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The Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Girl Unmasked
Emily Katy
Monoray
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781800961418, $14.99
https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Unmasked-Uncovering-Autism-Saved/dp/1800961413
Girl Unmasked: How Uncovering My Autism Saved My Life is a memoir of difference and discovery that tells how 21-year-old Emily Katy comes to terms with discovering she's autistic - at age 16. Her personal struggles with OCD, school and other systems which did not recognize her autism and therefore made her life much more challenging, and her family's interactions with her pre- and post-diagnosis makes for an involving story of struggle, safety, self-harming, and solutions to problems Emily was only able to tackle after diagnosis and better understanding. This vivid memoir, packed with raw emotions and insights, is the best way anyone who is not autistic can better understand its emotional challenges and impact, making Girl Unmasked highly recommended for anyone interested in the autism experience and solutions to common problems.
The Cookbook Shelf
Memories of Gascony, revised edition
Pierre Koffmann
Aster
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781783256402, $29.99
https://www.amazon.com/Memories-Gascony-Pierre-Koffmann/dp/1783256400
Memories of Gascony has been out of print for a long time. It now appears in a revised edition with modern photos and a redesigned appearance to attract new generations to its special blend of Gascony gastronomy and memories. Chef Koffmann juxtaposes his culinary memories and approaches with such dishes as Sweetbreads with Mushrooms, a simple Shoulder of Lamb with Potatoes, and a double-cream Lamb Stew in a White Sauce. The scope and appeal of this blend of memoir, culinary reflection, and recipe collection makes it a classic "must have" for any serious cook or cookbook collection.
Pull Up a Chair
Martha Collison
Kyle Books
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781804192429, $32.99
https://www.amazon.com/Pull-Up-Chair-Recipes-Gatherings/dp/1804192422
Pull Up a Chair: Recipes for Gatherings Big and Small, from Morning to Night offers recipes big on flavor and low on prep requirements, making them perfect choices for busy cooks who want to produce eye-catching, delicious food for entertaining, with a minimum of effort. It's geared to all kinds of entertaining, from brunches to three-course dinners, providing foolproof results from recipes such as Salt-and-Pepper Sea Bream, Creamy Chicken Cacciatore, and Sticky Pomegranate Brisket with Vermicelli Rice. Color photos on facing pages give additional incentive to relish this cookbook's easy approach to entertaining, making Pull Up a Chair a top pick for cooks who want infallible results that are eye-catching and look like much more work than they are.
Hamlyn
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
Hamlyn's cookbooks provide libraries and home cooks with a rich collection of recipes that will appeal to busy cooks looking to make the most of homemade efforts and time.
https://www.amazon.com/Pickle-Jar-Recipes-Pickles-Ferments/dp/1804192740
Nick Valdez's The Pickle Jar: Recipes for Making and Using Pickles and Ferments (9781804192740, $24.99) comes from a UK pickle brand and teaches how cooks can make and use their own pickles at home. Health connections between digestion and eating fermented foods appear alongside pickle-making ideas and recipes for using them. The blend of basic recipes with a knowledge of fermentation, and dishes making the most of pickling processes, pairs mouth-watering products with alluring color photos.
https://www.amazon.com/Dip-delicious-recipes-entertaining-snacking/dp/1804192724
Sonali Shah's Dip In: 80 Delicious Dip Recipes for Enertaining, Snacking & Beyond (9781804192726, $19.99) promotes expanding the usual use of dips to apply to small dishes as well as snacks. Ordinary store ingredients come with an attention to using spice combinations in new ways for fare such as a Coconut & Spiced Black Bean Dip with Pineapple Salsa, Crab & Kohlrabi Remoulade, and Japanese-Style Potato Salad. These variations on traditional ideas of creating and using dips will prove exciting to cooks who want to expand their repertoires of easy, exciting foods to create and serve.
https://www.amazon.com/Love-Gluten-free-delicious-recipes-together/dp/0600638820
Megan McKenna's Love Gluten Free: Easy, Delicious Recipes to Enjoy Together (9780600638827, $26.99) comes from a media personality and singer whose celiac and wheat allergy diagnosis resulted in her interest in tasty recipes that everyone can eat and share, gluten-free or not. From food made for sharing to date night dishes, dishes for celebrations, and variations on classics such as a No-Fish Chicken Caesar Salad or the author's own creations, such as My Very Own Fine Tomato Bolognese, this cookbook is packed with innovations and attractions not to be found elsewhere.
https://www.amazon.com/Hong-Kong-Kitchen-Jeremy-Pang-ebook/dp/B0DDXN3Q18
Jeremy Pang's Hong Kong Kitchen (9780600639121, $26.99) provides some 70 recipes specific to the country's unique dishes, from its famous street food to hotpots and desserts. Color photos on facing pages add interest and attraction to such recipes as Black Pepper Beef & Potatoes Hong King Style, Cumin Beef & Spring Onion Fried Baos, and Marbled Tea Eggs. The variety of Hong Kong style cooking will attract anyone interested in translating this country's iconic cuisine to their home kitchen. All are appealing cookbooks that not only expand a cook's collection and repertoire, but invite innovative thinking and healthy results.
The Interior Design Shelf
Cocoon: Creating Homes With Heart
Ali Heath
Mitchell Beazley
c/o Octopus Books
https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk
9781784729721, $39.99
https://www.amazon.com/Cocoon-Creating-Homes-Ali-Heath/dp/1784729728
Cocoon: Creating Homes With Heart is packed with color photos and advice that encourage home decorators to understand the elements of creating a warm 'home sanctuary' refuge from the modern world. Ali Heath goes beyond advocating a particular style, promoting a holistic approach to decorating that embraces all senses and opportunities for connection as she shows how an entire home can be made into a comfort zone. Photos from homes around the world illustrate this concept in creative ways, covering all kinds of environments large and small. Many admonitions that open these chapters will prove thought-provoking, moving beyond design alone to consider emotional impact and response: "Instead of adapting to the energy in our spaces, influence and shape that energy." Libraries will find Ali Heath's approach thoroughly engrossing, offering a very different and warmly inspirational touch that will fit in nicely in arts, home design, and general-interest collections.
The Fantasy/SciFi Shelf
Aurelia
Stephen R. Lawhead
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781668072349 $30.00 hc / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Aurelia-Pendragon-Cycle-Stephen-Lawhead/dp/1668072343
Aurelia is a prequel to Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle (now a streaming TV series), and charts the end of one empire and the rise of another at the time when the Romans were abandoning Britain. As the child of a Magistrate and wife of a Legate, Aureila stands at the crux of this changing world, struggling to guide a family that is moving away from the social order she was born in to forge new territory an unfamiliar paths. Readers of early Arthurian legend will find Aureila steeped in many powerful themes, from the story of how a mother guides her sons in matters completely foreign to her own experience and connections to how Merlin guides the family through all kinds of struggles. As a preface to Lawhead's series, Aureila both sets the stage for more and stands nicely on its own as a thoroughly compelling Arthurian world read.
The Miranda Conspiracy
James L. Cambias
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781668072400, $18.00 pbk / $8.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Miranda-Conspiracy-Billion-Worlds/dp/1668072408
A new arrival from Baen deserves high praise and recommendation to sci-fi and fantasy libraries seeking strong novels for their collections. James L. Cambias's The Miranda Conspiracy is the story of an intergalactic treasure hunt, a political conspiracy, and the initial effort of a young man, Zee, and his AI friend Daslakh to make a good impression on his girlfriend's upper-class parents. Instead, they uncover a conspiracy that leads them to a dangerous treasure hunt that forces them to confront political factions, gangsters, and mercenaries while juggling family relationships and politics. The intersection of family drama and politics that operate on both a personal and broader scale lends to an engrossing blend of mystery, discovery, and action that brings the teens and their world to life.
Heart of the Mountain
Larry Correia
Baen Books
www.baen.com
9781668072394, $30.00 hc / $9.99 Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Heart-Mountain-Saga-Forgotten-Warrior/dp/1668072394
Larry Correia's Heart of the Mountain adds to his 'Saga of the Forgotten Warrior' series with a powerful story of Ashok Vadal, chosen by a weapon to be its bearer and a law-enforcer. This immerses him in political struggles, prophecies, and ambitious tyrants that hold visions of control and chaos. A cast of characters lends complexity and satisfyingly unexpected twists to the story of prophecies emerging from exciting events. Readers of fantasy and drama, especially those familiar with the prior events of the series, will welcome Heart of the Mountain's rich journey into the lives and minds of disparate people who struggle to adapt to new laws, environments, and outcomes. Heart of the Mountain is highly recommended to sci-fi and fantasy libraries seeking strong novels for their collections.
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Diane C. Donovan, Editor
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