There’s something to this concept of stickiness. Some flavors, dishes, foods stick with me. Wolfgang Puck’s Minneapolis restaurant, 20.21, possesses stickiness. The amazing meal we enjoyed there two weeks ago, along with my brother-in-law and sister-in-law, is still in my head and, I swear, on my palate. From the moment I tasted the four different offerings on his dim sum platter and the big family-style bowl of yellow curry noodles, not a day goes by that I don’t ponder the brilliant flavors and textures of Wolfgang Puck’s food. I wish I could eat those dishes again and again. Stickiness.
For the sake of comparison…Our family just spent an evening at Morimoto’s new restaurant. The experience was one of food as art. Eating was colorful, playful and interactive, yet…not a single flavor has stuck with me. I know exactly what we ordered, I remember every single thing I tasted, yet nothing was memorable. Not a single dish repeats in my head. I’m not hearing my brain mumbling the words…God, I wish I could taste that again! No stickiness.
Fiction strikes me as being exactly like food. Some works of fiction are stickier than others. I read them and I think about them. The stories linger in my head like a marvelous meal, and I want to read them again and again. Speaking only of romance, two of Linda Howard’s books are like that for me - Kill and Tell and After the Night. I hear from my readers that a couple of my own books are sticky - Captured and Anytime Darlin’ - readers think about the stories long after they’ve read them and they re-read the books. Katalina Leon’s erotic book, Noblesword, is sticky. Hubby and I are still discussing the story and the characters several weeks after finishing the work. Mia Watt’s m/m, Claimed By Darkness, is another such work. There are other writers and other stories, but my list would be thousands of miles long. Sticky prose.
I would love to hear your sticky food/fiction picks! Have you written a work you consider sticky?
Oh…I really don’t know if it’s coming out, but Daughters of Persephone, Book Three Reborn and Book Four Red Demon are supposed to be released today. Haven’t heard anything official…
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Thank you Julia, I was thrilled to see that I’ve felt a sticky residue. It’s an honor. lol
Captured will always be a “sticky” book for me not only because the plot line was so unique but there was so much to think about beyond the tender romance. Captured was a loaded story that worked on many levels.
With food so often the freshest, simplest dishes are the most memorable and having great company to dine with makes anything taste better.
XXOO Kat
Hello, my sticky friend…
There are many things in life that stick with me, as well…things I recall with total fondness. Like my very first bite of a bologna and real mustard sandwich on buttered bread when I was in first grade. My sainted mom thought all sandwiches sent in school lunches had to be slathered in “Sandwich Spread” (a brand name concoction in a jar made with mayonnaise and bits of pimiento and sweet pickle relish) YUCK! Plus, her preferred lunch meat was “spiced ham”. I have never since liked chopped ham and I grew to detest pimientos. Would that be considered “reverse-sticky”? But she made a mean macaroni and cheese…real cheese chunks, a cheesy white sauce made with butter and flour, and dairy fresh milk (the kind the cream floated on top until you shook the hell out of it). Okay, so now you can guess my age…I was born well before homogenization. LOL!
I’m going to agree with all those sticky books and add another Katalina book - Owned By Rome. I can’t stop thinking about this book or the characters. I’m trying to convince her to write a story about one of the characters. Hint, if she’s reading this! LOL
PS…Happy Release Day (hopefully)
Kat - you definitely left a ‘sticky’ residue! Captured is even sticky for me - I don’t feel as if I wrote it, I sort of channeled it. And yes, sometimes the simpler food has the cleanest, clearest flavors.
Fran - I think your work, Out of Her Dreams, is very sticky for many readers. Now I think Woman on Fire will be my sticky book! Your premise is so unique. And I still think about A Brief Moment of Pleasure.
Amber - I think you have some of the stickiest books of all!!! Owned by Rome is my next Kat read too. And thanks…maybe….
Right now my sticky food is Vegetable Straws. I don’t know why. I think it may be the crunch or something. OH and the cookie recipe you sent home with me. I’ve made them by request so many times, I think I could do it in my sleep. In fact, I have a batch 24 hours down in my fridge. LOL. Also on request for a friend who broke her finger and has four kids. I figure I’ll load those little guys with sugar and then leave.
Books? Almost all of them stick. Which depresses me a little. Some stick because of their absolute lack of skill (which makes them stand out and me obsess over why they got published in the first place), some for their amazing skill and word choices (which have me savoring those phrases over and over again like creamy chocolate melting on my tongue), and others stick because of the hard-core negative reaction I have to them.
There is actually a book out there that had incredible prose, beautiful language and sentence flow, but the story turned my stomach and left me confused. THAT book sticks because I’m still wondering how I could love it and detest it all at the same time! Baffling. I read that one about three years ago.
Thank you for listing Claimed as one of your sticky reads! Makes me giddy and confused.
My favorite Julia sticky is My Everything. There’s something about the way you handle the internal reaction Ben has to Grace and their memories which gives me that hazy, fond memory sensation. I love that. I loved her pluckiness and his loyalty, too.
Mia - it’s funny how My Everything is very sticky for some readers - the book practically wrote itself - another one of those dreams!
Glad you like the cookies - yes, definitely load those kids up with sugar! Another sticky food for me is really good lasagna…yum!
There are just a couple of books that stick with me out of badness - they were part of a series I loved and then, as sometimes happens, the series deteriorated into awfulness - I think of that as leaving a baaaaad taste in my mouth.
Actually, it appears your book is up. Nice cover.
Thanks! I’ll run over and check!
Julia - After last week’s telling of your starvation why does it not surprise me that your blog involves food? LOL! There are many books that stick with me. But an author that never fails to pull me in is Sandra Brown. I love her stories. The one for me that sticks is “Healer’s Garden”. I just fell in love with the hero and I get all soft and gooshy every time I think of him *sigh*.
Oh, I meant to say HAPPY RELEASE DAY! They’re as much fun as birthdays!
Yeah, Nina - I thought a whole lot about those curry noodles while I was stuck in the wilderness with those horrible people and their nasty nonfood! And thanks!
I love this post!!!! Sticky food and sticky books, two of the best things in life. A good Chick Pea Curry is the height of stickiness for me. As for books, it’s the off-center offerings like “Fire in the Head” by Tom Cowan or “Soul Mate” by Ronald Lewis Weaver that put a rise on my sticky meter. Give me the esoteric, lovers sharing dreams and or a touch (sometimes a lot) of darkness and I’m a happy girl! =)
Hey Molly - thanks for the book recs! I love a good chick pea curry too - I think I love a curry anything provided it’s good curry!
Me too, Julia. Curry is yum! =) Thanks for your post. It gave me a nice, big smile. =)