There are a lot of books, cookbooks and movies about Greece. Everything from ancient Greek mythology to modern novels. Movies run the gamut from hilarious comedies to historical sagas.
And for cooking, well the Mediterranean Diet has been well publicized over the years as one of the healthiest ways to eat. Some of its many benefits include good health, reduced risk of heart disease and diabetes, improved mental clarity and longevity. Just search the Mediterranean diet and you will find hundred of books including numerous recipe books.
So if you can’t find something on our hand-picked list to get you in the mood for the Greek Islands and Greece, you just aren’t trying hard enough!
Electronic Books are Great When You Travel
Electronic books are great when you travel. You can carry multiple books with you and you don’t have to worrying about finding a book in English if you are traveling where English is not the spoken language. Amazon, and the Kindle, makes it easy to read books whether on a Kindle device or any other device you might already have, just download the Kindle reading software.
With the introduction of Kindle Unlimited, an “all you can read” service from Amazon you can also download a huge selection of books for free. You can join Amazon Kindle Unlimited with a 30-Day Free Trial Your vacation might be a great time to test out the service.
If you are a member of your local library you can also check-out e-books or audio books and read/listen to them. All of these options make finding and reading a good book about your destination easier and more convenient.
Amazon has recently introduced a Kindle preview functionality and we are going to try it for the fiction category in this post. If you have any feedback, please leave a comment at the end of the post (a URL is not required to leave a comment.)
Fiction (Novels) About Greece
Just click in the book title to see a preview of the Kindle book. The book is also in the Compass & Fork Shop and can be purchased in any format.
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy |
The Island by Victoria Hislop |
Target: Tinos by Jeffrey Siger (This author has a series of books,all set in Greece.) |
Pascali’s Island by Barry Unsworth (1908 , Greece under Ottoman Rule) (No Kindle Version Available)
The Illiad by Homer | The Odyssey by Homer |
Non Fiction About Greece
Eleni by Nickolas Gage
The Greek Myths by Robert Graves
Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell
Greek Movies
WOG Boy (2000)- Australian comedy
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider – The Cradle of Life (Santorini)
Bourne Identity (Mykonos)
For Your Eyes Only (James Bond 1981, Hang gliding scene is at the cliff hanging monasteries of Meteora)
Zorba The Greek (1964)
Shirley Valentine (Mykonos, 1989)
Greek Cookbooks
The Country Cooking of Greece By Diane Kochilas |
The Foods of the Greek Islands: Cooking and Culture at the Crossroads of the Mediterranean By Aglaia Kremezi |
The Food and Wine of Greece: More Than 300 Classic and Modern Dishes from the Mainland and Islands By Diane Kochilas |
The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook: A Delicious Alternative for Lifelong Health By Nancy Harmon Jenkins |
Culinaria Greece By Marianthi Milona |
Do you have any other favorite books, cookbooks and movies about Greece not on this list? Let us know in the comments below.
Taylor
Greek food is the best! I was lucky enough to be there for almost 2 weeks and I was in food heaven. And of course I watched Mamma Mia as soon as I left!
Editor
Taylor, As I am writing the posts I am wondering why I didn’t stay longer so we could eat more! 🙂
Shelly
Shirley Valentine was one of my fav movies growing up! My Mom and I watched it all the time. Nights of Rain and Stars is a fantastic book as well. I’ll have to check out some of the other books.
Editor
Shelly, So glad the list brought back a good memory!
Ami
I love the Big FAt Greek wedding….I thot Maeve Binchy was generally about Ireland :P. Noting all these down 😀
Editor
Ami, Yes I think that movie is hilarious!
Voyager
Greece has always been a dream destination and still a dream, I am very intrigued by ancient Greek history and mythology.
Editor
Same here. We almost went a long time ago and then it just disappeared from the list. It was great to finally go there. And if you are interested in Greek history you will enjoy Turkey as well!
Rob Taylor
It’s funny, because I can’t stand Mamma Mia… but when I catch moments of it I totally get sucked in and dream of being in Greece. It’s a good call to inspire.
Editor
Rob, I agree. You see in films and stuff and it just sucks you in. I have to say though it was pretty good in real life. It definitely lived up to it’s reputation. The Greek Islands are quite magical.
Carlie
Great list of Greece inspiration! Sharing!
Editor
Carlie, Thanks it is a great place to visit and some of the history is fascinating.