“On the elevated sections of the road they felt the cool, delicious breeze from the Pacific forty miles away; while from each little dip and hollow came warm breaths of autumn earth, spicy with sunburnt grass and fallen leaves and passing flowers.” ~Jack London, “The Valley of the Moon” (1913)

NONFICTION

A Tale of Two Valleys: Wine, Wealth, and the Battle for the Good Life in Napa and Sonoma, Alan Deutschman, 2003 — An engaging look at the rivalry between the two valleys and their distinct atmospheres and controversies.

The Far Side of Eden: New Money, Old Land, and the Battle for Napa Valley, James Conaway, 2002 — A riveting account of how this agricultural paradise has been divided over issues of land use, conservation and status by a contributor to National Geographic and Food & Wine, who has studied the area for decades.

Food Lover’s Guide to the Napa Valley: Where to Eat, Cook, and Shop in the Wine Country, Plus 50 Irresistible Recipes, Lori Lyn Narlock, 2003 — This book by a food writer and former chef contains a forward by Thomas Keller, the famous chef from the French Laundry, and suggestions for dozens of great addresses for foodies.

Harvests of Joy: How the Good Life Became Great Business, Robert Mondavi, 1998 — The autobiography of America’s greatest winemaker and how he single-handedly changed the world view of California wines.

Napa: The Transformation of an American Town, Lauren Coodley, 2003 — A history of the town by a history professor at Napa Valery College from when Spanish explorers arrived and met the resident Wappo Indians to modern times.

The Soul of a Chef: The Journey Toward Perfection, Michael Ruhlman, 2001 — One of the three parts of this book chronicles working in the kitchen of Thomas Keller’s French Laundry.

FICTION

Velocity, Dean Koontz, 2005 — Napa Valley bartender and wood sculptor Billy Wiles finds himself targeted by a fiendish killer in a nail-biter of a suspense novel.

Sharpshooter: A Sunny McCoskey Napa Valley Mystery, Nadia Gordon, 2002 — Local color saturates the investigations of organic chef Sunny McCoskey, who must clear her friend’s name following the murder of a wine family heir.