Hollow Beasts

Title: Hollow Beasts (Jodi Luna #1)
Author: Alisa Lynn Valdes
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Release Date: 4.1.23

Publisher’s Summary
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Dirty Girls Social Club comes a wilderness thriller featuring Jodi Luna, a rookie game warden who takes on a terrorist group in rugged New Mexico.

After a long stint in academia, Jodi Luna leaves Boston for the wilds of New Mexico to start a new life as a game warden. Jodi is no stranger to the wilderness; her family has lived here for generations. Determined to protect her homeland, she nabs a poacher in her first week on the job.

But when he retaliates by stalking Jodi and her teenage daughter, a cat and mouse game leads Jodi to a white supremacist group deep in the mountains. She learns that new recruits are kidnapping women of color to prove their mettle to the organization’s leader.

When the local sheriff refuses to assist, Jodi joins up with young deputy Ashley Romero. Together, they set out to take down a terrorist network that will test not just their skills as investigators but also their knowledge of the land and commitment to its people.

But will Jodi’s fierce resolve to protect the voiceless put her loved ones in harm’s way?


My Review

This book was so great and I'm so excited that it is the beginning of a series! I am already anxiously awaiting the next installment. The characters were each well-written and I can't wait to read more about them. I recommend this to anyone who liked the TV shows Alaska Daily and Big Sky (season 1). I would also say that I found similarities to Chevy Stevens books--I was on the edge of my seat during several scenes. 

On My Radar: May 2023 Releases

 

I’ve already read and reviewed several May releases, but here are nine more that I’m still anticipating:

The Marriage Act by @johnmarrs.author 
No Two Persons by @ericabauermeisterauthor
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah @king_nk
Yellowface by R. F. Kuang @kuangrf
The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer @prawnwyn
Sing Her Down by Ivy Pochada @ladymissivy
Fourteen Days by @therealmargaretatwood 
Working Girl by Sophia Giovannitti @sophiaexalted
Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs 

Are any of these on your TBR? 

Off Target

Title: Off Target 

Author: Eve Smith

Publisher: 2.17.22

Release Date: Orenda

Publisher’s Summary 

In an all-too-possible near future, when genetic engineering has become the norm for humans, not just crops, parents are prepared to take incalculable risks to ensure that their babies are perfect ... altering genes that may cause illness, and more...

Susan has been trying for a baby for years, and when an impulsive one-night stand makes her dream come true, she'll do anything to keep her daughter and ensure her husband doesn't find out ... including the unthinkable. She believes her secret is safe. For now.

But as governments embark on a perilous genetic arms race and children around the globe start experiencing a host of distressing symptoms – even taking their own lives – something truly horrendous is unleashed. Because those children have only one thing in common, and people are starting to ask questions...

My Review

I love sci-fi, genetics-focused thrillers and had my eye on this one for a bit. I finally pulled the trigger and bought a copy for my Kindle thinking I'd read it sometime in the future, but decided I'd read the first few pages to get the vibe. Well, I read the whole thing straight through. 

I enjoyed it but didn't love it. There was quite a bit of science and medicine woven into the story with the focus intended to be off target effects (unintended genetic mutations.) Unfortunately, it was too heavy on child psychology and relationship drama. The main character's snowball of lies had me rolling my eyes several times and I found it hard to gather sympathy for her moody daughter. 

News bulletins are interspersed between chapters announcing achievements and problems in a near-future worldwide genetics arms race and I found some of these to be more interesting than the story itself. 

I would probably only recommend this to someone who likes medical thrillers. 

The Salt Grows Heavy

  

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Salt Grows Heavy

Author: Cassandra Khaw

Publisher: Tor Nightfire

Release Date: 5.2.23

"You may think you know how the fairytale goes: a mermaid comes to shore and weds the prince. But what the fables forget is that mermaids have teeth."

After her daughters have destroyed their kingdom, a mute mermaid goes on the run with her non-binary plague doctor companion. They arrive at a village to find a group of children being controlled by self-proclaimed "saints" who are cultist surgeons obsessed with the idea of immortality.  

I'm not usually drawn to horror but the premise was just so unique that I was intrigued. This novella is gory and graphic--definitely NOT for the faint of heart or queasy of stomach. It was an eye-popping little ride and I must admit I was pretty grossed out most of the time. I won't recommend this widely but I do know that it will be adored among a niche set of readers.  

Cold Nights of Childhood

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Cold Nights of Childhood

Author: Tezer Özlü

Publisher: Transit Books

Release Date: 5.2.23

Publisher’s Summary 

The Bell Jar meets Good Morning, Midnight, by one of Turkey’s most beloved writers.

The narrator of Tezer Özlü’s novel is between lovers. She is in and out of psychiatric wards, where she is forced to undergo electroshock treatments. She is between Berlin and Paris. She returns to Istanbul, in search of freedom, happiness, and new love.

Set across the rambling orchards of a childhood in the Turkish provinces and the smoke-filled cafes of European capitals, Cold Nights of Childhood offers a sensual, unflinching portrayal of a woman’s sexual encounters and psychological struggle, staging a clash between unbridled feminine desire and repressive, patriarchal society.

Originally published in 1980, six years before her death at 43, Cold Nights of Childhoodcemented Tezer Özlü’s status as one of Turkey’s most beloved writers. A classic that deserves to stand alongside The Bell Jar and Jean Rhys's Good Morning, Midnight, Cold Nights of Childhood d is a powerfully vivid, disorienting, and bittersweet novel about the determined embrace of life in all its complexity and confusion, translated into English here for the first time by Maureen Freely, with an introduction by Aysegül Savas.

My Review

Definitely not an easy read, both in topic and flow. Similar to The Bell Jar, this 160-page novella centers around a young woman in Istanbul, Berlin, and Paris in the 1970s (and earlier) repeatedly institutionalized for mental illness. This would be a great choice for any book in translation or "read around the world" book challenges. 

✨COOKBOOK SPOTLIGHT✨ Ever-Green Vietnamese

  

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Ever-Green Vietnamese: Super-Fresh Recipes, Starring Plants from Land and Sea

Author: Andrea Nguyen

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Release Date: 4.25.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Plant-based cooking meets the dynamic flavors of Vietnamese cuisine in these 125+ recipes and variations—from the James Beard Award–winning author of Vietnamese Food Every Day

Although many people think of Vietnamese cooking as beefy pho and meat-filled sandwiches, traditional Vietnamese cooking has always involved a lot of plants and seafood and a little meat. In Ever-Green Vietnamese , Andrea Nguyen details how cooks in her home country draw on their natural resourcefulness and Buddhist traditions to showcase a wide array of herbs and vegetables in flavorful, comforting recipes.

Filled with the brilliant advice and exceptional teaching Nguyen is known for, the book offers recipes for flavor-boosting condiments and sauces (her incredible DIY vegan fish sauce), exciting ways to enjoy tofu, and dozens of vegetable-driven sides and mains, including a few that incorporate a bit of meat (many with vegetarian or vegan options). Home cooks will revel in Nguyen's ingenious recipes


Full of cultural context, loads of instruction, and practical cooking tips, Ever-Green Vietnamese is perfect for anyone looking to incorporate plant-based Vietnamese cooking into their busy lives.

The Guest

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Guest

Author: Emma Cline

Publisher: Random House

Release Date: 5.16.23

Publisher’s Summary 

A young woman pretends to be someone she isn't in this stunning novel by the New York Times bestselling author of The Girls.

Summer is coming to a close on the East End of Long Island, and Alex is no longer welcome.

A misstep at a dinner party, and the older man she's been staying with dismisses her with a ride to the train station and a ticket back to the city.

With few resources and a waterlogged phone, but gifted with an ability to navigate the desires of others, Alex stays on Long Island and drifts like a ghost through the hedged lanes, gated driveways, and sun-blasted dunes of a rarified world that is, at first, closed to her. Propelled by desperation and a mutable sense of morality, she spends the week leading up to Labor Day moving from one place to the next, a cipher leaving destruction in her wake.

Taut, propulsive, and impossible to look away from, Emma Cline's The Guest is a spellbinding literary achievement.

My Review

I was so looking forward to this novel because I really loved The Girls but *wow* what a letdown. 

When I finished I was perplexed. I thought "Um...is my copy missing its final pages" because WTF?!

I can't even give any spoilers because NOTHING HAPPENS!!

My advice is to take a hard pass on this one...I wish I would have.

Clytemnestra

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Clytemnestra 

Author: Costanza Casati 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Release Date: 5.2.23

"You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offense against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot."

My Review

Just as every female-led psychological thriller published in the last 11 years has been compared to Gone Girl, every retelling of a Greek myth in the last 5 years has been compared to Circe. I just roll my eyes because they NEVER measure up and I don't even expect them to anymore. 

Until Costanza Casati's Clytemnestra! 

In a word...*wow*

In three words *I loved it*

Pacts and prophecies deal constant blows to "the most notorious villainess of the ancient world" but she is no wilting flower. Clytemnestra becomes "an unforgettable Queen who fiercely dealt out death to those who wronged her." I remember studying all the challenges and victories of Agamemnon, Jason, and Odysseus but Casati made me consider how repulsive these men would have been to regularly be around--the epitome of toxic masculinity. 

An absolutely amazing debut novel. Five stars all the way. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Interesting note about 1st US print run: 

In February all copies of this novel were destroyed in a truck fire on their way to the warehouse, postponing the original publication date from March 7 to May 2. Yes, this book is literally so hot it burnt up before it even reached shelves. 🔥🔥🔥

Personal reading note: 

Despite my general knowledge of Greek myths, I was thankful that this novel included an ancient Greek glossary, family trees, and a cast of characters. I also found the search option on my Kindle to be very useful for looking up secondary characters and locations.

Pub Day Spotlight: The Earth Transformed

  

*Thank you to Knopf for my review copy*

Title: The Earth Transformed: An Untold History

Author: Peter Frankopan

Publisher: Knopf

Release Date: 4.18.23

Publisher’s Summary 

A revolutionary new history that reveals how climate change has dramatically shaped the development--and demise--of civilizations across time

Global warming is one of the greatest dangers mankind faces today. Even as temperatures increase, sea levels rise, and natural disasters escalate, our current environmental crisis feels difficult to predict and understand. But climate change and its effects on us are not new. In a bold narrative that spans centuries and continents, Peter Frankopan argues that nature has always played a fundamental role in the writing of history. From the fall of the Moche civilization in South America that came about because of the cyclical pressures of El Niño to volcanic eruptions in Iceland that affected Egypt and helped bring the Ottoman empire to its knees, climate change and its influences have always been with us.

Frankopan explains how the Vikings emerged thanks to catastrophic crop failure, why the roots of regime change in Eleventh-Century Baghdad lay in the collapse of cotton prices resulting from unusual climate patterns, and why the western expansion of the frontiers in North America was directly affected by solar flare activity in the eighteenth century. Again and again, Frankopan shows that when past empires have failed to act sustainably, they have been met with catastrophe. Blending brilliant historical writing and cutting-edge scientific research, Climate will radically reframe the way we look at the world and our future.

Cookbook Spotlight: Pasta Veloce

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Pasta Veloce

Author: Frances Mayes

Publisher: Abrams 

Release Date: 4.18.23

Publisher’s Summary 

From the famed author of Under the Tuscan Sun, the most delicious Tuscan pasta recipes that can be made in the time it takes to boil water and for the pasta to cook

Frances Mayes is known for transporting readers to the charming Italian countryside in her bestselling books. In Pasta Veloce, Mayes brings that irresistible Italian flavor right to your home with 100 of her favorite pasta recipes. These well-loved recipes blend traditional Italian technique with magic from the Mayes and Wyler home kitchens where experiments are always in progress.

Pasta is the most versatile food on Earth. And if you do it right: fast! Pasta Veloce offers a multitude of under-30-minute, luscious recipes, all accompanied by Mayes’s evocative text. While there are numerous pasta cookbooks, few feature a true Italophile’s passion and eye for detail that can get a dish to the table in, as Mayes describes, “the time it takes to boil water.” From a Tagliatelle with Duck Confit, Chestnuts, and Coffee Reduction to a glittering Capellini with Golden Caviar to the perfect vodka sauce, Pasta Veloce is your guide on those nights when you’re ready to skip the whole production of it but still want to eat like royalty in a rustic Italian village.

I Have Some Questions for You

Title: I Have Some Questions for You

Author: Rebecca Makkai 

Publisher: Viking 

Release Date: 2.21.23

Publisher’s Summary 

A successful film professor and podcaster, Bodie Kane is content to forget her past—the family tragedy that marred her adolescence, her four largely miserable years at a New Hampshire boarding school, and the murder of her former roommate, Thalia Keith, in the spring of their senior year. Though the circumstances surrounding Thalia's death and the conviction of the school's athletic trainer, Omar Evans, are hotly debated online, Bodie prefers—needs—to let sleeping dogs lie.

But when the Granby School invites her back to teach a course, Bodie is inexorably drawn to the case and its increasingly apparent flaws. In their rush to convict Omar, did the school and the police overlook other suspects? Is the real killer still out there? As she falls down the very rabbit hole she was so determined to avoid, Bodie begins to wonder if she wasn't as much of an outsider at Granby as she'd thought—if, perhaps, back in 1995, she knew something that might have held the key to solving the case.

My Review

This story alternates between 1995 (the year of senior Thalia Keith's murder,) 2018 (when Bodie Kane first returns to Granby boarding school,) and 2022 (for the conclusion.) The choice of these timelines is brilliant. First of all, I think this is the first novel I've read that acknowledged the COVID-19 pandemic and integrated details into the story without it becoming a main storyline--a major achievement. Second, the years allowed for great technological comparisons (cell phones, medical advancements, crime scene investigations, etc.) 

However, I was most affected by Makkai's timeline juxtaposition of 1995 culture against the current #metoo movement, cancel culture, and bullying. I was also a high school senior in 1995 and each disgusting, cringe-worthy, and cruel attack and assault described in this story took me right back to my time in high school, seeing these things happen and being brushed off with a jokey "boys will be boys" attitude by all adults. Punishments and repercussions were minimal (if acknowledged at all) and bullying was something you were told to simply ignore. Now, there tends to be more of a crackdown on the actions that were accepted in the past (although they still occur) but there are also new modes and methods of harassment through technology. When I look back at my time in high school and think of all the terrible things that boys got away with it infuriates me, and Makkai voiced my feelings throughout this entire story. At one point I put down the book, closed my eyes, and sighed "yes" when I read "I seethed, thinking for the second time in two days of all the things Dorian Culler had gotten away with. And I seethed at the realization that I had accepted this as normal, that I could only now calculate the full, ugly weight of it." I've discussed with friends how we have attempted to brush off situations that happened in our youth as "teasing" but we've carried those experiences with us into adulthood. We now find ourselves equally horrified by the actions of the offenders and the absolute refusal by adults to acknowledge or help--or worse, be blamed for the actions. We are happy to see so many anti-bullying initiatives and programs put into place for today's youth, but we also mourn the fact that we were not given any of those same protections.

Yes, this novel is a genius "cold case murder investigation" but it is Makkai's ability to lay bare the accepted cruelty and internalized trauma of many high schoolers' experiences that, although painful, I found truly remarkable. 

#ihavesomequestionsforyou #rebeccamakkai #alwaysreading #campusnovel #murdermystery #boardingschoolbooks #darkacademiabooks

Motherhood on Ice

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Motherhood on Ice: The Mating Gap and Why Women Freeze Their Eggs

Author: Marcia C Inhorn 

Publisher: New York University Press

Release Date: 5.1.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Answers the question: Why are women freezing their eggs?

Why are women freezing their eggs in record numbers? Motherhood on Ice explores this question by drawing on the stories of more than 150 women who pursued fertility preservation technology. Moving between narratives of pain and empowerment, these nuanced personal stories reveal the complexity of women’s lives as they struggle to preserve and extend their fertility.

Contrary to popular belief, egg freezing is rarely about women postponing fertility for the sake of their careers. Rather, the most-educated women are increasingly forced to delay childbearing because they face a mating gap—a lack of eligible, educated, equal partners ready for marriage and parenthood. For these women, egg freezing is a reproductive backstop, a technological attempt to bridge the gap while waiting for the right partner. But it is not an easy choice for most. Their stories reveal the extent to which it is logistically complicated, physically taxing, financially demanding, emotionally draining, and uncertain in its effects.

In this powerful book, women share their reflections on their clinical encounters, as well as the immense hopes and investments they place in this high-tech fertility preservation strategy. Race, religion, and the role of men in the lives of single women pursuing this technology are also explored. A distinctly human portrait of an understudied and rapidly growing population, Motherhood on Ice examines what is at stake for women who take comfort in their frozen eggs while embarking on their quests for partnership, pregnancy, and parenting.

My Review

I am fascinated with all aspects of assisted reproduction and genetics, but this book focused more on the recent rise among women to embark on a nonmedical (versus "medical" which encompasses fertility threats such as cancer) egg-freezing journey. There was plenty of science but this collection of stories provides insight into societal factors, women's personal motivations, and clinical experiences with egg freezing. 

Medical anthropologist and gender scholar, Inhorn has written six books on gender, reproduction, and family life in the Middle East. To create "Motherhood on Ice" she interviewed 150 "American women who have frozen their eggs, mainly because they cannot find a reproductive partner." I was aware of several of the obstacles women face in regard to freezing their eggs but I learned a lot too. 

Most shocking info: Israel is "a country always on the cutting edge of assisted reproductive technology development" and in January 2011 they were the first country to move egg freezing by vitrification into clinical practice, with the United States following in October 2012. 

A look at the numbers: Five thousand egg-freezing cycles were undertaken by American women in 2013, over 12,000 cycles in 2020, and numbers continue to rise exponentially every year. 

COOKBOOK SPOTLIGHT: Trejo’s Cantina

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Trejo's Cantina: Cocktails, Snacks & Amazing Non-Alcoholic Drinks from the Heart of Hollywood

Author: Danny Trejo

Publisher: Clarkson Potter

Release Date: 4.18.23

Publisher’s Summary 

A cantina-style celebration of Mexican food and drink, entertaining, and Hollywood culture in 100 recipes for nachos, tacos, and Danger Dogs plus cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks from the legendary actor, restaurateur, and author of the acclaimed Trejo’s Tacos

The cantina is the place where families, friends, and colleagues gather to celebrate. In Trejo’s Cantina , beloved actor and restaurateur Danny Trejo shares recipes for snacks and drinks that celebrate his traditions and spirit. Along with mouthwatering recipes that make all people feel welcome, from plant-based ( Vegan Tamales ) and vegetarian ( Fight Night Nachos; Mexican Grilled Caesar ) to meaty faves ( Chorizo Smash Burgers; Tijuana-Style Birria ), there are also dozens of inventive takes on classic cocktails including spicy Margaritas and Oaxacan “Moscow” Mules as well as dozens of thirst-quenching non-alcoholic drinks such as Agua Frescas (Pineapple, Guava Lime, Mango), a Tamarind Fizz , and a Cacao Chile Smoothie .

Danny includes helpful tips like how to build a booze-free bar, how to master the tamale, how to mix-and-match salsas, and much more. He also reminisces about his upbringing in Los Angeles, from barhopping with uncles on Olvera Street to his memories of sneaking into movie theaters to cool off and watching films wide-eyed and inspired.

Danny’s approach to entertaining is accessible, celebratory, and empowering to cooks of all skill levels. Trejo’s Cantina , at its heart, is about living to the fullest, and about how no matter what happens, you need to eat well, drink with gratitude, and celebrate life.

Momfluenced

  

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Momfluenced: Inside the Maddening, Picture-Perfect World of Mommy Influencer Culture

Author: Sara Petersen

Publisher: Beacon Press

Release Date: 4.25.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Momfluencers are just like us, except they aren't. They are mothers, yes. They are also marketing strategists, content creators, lighting experts, advertising executives, and artists. They are businesswomen. The most successful momfluencers offer content that differs very little from what we used to find in glossy women's magazines like Glamour and Real Simple, only they're churning it out daily and that content is their lives.

My Review

This book fills the gap in my life since the last episode of Jo Piazza's "Under the Influence" podcast. 

Author Sara Petersen takes a deep dive into the "representation of motherhood designed to be 'noticed'"aka "momfluencing." As a consumer/viewer the fascinating phenomenon of momfluencing causes me to cycle through feelings of envy, aspiration, inspiration, and resentment, but I can easily see why so many women are drawn to this type of social media performance--validation and financial compensation. These mothers are celebrating their previously unseen labor and controlling their narrative. They're also commandeering that income flow back into their pocket instead of being "used as pawns in our patriarchal capitalist culture, which depends on our caregiving labor to maintain the entire system but denies us any compensation (financial or otherwise) for that labor." *BOOM* That makes you want to cheer them on, right? 

But, as with anything, there are always dark sides, and momfluencing is no different. From privacy concerns to white supremacy, this type of creative labor definitely has its downsides. If you've read Seyward Darby's "Sisters in Hate," Max Fisher's The Chaos Machine," or Sarah Frier's "No Filter" you're going to have some full-circle moments. This book includes expert analyses from psychologists and academics, multiple momfluencer account highlights, and lots of personal author insights. It is the perfect mix of relatable and informative. A crucial read for anyone who uses social media in any capacity. 

Note: I read this as an e-ARC but will be purchasing a physical copy, mainly so I can use the  "For Further Reading" list at the back of this book as my own personal syllabus. 

"Table of Contents" 

1. Performing Motherhood with a Hashtag

2. In Pursuit of Clean Countertops and a Shoppable Life

3. Mirror Neurons and Cringe Follows

4. Pretty/Ugly

5. Minimalist Moms, Cool Moms, and Unfiltered Moms

6. Good (White) Moms

7. Disrupting the Feed

8. Cruel Optimism and Dreams of Motherhood "Destined to Be Dashed"

Spotlight: Super Tonics

  I received a free copy of this release from the publisher

Title: Super Tonics: 75 Adaptogen-Packed Recipes for Sleep, Beauty, and Wellness

Author: Meredith Youngson

Publisher: Ten Speed Press

Release Date: 4.11.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Supercharge your self-care with delicious health-promoting lattes, smoothies, tonics, elixirs, and even snacks that will hit the spot any time of day.

As a holistic nutritionist, Meredith Youngson knows the foods we eat can make or break our day. The right nutrients can restore our energy, uplift our mood, and boost our overall wellness. Super Tonics is Meredith's guide to superfoods for the wellness-curious, containing 75 recipes designed to empower readers to take their well-being into their own hands. From the Strawberry Matcha Latte to the Snickerdoodle Steamer, each recipe in Super Tonics combines exceptional ingredients and fun flavors to aid in healing, stress reduction, and improved energy, libido, mood, and more. Whether it's your first sip of a Pink Warrior Latte in the morning to help wake you up or the last sip of the Wind-Me-Down Golden Mylk at the end of the day to usher you into a more restful night's sleep, these elixirs bring comfort, nourishment, and pleasure.

In Praise of Home Cooking

  

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: In Praise of Home Cooking: Reasons and Recipes

Author: Liana Krissoff

Publisher: Abrams

Release Date: 3.28.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Award-winning cookbook author Liana Krissoff presents an evocatively written ode to home cooking with all the guidance you need to perfect your own easy-to-master family recipes

Trusted cookbook author Liana Krissoff is back. Previously, she showed you fresh, clever canning recipes; modern slow-cooker recipes; and easy vegetarian crowd-pleasers. Now, Krissoff brings you In Praise of Home Cooking—fit for anyone looking to perfect the staples, parents who want to whip up something tasty, curious kids who want to learn grandma’s secret recipes, and everyone who has gotten tired of those absurdly labor-intensive recipes.

To Krissoff, developing resourceful habits and perfecting uncomplicated dishes––a pot of fluffy rice and one of creamy beans, a seared steak and a colorful salad––are integral to living with great pleasure, and so she shows us the way. Krissoff explores these simple but vital subjects—ranging from how to start a fire in a clearing in the woods to making a simple but celebration-worthy layer cake, and even remembering to make a mug of hot cocoa just because it’s the first cold, gray day of fall—reminding us that appreciating these moments is key to a life well-lived.

In this cookbook infused with memoir, there are charming step-by-step illustrations that demystify key kitchen skills, vibrant food photographs, and short essays that reveal keen insights gleaned from a life as a recipe tester, cookbook author, and mom interspersed among the recipes. The more than 85 recipes in this book are Krissoff’s essentials, perfected for your ease. They represent a chronicle of how she learned to cook but also of ongoing efforts to help her daughter develop a level of competence with improvisatory home cooking. From kneading your own yeasted bread dough to refining your classic tahini dressing, Krissoff brings you all the foolproof recipes you always wished you had, while offering insight into the meaning and beauty behind these simple moments.

My Review

Some of my favorite cookbooks are pulled down over and over for beloved recipes and some are mini travel portals that I love for their beautiful pictures and stories. In Praise of Home Cooking combines perfectly repeatable recipes and essays that aren't about far-flung travel destinations but quite the opposite--connecting to the food, your home, and your family. This will be one of those books that I'll always be flipping through because there are so many great stories and tips. It reads like a family member telling you all their cooking secrets, the delicious dream of every home cook. 

Meal Prep Magic

  

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: Meal Prep Magic: Time-Saving Tricks for Stress-Free Cooking, A Weelicious Cookbook

Author: Catherine McCord

Publisher: Abrams

Release Date: 4.4.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Become a faster, healthier cook with secrets from Weelicious founder and meal prep genius Catherine McCord

With celebrated cookbook author and Weelicious founder Catherine McCord's step-by-step process, your kitchen will be beautifully organized and fast, healthy family meals will be at your fingertips—starting with 100 of her favorite recipes. McCord believes that success in the kitchen comes down to two things—organization and meal prep—and she’ll show you how to master both in Meal Prep Magic .

One step beyond the ideological approach of Marie Kondo and The Home Edit , McCord brings you a practical guide to organizing the most important space in your home and using it. If you’ve ever lost leftovers to the back of the fridge, failed to find a spice that you know you bought, or faced a cabinet full of mismatched Tupperware, her advice will forever change your relationship to your kitchen.

After showing how to maximize your space for efficiency, McCord offers up her favorite family recipes. Including tried-and-tested secrets for saving time, these recipes are easy to prep ahead, make entirely ahead, contain basic ingredients that are always in your pantry, and/or strategically employ your freezer, air-fryer, Instant Pot, slow cooker, and more. Think grab-and-go breakfasts like Raspberry Creamy Chia Puddings, creative packed lunches including easy-to-assemble Salad Jars, healthy snacks like air-fryer crispy artichokes, and irresistible dinners that are even better leftover, such as lemony chicken thighs with lots of herbs.

By following McCord's simple strategies for meal prepping, you’ll always have food on-hand to enjoy throughout your busy week, limiting your trips to the grocery store and time spent in the kitchen. Eat healthy meals you love, while saving time, money, and your sanity. Never again stress out about what to make for dinner! Meal Prep Magic is a lifesaver for any and all home cooks, busy parents, and fans of Weelicious and McCord's popular book Smoothie Project .

My Review

Some people may know former model, actress, and television hostess Catherine McCord from her Weelicious website and socials, but I know her from my favorite cooking show Guys Grocery Games. She always has great insights for stretching a dollar, using pantry items, and how to sneak in extra vegetables. You can just tell that she's a mom who is constantly cooking for kids. 

In Meal Prep Magic she shares how she successfully makes healthy and delicious meals while "saving time, money, and your sanity" through organization and meal prep. In addition to tips on organization, McCord shares 100 recipes complete with full-page color photos to help you get started with your meal prep routines. If you are overwhelmed with the idea of meal-prepping, this book would be a great place for advice and inspiration. 

The Madmans' Gallery

  

I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Madman's Gallery 

Author: Edward Brooke-Hitching

Publisher: Chronicle

Release Date: 3.7.23

Publisher’s Summary 

Enter The Madman’s Gallery and discover an extraordinary exhibition of the greatest curiosities from the global history of art. Edward Brooke-Hitching, author of internationally acclaimed and bestselling books such as The Phantom Atlas and The Madman's Library, gathers together over one hundred magnificently eccentric antique paintings, engravings, illustrations and sculptures, each chosen for their striking beauty and the wonderfully bizarre story behind their creation.

Brought to light from the depths of libraries, museums, dealers and galleries around the world, these forgotten artistic treasures are presented in their finest glory: from the portraits of oddballs like the British explorer with a penchant for riding crocodiles, and the Italian monk who levitated so often he’s recognised as the patron saint of airplane passengers; to impossible inventions like medieval land yachts, floating churches and eagle-powered airships. Discover dog-headed holy men, armies of German giants, imaginary prisons, 18th-century stuntmen, screaming ghost heads and forgeries that fooled the world. Learn to swear like a Cossack, play ‘human chess’, paint with Egyptian mummies and fight a duel with lanterns. These antique marvels are brought vividly to life with colourful images, compelling stories, obscure trivia and an odditorium of engaging characters.

Visually stunning and riotously entertaining, The Madman’s Gallery opens up the vast field of art history in a way that appeals to the general reader and all lovers of beautiful image-based works and quirky history. The perfect gift and coffee-table book, featuring a variety of subjects and sources presented with a satisfying depth of research, the world of art has never been presented in a more intriguing and addictively enjoyable form.

My Review

Sometimes you just need to look at bizarre artwork and read their backstories. That's it. That's the review.