Before I moved here, I was sure that I wouldn’t get complacent. I was sure I’d keep wanting to tour the city. I wouldn’t be like city dwellers all over the world who live in a place surrounded by amazing sights but then rarely visit them. I was sometimes that person in DC, but I was certain I’d be better here. But then yesterday morning I was off of work. I was sitting my pajamas, watching TV, and working on the computer and all of a sudden it was 11:30. I had promised myself I would go out, but it was 11:30 and I hadn’t showered yet, I hadn’t really eaten anything but handfuls of granola, it was rainy, and I was lazy. But I promised myself I’d be better. So, I looked at my visit wish-list and decided to get off the couch and check out the British Library.

It’s a really interesting and nice place, but I’ll be honest it isn’t a very sexy tour. Basically the tour is learning about the history of the library and how people get access to books. I was the only one on the tour, which at first made me feel awkward but it turned out just fine. I don’t know the name of my tour guide. I’m choosing to believe the book Watching the English, which says English people don’t like to introduce themselves at the beginning of conversations with new people. Regardless, he was a great tour guide because he was friendly, and knowledgeable, and so passionate. Learning about how the books travel the building or the inner workings of their storage facility might not sound fascinating, but for me, listening to someone who clearly loves what they do makes the material so much more engaging. He’s also been with the library since before 1997, so he’s seen it when it was housed in the British Museum and when it started in its current location.

Anyway, the tour started properly with this model of the library. It gives you a sense of its really large size and a little bit about the storage. Most of the storage is in an automated facility in Yorkshire, but beneath the main library building are four levels of book storage. He told me about the history of the library and its connection to the British Museum and how eventually it outgrew its original home. The library building dates to 1973. It’s large and allows for a good bit of natural light, but in my opinion it looks like many university or large public libraries.

Books here can’t be checked out, they can just be used for the day in the library. He took me to the staff area to see where the books are collected and how they are sent throughout the museum. Basically, it looks like the conveyor belts at the airport. Books go into a bin and then roll down a belt all across the library. I even saw a DVD of how it all works. It was nice being on the tour myself. I asked lots of questions about using the library, conservation, types of books, digital copies – ever random thing I wanted to know. When I asked about acquiring digital copies over hard copies, my guide said they will continue to get hard copies “in case civilization collapses.” I just love that optimism – if there is a zombie apocalypse and there is no technology, at least we will have all kinds of books.

After that he started to show me some objects. This photo below is of an atlas. I know it looks like a door, but it’s an atlas. It’s called the Klencke Atlas. You can see our reflections a bit in the glass, so you can tell it’s really tall. He said it weighs 30 stone, which equals over 400 pounds! It was owned by King George III and was used at some point as a table. In person you can make out a cup ring in the leather – moral of the story is that coasters are important!

The literal, and to some extent figurative, center of the library is the King’s Library which was donated by George III. It’s a gorgeous tower in the center of the library displaying so many gorgeous leather books. My guide said George III spent his life collecting and then he added “and doing other things of course.” I chuckled because, you know, he collected books and dealt with “other things” like America’s Independence. No biggie. Anyway the books are gorgeous and were donated with the stipulation that they would always be on display and available to the public. It’s lovely to look at.

However, the best things to see are in the Treasures gallery. They have digitized a number of important historic works like Leonard Da Vinci’s notebooks and Lewis Caroll’s Alice’s Adventures Under Ground. They are amazing! You can see the words in the author’s own hand (and Da Vinci’s right to left writing!), you can scroll through each page, you can zoom in, AND you can see all their virtual books online at home.

I took pictures of all kinds of books and realize that those pictures might not be that interesting, but I’m going to go on gushing. I saw a letter to Winston Churchill about forming the Monument’s Men. I saw Gutenberg’s Bible, which was the first real book to be printed using the printing technique Gutenberg invented in the 1450s. And I saw the Magna Carta (below).

I also saw some gorgeously illustrated religious and scientific texts. Look at these beautiful classification of plants!

I’m going to end with the object that really stunned me, even though it’s not visually very astounding. If you’ve read my post gushing about Hampton Court Palace you might know I’m very interested in Tudor History. I watch the dramas and documentaries, I read everything, I have a Henry VIII stuffed bear, and I currently have an Anne Boleyn biography in my purse. So, when I saw this letter I was struck. It’s a letter written by Anne Boleyn and King Henry VIII to Cardinal Wolsey. This is the kind of document that informs all the things I’ve read and seen about these people!  Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII were present there in that letter, and for a second it felt like the gap in history was smaller, that I could be closer to those people and those moments. At its very best, that is what museums, artifacts, and libraries should do – connect people with information and history. And I felt lucky to have that nice experience at the British Library.

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I love all kind of books, not just food books. I like biographies, historical fiction, and fantasy books aimed at adolescents (like Harry Potter and the Hunger Games). But, food writing can be such great fun. Food writing transports me to new places, gives me inspiration for future posts, and pushes me to try something new at restaurants. Food stories make me feel hungry, excited, and eager to jump in the kitchen.

So, for fellow readers out there, I want to share with you 5 food-related books that have had an impact on me. Also, I want to actually, physically, share a book with one of you, through the first-ever cooking is messy giveaway! I’m giving away one copy of Jacques Pepin’s book Essential Pepin. This book is huge with tons of recipes and clear instructions. My favorite part is that it comes with a DVD where Jacques Pepin shows you a variety of techniques, like flipping an omelet and killing a lobster. He’s awesome, adorable, has a great French accent, and is fun to watch. I love this book, and I’m giving it away only because I have two copies. If you want a peak inside, two recipes I’ve made from the book are french onion soup and steak in a spicy soy sauce.

Anyway, to enter for the book all you have to do is write a comment and share with me the title of a book you love. It can be any kind of book, not just a cookbook or food memoir. Unfortunately, this giveaway is open to just to those in the U.S. I will mail the cookbook via US Postal service.  The winner will be selected on January 29, randomly using random.org. I will contact the winner via email and the winner will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen in their place. If only one person enters, then yay, you win!

Full disclosure: some links in this post will be affiliate links. That means if you were to make a purchase, I would get a small percentage of the sales price. I’m recommending these books though because I love them!

And now, here’s my list of books I love…

Mariel’s 5 Books to Read:

 A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle. This is an excellent memoir about Mayle and his wife’s move to a small home in Provence. I read this when I was on my gap-year between high school and college and I felt transported. I hadn’t traveled much yet, I couldn’t legally drink wine, and I wasn’t much of an adventurous eater – but I wanted to be and do all of those things. I fell in love with the idea of immersing yourself in a new culture through food. The book is not just about food, but the way Mayle describes his meals and wine makes France came alive in decadent and absorbing detail.

  Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. I’m crazy about this book and I recommend it to everyone. Kingsolver and her family spend a year striving to live locally and eat with the seasons. Her husband and oldest daughter also contribute chapters to the book. What I love about the book is that it really got me thinking about how I could incorporate local and seasonal food into my diet. I can’t commit myself to being 100% sustainable, but this book helped me think about what I could do and why it is important.  Also I love the recipes! Zucchini chocolate chip cookies! Eggs over chard! And the mozzarella I made  was inspired by her recipe. Most importantly, if you’re not interested in eating locally and seasonally don’t worry – this book has a great narrative and can be pretty funny (there’s a great story about how the family tries to force their turkeys to mate).

  Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer. I’ll be honest, if you’re not interested in where your food comes from, then this is not the book for you. Foer became a father and asked himself if eating meat was the best choice for his family. He goes on a quest to see what’s going on with our food production. I enjoyed that he talked to all different types of people from large meat producers to renegade activists who try to free baby poultry. Also, it was just fascinating learning about all the different types of food industry people and to compare their very different and strong-held beliefs. The book didn’t turn  me into a vegan, but it stuck with me and it has changed some of my grocery shopping habits.

The Art of Eating In by Cathy Erway. In New York, where there are tons of amazing restaurants and Erway decided to go a year without them. I read this when I first moved to New York and was a poor grad student so I liked the idea that I could create delicious meals at home. I also loved how it wasn’t just about home cooking. She explored the non-restaurant food scene which is more elaborate, secretive, and cool than I would have thought. Super clubs? Cook-off competitions? Who knew?! It makes the food scene feel exciting and complex. She also has a great blog, noteatingoutinny.com.

  Heat by Bill Buford. Buford thrusts himself in the restaurant world, taking on every job he’s allowed to at Mario Batali’s restaurant Babbo. The work is challenging, overwhelming, and seemingly exhilarating. Buford paints a “work hard, play hard” picture for what life is like at Babbo. What’s awesome is the Buford gets so engrossed in the Italian cooking and culture at Babbo that he briefly moves to Tuscany and becomes a butcher’s apprentice. The story is crazy, fast-paced, and a delight.

Don’t forgot, share a book title in the comments and you could win the giveaway.

All book cover pictures in the list are from goodreads.com

The post 5 Food Books I Love and a Giveaway! appeared first on Cooking is Messy.