From time to time, our books branch gets to preview some of the latest publications hitting the shelves. Read on for the details on a few recent highlights and be sure to check back as this list will continue to be updated as new titles cross our desk.
Ticket to Ride & Catan: The Official Cookbooks
Cookbook
I’m obsessed with this kooky idea for a set of cookbooks. You truly can base anything on anything I guess so why not cookbooks based on board games? But, kooky though the idea may be, these particular board games actually lend themselves really well to becoming cookbooks. Ticket to Ride is a North American train game so the cookbook features representative recipes from across the continent from clam chowder to possum pie to nanaimo bars, laid out along specific train routes visiting each of the places that made those dishes famous. Meanwhile, Catan is all about natural resources (wood, rock, wheat, sheep, brick) so the cookbook cleverly turns those iconic items into relevant dishes- rack of lamb, rocky road cookies, cedar plank salmon. There’s also a hearty snacks section to elevate your game night spread. Both books are fun, ambitious, and refreshingly thought-through, not just an easy IP grab.
Unofficial Taylor Swift Crochet by Lee Sartori
How-To
I will admit that this one broke my heart a little. I’m constantly looking for a crafty pastime, ideally something I can do with idle hands while watching TV. I’m a terrible knitter and puzzling takes too much space so, when this book of crochet projects themed to my best girl came across my desk, I was all-in. Like, embarrassingly all-in. I spent far too much money on a set of crochet hooks and a pile of yarn to make the book’s simplest yet most iconic project- the “All Too Well” scarf. Assured by the publicist that the book was beginner-friendly and contained clear instructions on the basics of crochet in addition to the step by step process for each Taylor-themed item (a journal cover, a newsboy cap, a “Bejeweled” headband, even the titular “Cardigan”), I set out confidently to make a scarf worthy of Maggie Gyllenhaal’s storage closet. After hours of work, my first square had somehow become a circle. I undid it all and tried again. And again. Long story short, my crochet supplies are now on Facebook Marketplace if you want them. A cute idea for someone with existing skills, this book is definitely not for beginners.
Let’s Bake by Gail Sweeney
Cookbook
This cookbook, on the other hand, is a beginner’s dream. Designed around the premise that baking is meant to be gifted and shared, Gail Sweeney’s book of lovingly developed recipes is simple and sweet with an excellent section at the beginning full of the important tips and tricks that will help first timers not make rookie mistakes (not using room temperature eggs ruined more of my baking experiments than I can count). Each recipe is presented simply and clearly with minimal backstory and hullaballoo like you’ll find with online recipes.
Playback by Carla Malden
Novel
A sequel to her 2020 young adult novel Shine Until Tomorrow, Carla Malden’s time travel romance Playback is a grown-up follow-up full of big motherhood feelings and wistful nostalgia. The self-conscious writing style can be a bit grating but the novel is swift and charming for anyone who really enjoyed the first one.
Jeep Show by Robert B O’Connor
Novel
This WWII novel tells a fictional story about real life but relatively unknown enlisted men who served as entertainers on the front lines. While the novel could use a trim, it’s a fascinating story.
Some Recollections of St Ives by David Mamet
Novel
A dramatist whose plays have aged a bit too trickily for frequent production, it’s a joy to rediscover David Mamet in novel form with this inventive fake memoir. A vibrant, frank, and stylish writer, Mamet’s prose is worth every penny and the opportunity to reckon with his storytelling in isolation is a welcome change from the fraught scrutiny that faces his theatrical work.