel by Mindy Starns Clark 

The Wedding Bees - Novel by Sarah-Kate Lynch 

Salty Studio - Webtoon by Omyo

Gourmet Hound - Webtoon by Leehama

[hungry-black-eels]

Słowa roku 2019

1. Zupa z granatów - Marsha Mehran - (25.01 - 27.01)

2. Woda różana i chleb na sodzie - Marsha Mehran (27.01 - 02.02)

3. Sobotnia szkoła piękności - Marsha Mehran (02.02 - 03.03)

4. Édes Anna - Dezső Kosztolányi - (19.02 - 23.02)

5. Odraza -  László Németh - (20.03 - 01.11)

6. Pościg - Elle Kennedy - (23.04 - 07.07)

7. Mieszczanin - Molier - (07.07)

8. Świętoszek - Molier - (09.07-12.07)

9. Ostatnie Życzenie - Andrzej Sapkowski - (13.09-05.10)

10. Miecz przeznaczenia - Andrzej Sapkowski - (06.10-18.10)

11. Krew Elfów - Andrzej Sapkowski - (03.11-01.12)

12. Czas Pogardy - Andrzej Sapkowski - (07.12-31.12)

[mickiemueller]

“Unlike the classical Greeks, for whom the fruit symbolized the inescapable cycle of bitter death, with a remorseful Persephone returning to the underworld for her six months of required winter, Marjan liked to believe the old stories of Persian soothsayers, who held a different vision of the tart fruit's purpose in life. She liked to remember that above all else, above all the unfortunate connotations of death and winter, the pomegranate was, and always would be, the fruit of hope. The flower of fertility, of new things and old seasons to be cradled.” -Marsha Mehran, Pomegranate Soup . #hope #pomegranate #samhain #samhainblessings #kitchenwitch https://www.instagram.com/p/B4lFXZvHoK3/?igshid=12oqk0jt3frv3

[kattra]

What I’m Reading

BOOKS OF JULY When Dimple Met Rishi by Sandhya Menon ** The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link (SS) Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke ** When My Brother Was An Aztec by Natalie Díaz (P) Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood ** Madness, Rack, and Honey: Collected Lectures by Mary Ruefle (NF) Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab Eat Sweat Play: How Sport Can Change Our Lives by Anna Kessel (NF) Gilead by Marilynne Robinson Windfall by Jennifer E. Smith For Your Own Good by Leah Horlick (P) Gem & Dixie by Sara Zarr Sofia Khan Is Not Obliged by Ayisha Malik Reboot by Amy Tintera Rebel by Amy Tintera ** How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez Truthwitch by Susan Dennard ** 172 Hours on the Moon by Johan Harstad This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf (NF) Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour **

Graphic Novels read: xxxHOLiC Vol.1-19 by CLAMP* ** xxxHOLiC: Rei Vol.1-3 by CLAMP* ** Giant Days Vol.5 — Allison/Sarin/Fleming/Cogar ** Tsubasa: WoRLD CHRoNiCLE NiraiKanai Vol.1-3 by CLAMP ** Gate 7 Vol.1-4 by CLAMP* ** Natsume’s Book of Friends Vol.1-12*, 13-19 by Yuki Midorikawa ** Skim by Mariko Tamaki & Jillian Tamaki ** Gotham By Gaslight: A Tale of the Batman by Augustyn/Mignola/Russell/Barreto Angel Catbird Vol.1, 2 (To Castle Catula) — Atwood/Christmas/Bonvillain Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley ** Today is the Last Day of the Rest of Your Life by Ulli Lust The Property by Rutu Mordan Papercut Heart: A Book of Zines by Ian Sullivan Cant (P) **

currently reading: Scratch: Writers, Money, and the Art of Making a Living edited by Manjula Martin (NF) Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner All Grown Up by Jami Attenberg Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver (NF) Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann (P)

(155 books read / 200 books goal)

* - re-read // ** - a 4+ star-rating on my goodreads GN - graphic novel // NF - non-fiction SS - short story collection // P - poetry AB - audiobook

TBR: Get In Trouble: Stories by Kelly Link (SS) Black & White by Dani Shapiro The Chosen Maiden by Eva Stachniak Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran Breaking Up With God: A Love Story by Sarah Sentilles (NF) The Wicked + The Divine Vol.5 (Imperial Phase Part 1) — Gillen/McKelvie/Wilson/Cowles (GN)

WHAT ARE YOU READING? :D

[coffee-and-kpop]

I just finished Radio Silence by Alice Oseman and it was really good; very unique but relatable characters. I'd also suggest some old favorites: Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, Tales of the Madman Underground by John Barnes, Hawk Song by Ameli At-Water-Rhodes, The Hunter's Moon by O R Melling, and Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran. A lot of them are fantasy but some are realistic fiction. Happy reading!

Oooh yay thank you!! So many of these sound so great!! Here's a few recs for you:)- The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice- Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher (I know the show was like all the rave recently but I read this book YEARS ago and it become one of my favorites and tbh I liked it more than the show)- The Luxe by Anna Godberson- Crank by Ellen Hopkins (it's a whole series and they're pretty quick reads but they're amazing) and her Burned series is great too!!- peachjin 🍑

[broekhart]

january 2017 reading list

it had been planned and there were guides, jessica lee richardson

rosewater and soda bread, marsha mehran

the candymakers and the great chocolate chase, wendy moss

illusionarium, heather dixon

the honey month, amal el-mohtar

eating fruit out of season, david livingstone clink

a hero at the end of the world, erin claiborne

what i was, meg rosoff

the cinnamon peeler: selected poems, michael ondaatje

the invention of honey, ricardo sternberg

[ideasmithy]

MISSING MARSHA At the start of lockdown, I found food fiction, a subgenre of travel, culture, history, anthropology, women's fiction, romance, cookery & so many diverse categories. Between pages, I traversed cuisines & cultures, finding characters I fell for, situations that laced my lockdown life with fortitude & hope. It's been the second golden era of my reading (the first being when I was 17, in personal turmoil of family, studies, health & abuse and I devoured my college library). In these, I drifted towards Persia, fueled by Wikipedia deep-dives, armed with Google Images of food, etymology sites to trace Persian-Hindi connections. The book that started it for me was Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran. On @reddit (another pandemic content discovery), I found a news article announcing the death of Marsha Mehran. I couldn't sleep that night. I cannot account for this unfathomable grief I feel. I never met her. I only found her books (three, one of which was published posthumously) after she passed. She isn't part of my cultural milieu like a Bollywood star. Why then do I cry? I process grief from an emotional distance. Like my other feelings. It is safer to fall in love with, to break up with, to be soothed by, assaulted, renewed, disappointed, shattered, supported and taught between pages. One can shed tears alone without fear of retribution or accusations of weakness. A book does not judge. Nor a long dead author who never knew me. Marsha Mehran's death is still a mystery. She died a recluse, at the age of 36. Her life spanned dramatic journeys across tumultuous events like political revolutions, divorce, brushes with gangster fronts. She touched Iran, Argentina, USA, Australia and finally Iran where it appears she found love, inspiration & death. Resolution? I don't know. Would hoping she went peacefully be respectful of the dramatic life she led? It feels trite to say I love her. The most I can do, is to bear witness. What better way to honour a writer? Marsha, your existence was felt. What you shared with the world, with your words is received with gratitude. You were read. #theideasmithy #BiblioSmithy 🎶: I'VE NEVER BEEN THERE-Yann Tiersen https://www.instagram.com/p/CEyTYEnpoTF/?igshid=xzer9c765zq

[librarianfairy]

The young girl was lying upstairs on the mattress the three sisters shared, splayed out like a star fruit with soliloquies of love-struck Shakespearean heroines running across her muddled brain.

Marsha Mehran, Pomegranate Soup

[talltalestogo]

Death of a young author: "The mystery of Marsha Mehran"

Death of a young author: “The mystery of Marsha Mehran”

The mystery of Marsha Mehran: The best-selling young novelist who died a recluse in a rubbish-strewn cottage on Ireland’s west coast

by Cahal Milmo

Source: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/books/features/the-mystery-of-marsha-mehran–the-bestselling-young-novelist-who-died-a-recluse-in-a-rubbishstrewn-cottage-on-irelands-windswept-west-coast-9953073.html

From the moment of her…

[hungry-black-eels]

- Tak? A to czemu? - Bo chciałbym, żeby moje usta były wyłącznie dla ciebie, naturalnie, jeśli sobie tego życzysz. - Następnie, na oczach całego miasteczka, w takt rzewnej melodii na cztery czwarte, połączył swoje wargi z jej wargami w pocałunku pachnącym jabłkiem.

Woda różana i chleb na sodzie - Marsha Mehran

[kattra]

What I’m Reading

BOOKS OF SEPTEMBER Black & White by Dani Shapiro Pomegranate Soup by Marsha Mehran ** Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver The Unfinished World and Other Stories by Amber Sparks (SS) Shylock Is My Name by Howard Jacobson The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood Into the Water by Paula Hawkins ** Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen Welcome to Bordertown: New Stories and Poems of the Borderlands edited by Holly Black and Ellen Kushner (SS) American Gods by Neil Gaiman* ** Tenth of December by George Saunders Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carré Coraline by Neil Gaiman **

Graphic Novels read: Angel Catbird Vol.3 (The Catbird Roars) — Atwood/Christmas/Bonvillain Spell on Wheels — Leth/Levens/Louise ** xxxHOLiC: Rei Vol.4 by CLAMP Paper Girls Vol.3 — Vaughn/Chiang/Wilson/Fletcher ** Natsume’s Book of Friends Vol.20 by Yuki Midorikawa ** The Wicked + The Divine Vol.5 (Imperial Phase Part 1) — Gillen/McKelvie/Wilson/Cowles ** DC Comics: Bombshells Vol.4 (Queens) — Bennett/Braga/Andolfo/Sauvage Black Widow: Deadly Origin — Cornell/Raney/Leon Black Widow: Kiss or Kill — Swierczynski/Garcia

currently reading: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon  The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen  Carr, O’Keeffe, Kahlo: Places of Their Own by Sharyn Rohlfsen Udall (NF)  The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood  Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

(180 books read / 200 books goal)

* - re-read // ** - 4+ star-rating on my goodreads (recommended) GN - graphic novel // NF - non-fiction SS - short story collection // P - poetry AB - audiobook

TBR: Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey  Replica by Lauren Oliver The Wood Wife by Terri Windling A Season With the Witch: The Magic and Mayhem of Halloween in Salem, Massachusetts by J.W. Ocker (NF) The Bling Ring: How a Gang of Fame-Obsessed Teens Ripped Off Hollywood and Shocked the World by Nancy Jo Sales (NF)

WHAT ARE YOU READING? :D