YA Books to Make Your Mouth Water
Who doesn’t love food? I mean, I certainly love food and I can hardly imagine going through life not constantly thinking about my next meal. And what’s better than actual food? Nothing, but fictional food makes a close second. Whether or not you’re a foodie of the first order, I guarantee all of these books will make your mouth water! And some of them might just inspire you to try new and delicious things!
More Than Just a Pretty Face
by Syed M. Masood
In More Than Just a Pretty Face, Danyal Jilani is gorgeous, funny, and is going to make an excellent chef one day. But he’s not exactly the smartest guy in the room. And while I absolutely adore Danyal and his food – which made my stomach rumble while I was reading – Danyal’s longtime crush Kaval and her family consider him a less than ideal arranged-marriage prospect. When Danyal gets selected for the Renaissance Man competition, its his chance to prove to everyone he’s smarter than they think he is. He recruits the brilliant and totally-not-interested-in-him Bisma to help, but the more time Danyals spends with her and the more he cooks for her… the more he realizes that happiness may be staring him right in his pretty face.
My only question is where is there a Danyal to cook for me?! We all deserve a hot guy cooking for us, and while we might not all be lucky enough to have that in real life, we can all appreciate the fictional Danyal and his mouth-watering dishes.
This Is My Brain In Love
by I. W. Gregorio
I dare you to read this book without your mouth watering. Spoiler alert: you can’t do it. Both Jocelyn and Will connect with their cultures via food, and it is a delicious ride that will have you drooling. When Jocelyn Wu’s father tells her the family restaurant may be going under, all her wishes for senior year are off. Because her dad has no marketing skill whatsoever, it’s up to Jocelyn and her unlikely new employee Will, to bring A-Plus Chinese Garden into the 21st century. What starts off as a rocky partnership between Jocelyn and Will grows into something more, but family prejudices and the uncertain future of A-Plus threaten to keep Will and Jocelyn apart.
Somewhere Between Bitter and Sweet
by Laekan Zea Kemp
Okay, so this one is kind of cheating because it’s not out yet! But in April 2021, prepare your taste buds for culinary romance that will leave you swooning and hungry! Penelope Prado has always dreamed of becoming a pastry chef and opening a pastelería next to her father’s restaurant, Nacho’s Tacos. But her mom and dad have different plans. Meanwhile, Xander Amaro has been searching for home since he was a little boy. For him, a job at Nacho’s is an opportunity for just that – a chance at a normal life, to settle in at his abuelo’s, and to find the father that left him behind. Together, Pen and Xander must navigate first love and discovering where they belong – both within their families and their fiercely loyal Chicanx community.
Finding Yvonne
by Brandy Colbert
Unlike some of these books, food is not necessarily an escape in this book – it certainly isn’t for Yvonne. Her father is a successful chef, but he’s emotionally closed off and her mother is out of the picture. So while Yvonne is surrounded by great food, her real comfort is her violin. But with graduation just around the corner, she is forced to face the hard truth that she might not be good enough to attend a conservatory after high school. Then she meets a fellow musician who understands her struggle - who couldn’t be more different from the familiar and reliable boy who has her heart. But when an unexpected pregnancy sends her world into a tailspin, she has to make the most difficult decision yet.
With the Fire on High
by Elizabeth Acevedo
In With the Fire on High, food isn’t just delicious – it’s an escape. Certainly, for Emoni, the kitchen is her one place to let herself go and follow her bliss to delicious food. High school senior Emoni Santiago has to make tough decisions. With her daughter to care for and her abuela to help support, she knows she doesn’t have time for her school’s new culinary arts class and doesn’t have the money for the class’s trip to Spain. And she certainly shouldn’t be dreaming of someday working in a real kitchen. But even with all the rules she has for her life, once Emoni starts cooking, her only real choice is to let her talent break free.
Love & Gelato
by Jenna Evans Welch
How could a romance set it Italy and called Love & Gelato NOT make this list? Come on! As someone who lived in Rome for a short while, I can tell you the food culture, and the gelato in particular, of Italy is unlike anything else! So go on this imaginary journey of delicious food and even more delicious romance! Lina is spending the summer in Tuscany, but she isn’t there for Italy’s famous landscape, sunshine, or food. It was her mother’s dying wish that she get to know her father. But what kind of father isn’t around for sixteen years? When Lina is given a journal that her mom kept while she lived in Italy, Lina begins uncovering a magical world of secret romances, art, and hidden bakeries. And alongside the ever-so-charming Ren, she’ll discover a secret that’s been kept for far too long.
Eva Evergreen, Semi-Magical Witch
by Julie Abe
Okay, so this isn’t a YA book, but it’s so dang cute I couldn’t help but put it on this list! Plus, the food is so delicious. I’ve been dreaming of cloudberry popcorn ever since I read this book, and I’ve not even tasted it. Combine that with an almost magical candy shop, and you can guarantee the food in this book is bound to take your taste buds for an incredible if imaginary ride!
Eva Evergreen is determined to earn the rank of Novice Witch before her thirteenth birthday. For most young witches and wizards, it’s a simple enough test. But Eva only has a pinch of magic. She’ll have to prove to the tranquil coastal town of Auteri that she’s worthy, and that sometimes all it takes is a pinch of magic!