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Food & DrinkCookbooks

5 great cookbooks to give your friends (so they’ll invite you to dinner)

Feature by Susannah Felts

If giving cookbooks to my friends for the holidays (in hopes that they’ll invite me to dinner) is wrong, I don’t want to be right. These five guides stand out from the pack for their innovative angles, spellbinding designs and accessible recipes for cooks of all levels of expertise.

★ The Forest Feast Mediterranean
It’s hard not to feel a little bit envious of Erin Gleeson. The bestselling cookbook author spent three months traveling with her family through France, Portugal, Spain and Italy to research The Forest Feast Mediterranean: Simple Vegetarian Recipes Inspired by My Travels. It’s as gorgeous as her previous books, awash in watercolor illustrations and bright vegetarian dishes that leap off the page into your sunniest kitchen dreams. Images of Gleeson and her family star alongside scenic shots from the region that inspired this book, but of course the real heroes are its 100 recipes, which include mouthwatering salads, decadent pastas and small shareables like caponata, a burrata bar, bruschetta, tartines, tartlets, tortilla espanola and pintxos, which are appetizers on long toothpicks, unique to the Barcelona bar scene. Best of all, there’s a travel guide in the back in case you’re hungry to follow in Gleeson’s picturesque footsteps—and you will be.

Mixtape Potluck
Is there anyone more creatively connected than Questlove? The musician-DJ-writer-ideas guy has friends in every corner of the arts and entertainment industry, and he assembles them in Mixtape Potluck as contributors to what might be the most fabulous party ever-. Questlove asked each of the roughly 60 notable figures—including Carla Hall, Padma Lakshmi, Q-Tip and Amy Poehler—for their “super-special secret recipe,” resulting in a staggering range of dishes, from Fred Armisen’s plantains two ways to Martha Stewart’s grape focaccia. But it’s not just a celebrity hodgepodge. Questlove gives each friend a song as inspiration, noting that “the songs and the dishes do not have a direct relationship.” All the songs are listed at the end, along with smart tips for hosting a potluck and cuing up your own party jams. Bold photography by Marcus Maddox makes its own noise, with a distinctly 1970s vibe. You and your coolest friends need this book; there’s really no question.

Skillet Love
My husband, head chef in our house, uses a cast-iron skillet nearly daily, so I couldn’t wait to show him Skillet Love: From Steak to Cake. The result? “This one’s a keeper,” he proclaimed after we made picadillo-stuffed peppers, skillet salmon and pound cake. (Yes, pound cake. In fact, that’s the recipe that begot this book.) Or how about a massive chocolate chip cookie, gooey in the middle? If the humble workhorse that is the cast-iron skillet is new to you, Anne Byrn provides an overview on care, seasoning and the many tricks a skillet can pull off, from stir-frying and dry-roasting to searing, frying, baking and even pan-grilling. “There really isn’t anything on your dinner list that the skillet can’t accomplish,” Byrn writes, and this book is beautiful evidence of that.

The Little Women Cookbook
“What exactly would the March sisters have eaten?” That’s what librarian authors Jenne Bergstrom and Miko Osada asked themselves about their favorite novel, before making it their mission to explore Victorian-era cooking and share the best of it in The Little Women Cookbook. Each sister gets a chapter, with subheadings like “Amy’s Little Artistic Fête,” at which Proper Roast Chicken and Elegant Raspberry Ice Cream is served, or “Jo’s Standing Joke of a Dinner,” with Lobster Salad and Plenty of Potatoes. Along the way we learn historical tidbits about the era and read short excerpts from Little Women. What fun it would be to read the classic novel with family or friends over the course of several months, whipping up dishes from this book along the way. 

South
The late, great writer and Southern-food expert John Egerton would probably look fondly upon what chef Sean Brock is doing for Southern and Appalachian cuisine these days, lovingly sharing the gospel of the region’s traditions with a new generation. Though the concept of seasonal, local eating may seem like a trend worn thin, it’s anything but that for Brock; it’s the correct (and most delicious) way to live and eat. In South: Essential Recipes and New Explorations, you’ll find everything from fried bologna and tomato-okra stew to spring lamb with rhubarb butter. There aren’t too many lengthy ingredient lists amid these simple but deeply considered preparations for vegetables, grains, meats and fish. Brock shares tips for cooking up a big pot of greens and selecting fireplace cookery and fills in the gaps with plentiful background on the region that gave birth to these dishes. And tucked within, too, are Egerton’s Beaten Biscuits. 

If giving cookbooks to my friends for the holidays (in hopes that they’ll invite me to dinner) is wrong, I don’t want to be right. These five guides stand out from the pack for their innovative angles, spellbinding designs and accessible recipes for cooks of…

Mystery

Whodunit: December 2019

Feature by Bruce Tierney

★ How the Dead Speak
Val McDermid’s latest installment in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series, How the Dead Speak, is a bridge novel. Although not specifically required, it helps to have read the past few books in the series, particularly 2017’s Insidious Intent. As that book ends and this one begins, Hill and Jordan are nursing their disparate wounds in remarkably different ways. Hill, in prison for manslaughter, is putting his energy toward writing a book on forensics, and Jordan, no longer with the Bradfield Police department, is trying to eke out a living as a private investigator of sorts. They don’t have much interaction any more, as Hill feels that his presence in Jordan’s life exacerbates her PTSD. But a large cache of skeletons has been found in a closed Catholic home for children, and Hill and Jordan’s old unit has been put in charge of the investigation, a political hot potato due to recent years’ media coverage of pedophile priests and sadistic nuns. There is the distinct possibility that a serial killer is at work, or the even more disturbing possibility that the serial killer, if indeed one exists, might be a member of the clergy. As always, the narrative is tight and marvelously paced, the characters are flawed but enormously sympathetic, and the suspense factor is simply off the charts.

Murder at the Opera
There’s no shortage of conflict to test amateur sleuth Atlas Catesby in D.M. Quincy’s Murder at the Opera. Catesby finds himself at the murder scene of a well-known London chanteuse/courtesan. The likeliest suspect is the victim’s lover, the same titled gentleman suspected of having killed Catesby’s sister years before. Couple that with the fact that the second-likeliest suspect is a former lover of Catesby’s, a competitive lass whose lucrative singing job was on the verge of being usurped by the murder victim. Further down the suspect list is Catesby’s estranged nephew, Nicholas, son of the primary suspect and heir presumptive to a title and fortune if his father is found guilty. The novel is set in 1815 London, where class distinctions mean everything and aristocrats can literally get away with murder. Catesby, however, is ably assisted in his investigation by Lady Lilliana Sterling Warwick, a thoroughly modern (in 1815 terms) young widow with the nose of a private investigator and the social connections to open some regal doors. It’s easy to picture the pair as a Regency Nick and Nora Charles—urbane, yet with a strong undercurrent of “get ’er done.” 

The Second Sleep
We go 350-odd years further back in time for Robert Harris’ thriller The Second Sleep—to 1468, to be precise. Consider other terrific medieval mysteries as Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose or Ross King’s Ex-Libris, and get ready for an exceptionally intricate tale that will take you in unexpected directions and then pummel you when you get there. Cleric Christopher Fairfax is called upon to officiate at the interment of a parish priest. It’s a simple enough task: Write a few words of banal praise and read the appropriate scriptures to usher the man to his final resting place. But Fairfax doesn’t sleep well the night before and instead visits the dead man’s library, where he happens upon all manner of heretical books that have been banned by church and state alike. Contrary to his upbringing, training and better judgment, Fairfax begins to read. At this point in the review, I am torn between revealing any more or just letting the reader unearth surprise after surprise until they begin to get a glimmering of what is really transpiring here. So, after some consideration, I will just leave you with this quote: “the ultimate symbol of the ancients’ hubris and blasphemy, an apple with a bite taken out of it.” Chew on that for a while . . .

Impossible Causes
With her latest work, British young adult author Julie Mayhew turns her hand for the first time to adult suspense fiction. The resulting Impossible Causes is atmospheric and downright creepy, with boarding school intrigue, paganism and unexplained death. The action takes place on remote Lark Island—remote thanks to the fog that rolls in and sticks around for seven months without a break. It’s just the sort of eerie atmosphere to send high school girls running for the hills to fantasize about forbidden sexual liaisons and to play at summoning evil spirits. But let’s not forget about the aforementioned unexplained death, around which the suspense spins. The person who claims to have found the body is Viola, a teenage expat out walking her dog (because isn’t it always the dog walker who happens upon the dead body?). When the explanation finally does arrive, it is quite different from what you might expect. Impossible Causes channels The Wicker Man (the original one with Edward Woodward and Christopher Lee) quite successfully without being in any way derivative: lonely island, check; upstanding protagonist, check; strange animistic local goings-on, check; sexual deviancy, check; mounting sense of dread, check. And even though a number of the main characters fall into the young adult age range, the book is in every respect geared toward a fully adult audience.

★ How the Dead Speak
Val McDermid’s latest installment in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series, How the Dead Speak, is a bridge novel. Although not specifically required, it helps to have read the past few books in the series, particularly 2017’s Insidious Intent. As that…

NonfictionFictionSpeculative FictionMystery

Book Clubs: December 2019

Feature by Julie Hale

★ The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye
Reading groups will enjoy untangling the threads of Lyndsay Faye’s historical whodunit The Paragon Hotel. In 1921, Alice James, who’s been mixed up with New York mobsters, comes to Portland, Oregon, bearing a bullet wound. Alice, who is white, takes shelter at the Paragon Hotel—a sort of safe house for the city’s African American population, which has been harassed by the Ku Klux Klan. When Davy Lee, a multiracial boy who’s a favorite at the hotel, disappears, Alice pretends to be a journalist researching his case. Along the way, she crosses paths with a wide cast of characters, including Blossom Fontaine, a nightclub singer with a questionable past; wealthy Evelina Vaughan, a white woman with stakes in the boy’s disappearance; and an assortment of belligerent cops and racist thugs. Faye’s smart, stylish and suspenseful tale tackles timeless topics of race and gender.

Black Is the Body by Emily Bernard
In her powerful collection of personal essays, Bernard reflects upon her experiences as a black woman in America, sharing poignant reminiscences of her Southern childhood and insights into her life in the place she now calls home—the predominately white state of Vermont.

North of Dawn by Nuruddin Farah
This piercing novel finds Somalian immigrant Mugdi living a quiet life in Oslo until his troubled son, Dhaqaneh, commits suicide. When Dhaqaneh’s strict Islamist widow and children come to live with Mugdi and his wife, the process of assimilation changes them forever.

The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
In this dystopian tale, Lia, Grace and Sky live apart from society on an island with their parents. They receive no outsiders except for women in need of a ritual that protects them against the world’s poisons. 

Last Stories by William Trevor
Last Stories is a stunning final collection from the beloved Irish author (1928–2016). Trevor’s unembellished prose stands in striking contrast to the weight and complexity of the ideas he explores, including mortality and the nature of love.

★ The Paragon Hotel by Lyndsay Faye
Reading groups will enjoy untangling the threads of Lyndsay Faye’s historical whodunit The Paragon Hotel. In 1921, Alice James, who’s been mixed up with New York mobsters, comes to Portland, Oregon, bearing a bullet wound. Alice, who…

Romance

Naughty and nice holiday romances

Feature by Christie Ridgway

It takes a special blend of cozy holiday magic and realistic romantic tension to stand out from the yearly haul of Christmas love stories. These five romances deserve to be at the top of your wish list.

★ A Christmas Home
You can almost smell the Christmas cookies while reading A Christmas Home by Marta Perry. After a decade away from Promise Glen, helping her widowed father raise her siblings, Sarah Yoder returns to the Amish community of her birth. She hopes to live a fulfilling and independent life surrounded by her extended family. Her grandmother already has an idea for Sarah’s employment—working as a bookkeeper for neighbor Noah Raber’s furniture-making business. Noah’s wife ran off years ago and left him with twin boys, now 6 years old, who quickly clamor for Sarah’s attention and capture her heart. Noah finds his way there, too, even though there’s seemingly no hope for him and Sarah to wed, as Noah is technically still married. In A Christmas Home, love becomes an end unto itself, something to be celebrated even though its complete promise might never be fulfilled. But this is a romance novel after all, and Perry writes a deeply felt and deeply pleasurable kisses-only story in perfect keeping with the season.

The Highlander’s Christmas Bride
Christmas in the highlands turns romantic in The Highlander’s Christmas Bride by Vanessa Kelly. After the man she’d been promised to chooses someone else, Donella Haddon retreated to a convent. But the sisters don’t want her as a nun either, so a handsome stranger is sent to serve as her escort home. Widower Logan Kendrick and his young son make Donella reconsider her plan to find a new religious retreat, and soon she is immersed in family and seasonal celebrations. With the attraction she and Logan feel for each other, Donella acknowledges she may have found a new direction in life—if old secrets and clan gossip don’t get in the way. Kelly’s charming characters make every page feel like a party, and a dash of suspense adds spice to this enjoyable historical tale.

The Merry Viscount
A few days before Christmas, a snowstorm forces stranded stagecoach riders to lodge with a Regency aristocrat known as “Lord Devil” in The Merry Viscount by Sally MacKenzie. Caroline Anderson leads the beleaguered group to the residence, as the owner was her childhood friend. But years have passed, and the man who opens the door is not the boy she remembers. Nick intended to spend the unwelcome holiday with friends, and he’s displeased that the orgy he planned is interrupted by the newcomers. But he soon finds himself captivated by Caroline. The lightness of this holiday romp is anchored by the emotional baggage of the leads—Caro with her well-earned trust issues and Nick’s memories of unhappy holidays past. Steamy bedroom scenes in which Nick proves to Caro that her fears of intimacy are unfounded are complemented by those giving the viscount a new understanding of his painful family history. The Merry Viscount is bawdy and romantic fun.

Puppy Christmas
A dog trainer explores her fun side in Lucy Gilmore’s Puppy Christmas. Lila Vasquez, the responsible oldest of three sisters, helps prepare a single dad and his daughter for life with a service dog. Ford and his 6-year-old daughter instantly warm to Lila, who in turn is surprised by Ford’s charm and chatty nature. Soon they’re trading spicy quips and saucy banter. Though Lila regards herself as a “fun sponge,” she loosens up and begins to reveal another side of herself. Ford realizes he’s going to have to drop his flirtatious mask and risk getting real with Lila if he wants her in his life. Readers will enjoy Lila’s sisters, Ford’s neighbors, the cute kids and cuter puppies—this book leaves no doubt that Christmas is the cuddliest time of year.

The Christmas Dare
Childhood summer sweethearts find a second chance in Lori Wilde’s The Christmas Dare. Twilight, Texas, is known for its romantic Christmases. When Kelsey James is left at the altar, she goes there with her BFF Tasha on what was supposed to be her honeymoon. It’s Tasha’s idea, because there’s always been that one “what if” guy in Kelsey’s life: Noah MacGregor, who now lives in Twilight and runs a small hotel there. The pair meet again and sparks fly, but there’s their unhappy past breakup to get over and Kelsey’s domineering mother waiting in the wings. Can Noah give Kelsey reason to sever toxic family ties? The Christmas Dare is full of heart and holiday fun as the couple seeks their happily ever after while enjoying imaginative Christmas-themed festivities. 

It takes a special blend of cozy holiday magic and realistic romantic tension to stand out from the yearly haul of Christmas love stories. These five romances deserve to be at the top of your wish list.

NonfictionCrafts, Hobbies & HomeAnimals

Gift books: For homebodies who are secretly glad their plans got canceled

Feature by Anna Christensen

If you can’t convince your introverted friends to come out to your holiday party, just leave one of these comfy, cozy, beautiful books on their doorstep instead.

I was not surprised when BookPage asked me to write their gift guide for homebodies. I work from home. I have been known to go a few days without speaking aloud to anyone but my cat. One of the most satisfying endeavors of my year was redecorating my house in the endlessly comfortable style of a 1940s absentminded Oxford professor, creating an atmosphere that I would never, ever want to leave. If you have a recluse in your life who is dear to you, upon whose doorstep you intend to leave a gaily wrapped package expressing your affections, I am the expert called in to help. 

Bibliostyle by Nina Freudenberger
While the love of books doesn’t belong exclusively to those who are quiet and inward, it’s true often enough that Nina Freudenberger’s Bibliostyle: How We Live at Home With Books is a safe bet. Pages upon pages of towering, impressive personal libraries, alongside interviews on reading habits and cataloging techniques from their owners, are enough to move any bookworm to tears. I was awed by these aspirational collections and comforted to learn that the endless to-be-read list is a universal problem. And as an object itself, Bibliostyle is lovely. A weighty tome in dark green with gold lettering on the cover, it sits very seriously and beautifully on my coffee table, marking me as a literary sophisticate who is deeply serious about her books.

Board Games in 100 Moves by Ian Livingstone
Of course, I would only be noted as such by those select friends who chanced to see it. Yes, reader, I do sometimes host a little gathering. As any homebody will tell you, such evenings call for a board game, and when you aren’t discussing strategy over your game of choice, you can wow your guests with the encyclopedic knowledge of games you picked up from Ian Livingstone’s Board Games in 100 Moves: 8,000 Years of Play. Fill your cozy evening in with conversations about what the games we have played through time say about humankind (Germany, for example, lost their taste for war- and battle-based games after World War II), and keep the interesting conversation flowing.

Girls and Their Cats by BriAnne Wills
That, however, is only for the rare social night. Most nights of the week, my most constant companion is a sentient piece of black fluff named Jonas (in homage to author Shirley Jackson). Cats are often found living alongside introverts. They share a distaste for loud noises and a fondness for watching the neighbors through the windows. For the homebody who shares their home with a familiar of the feline variety, Girls and Their Cats by BriAnne Wills cannot be more fervently recommended. Cat lovers are known for being somewhat obsessive in their devotion, and here is a book filled with like-minded people (and their cats!) telling their “how we met” stories. It’s also a handsome book in its own right, with a velvet spine that’s almost as nice to pet as your cat.

★ Cosy by Laura Weir 
Homebodies are always in pursuit of an ideal: of a dream of quiet, of peaceful evenings in the bath or under blankets, of restorative reflection, of (as our friends across the pond term it) “cosy.” In Cosy: The British Art of Comfort, Laura Weir moves to take back the simple pleasures of a Sunday in one’s pajamas or a long evening walk, especially now that interior designers have savaged the Danish notion of hygge. There’s no need to whitewash your floorboards or purchase a sheepskin rug. After all, decorating all in white inevitably leads to more cleaning, when you could be relaxing under something woolen with a book and a nice piece of cheese instead. Gently dragging us back from the wild-eyed edge of consumerism, Weir reminds us that simply taking the time to cook a meal can be enough. Forget giving this one for Christmas, actually. Give it before. We’ll all need it.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our interview with Laura Weir, author of Cosy.

If you can’t convince your introverted friends to come out to your holiday party, just leave one of these comfy, cozy, beautiful books on their doorstep instead.
NonfictionCrafts, Hobbies & Home

Gift books: For your most stressed-out friend

Feature by Susannah Felts

The holidays are famously stressful. Arm yourself ahead of time with one of these relaxing reads.

The world is a tad intense these days. While books can’t make everything better—well, actually, who says they can’t? This holiday season, don’t hesitate to give your loved ones (or yourself) a helping hand in the form of these surefire finds.

The Poetry Remedy by William Sieghart
Some years ago, poetry enthusiast William Sieghart developed a project in which passersby could share a topic of concern and be “prescribed” a poem in response. The Poetry Pharmacy, as it was known, was a huge hit. “Suffering is the access point to poetry for a lot of people: that’s when they open their ears, hearts, and minds,” Sieghart writes in The Poetry Remedy: Prescriptions for the Heart, Mind, and Soul, which brings the pharmacy home. In it, he gathers poems for numerous struggles of the human spirit, from loneliness and glumness to social overload, one-sided love and everything in between, each with a brief introduction. With this book on your shelf, you’ll never be at a loss for comforting words. Pair with herbal tea and a comfy blanket.

When You Kant Figure It Out, Ask a Philosopher by Marie Robert
Is there any consolation quite like finding your modern-day woes reflected in the writings of ancient minds? We can’t help but feel less isolated when the ancient teachings of Spinoza, Plato and others seem to speak directly to our innermost questions. In Marie Robert’s slim, digestible When You Kant Figure It Out, Ask a Philosopher: Timeless Wisdom for Modern Dilemmas, she presents typical bummers and sticky situations, then reveals how philosophy can help you reframe and move on. Got a super-surly teen? Squandering your life on social media? Had to part with a beloved pet? The words of Levinas, Epicurus and Heidegger may not solve these problems per se, but they can give you refreshing insight, and sometimes that’s all you need. “Philosophy should make our lives more meaningful,” Robert says, and this down-to-earth book paves the way. Pair with a gift card to a favorite coffee shop and a new journal.

Good Mornings by Linnea Dunne
For some, mornings are best when started with a bang—a three-mile run or a vigorous yoga class. Others wake happily with quiet time among plants and furry friends. No matter your personal preference, thinking carefully about small daily rituals and fine-tuning them can be a step toward a healthier self. Linnea Dunne helps us see the potential for ritual everywhere (Face-washing? Yep. Journaling? Of course) and shares ideas for creating a valuable sense of ritual in your mornings, whether you’re “time-rich” or “time-poor,” in Good Mornings: Morning Rituals for Wellness, Peace and Purpose. There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to rituals. The trick—and pleasure, particularly with this pretty book as your guide—is in discovering which rituals are meant for you. Pair with a basket of fresh fruit and granola, facial cleanser and a Turkish towel. 

The Official Bob Ross Coloring Book by Bob Ross
From the department of “Why Is This Just Now a Thing?” comes the coloring book to end all coloring books—The Official Bob Ross Coloring Book: The Colors of the Four Seasons. The coloring book trend may be on the down slope, but there will never not be room in our hearts and on our coffee tables for Bob Ross and his happy little trees and clouds. With this book, you can forgo painting technique, if that sort of thing stresses you out, and simply create green trees, blue skies and brown cabins to your heart’s content. Best of all are the Ross quotes on every other page. To wit: “Anything we don’t like, we’ll turn it into a happy little tree or something, because as you know, we don’t make mistakes, we just have happy accidents.” Or: “Let’s put a few little highlights in here to make them little rascals just sparkle in the sun.” Or: “Let’s just dance in a happy little sky today.” Don’t you feel better just reading those words? Pair with colored pencils, CBD oil and a forest-scented candle. 

The world is a tad intense these days. While books can’t make everything better—well, actually, who says they can’t? This holiday season, don’t hesitate to give your loved ones (or yourself) a helping hand in the form of these surefire finds.

NonfictionNatureArt

Gift books: For the outdoorsy person who’s always planning the next hike

Feature by Megan Reardon

Find your way home with these special books.

The cold and dark of winter can lead to neglected boots and seriously unrequited wanderlust for trekkers of a certain latitude. Although they might not fit into an ultralight pack, these five books will inspire the avid hiker in your life to plan their next adventure.

National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks by Jon Waterman
Any outdoor lover will appreciate the lush and comprehensive National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks. Former ranger Jon Waterman profiles 60 national parks, from the Gates of the Arctic to American Samoa’s jungles, with detailed maps, photographs and plenty of stories of the parks’ histories and ecosystems that are perfect for omnivorous readers. The information is practical for planning a visit, but more importantly it’ll make you itch to see them all. It’s hard to read a book like this without being awed by the enormous treasure these parks represent. (Send copies to your elected officials.) There’s no substitute for visiting, but this atlas is a fine alternative.

Hiker Trash by Sarah Kaizar
Sarah Kaizar’s unique Hiker Trash is neither a guidebook nor a personal memoir, but rather a collage of the places and personalities along the Appalachian Trail. Although it celebrates the beauty of the landscapes with Nicholas Reichard’s photographs and Kaizar’s graceful illustrations of the trail’s iconic shelters, the real star of the book is the community of tired, inspired hikers who have built a network of communication through the shelters’ trail logs. Through their handwritten messages, this eclectic group of modern nomads (with trail names like Food Truck and Dr. Pickles) tell their stories: jokes, lamentations, triumphs, shout-outs to friends ahead and behind. Evocative scenes of hikers in repose—with Sawyer filters, socks and snacks—feel instantly relatable to anyone already seasoned on long-distance trails, but these images will also resonate with anyone looking for a glimpse into a sometimes smelly, always fascinating hiking subculture.

She Explores by Gale Straub
The digital community She Explores, created by author Gale Straub through her website and podcast of the same name, comes into gorgeous, tangible form in a new book. With personal vignettes by outdoorswomen and stirring photography, Straub curates stories that challenge the one-size-fits-all archetype of what it means to be “outdoorsy.” Nomads, entrepreneurs, mothers, activists and artists all share space in these pages. Tucked between their anecdotes are tips on skills from solo hiking to how to stay creatively inspired. Unlike outdoor narratives that focus on elite extremes, She Explores feels accessible, inspiring and affirming that the outdoors is for all. You’ll find yourself wanting to connect with these women and write your own story, too.

Expeditions Unpacked by Ed Stafford
Spend too long with a group of outdoor nuts, and talk will inevitably turn to gear. You’ll watch a dreamy look come into someone’s eyes as they wax poetic about the weight of their favorite tent. British explorer Ed Stafford’s fascinating Expeditions Unpacked details the stories of 25 adventurers and their famed expeditions by analyzing their gear. Poring over beautiful flat-lay illustrations for each expedition, armchair travelers can compare the kits of pioneers like Roald Amundsen, Amelia Earhart and Thor Heyerdahl, as well as lesser-known adventurers like Clärenore Stinnes, the first woman to circumnavigate the world by car. In each chapter, Stafford examines how the chosen gear impacted the expedition. The minutiae of the selections reveals not only the hazards of their journeys but also the explorers’ personalities, as with Percy Fawcett’s accordion in the Amazon and contemporary balloonist Fedor Konyukhov’s religious icons. Curious outdoor lovers of any stripe will find something to inspire them here.

An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s An American Sunrise is an important companion for the thoughtful hiker ready to wrestle with complex questions of land ownership and stewardship. Harjo, the first Native American laureate, synthesizes history, memory and contemporary issues in her collection of poetry that laments the treatment of Native peoples and sings tribute to her Muscogee Creek heritage and ancestors. The legacy of the Trail of Tears and its echoes in today’s political landscape weave together with her personal experiences, benedictions and exhortations for us to care for the earth—and to listen. Leave the other books on your nightstand; this one is slim but powerful, with plenty of complexity to unravel as it keeps you company on a solo trail. It deserves to be appreciated in the wild spaces that Harjo celebrates: “for even the land is a singer, a lover of poetry.”

Find your way home with these special books.
NonfictionChildren's & YAPicture BookMiddle Grade

Gift books: For curious young minds

Feature by Julie Hale

Brimming with eye-opening information and hands-on activities, these innovative books will inspire young readers to think, create and collaborate. No screens or devices required!

Mythologica by Steve Kershaw, illustrated by Victoria Topping
Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals From Ancient Greece is sure to ignite young imaginations. Classicist Steve Kershaw chronicles the exploits of gods, goddesses and the humans with whom they become entangled in this mesmerizing volume. Brief yet detailed encyclopedic entries explain the background and notable traits of Greek mythology’s players from Athena to Zeus. Kershaw’s snapshots of these fascinating figures communicate the drama and adventure that give the myths their perennial appeal, and artist Victoria Topping’s fantastical collages create a dazzling dreamscape that suits the gods’ larger-than-life deeds. Mythologica is an outstanding introduction to ancient stories and a volume to be treasured. 

Castles Magnified by David Long, illustrated by Harry Bloom
Tales of knights, lords and ladies rival those of the gods for spectacle and intrigue. Castles Magnified tells of storied figures such as Richard the Lionheart and explores the manners and mores of the Middle Ages through teeming illustrations of medieval life. Splendidly rendered by illustrator Harry Bloom, the bustling scenes invite close inspection; with the magnifying glass included in the book, readers can do just that. A cutaway effect in Bloom’s illustrations reveals castle interiors inhabited by servants, guards and nobles. A list of items for youngsters to spy and identify accompanies each scene. With ample historical background contributed by author David Long, Castles Magnified brings a long-ago era into focus.

Paper World by Bomboland
Another eye-opening pick that’s perfect for holiday giving is Paper World: Planet Earth by Bomboland, the Italian illustration studio of cut-paper artists Maurizio Santucci and Elisa Cerri. The book’s ingeniously engineered flaps, cutouts and illustrations teach readers about the diverse topographies and ecosystems that exist across the globe. Movable tabs reveal Earth’s hidden wonders: tectonic plates, deep-sea marine trenches, underground caves and more. 

Easy-to-follow descriptions complement the book’s impressive visuals, and the authors have included related sections on weather forecasting and storms, along with a helpful glossary. Their vibrant cut-paper replicas of soaring mountain ranges, snaking rivers, explosive volcanoes and mighty glaciers are designed to delight. This inventive geological journey will transform the way children view the great outdoors.

Make Your Own Optical Illusions by Clive Gifford
New ways of seeing also abound in Make Your Own Optical Illusions: 50 Hands-On Models and Experiments to Make and Do. In this beguiling book, author Clive Gifford investigates different types of optical illusions and equips his audience with need-to-know information on vision and perception. Through clear, accessible explanations of how our brains process color, motion and other stimuli, he sets the stage for an amazing magic show.

Nifty projects with clear instructions appear throughout the book. Paper punch-outs allow aspiring illusionists to create spinning tops, a 3D dog and other objects. With helpful illustrations and interactive elements contributed by artist Rob Ives, the book gives readers everything they need to explore new modes of perception. Get ready for some visual trickery!

United Tastes of America by Gabrielle Langholtz, illustrated by Jenny Bowers, photographs by DL Acken
The creativity continues—in the kitchen—with United Tastes of America: An Atlas of Food Facts and Recipes From Every State!. Food writer Gabrielle Langholtz serves up 54 dishes in this delectable book—one for each state, plus Washington, D.C., and the three U.S. territories—and her simple instructions cater to the kiddos. Featuring favorites like Wisconsin stovetop macaroni and cheese, along with out-of-the-ordinary menu items like Ohio buckeye candies, United Tastes delivers a mouthwatering overview of America’s culinary culture. Photographer DL Acken presents the completed dishes as works of art that are clean and simple. The atlas also offers a state-by-state survey of food-related trivia, with encyclopedic spreads beautifully illustrated by Jenny Bowers. Break out the aprons! Little cooks will love this terrific book.

The Interactive Constitution by David Miles, illustrated by Albert Pinilla
America’s heritage is also the focus of David Miles’ The Interactive Constitution. The sturdy pages in this bold, colorful book have flaps, tabs, windows and wheels—inviting elements that inform readers about political science, American history and the U.S. Constitution. The book’s welcoming text provides important information about the Founding Fathers, the three branches of government and the system of checks and balances, as well as deep dives into important facets of the Constitution, including its famous Preamble and the Bill of Rights. Albert Pinilla’s vivid artwork is filled with standout infographics and plenty of surprises, such as a lift-the-flap portrait gallery of presidents. This immersive title is certain to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

Welcome to Jazz by Carolyn Sloan, illustrated by Jessica Gibson
There’s more hands-on fun to be found in Carolyn Sloan’s Welcome to Jazz, featuring three felines (yes, these cats are cool!) who drop in to a club to see a band. The musicians kick off their set with “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a song that Sloan uses to riff on the subject of jazz. Breaking down the tune’s components, Sloan covers significant instruments, including the saxophone, trumpet and trombone, and defines musical concepts such as improvisation. Readers can listen to “Saints” and sample musical sounds via the book’s press-and-play audio panel. Jessica Gibson’s energetic illustrations capture the spirit of the proceedings, making this a five-star performance from start to finish.

Brimming with eye-opening information and hands-on activities, these innovative books will inspire young readers to think, create and collaborate. No screens or devices required!

Mythologica by Steve Kershaw, illustrated by Victoria Topping
Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals From Ancient…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Seasonal books to make spirits bright

Feature by Alice Cary

Whether you’re waiting for Santa or the winter solstice, these six picture books capture the excitement, wonder and joy of the holiday season.

Collectors of Christmas tales mustn’t miss Dasher, Matt Tavares’ exhilarating chronicle of how Santa went from a single horse to a team of flying reindeer pulling his sleigh. Determined Dasher is the star of this show, escaping from a difficult life in a traveling circus and doggedly finding her way to the North Pole. Tavares excels at Christmas stories (Red & Lulu, The Gingerbread Pirates), and young readers are apt to inhale every word of this yarn. As an illustrator, Tavares is a master of dramatic light, emotion and mood, as well as deep, vibrant color, whether he’s depicting Dasher’s family penned in at the circus or Santa’s sleigh magically lifting up into the air. Dasher is sure to join the stacks of enduring Christmas favorites read by families year after year.

Kids are always trying to outsmart Santa, but young Freddy Melcher hopes to finally succeed in The Great Santa Stakeout. After all, he’s obsessed with St. Nick, dressing in a Santa suit for every holiday—even Talk Like a Pirate Day! This #1 Santa fan is sure he’s got a failsafe plan for capturing a selfie with his idol, and his plan seems thorough, complete with meticulous preparation and blueprints. Betsy Bird’s snappy text enlivens this rollicking, action-packed tale, while Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s illustrations dramatically capture Freddy’s wide-eyed excitement. This modern Santa caper will keep the magic alive for young readers counting the days until the big guy shimmies down their chimneys.

On a more serious note, Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story From the Border is a poignant story set at the wall separating Tijuana and San Diego. Young María and her little brother are traveling with their mother by bus. Their destination is an annual day when Border Patrol officials allow groups of people to gather in an area called the enforcement zone to talk and touch fingertips with those on the other side of the border. María and her family are going to see their Abuela, whom they haven’t seen for five years. “For a moment,” María notes, “the fences are invisible”—until she realizes her brother can’t give Abuela the drawing he made for her. Mitali Perkins’ story is a perfect introduction for children to how borders separate families, delicately embracing the reunion’s joy and enduring sadness. Sara Palacios’ illustrations cheerfully capture the love among separated families as well as the realities of the border wall. This superb picture book is a holiday story that deserves to be a year-round read.

While some things are designed to keep people apart, others draw them together. One snowy morning, Bear wakes to a new star on the horizon and knows it’s time to begin his annual search for a special tree in The Bear and the Star. Bear soon finds a majestic evergreen on top of a windswept hill, and as “his call echoed through canyon and valley, between boulder and butte, across prairie and lake,” he summons living creatures far and wide. Lola M. Schaefer’s spare but mesmerizing text invites inclusiveness, as “People put down hammer and hoe, grass and thatch, knife and rice, shield and sword.” Bethanne Andersen’s snowy scenes, reminiscent of Eric Carle’s Dream Snow, beautifully depict the rich reds of the desert, the warmth of tropical fields, a menagerie of species and a glorious array of people. The Bear and the Star is a stunning and universal tribute to peace, joy, love and winter celebrations.

Years ago, Susan Cooper wrote a beloved poem that has remained a mainstay of John Langstaff’s phenomenal theatrical production Christmas Revels, performed each year across the country (see it if you can!). Now transformed into a picture book, The Shortest Day is a joyful and timeless celebration of the winter solstice that will surely become a classic. Even very young children will enjoy Cooper’s splendid, stately words: “And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world / Came people singing, dancing, / To drive the dark away.” The multitalented, Caldecott Honor-winning Carson Ellis (Du Iz Tak?) is the perfect illustrator for this project, using muted colors to accentuate the changing interplay between the sun and surrounding darkness. Beginning with a scene of prehistoric people and a godlike sun figure walking the earth, Ellis echoes the sweep of ages so prevalent in Cooper's poem, showing a progression of people and homes, ending with a modern house and children. In a helpful author’s note, Cooper explains both solstice celebrations and the evolution of her poem. In her words, “Welcome Yule!”

When Little Redbird injures her wing and can’t fly south for the winter, she seeks shelter in several hardwood trees, who all turn her down. Happily, the evergreen trees welcome her with open boughs in Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves. Annemarie Riley Guertin’s text is a lively retelling of this holiday legend, while Helena Pérez Garcia’s illustrations burst off the page with beautifully vibrant colors and intriguing textures, design and depth. In a not-so-easy feat, Garcia instills all of these trees with plenty of personality without resorting to anthropomorphism. This story, which never grows old, is not only a visual delight but a well-told and timely tale of kindness.

Whether you’re waiting for Santa or the winter solstice, these six picture books capture the excitement, wonder and joy of the holiday season.

Collectors of Christmas tales mustn’t miss Dasher, Matt Tavares’ exhilarating chronicle of how Santa went from a single horse…

NonfictionNatureCrafts, Hobbies & Home

Gift books: For the gardener, the composter, the lover of flowers

Feature by Annie Peters

As in one of the loveliest lines attributed to Margaret Atwood, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

For those who love to spend time outside in their garden, four entertaining books on clouds, bees, flower scents and Emily Dickinson’s gardens will provide ample diversion during the cold, wet days of winter.

A Cloud a Day by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
How often do you really notice the beauty and diversity of clouds? Readers of Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s A Cloud a Day will be hard-pressed to ignore the skies again. He has gathered a year’s worth of cloud pictures from all over the world, many of which were taken by members of his Cloud Appreciation Society. Thought-provoking quotations and explanations of lesser-known cloud formations accompany the photos. He even includes clouds from unexpected places like distant planets and famous paintings. Fun charts aid readers in navigating the book by helping them locate certain cloud formations, artworks, optical effects and imaginative descriptions. In his introduction, Pretor-Pinney explains that we live upon an ocean of gasses, and that it would improve the quality of our lives to spend a bit of time noticing that ever-changing ocean around us. After perusing this enlightening book, many readers will agree.

The Little Book of Bees by Hilary Kearney
Most of us are aware that our honeybees are endangered, but few may realize how fascinating these helpful creatures really are or the ways we can support them. Hilary Kearney’s The Little Book of Bees proves an excellent remedy for these shortcomings. A beekeeper, writer and artist who hosts workshops for other beekeepers, Kearney starts by providing brief, digestible descriptions of flowers, pollination and bee evolution. She goes on to describe bee anatomy, the many types of bees and their various social organizations. Next, she turns to honey: what it is, the different types and its uses. Finally, she offers an introduction to beekeeping, an explanation of why bees are endangered and a list of easy steps the average person can take to help them. For readers who wish to know more, Kearney provides a brief list of additional resources. For all its usefulness, The Little Book of Bees is also filled with wonderful illustrations by Amy Holliday and fascinating tidbits of bee trivia, making this book not only a treasure trove of information for those interested in bees but also delightfully entertaining.

The Scentual Garden by Ken Druse
Bees naturally bring flowers to mind, and Ken Druse delivers a unique approach to flower gardening in The Scentual Garden. Druse focuses on plants solely through their significance to our sense of smell. He begins by providing a brief but provocative explanation of why plants produce a scent, how our olfactory sense works and methods for capturing scent. By far the bulk of the book, however, is an encyclopedia of fragrant plants with incredibly sensual descriptions that will help even the most dejected gardener endure the darkest days of winter. The most striking aspect of the book is the absolutely exquisite garden photographs by Druse and botanical photographs by Ellen Hoverkamp. While the information contained in the encyclopedia may prove eye-opening to new and experienced gardeners alike, the photographs make The Scentual Garden a gorgeous addition to any home.

Emily Dickenson’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell
Finally, for gardeners with an affection for poetry, Marta McDowell’s Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life may prove a perfect choice. In this newly revised and expanded edition, McDowell, a past Gardener-in-Residence at the Emily Dickinson Museum, first surveys Dickinson’s life, describing the garden at the poet’s lifelong home throughout the seasons. McDowell frequently quotes Dickinson’s poetry to highlight pertinent connections between her garden and her writing.  Although no photographs of Dickinson’s garden taken during her lifetime have been discovered, McDowell includes lovely hand-drawn botanical illustrations by Dickinson’s contemporaries and colorful, present-day photos of some of the plants in question, as well as vintage and modern photographs of significant buildings and landscapes. McDowell also includes chapters on how to plant a garden similar to Dickinson’s, the painstaking efforts to restore Dickinson’s garden and a detailed list of the plants cultivated by the Dickinson family. Taken as a whole, Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life gives readers the real sense that they can almost slip back in time and survey Dickinson’s garden with her.

As in one of the loveliest lines attributed to Margaret Atwood, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
NonfictionPhotographyNature

Gift books: For the human who likes animals more than people

Feature by Alice Cary

Cats, dogs and wildlife mixed with humor, art and photographic beauty—these books offer a bit of everything. 

What I Lick Before Your Face by Jamie Coleman
The title alone is laugh-worthy: What I Lick Before Your Face and Other Haikus by Dogs. Given the brevity of the form, you’ll find yourself scarfing down nuggets like this one, called “Standing,” as if they were dog treats: “I sometimes feel bad / That I don’t get as happy / Whenever you sit.” The snark is always spot-on, such as in “Walkies”: “I have come to loathe / That singsong voice you employ / It demeans us both.” Jamie Coleman’s entertaining little volume just begs for a feline follow-up.

Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby by Matthew Inman
There’s plenty more dog humor in Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby. The magic of Matthew Inman’s irreverent cartoons is that he imagines what cats, dogs and babies are thinking while doting humans tend to them. Inman is a master of emotion in both his art and prose, calling a dog an “affable ball of fur” and a “lovable idiot” while a baby is an “obese, naked leprechaun” and a “relentless ScreamBall.” Ultimately, Inman is full of heart, such as when he writes, “Understand that befriending a cat is like befriending a hurricane. It’ll be violent. It’ll be devastating. But in the eye of the storm, in that calm, serene center, it’ll be beautiful.” Of course, he adds the inevitable kicker: “And then it’ll just be violent again.”

A History of Art in 21 Cats by Nia Gould
British artist Nia Gould combines her passion for art and cats in her uniquely whimsical A History of Art in 21 Cats. Each section includes one of Gould’s marvelous cat-imagined masterpieces, such as a feline Frida Kahlo-style portrait, complete with a floral headpiece and costume, paired with a succinct but informative discussion of magic realism. Few could pull off such an equally artistic and edifying feat, which includes an utterly purr-fect Pablo Picasso cat and a stately, whiskered Mona Lisa. Be forewarned: Your museum trips may never be quite the same.

Unforgettable Portraits by Rosamund Kidman Cox
Animal lovers are bound to lose themselves in the 70 memorable color photographs from the London Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitions, collected in Rosamund Kidman Cox’s Unforgettable Portraits. Cyril Ruoso’s young snub-nosed monkey looks like a stuffed toy perched in a tree in China’s Qinling Mountains. An angry queen ant photographed in the Cambodian forest by Piotr Naskrecki wears an expression eerily similar to that of an NFL linebacker waiting for the snap. Wildlife fans will relish the surprises waiting on each and every page.

Cats, dogs and wildlife mixed with humor, art and photographic beauty—these books offer a bit of everything.

NonfictionFictionPhotographyGraphic Novels & ComicsFashion

Gift books: For the artistic soul plugged in to all creative outlets

Feature by Alice Cary

Creativity is often born under unexpected circumstances, as these books so beautifully demonstrate.

The Art of Love by Kate Bryan
Married British artists Idris Khan and Annie Morris have a framed sign in their London home that’s meant to be ironic: “An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist.” Of course, two highly talented artistic souls living and creating together can be a dream, a nightmare or a highly charged bit of both, as evidenced by the endlessly fascinating stories revealed in The Art of Love: The Romantic and Explosive Stories Behind Art’s Greatest Couples.

British art curator Kate Bryan—a lively, informed guide—profiles 34 artistic couples, ranging from 1880 to the present, including the likes of Françoise Gilot and Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, and Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. Asli Yazan’s illustrations of these artists add a wonderful touch of color, helping to bring their personalities to life.

Bryan writes that her goal was to “present as many different perspectives on artists in love as possible.” She focuses on how these relationships affected each creator’s art instead of chronicling the melodrama—yet she does dole out a variety of delicious tidbits, like the fact that even after Frida Kahlo divorced Diego Rivera, who was 21 years her senior, she “continued to mother the wayward beast, even running him baths with rubber ducks.” Oh my.

Skip by Molly Mendoza
Art and story meld beautifully in Skip, Molly Mendoza’s virtuoso graphic novel about fear and courage, friendship, change and creativity. In a dystopian world rife with the threat of attacking “tech-hounds,” a child named Bloom and his guardian, Bee, live on a lake’s island, subsisting on duck eggs and fish. After hearing a radio SOS, Bee announces that she must leave, asking Bloom to be brave until she comes back from her rescue mission—except she never returns.

While skipping stones one day, Bloom suddenly finds himself in a completely different world, where he meets a mysterious creature named Gloopy who’s having a hard time fulfilling his creative spirit and fitting into his community. Bloom and Gloopy join forces and “skip” into several different worlds, facing a myriad of dangerous creatures: a giant, lonely bird and a universe creator named Lily, who urges Gloopy to follow his creative desires. Mendoza describes her own artistic style as “chaotic yet rhythmic,” and her multicolored, imaginative creations make Skip a memorable, action-packed adventure, full of bold swirls of both color and emotion.

Body by Nathalie Herschdorfer
Curator and art historian Nathalie Herschdorfer has compiled a glorious celebration of the human form with more than 350 images from over 175 photographers in Body: The Photography Book. As she notes in the preface, contemporary photography reflects society’s changing standards of beauty and opens up “new pathways for bodily representations and perspectives beyond the traditional nude.” With artists like Sally Mann, Herb Ritts, Cindy Sherman and Liu Bolan, the sweepingly broad perspectives are fascinating, a mix of fantasy and reality.

You’ll see a 3D ultrasound of an 8-month-old yawning, the hunched figures of elderly people walking, sculpturelike nudes, baseball players in action, a crowd of happily dancing people at a Scottish Town Hall Christmas party and even the colorfully abstract, highly magnified view of the connections between human nerve cells. There are disturbing images as well—an anorexic young woman, a man’s face after a fight, scars left on a refugee’s back by the Taliban. Youth, love, joy, movement, health, disease, celebration—Body honors the many sizes, shapes and moments that make us all human.

Shoot for the Moon by Tim Walker
Shoot for the Moon takes its title from a Norman Vincent Peale quotation: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.” It’s an apt title, for renowned British fashion photographer Tim Walker spends his life among stars, creating famously surreal wonderlands within his images.

A follow-up to a previous volume, Story Teller, Shoot for the Moon focuses Walker’s lens on the darker side of his imagination, somewhere he’d “been previously too scared to visit.” In a brief introduction, he writes, “Like every child, I had a fear of the dark—but now I know that it is here, in the shadows, that the magic is hidden.”

And what magic there is! These images are at times fun, funky, bizarre, glamorous, spooky and over the top, featuring celebrities like Claire Foy, RuPaul, Bill Hader, Tommy Lee Jones, Tilda Swinton and Whoopi Goldberg, all like you’ve never seen them before. A number of comments are included from models like Kate Moss, who says: “Tim’s magic is that he makes fantasy believable. He makes otherworldly images that seem so accessible.” Fashion fans will quickly lose themselves in these wonder-filled pages.

Creativity is often born in unexpected circumstances, as these books so beautifully demonstrate.
NonfictionSocial SciencePhotographyGraphic Memoirs

Gift books: For resisters & persisters

Feature by Alice Cary

Four books celebrate our friends who fight for justice, the right to love, the power to tell their own stories and the possibility of a better future. They’re also the perfect gift for a budding ally who wishes to learn more.

Activist by KK Ottesen
One can’t help but feel inspired by the over 40 interviews and black-and-white portraits compiled in Activist: Portraits of Courage, written and photographed by KK Ottesen, a Washington Post contributor and author of a similarly styled book, Great Americans. Ottesen’s powerful photographs immediately draw readers in, adding to the intimacy of these highly readable first-person interviews, all introduced by a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”

In content, layout and style, this is an engrossing, inviting volume, one that spotlights a wide range of figures, from age 21 to 94. There are well-known personalities like John Lewis, Ralph Nader, Angela Davis, Billie Jean King, Bernie Sanders and Marian Wright Edelman. Then there are relative newcomers to the scene, such as Jayna Zweiman, co-founder of the 2016 Pussycat Project; Linda Sarsour, the Palestinian American co-chair of the 2017 Women's March; and transgender actor Nicole Maines, the anonymous plaintiff in a Maine Supreme Judicial Court regarding gender identity and bathroom use in schools. Maines speaks of knowing from an early age, “I didn’t feel the need to hide who I was. Nobody else had to, so why should I?”

Seeing Gender by Iris Gottlieb
After reading last year’s Seeing Science and now Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression, I’ve become an incurable Iris Gottlieb fan. No matter what the topic, this graphic artist has a singular knack for presenting an imaginative array of art and text in an informative, exciting way.

Early on, this new book features a helpful spread of 24 gender terms, including agender, cisgender, gender dysphoria and intersex. “All of us are shapeshifters,” Gottlieb explains. In straightforward, vibrantly illustrated prose that is neither politicized nor reactionary, Gottlieb further explores these terms, while also discussing such varied topics as gender etiquette, gender biology, sex verification in sports, Frida Kahlo, Laverne Cox, Prince, gender violence, Stonewall, #MeToo and much, much more. Gottleib also includes her own story, noting that “she” is her pronoun of choice for the time being, that she identifies as a boy (“for now”), is asexual, has struggled with anorexia and in 2018 had both breasts removed, a surgical transformation she bravely describes with a series of “after” photos.

No matter your age or inclination, Seeing Gender presents an extraordinarily helpful discussion in a way that’s both personal and powerful. As Gottlieb concludes, “The process of learning about gender is never finished.”

Drawing Power edited by Diane Noomin
Many books have been born from the #MeToo movement, but perhaps none so comprehensively resonant as Drawing Power: Women’s Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival. In vastly divergent styles, 63 female cartoonists—of different races, ages, nationalities and sexual orientations—tell their immensely varied, poignant stories here, demonstrating the power of their medium.

Emil Ferris (My Favorite Thing Is Monsters) describes how she found her way back to cartoons decades after being sexually brutalized by a relative while watching a Mr. Magoo special on TV. As a result, her beloved cartoons felt suddenly poisoned, and for years she turned instead to fine art and illustrating. Finally, while working on the aforementioned graphic novel, Ferris noticed that she “found herself using a cartoonier style when I needed to talk about difficult things . . . especially those revelatory moments when a character confronts abuse, fear and shame.”

As Drawing Power so strikingly proves, cartoons do indeed provide the perfect forum for sharing these intensely intimate, painful stories. And editor Diane Noomin offers an important distinction, noting, “The artists in this collection present themselves not as victims but rather as truth tellers, shining light on the dirty secrets of abusers.”

How to Cure a Ghost by Fariha Róisín
As an Australian Canadian based in Brooklyn, Fariha Róisín knows all too well how tricky it is trying to navigate the world as a queer Muslim femme. “i was born to this sticky mess, this stark confusion.” she writes in How to Cure a Ghost, her powerful biographical collection of 50 poems, beautifully complemented by abstract illustrations from Monica Ramos.

In a sensual, evocative style reminiscent of Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey, Róisín acknowledges, “i am tied to this skin, although I may not always understand it.” She chronicles her father’s challenges as an immigrant and her mother’s struggles as a Muslim woman with mental illness. Róisín remembers being 7 and briefly taking a “white name”—Felicity Hanson—to try to gain acceptance from a neighbor. She describes watching 9/11 unfold on television from her home in Sydney, Australia, saying that as a Muslim, “this world was not built for us.” Her virginity was stolen by a man who got her pregnant, telling her “it’s not a big deal.”

Despite everything, Róisín writes of hope, boldly declaring, “i am better now. i gave birth to myself, a new beginning, a robust cycle. i rewrote the scriptures of my mother’s pasts, and her mother’s pasts. i am in the throes of survival, i am lived. i am living. it’s astonishing.”

Four books celebrate our friends who fight for justice, the right to love, the power to tell their own stories and the possibility of a better future.

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