For book people, autumn is like a three-day weekend, the Olympics and a summer Friday all rolled into one—it’s the best time of year. Discover the BookPage editors’ most anticipated books for fall 2019 below.
Calling all runners, crafters, road warriors and vigorous house-cleaners: If you’re in need of a new audiobook, read on for some of the best new nonfiction productions. All true stories, all extraordinary listens.
All Creatures Great and Small (15.5 hours)
It’s been more than 50 years since James Herriot’s beloved stories were published, stealing hearts with his humorous tales about the 1930s Yorkshire Dales, where he served the memorable townsfolk as a young country veterinarian. This January, fans will settle in for PBS Masterpiece’s adaptation of the series, but this tie-in, read by star Nicholas Ralph, will transport you while you wait. Is there anything better than cozy stories told in a Scottish accent? Don’t be surprised if, while walking your dog, for example, you’re stopped by a stranger across the street who asks what you’re listening to because you just look so dang happy.
Be Water, My Friend: The Teachings of Bruce Lee (7.5 hours)
Shannon Lee, daughter of kung fu master Bruce Lee, shares the stories behind her father’s guiding philosophy to “be water,” to accept oneself rather than try to go against one’s nature. As Lee explains, water is “soft yet strong, natural yet able to be directed, detached yet powerful, and above all, essential to life.” Lee’s book entertains as it inspires, and she sounds like an old pro as its narrator, confidently inviting us to join in this philosophy of self-acceptance.
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents (14.5 hours)
Robin Miles narrated Isabel Wilkerson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book, The Warmth of Other Suns, and she delivers another smooth, energetic performance for Caste, Wilkerson’s latest masterpiece. In Caste, Wilkerson spins years of research into an accessible yet profound case for an unacknowledged caste system within the United States. More than race, more than class, Wilkerson believes that the language of caste best describes the hierarchy of power in our country, and she thoroughly demonstrates this claim through insights about the similar caste systems in India and Nazi Germany and through personable anecdotes from her own personal experience. These stories, brought to life by Miles’ trademark clarity, warmth and gravitas, provide readers with a new lens on the world that, once peered through, will change the way they see things forever.
ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Discover more of our most highly recommended audiobooks.
The Dead Are Arising: The Life of Malcolm X (18 hours)
For a listener seeking a full immersion in history, we recommend you download this monumental, National Book Award-winning biography from Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Les Payne, a 30-year project completed after Payne’s death by his daughter, Tamara Payne. This book embroiders the full canvas surrounding the story of Malcolm X, providing a total sense of context, complete with corrected historical records and rewind-that-back-and-listen-again revelations. Award-winning narrator Dion Graham is one of the finest in the business, and he commands your attention, warmly but firmly demanding, Listen up—this is the story of Macolm X like you’ve never heard before.
I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are (5 hours)
Funny woman and TV genius Rachel Bloom (you know her from “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend”) narrates her own memoir about awkwardness and fame, and it’s everything you could hope for. Her writing runneth over with personality, and her audiobook nearly explodes with it. She does hilarious voices, she makes audio-related asides to translate a text-only quip, and she cannonballs through her most irreverent jokes with such glee such that you have no choice but to laugh till it hurts.
Memorial Drive (5 hours)
Former U.S. poet laureate Natasha Trethewey narrates her debut memoir, Memorial Drive, with both steady skill and heart-wrenching tenderness. As a poet, she understands the subtle power of phrasing, emphasis and a well-timed pause. Yet as she tells the story of her mother’s murder by Trethewey’s ex-stepfather when Trethewey was 19, there is an understandable rawness just below the surface. Her voice catches with deep emotion as she recounts the story of why it took her 35 years to turn this harrowing story of fear, loneliness and loss into a memoir. The content is tragic, but Trethewey’s lingering Mississippi inflection is soothing as she lays out her tale, and listeners will feel totally at ease as they tune in to hear a master at work.
Notes on a Silencing (11 hours)
How do you talk about something that you’ve been forced to stay silent about? Lacy Crawford does the seemingly impossible in her memoir: She tells the full story of her rape by two boys while at a New England boarding school, and then narrates it for the audiobook. Her clear voice provides her younger self with a level of truth that has too long been withheld and offers moments of levity amid the darkness. The younger Lacy is likable and bold as she navigates her trauma and the cruelty of her school. This memoir is a masterful depiction of how to tell a story, especially the hardest one you could ever think to write.
★ Once I Was You: A Memoir of Love and Hate in a Torn America (12 hours)
The history of immigration in America gets a personal and, through author Maria Hinojosa’s narration, supremely entertaining and moving treatment in this part memoir, part work of social science. Hinojosa’s family immigrated to the United States from Mexico when she was an infant, and she tangles her history with the nation’s to offer one of the finest audiobooks of the year.
Hinojosa is the anchor and executive producer of "Latino USA" on NPR, and she knows how to spin a story, boldly capturing moments of triumph and pain, and performing voices that conjure the unexpected strength of her mother, that mock the unjust or the racist and that transport the listener to each and every event she recounts here. She understands exactly what America offers and how it has failed immigrants, and she packages the story in journalistic objectivity and an arresting, honest performance.
ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Maria Hinojosa reveals what it was like to narrate her memoir: “I am the character, she is me!”
Vesper Flights (10.5 hours)
Helen Macdonald’s collection of nature essays offers a balance of comfort and clear-eyed concern, Some of the essays are short and sweet (a vignette on her father and a goat is laughably brief), but her pieces that connect her love of nature to the wider world are when this book really shines. She draws threads between migraines and climate change, between nostalgia for the natural world and Brexit, and between flocks of birds and our own relationship to the changing environment. With deep affection and a frank yet gentle tone, she shares her wide knowledge and unique perspective like the gifts that they are.
Where I Come From: Stories From the Deep South (7.5 hours)
For Southern listeners, to hear Rick Bragg narrate his own missives from the Deep South is to be transported to a porch on a summer evening. This collection combines some of his finest columns from Southern Living and Garden & Gun, in which he explores down-home topics such as Tupperware, trucks and the importance of a good knife. There’s nothing quite so calming as a rhythmic Southern drawl, capturing the most romantic bits of a rural life.
Many of us will be far away from our loved ones this holiday season, but a thoughtful gift can help bridge that great distance. Check out the BookPage editors’ favorite gift books for 2020.
Because there’s always room for more books on that bookshelf
The perfect presents for the gastronome in your life
The tell-it-like-it-is singer shares her own story through the lyrics of her songs
Four fresh books to inspire, enlighten and cultivate creativity
Foster a stronger relationship with the world around us
This beautiful hardcover book feels like a loving reminder of the best our nation has to offer
Each of these books is a balm—for the soul and for the world
Books that bring a little peace of mind and a virtual hug
Fun new perspectives on cats and their indelible influence on our culture
Should you pick up one of the best young adult books of 2020, we can make you a promise: Each and every one of them will defy your expectations.
10. The Mermaid, the Witch, and the Sea by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Tokuda-Hall’s first YA novel reads like an undiscovered classic with impressive modern flair.
9. Girl, Unframed by Deb Caletti
Girl, Unframed is a perceptive story of a young woman’s journey to understanding the persistent contradictions that govern the lives of women.
8. Kent State by Deborah Wiles
This slim verse novel, narrated from multiple perspectives, serves as a historical record of a national tragedy and a call to action for every American.
7. Not So Pure and Simple by Lamar Giles
Giles’ novel is a masterful exploration of gender roles and toxic masculinity, anchored in an authentic teen boy’s voice.
6. The Gravity of Us by Phil Stamper
“The Gravity of Us has all the ingredients I love in a truly great love story. It made my heart sing.”—Stephanie, Associate Editor
5. Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger, illustrated by Rovina Cai
Little Badger’s first book wraps a page-turning mystery up in some of the most inventive and clever world building of the year.
4. We Are Not From Here by Jenny Torres Sanchez
This lyrical, visceral tale of three teens forced to leave their homeland in search of a better life is jaw-droppingly, heart-stoppingly powerful.
3. Foreshadow, edited by Emily X.R. Pan and Nova Ren Suma
“This anthology of new voices exemplifies the best of what short stories and young adult literature can be.”—Stephanie, Associate Editor
Deonn’s debut is an extremely satisfying contemporary fantasy novel that upends the tropes of the genre.
1. Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
Dragon Hoops is the “Friday Night Lights” of graphic literature: It’s a story about a basketball team, but it’s also a brilliant story about storytelling itself.
ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Discover all of BookPage’s Best Books of 2020.
10.
This month’s new lifestyles books are an eclectic mix that make quite a splash—from menopause advice to wild patterns of wallpaper to whimsical nudges to try new things.
★ What Fresh Hell Is This?
Remember Gen X? No? That’s fine, no one does. But hey, we’re out here, and we’re heading into midlife and its many crises. Good thing we have Heather Corinna with us along for the bumpy ride, like the whip-smart, sardonic friend you used to hang with at punk shows who’s now armed with a metric ton of hard-earned wisdom about the endocrine system, advice for vasomotor freakouts and edibles. A longtime champion of feminist health, Corinna has previously written books for teens and tweens about bodies, sexuality and relationships. Their new book, What Fresh Hell Is This?, is a brilliantly irreverent and disruptive addition to the menopause survival/triumph category. Corinna writes forthrightly about their own experience, describing it as “not great in the way that, say, the 2016 US presidential election was not great.” They put their activist mojo to use in a guide that argues forcefully for new thinking about perimenopause, with a lot of laughs—and comics and Mad Libs!—along the way. Game changed.
Jungalow
Have you always been a sucker for luscious displays of color, pattern and texture in your personal space? Or, after a year of staying home, are you fed up with your minimalist, white-walled temple and ready to splash bright shades and wallpaper everywhere? Maybe you just need a gorgeous, aspirational coffee-table book to page through while you wait for the takeout to arrive. If your answer to any of these possibilities is yes, then the new Justina Blakeney will be your jam. Fans of her wildly successful The New Bohemians (I am one) will swoon over Jungalow: Decorate Wild. Never afraid to go big on a multiplicity of patterns, Blakeney asserts that “mixing is magic” and shows us how it’s done. Biophilia gets a loving nod here, too, with a chapter on how to work houseplants into your wild style. Prepare to be dazzled.
A Year of Weeks
Seven days is a short but solid amount of time to try something new—too brief, perhaps, to lead to a new habit, but sure to bring a sense of accomplishment, or at least satisfied amusement. Can you commit to doing one new thing for a single week? Sure you can, says Erica Root in A Year of Weeks. Cute as can be, this fully hand-drawn interactive workbook contains 52 prompts, from whimsical to practical, nudging us to draw, put on our thinking caps, be kind, follow our curiosity and so on. Show gratitude, notice everyday beauty, clean one thing, help someone or write someone a note. Design seven new socks or bookmarks or coffee mugs or hairstyles! In each case, you’re aiming for seven consecutive days of trying out your selected task, and Root’s drawings invite you to record evidence of your efforts right in the book. Pick up two copies: one for you and one for a pal or family member, because a little friendly accountability will only make the challenges sweeter.
Growing up is difficult. Spanning the centuries, history and literature have recorded a communications gap separating one generation from the next. But don't lose heart. Lessons from the annals of history have taught us that wisdom and truth are ageless. To that end, Dear Mother, Dear Daughter offers a creative, problem-solving communications tool in the form of 17 beguiling coming-of-age poems which will make you smile, chuckle and even shed a tear. That special bond between mother and child evinces love in a rhythmic exchange of thoughts, fears, hopes and dreams.
Every female reader will easily identify with these poetic exchanges between mother and daughter. Each of the poems addresses a theme familiar to all of us: a desire to be independent, to excel, to be popular, attractive, courageous and solvent and to develop the ability to confront our fears and rejections. These themes are expressed by specific examples common to adolescence: height and weight concerns, boredom, bedtime, sports and musical talents, fashion trends, responsibility for one's actions, defense of the underdog and death of a grandparent. Although these issues are not unique, this form of communication is. In a concise, lyrical format, a mother offers sound, wise advice to a daughter challenged by adolescent growing pains.
Talent, heart and soul combine in these verses by Jane Yolen and her real-life daughter, Heidi Stemple, to endear the reader to both mother and daughter. Jane Yolen is the award-winning author of more than 200 books. Heidi Stemple's short stories and poetry have appeared in numerous magazines and journals.
The poems are enhanced by the artistic contributions of Gil Ashby whose artwork has appeared in many advertisements, textbooks and children's books. If improved communication with your children is your goal, and you're looking for a fresh approach, don't pass this one up. It will help you bridge the generation gap and build mutual respect.
C. Elizabeth Davis is a former marketing director for the education division of Turner Broadcasting System.
Growing up is difficult. Spanning the centuries, history and literature have recorded a communications gap separating one generation from the next. But don't lose heart. Lessons from the annals of history have taught us that wisdom and truth are ageless. To that end, Dear Mother,…
One of the great enigmas of the music world is at last telling her story at least those parts she wants us to know. Widely publicized at the time it was announced, Aretha: From These Roots is actually more tantalizing than tell-all. Yet if it doesn't deliver a full portrait of one of this era's divas, it offers enough intriguing glimpses of Aretha Franklin to make the read worthwhile and eye-opening.
She is certainly a dichotomy. There is the Aretha who loves staying home where she cooks, crochets, and delights in gardening. The devoted soap opera fan also remains faithful to her favorite teenage movie, the tear-jerking A Summer Place, which starred Sandra Dee. Why, after she found her own fame, Franklin even had a gown designed by the great Jean Louis who'd created wardrobes for Miss Dee.
Which leads us to the other Aretha. Superstars are a special breed, emboldened by ego as well as talent. They also like to control their press. Franklin is determined to put an end to the oft-reported story that her mother abandoned the family. And she rebuffs unflattering tales told elsewhere by Cissy Houston and Gladys Knight. She also emphasizes the significance of her father, Reverend C.L. Franklin. He certainly was understanding. In defiance of the day's conventions, Franklin became an unwed mother at 14 and again at 17. Her father, she stresses, remained supportive.
Though she doesn't always name names, Franklin details a hearty appetite for men. There are flirtations with Sam Cooke, a relationship with Temptations member Dennis Edwards, a romance (and yet another child) with a black entrepreneur, and several failed marriages. She likewise recounts her romance with food including where and when she was introduced to the BLT and Russian dressing.
And yes, she charts her extraordinary career and the soul sound that became a career signature. This book may not give us all the answers, but there is no question that it puts us in the company of a regal presence. Aretha is, after all, the undisputed Queen of Soul.
One of the great enigmas of the music world is at last telling her story at least those parts she wants us to know. Widely publicized at the time it was announced, Aretha: From These Roots is actually more tantalizing than tell-all. Yet if it…
Memoirs of a Geisha, by first-time novelist Arthur Golden, may also be headed for the screen with Steven Spielberg's involvement. For now, enjoy it in print, as the geisha Sayuri details her metamorphosis from peasant child she was nine when her widowed father sold her to a geisha house to her prewar rise as a leading geisha and on to her role as mistress to a power-broker. Golden spent nine years researching and writing this intricately detailed saga, which takes us on a memorable, eye-opening journey.
Memoirs of a Geisha, by first-time novelist Arthur Golden, may also be headed for the screen with Steven Spielberg's involvement. For now, enjoy it in print, as the geisha Sayuri details her metamorphosis from peasant child she was nine when her widowed father sold her…
The bestselling author of The Nightingale—whose new novel, The Four Winds, is one of the biggest releases of the season—shares a look at her book-loving life.
What are your bookstore rituals?
Wow. In all my years of talking about books, this is a question I have never been asked before. And I definitely do have bookstore rituals. It begins, of course, with the window. I’m always interested in what books are displayed in the window of a bookstore, so I guess my ritual begins before I even open the door. Once inside, I head straight to the fiction new releases. From there, I move leisurely toward the current bestseller bookcase and then to the staff recommendations. By now, I usually have an armful of books, but I can never leave without checking out the children’s section and browsing through the history section. After that, I could head anywhere.
Tell us about your favorite library from when you were a child.
Honestly, my favorite library belonged to my mother. She was an avid reader and collected books of all kinds. I remember her tall stack of Book of the Month titles. I spent years perusing her shelves and choosing books and allowing her to choose for me. One of my favorite memories of childhood is talking about those books with my mom. Afterward, of course, she introduced me to our local library and helped me to get my first library card—my passport to other worlds. We moved around a lot when I was a kid, and our first stop in every new town was the library.
While researching your books, have you ever made an especially surprising discovery among the stacks?
I have spent many hours in both libraries and bookstores—new and used—in my research. The one that comes to mind right now is the Harry Ransom Center at the University of Texas at Austin. I spent many wonderful hours there, wearing white gloves, reading the handwritten firsthand accounts of Ms. Sanora Babb, a young woman who worked at the Farm Security Administration migrant camp in California in the late 1930s. Her words were a gold mine of information.
Do you have a favorite bookstore or library from literature?
Oh, so many! The first that comes to mind, of course, is the magical Hogwarts library. Who wouldn’t want to lose themselves among the stacks there? And then there’s the equally magical Cemetery of Forgotten Books in Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s remarkable novel The Shadow of the Wind. More recently, I found myself enraptured by Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, in which a library becomes the catalyst for looking at one’s own lost lives and untaken chances.
Do you have a “bucket list” of bookstores and libraries you’d love to visit but haven’t yet?
Doesn’t everyone? How much time do we have? My bucket list of libraries is topped by Trinity College Library in Dublin. I used to dream of going there as a girl, and I’ve never lost the hope that I will visit it someday. Honestly, I love bookstores and libraries everywhere. I try to visit them whenever and wherever I am traveling.
What’s the last thing you checked out from your library or bought at your local bookstore?
I checked out a book last week, a memoir written by a female journalist that I couldn’t find in print anywhere. The last thing I bought at my local bookstore was actually about five minutes ago. I called my local indie bookseller and ordered a copy of Caste.
How is your own personal library organized?
My research library, which is extensive because I’ve been writing novels now for close to 30 years and I rarely get rid of anything I’ve read, is organized by topic. My fiction library is a glorious, beautiful mess. The only way I find anything is because I peruse it so often that I practically have each shelf memorized.
Bookstore cats or bookstore dogs?
I am a cat person, but I love any animal curled up in a bookstore.
ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our review of The Four Winds.
Author photo by Kevin Lynch
Sometimes empathy for our fellow humans can feel just beyond our reach. On those days, we want to shut out the world and escape from our differences. Fortunately there are books that reaffirm hope and help us feel patience for our neighbors once more, like breathing warm breath onto cold hands.
Ninety-Nine Stories of God
This book is pretty clear about what it’s offering: 99 stories from Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award finalist Joy Williams, all of them in some way about God. In typical Williams fashion, though, Ninety-Nine Stories of God is far more than that. The stories here are short and strange, the longest no more than a few pages, but each is crammed with life. From Kafka and a fish to the Aztecs and O.J. Simpson, these stories highlight the absurdity and whimsy of being alive. A teacher recommended this book to me, but she warned me to curb my expectations: While “God” is present in each story, the book is really about humans and the strange things we do for faith. Praying, hoping, crying—it’s all crystallized in these short stories. Williams reminds us that God, however you think of God, is in people.
—Eric, Editorial Intern
Evvie Drake Starts Over
I hate Hallmark movies. So much so that I can’t even stomach watching them in a so-bad-it’s-good type of way. I get anxious the farther I get from an urban center, I break out in hives when faced with a quirky pun, and I have never really understood the appeal of New England. So it means a lot for me to say that reading Linda Holmes’ wry romance, Evvie Drake Starts Over, filled me with joy. The author’s warmth and humor radiate off every page, the sense of place (a tiny town in Maine, by the sea) is absolutely perfect, and then there’s the marvelous Evvie herself, she of the relatable breakdowns and perfect zingers and hard-won journey to happiness and love. This is an endearing little bundle of a book, and after finishing it, I considered, for the first time in my life, taking a trip to Maine.
—Savanna, Associate Editor
Flora & Ulysses
I love all of Kate DiCamillo’s books, but I love her Newbery Medal-winning Flora & Ulysses most of all. The miraculous, madcap adventure of a superpowered squirrel and the girl he loves, Flora & Ulysses is as honest about the possibility of goodness as it is about darkness and despair. In a world where tragedy can be “just sitting there, keeping you company, waiting,” Flora believes herself a cynic who can’t afford to hope. In fact, all of the characters have been, in one way or another, disappointed by other people. DiCamillo’s willingness to acknowledge how audacious it can be to hold on to hope amid uncertainty makes the book’s climax, in which so many hopes are rewarded, all the more moving. As one character says, “There is much more beauty in the world if I believe such a thing is possible.”
—Stephanie, Associate Editor
The Lager Queen of Minnesota
No one makes me feel good about the world quite like my mom and grandma, the relentlessly positive Minnesota matriarchs of my family. But their upbeat nature isn’t a willful idealism; rather, it’s a daily choice to take the hard stuff in stride, to make the most of it, because why not? J. Ryan Stradal’s Midwestern family drama takes me home. It’s got some ups and downs as two estranged sisters figure their way through a longtime divide, but it’s packed with redemption, as one of the sisters’ granddaughters makes a go of a new beer venture that promises to change everyone’s fortunes for the better. Behold the power of hard work and determination to heal nearly any wound. You’re never too old, and it’s never too late, if you’re willing to put a little elbow grease into it. Plus, there’s pie and there’s beer, and those are my two pandemic love languages.
—Cat, Deputy Editor
Cosy
The best way for me to show good cheer toward humankind is to spend time away from them. Call it introversion, call it misanthropy—the bottom line is that I can lose steam quickly when I interact with people, and it’s difficult to be charitable toward your fellow human when you’re cranky. This is where a book like Cosy becomes invaluable. From soups to tea to socks to soft lighting, Laura Weir is an expert at cultivating a space that’s warm, peaceful and snug, and she shares her insights in prose that radiates comfort. Need a cozy movie, hike, book or tipple? There are recommendations in every category, as well as atmospheric musings on the philosophy of coziness. Dipping into this book makes me gentler and more compassionate, and during a year when keeping your distance is a concrete act of kindness, Cosy is worth its weight in gold.
—Christy, Associate Editor
It’s back to reality time: back to school, back to work, back to putting a wholesome, inviting dinner on the table almost every night. No problema! The Casserole Queens, Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, two ebullient Austin cooks, have managed to put their special magic for making one-dish wonders between the covers of a cookbook. The Casserole Queens Cookbook sets the classic American casserole back on center stage, refreshed and revitalized with a healthy helping of retro-chic and gourmet flair. With their bubbly header notes, advice on a well-stocked kitchen and a casserole-stocked freezer, the Queens show you how to make weeknight delights like Royal Cottage Pie, Shrimp and Grits with smoked gouda or Corn Dog Casserole (adults love it too) that are guaranteed dinner winners. When friends are coming over, the same goes for phyllo-topped Greek Pastitsio or saffron-infused Pimpin’ Paella. Whether a casserole starts the day, dresses up for dessert or stars as the main event, it gets the royal treatment—in fact, the Queens have turned them all into casseroyals!
Presents from the kitchen are a lovely gesture. Whether baked, mixed, cooked or assembled from store-bought goodies, they are proof of time spent preparing something special. But how often do we end up stuffing a carefully created gift into a boring plastic zipper bag or disposable pan? Creative packaging ideas can make gifts from the kitchen twice as nice. The Creative Kitchen has recipes for drinks, breads, candy, cookies, pies, cakes, sauces, mixes, jams, snacks and holiday fare, but recipes are only half the story. The other half is presentation. The book pairs each recipe with quick and cute packaging suggestions. Choose from sew and no-sew fabric options, ribbons, fancy cupcake liners, papers, labels and non-traditional containers to spice up offerings. Templates and images to scan, trace and photocopy are included. Next time you need an edible gift for a host, sick friend or new baby, check here first. Plus, any of these recipes and wrappings will guarantee sell-outs at a bake sale.
The word terrarium may conjure grade-school memories of empty peanut butter jars and dead plants, but Terrarium Craft will dispel that notion at a glance. Artist and boutique owner Amy Bryant Aiello and garden writer Kate Bryant redefine the terrarium as art form, gardening complement and undeniable “eye candy.” They present 50 step-by-step projects adaptable to any mood or style and incorporating tiny treasures like found objects, trinkets and special shells or rocks. Plants are optional, believe it or not, but most projects recommend specific varieties selected for size, shape, color and habitat, and are easy to maintain. Terrariums can be almost any size—even wee glass baubles on a string—and can have a lid or remain open. After an introduction that takes readers through the basics—containers, foundations, materials and plants—the book divides the projects into Forest, Beach, Desert and Fantasy landscapes. The photographs throughout are simply gorgeous. Readers will be inspired to look for potential containers everywhere, to try and match the creativity and charm on display.
Stay on top of new releases: Sign up for our newsletter to receive reading recommendations in your favorite genres.
