Book Bound with Barbara: November 2021

Holiday Gift Books Part 1

Tis' the season to begin holiday gift buying. As a former bookseller, I have to admit that I was always surprised that the beautiful, expensive books were purchased at the end of the season. With concerns about the supply chain, I decide to alert you to some gift book selections in the $50 plus category.

Underwater Wild : My Octopus Teacher's Extraordinary World by Craig Foster, Ross Frylinck, Introduction by Jane Goodall $50
From the creators of the Academy Award-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher, an immersive journey into the underwater world that inspired it. My Octopus Teacher has captivated millions who long to connect with the natural world. Now, with Underwater Wild, the divers behind the film reveal a new vision of the sea, one full of wonder, new insights into marine biology, and life-changing teachings for even the most land-bound of us.
Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck regularly dive together in the awe-inspiring kelp forests off South Africa, without wetsuits or oxygen tanks. Craig had dived this way for years, including alongside the octopus that inspired My Octopus Teacher. In Ross, he found a kindred spirit, someone who also embraced the ancient methods of acclimating his body to frigid waters, but whose eyes had not yet adjusted to the transcendent wonder Craig saw each time they dove. In the heart-wrenching stories that make up this unforgettable book, we swim alongside Ross as he grows from skeptic to student of the underwater wild. And in the revelatory marine science behind the stunning photos, we learn how to track sea hares, cuttlefish, and limpets, and we witness strange new behaviors never before documented in marine biology. We realize that a whole world of wonder, and an innate wildness within us all, emerge anew when we simply observe.

Baobab by Beth Moon, $49.95
   Baobabs are one of Africa’s natural wonders: they can live more than 2,500 years, and their massive, water-storing trunks can grow to more than one hundred feet in circumference. They also serve as a renewable source of food, fiber, and fuel, as well as a focus of spiritual life. But now, suddenly, the largest baobabs are dying off , literally collapsing under their own weight. Scientists believe these ancient giants are being dehydrated by drought and higher temperatures, likely the result of climate change.
   Photographer Beth Moon, has undertaken a new photographic pilgrimage to bear witness to this environmental catastrophe and document the baobabs that still survive. In this oversize volume, she presents breathtaking new duotone tree portraits of the baobabs of Madagascar, Senegal, and South Africa. She also recounts her eventful journey to visit these fantastic trees in a moving diaristic text studded with color travel photos.
   Baobab is not only a compelling photo book and travel narrative, but also a timely ecological warning.

The Beatles: Get Back by The Beatles by Peter Jackson, Hanif Kureishi, Ethan A. Russell, Linda McCartney $60
The Beatles: Get Back is the official account of the creation of their final album, Let It Be, told in The Beatles’ own words, illustrated with hundreds of previously unpublished images, including photos by Ethan A. Russell and Linda McCartney. Half a century after the 1970 Let It Be album and film, this milestone book coincides with the global release of Peter Jackson’s documentary feature film, The Beatles: Get Back.
The book opens in January 1969, the beginning of The Beatles’ last year as a band. The BEATLES (The White Album) is at number one in the charts and the foursome gather in London for a new project. Over 21 days, first at Twickenham Film Studios and then at their own brand-new Apple Studios, with cameras and tape recorders documenting every day’s work and conversations, the band rehearse a huge number of songs, culminating in their final concert, which famously takes place on the rooftop of their own office building, bringing central London to a halt.
The Beatles: Get Back tells the story of those sessions through transcripts of the band’s candid conversations. Drawing on over 120 hours of sound recordings, leading music writer John Harris edits the richly captivating text to give us a fly-on-the-wall experience of being there in the studios. These sessions come vividly to life through hundreds of unpublished, extraordinary images by two photographers who had special access to their sessions—Ethan A. Russell and Linda Eastman (who married Paul McCartney two months later). Also included are many unseen high-resolution film-frames, selected from the 55 hours of restored footage from which Peter Jackson’s documentary is also drawn.

Night on Earth : Photographs by Art Wolfe $50

To create this gorgeous new book, acclaimed photographer Art Wolfe traveled to every continent to explore and document the nighttime world of animals, humans, and nature. From a blazing sunset over Antarctic ice to Tokyo’s nighttime street racers to coffee with Brazilian cowboys as the dawn breaks, this book is an unparalleled feast for the eyes, and a never-before-collected glimpse into a world that comes to life as most of us are sleeping. Highlights include:
- Africa: Hustle and bustle in Morocco’s nighttime markets.
- Asia: Balinese fire dancers.
- The Americas: Bison in an icy sunrise.
- Europe: Volcanic eruptions in Iceland.
- Antarctica: Colonies of penguins awaking to the dawn.
- Oceania: Star trails over the Australian Outback.

Jim Harrison: Complete Poems by Jim Harrison, Introduction by Terry Tempest Williams $40
   From the Introduction by Terry Tempest Williams: "Jim Harrison...was among the great ones—an elevated soul in all his unruliness who favored his senses and courted the wild on the page and in the world. His was a storied life that loomed large, and we are the beneficiaries. 'Such a powerful wounded poet—wrote as if he had to sing with a cut throat . . . and he did have to sing,' said Jorie Graham."
   Jim Harrison: Complete Poems is the definitive collection from one of America’s iconic writers. Introduced by activist and naturalist writer Terry Tempest Williams, this collection contains every poem Harrison published over his fifty-year career, as well as a section of previously unpublished "Last Poems." Here are the nature-based lyrics of his early work, the high-velocity ghazals, a harrowing prose-poem “correspondence” with a Russian suicide, the riverine suites, fearless meditations inspired by the Zen monk Crazy Cloud, and a joyous conversation in haiku-like gems with friend and fellow poet Ted Kooser. Weaving throughout these 1000 pages are Harrison’s legendary passions and appetites, his love songs and lamentations, and a clarion call to pay attention to the life you are actually living. Jim Harrison: Complete Poems confirms that Jim Harrison is a talented storyteller with a penetrating eye for details.
   There is also a limited edition three volume set selling for $85. This set features a thoughtful and thought-provoking essay by a major literary figure for each volume: Colum McCann, Vol. I; Joy Williams, Vol II and John Freeman, Vol III

The Complete Birds of the World: Every Species Illustrated by Norman Arlott, Ber van Perlo, Jorge R. Rodriguez Mata, Gustavo Carrizo, Aldo A. Chiappe, Luis Huber $65
This is a book like no other—the only truly comprehensive, one-volume illustrated guide to all of the world’s birds, covering the complete International Ornithological Congress World Bird List. Featuring more than 300 stunning large-format, full-color plates, this accessible and authoritative encyclopedic reference presents incredibly detailed, accurate, and beautiful paintings of more than 10,700 species by some of the world’s best bird artists, led by the legendary Norman Arlott and Ber van Perlo. In addition, The Complete Birds of the World provides detailed but concise identification information about each species on facing pages—including facts about voice, habitat, and geographic distribution. The result is a visual and verbal feast that captures the astonishing variety of bird life around the planet—and that will be cherished by any birder.

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COVID Comfort Cooking Trend

In the Publishers Weekly Fall 2021 announcements, this statement was made about cookbooks:"This season’s cookbooks take a less-is-more approach to meals, while notable chefs get personal with recipes inspired by their time at home." I also noticed that websites and bloggers seemed to have gained notoriety. Here are some new cookbooks worth knowing about:

Baking for the Holidays: 50+ Treats for a Festive Season by Sarah Kieffer
Here's a festive holiday baking book to celebrate this very special time of year. Sarah Kieffer, author of 100 Cookies, baker behind The Vanilla Bean Blog, and creator of the "bang-the-pan" method offers recipes for seasonal brunches, cookie swaps, and all those Christmas, Hanukah, and New Year's Eve parties.
Delight family and friends with edible gifts and whip up some delicious baked goods to treat yourself through the long winter months after the holidays have ended. Recipes include: Triple Chocolate Peppermint Bark, Meyer Lemon-White Chocolate Scones, Pear-Almond Danish Bread, Hot Chocolate Cake, and Pumpkin Pie with Candied Pepita Streusel.

Dinner Then Dessert: Satisfying Meals Using Only 3, 5, or 7 Ingredients by Sabrina Snyder
    “How do you make interesting and tasty meals for every member of the family?”
   That question inspired former private chef and mom Sabrina Snyder to post practical, reliable, and taste-tested recipes to the website she created, Dinner Then Dessert. Sabrina knows that cooking delicious meals day after day can be a challenge, even for professional chefs. Add in picky eaters, dietary restrictions, a busy schedule, and children, and it feels easier to order take out. But cooking at home doesn’t have to be difficult or boring.
   Enjoy sausage and fennel pasta, salmon with plum sauce; garlic honey chicken; easy breezy pot roast; sweet and spicy tilapia; roast pork loin; steak and potato hash; vegetable green curry; cilantro lime shrimp; and much, much more. Serve them up with tasty sides, including easy Mexican rice and rotisserie chicken potatoes, as well as flavorful desserts such as Nutella brownies and salted caramel chocolate tart. Dinner Then Desert is packed with more than 100 full-color photos, easy-to-follow directions that teach you how to cook each recipe to match your skill level, variations of recipes made with ingredients you have on-hand, and advice on the best ingredients to stock your fridge and pantry.

That Sounds So Good: 100 Real-Life Recipes for Every Day of the Week: A Cookbook by Carla Lalli Music
No matter how busy you are, Carla Lalli Music believes that delicious food is an essential and attainable part of life, as important as a good night’s sleep or getting dressed in the morning. The key is to have recipes up your sleeve for every situation. Carla knows that the most successful home cooks choose dishes they actually have time to make, based on what they already have on hand. So, the recipes in That Sounds So Good are organized by needs we all have: quick stovetop suppers and one-pot meals for weeknights, big salads and grain bowls if you want to burn a little cleaner, and lazy lunches and all-day roasts for the weekend.
Whatever you choose to cook, the food will have unique flavors, straightforward methods and swap-friendly ingredients. There are dishes like Fat Noodles with Crushed Herb Sauce, and techniques like finishing dishes with an all-purpose Spicy Creamy Sauce or a shower of Garlic Crunch Crumbs. Through it all, Carla shares strategies that keep cooking efficient and quick, like what to make ahead and how to use up all those wilted greens in the depths of the fridge.

Ready, Set, Cook: How To Make Good Food with What's On Hand (No Fancy Skills, Fancy Equipment, or Fancy Budget Required) by Dawn Perry
Former food director of Real Simple Dawn Perry used to wake up at the crack of dawn to hit the farmers market and scour specialty food stores for peak-season vegetables and lesser-known spices. But as she started to have a family, she became less interested in spending her mornings and weekends food shopping and meal prepping than building couch forts and making play-doh spaghetti. If you're time-crunched for any reason—early meeting at the office or late night on the town—this book will help. Here, Dawn offers her very own playbook for getting good food on the table fast so you can spend more time doing what you love with your free time and energy.
In Ready, Set, Cook Dawn shares her secrets for creating delicious meals in no time. It starts with a well-stocked pantry. Dawn shows you what simple staples—some store-bought, others homemade—to keep in your cupboard, refrigerator, and freezer. She also provides more than 125 fool-proof recipes, ideas, and tricks for creating good food with what you have on hand. A can of tomatoes transforms into Dawn’s 15-Minute Marinara, which then can be used as the base for her cheesy, creamy Freestyle Baked Pasta or as the beginning of her Cheater’s Tomato Soup (and a Special Grilled Cheese) or spooned onto her Crispy Chicken Cutlets and topped with a slice of mozzarella.

The Ultimate Guide to Meatballs: 100 Mouthwatering Recipes, Sides, Sauces & Garnishes by Matteo Bruno

A meatball is one of the simplest recipes you can make, they can be made out of almost anything, and everyone loves them! They make the perfect dish for a Monday night family dinner, finger food for a Sunday football feast, or bulk cooking for meal prep throughout the week. Here are 60 innovative and downright delicious recipes like you've never seen before, including:

1. Meatballs Rustico, devoured with crusty bread to sop up the delectable sauce
2. Seared Beef Carpaccio Meatballs, best eaten with a glass of Prosecco
3. Red Devil Meatballs, supercharged with red chili
4. Honey-Glazed Chicken--what's not to love?
5. Prawn Balls, which are ideal served on a stick
6. Corn & Quinoa, wonderfully versatile balls
7. Chickpea & Cauliflower, these are creamy and decadent
8. Tofu & Mushroom, incredibly earthy and flavorsome

Lemon, Love & Olive Oil by Mina Stone
Growing up in a close-knit Greek-American household, Mina Stone learned to cook from her Yiayia, who taught her that food doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious—and that almost any dish can be improved with judicious amounts of lemon, olive oil, and salt. In this deeply personal cookbook, Stone celebrates her grandmother and the other influences that have shaped her life, her career, and her culinary tastes and expertise. Lemon, Love & Olive Oil weaves together more than 80 Mediterranean-style dishes with the stories that inspired them. Stone offers home cooks a taste of her heritage with healthy, flavorful, and uncomplicated dishes such as Syrian Bulgur and Yogurt with Brown Butter Pine Nuts; Persian Figs with Cardamom and Rosewater; Baby Lettuces with Toasted Sesame Seeds, Mint, and Meyer Lemon Yogurt; and Braised Chickpeas with Orange Zest and Garlic Bread Crumbs. These recipes use fresh, flavorful ingredients to create elegantly simple dishes, complemented by beautiful, minimalist photography and original art throughout.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

MAY YOU COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS WITH FAMILY, FRIENDS AND GOOD FOOD

New November Picks

November has arrived. The month we think about the coming season of giving thanks and gifts. Here are some new titles worth adding to your list of reading suggestions:

The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven by Nathaniel Ian Miller
   In 1916, Sven Ormson leaves a restless life in Stockholm to seek adventure in Svalbard, an Arctic archipelago where darkness reigns four months of the year and he might witness the splendor of the Northern Lights one night and be attacked by a polar bear the next. But his time as a miner ends when an avalanche nearly kills him, leaving him disfigured, and Sven flees even further, to an uninhabited fjord. There, with the company of a loyal dog, he builds a hut and lives alone, testing himself against the elements.
   The teachings of a Finnish fur trapper, along with encouraging letters from his family and a Scottish geologist who befriended him in the mining camp, get him through his first winter. Years into his routine isolation, the arrival of an unlikely visitor salves his loneliness, sparking a chain of surprising events that will bring Sven into a family of fellow castoffs and determine the course of the rest of his life.
   Based on a true person, The Memoirs of Stockholm Sven is a testament to the strength of our human bonds, reminding us that even in the most inhospitable conditions on the planet, we are not beyond the reach of love.

The Joy and Light Bus Company: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (#22) Alexander McCall Smith
   Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni attends a course hosted by the local chamber of commerce entitled “Where Is Your Business Going?” But rather than feeling energized, he comes back in low spirits, unsure how to grow the already venerable and successful Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors. Then an old friend from school approaches him about a new business venture that could be just the ticket. When it turns out he will need to mortgage his property in order to pursue this endeavor, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi wonder what this will mean for his current business—as well as their own.
   Even as she puzzles over mysteries on the domestic front, Mma Ramotswe’s professional duties must take precedence. When a concerned son learns that his aging father’s nurse now stands to inherit the family home, he begins to doubt her intentions and takes his case to Botswana’s premier detective agency. Fortunately, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi are committed agents of justice and agree to investigate.
    As always working together over a cup of red bush tea, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi, rely on their tact, humor, and goodwill to ensure that all involved find the happiness that they deserve.

Our National Forests: Stories from America’s Most Important Public Lands by Greg M. Peters
   Across 193 million acres of forests, mountains, deserts, watersheds, and grasslands, national forests provide a multitude of uses as diverse as America itself. Welcoming 170 million visitors each year to hike, bike, paddle, ski, fish, and hunt, “the people’s lands” offer more than just recreation. Timber is harvested, lost habitats are recovered, and endangered wildlife is protected as part of the Forest Service’s enduring mission.
   Greg Peters gives an inside look at America’s most important public land and the people committed to protecting it and ensuring access for all. From the story of how the Forest Service grows millions of seedlings in the West each year, to their efforts to save the hellbender salamander in Appalachia, the narrative spans the breadth of the country and its diverse ecology. People are at the center of the stories, whether the dedicated folks in the Forest Service, or the everyday citizens who support and tend to the protected lands near their homes.
   This complete look at America’s National Forests—their triumphs, challenges, controversies, and vital programs—is a perfect gift for hikers, travelers and armchair readers across the US.

The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
    Author Louise Erdrich creates a wickedly funny ghost story, a tale of passion, of a complex marriage, and of a woman's relentless error.
   The Sentence, asks what we owe to the living, the dead, to the reader, and to the book. A small independent bookstore in Minneapolis is haunted from November 2019 to November 2020 by the store's most annoying customer. Flora dies on All Soul's Day, but she simply won't leave the store. Tookie, who has landed a job selling books after years of incarceration that she survived by reading “with murderous attention,” must solve the mystery of this haunting while at the same time trying to understand all that occurs in Minneapolis during a year of grief, astonishment, isolation, and furious reckoning.
   Just like the setting for the book, Louise owns a bookstore in Minneapolis. Indigenous ghost stories, family relationships, COVID, George Floyd protests, and book recommendations combine to give a rich tale unlike any other book by Louise Erdrich. The effects of COVID on small business, local political events and strong tribal traditions are evident throughout the book.

The Power of Geography: Ten Maps That Reveal the Future of Our World by Tim Marshall
   Tim Marshall’s Prisoners of Geography offered us a “fresh way of looking at maps” (The New York Times Book Review), showing how every nation’s choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Since then, the geography hasn’t changed, but the world has.
   In his new book, Marshall takes us into ten regions that are set to shape global politics and power. Find out why the Earth’s atmosphere is the world’s next battleground; why the fight for the Pacific is just beginning; and why Europe’s next refugee crisis is closer than we think.
   In ten chapters covering Australia, The Sahel, Greece, Turkey, the UK, Iran, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Space, Marshall explains how a region’s geography and physical characteristics affect the decisions made by its leaders. Innovative, compelling, and delivered with Marshall’s trademark wit and insight, this is a gripping and enlightening exploration of the power of geography to shape humanity’s past, present, and—most importantly—our future.

A Short History of Spaghetti with Tomato Sauce by Massimo Montanari, Translated by Gregory Conti
Montanari shows in this surprising essay, all you need to debunk the “origins myth” is a plate of spaghetti. By tracing the history of the one of Italy’s “national dishes”—from Asia to America, from Africa to Europe; from the beginning of agriculture to the Middle Ages and up to the 20th century—he shows that in order to understand who we are (our identity) we almost always need to look beyond ourselves to other cultures, peoples, and traditions.

A perfect gift for thinking pasta lovers! Who knew the centuries of encounters, dialogue and exchange that were behind a plate of Spaghetti.

NOW IS THE TIME TO SHOP FOR THE HOLIDAYS!

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It's Children's Book Week!

November 8-14 is Children’s Book Week, an annual celebration that is now held twice each year, in May and November. Established in 1919, it is the longest-running national literacy initiative in the country, now celebrating its 102nd anniversary with over 2,000 participating schools, libraries and bookstores in all 50 states.

Here are some new children’s books worth knowing about:

Pax, Journey Home by Sara Pennypacker, illustrated by Jon Klassen
   It’s been a year since Peter and his pet fox, Pax, have seen each other. Once inseparable, they now lead very different lives. Pax and his mate, Bristle, have welcomed a litter of kits they must protect in a dangerous world. Meanwhile, Peter—newly orphaned after the war, racked with guilt and loneliness—leaves his adopted home with Vola to join the Water Warriors, a group of people determined to heal the land from the scars of the war.
   When one of Pax's kits falls desperately ill, he turns to the one human he knows he can trust. And no matter how hard Peter tries to harden his broken heart, love keeps finding a way in. Now both boy and fox find themselves on journeys toward home, healing—and each other, once again.
   This is the sequel to Pax, a popular book for young readers and their families.

Borders by Thomas King, illustrated by Natasha Donovan
   From celebrated Indigenous author Thomas King and award-winning Métis artist Natasha Donovan comes a powerful graphic novel about a family caught between nations.
   Borders the story of a boy and his mother whose road trip is thwarted at the border when they identify their citizenship as Blackfoot. Refusing to identify as either American or Canadian first bars their entry into the US, and then their return into Canada. In the limbo between countries, they find power in their connection to their identity and to each other.
   Borders explores nationhood from an Indigenous perspective and resonates deeply with themes of identity, justice, and belonging. Now available in hardcover, coming in paperback January 2022.

Norman Didn't Do It!: (Yes, He Did) written and illustrated by Ryan Higgins
Ryan Higgins, the author of the Mother Bruce series, delivers a contemporary tale of friendship.
Norman is a porcupine. Mildred is a tree. Norman and Mildred are best friends. Just the two of them. And only the two of them. But when a surprise pops up, life will never be the same again. Who is this new visitor and can Norman and Mildred make a new friend?

Crowbar: The Smartest Bird in the World by Jean Craighead George, illustrated by Wendell Minor
   A funny story based on a real-life crow from renowned naturalist and author Jean Craighead George, with illustrations from long-time collaborator Wendell Minor. (This is an update, with new research provided by Twig George and T. Luke George)
   A young boy finds a baby crow abandoned, cold, and hungry. He takes him home, hoping to nurse him back to health. His grandpa disapproves—he thinks that crows are pests and thieves! The boy knows that the crow he names Crowbar is capable of learning more than how to eat, caw, and fly. But can he prove it?
   As Crowbar grows, the boy teaches him how to speak and Crowbar teaches the boy just how clever crows can be. With his innate intelligence, Crowbar will show he is smarter than anyone could imagine.

It Fell from the Sky by Terry Fan, illustrated by Eric Fan
   From the creators The Night Gardener and Ocean Meets Sky comes a whimsical and elegantly illustrated picture book about community, art, the importance of giving back—and the wonder that fell from the sky.
   It fell from the sky on a Thursday.
   None of the insects know where it came from, or what it is. Some say it’s an egg. Others, a gumdrop. But whatever it is, it fell near Spider’s house, so he’s convinced it belongs to him.
   Spider builds a wonderous display so that insects from far and wide can come look at the marvel. Spider has their best interests at heart. So what if he has to charge a small fee? So what if the lines are long? So what if no one can even see the wonder anymore?
   But what will Spider do after everyone stops showing up?

Mighty Inside by Sundee T. Frazier
   Melvin Robinson wants a strong, smooth, He-Man voice that lets him say what he wants, when he wants—especially to his crush Millie Takazawa, and Gary Ratliff, who constantly puts him down. But the thought of starting high school is only making his stutter worse.
   And Melvin's growing awareness that racism is everywhere—not just in the South where a boy his age has been brutally killed by two white men, but also in his own hometown of Spokane—is making him realize that he can't mutely stand by.
   His new friend Lenny, a fast-talking, sax-playing Jewish boy, who lives above the town's infamous (and segregated) Harlem Club, encourages Melvin to take some risks—to invite Millie to Homecoming and even audition for a local TV variety show. When they play music together, Melvin almost feels like he's talking, no words required. But there are times when one needs to speak up.
   When his moment comes, can Melvin be as mighty on the outside as he actually is on the inside?
   This powerful story is based on the author's own family experience with racial integration in Spokane, Washington in the 1950s.

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