Our Tomato reviewers have three book suggestions we think you’ll enjoy. There’s a love story about a dog and his people. A delectable memoir of food and sex. And a murder mystery.

A Love Story between a Dog and His People

Ponchitta Pierce always talked about her Cocker Spaniel puppy, Sona, as if he could walk on water. But I must tell you after I finished reading “Sona The Story of a Dog Who Taught Me About Love,” I could see he was very special. This book is a wonderful love story between a dog and the people who loved him. It is also a medical and training guide. The tips just flow.

What to do if your puppy ignores you? Are treats good for him? How do you discipline your puppy? Being consistent and firm with timeouts. There’s also expert medical information from New York City’s famed Animal Medical Center on how to handle life challenges especially those related to end of life decisions. This book was definitely worth my time. GET THE BOOK.

~Greer St. John, model, voice over artist, NYC

A Delectable Memoir of Food and Sex

We were saddened last week to hear of the passing of acclaimed restaurant critic Gael Greene who was also a long time contributor to The Three Tomatoes. In her honor, we recommend her delectable memoir, Insatiable: Tales from a Life of Delicious Excess. She tells the story of how she became the restaurant critic for New York Magazine (a job she held for 40 years,) her remarkable career, her food travels, and her lovers.

Throughout it all, Gael is convinced that food and sex are inextricably linked, and in this exuberant account of her adventures in sensuous excess, she takes readers on a joyride from the world’s best tables to al fresco lunch with Julia Child and naughty dinners with Craig Claiborne and then to bed with the men she couldn’t resist-including a porn star and two Hollywood titans—Elvis Presley and Burt Reynolds

The recipes she includes reflect the decades, from childhood macaroni-and-cheese to Chocolate Wickedness. Greene’s tale of pleasure and heartbreak will make you laugh. It may make you cry. It will certainly make you hungry. The ebook is available for just $1.99.

~Cheryl Benton, aka the “head Tomato”, Glen Cove, New York

I could not turn the pages fast enough 

I loved being able to be back in the life of Bailey Edgeworth and her now husband, Griffin.  After Everyone Else serves as a prequel to Before Anyone Else.   Leslie Hooton has done a fantastic job in the back-and-forth timeline in this book.  I sometimes have a hard time in keeping up with a story when it is jumping back and forth in time, but not this one.

After Everyone Else begins with Bailey just being charged for the murder of her ex-husband, Elliott.  This is on the first page of the book, so I am not giving anything away as a spoiler.  She knows she is innocent in spite of her DNA evidence in his home.    Bailey is worried that her husband Griffin or their daughter, Charlie may be responsible for his death. The story alternates between chapters set in the past, which cover when Bailey and Griffin are first married and current time.  They have now been married twenty- three years and have a teenage daughter, Charlie.  The story fills a reader in on their lives up until this time.  One aspect of this book I found most interesting is the discussion into a mother wanting a full time successful career instead of being a stay at home Mom.

Bailey, also known as Bae is a restaurant designer and Griffin is a restaurateur.  The descriptions of the restaurant design are so beautiful and believable as well as the food dishes prepared in this story.  You will find yourself wanting to experience the food in this restaurant, along with the fancy cocktails. I liked that there was a bit of mystery on who killed Elliott, the ex-husband.  I did not figure it out either, so it was great having a surprise at the end.

I absolutely loved this book.  You don’t have to read the first one, Before Anyone Else, but in my opinion you should.  The reason why it will give you as a reader a much better understanding of the characters and their lives.  When you are done with both of these books, you will be asking the author for the third book on their lives, as I am doing.  I was hooked on this story line from page one and I could not turn the pages fast enough.  I highly recommend this wonderful story of mystery, love, parenting struggles and so much more.

~Francene Katzen, advocate for parents who have children with drug addictions, Richmond, Virginia