Julie's Staff Picks
This novel makes you think about the society that you live in with a fine-tooth comb. It is a very anti-authoritarian novel, and I think many of the motifs can apply to our day to day lives as americans and beyond. I would definitely recommend this to anyone that is interested in politics, social justice, or just anything that influences our society.
Picked this book up because I was obsessed (and I mean obsessed) with the musical. I couldn't put the book down to be quite frank. His story is so much more than the musical and as a history nerd myself, I thought that this was a great read.
If you like dry, dark humor, this is the book for you. Taking place in Northern Ireland, this novel takes you through Majella's ordinary life when a murder happens in her small town that completely changes her daily life. A good read (or listen) if you like the show Derry Girls or just like Irish humor.
What a wonderful telling of Railford's ancestry through food. As a southerner myself, I found these recipes to be familiar but he adds a uniqueness from his heritage. I would recommend to anyone looking to explore more southern cuisines.
Did you watch Scooby Doo as a child and fell in love with the creepy mysteries? Then this is the collection for you. Lovecraft's classic stories are short enough to read in a jiffy but suspenseful enough to make your skin start to crawl. Great for any horror lover out there.
Are you someone who just does not know how to cook but you still want to impress others with culinary skills, then this is the cookbook for you. Baz's developed recipes that are easy enough for anyone to make but that has complex flavors to make you think that it is a dish from a restaurant. Fun, fresh, and inviting! Look for the QR codes that link to how-to videos to help out even the clumsiest of cooks.
Wow does Claire's personality shine through in this! I've been a fan of hers since she was in Bon Appetit and these recipes definitely show who she truly is as a pastry chef rather than just making gourmet snickers and whatnot. Great book for anyone who wants to step up their pastry game!
A great cookbook for anyone interested in chinese cooking. The recipes are really easy to pick up once you get the techniques down and they are really tasty as well! Makes really complex recipes seem easy.
This is such a wonderful cookbook for anyone wanting to explore korean food. There are many recipes that are great for palates that aren't used to korean flavors, and also some recipes for the more adventurous. The bulgogi meatballs are a family favorite and the candied baby potatoes are so addicting!
A wonderful book for any kid to get them interested in food and cooking. There is a netflix show that goes along with this as well that is wonderful to watch at any age!
Who would know more about american food than one of the producers of Dinners, Drive-Ins, and Dives?! Super informartive on the history and melding of differnet cultures that culminate into what we idenitfy American Cuisine with. Would recommend for any foodie historian out there.
A Steinbeck-esque brilliant story that touches on today's issues such as migrant rights and xenophoiba. You're gonna need a box of tissues for this one (maybe grab a second one just for good measure). Hannah does a wonderful job creating such vivid imagry. As a primarily non-fiction reader myself, I give this one two thumbs up!
You can't get more of an American classic than this. A reccomendation for all. This book shatters the illusion of the American Dream by exposing us to themes of corruption and the people behind it all. Read it outside of being forced to for school and it is a whole other experience.
The Home Edit Life: The No-Guilt Guide to Owning What You Want and Organizing Everything (Hardcover)
This put me on such an organizational kick! Ever since they put out their Netflix series, I have been organizing my entire life from the apps on my phone to my closet and this book just accelerates the process. If you just need a boost in your organizational skills then this is the book for you.
Ignorance is bliss I suppose; not really when the world is literally ending right before our eyes. Mommers writes about true hope and reassurance about the actions that can be taken to support a sustainable economy while not killing the very planet we call home. This book speaks more to the climate change deniers than it does to the people that already believe that change is necessary.
It's the topic no one wants to talk about... death, but it is the only sure thing in life (and taxes). Even though I'm in my 20's, I still think that it is important to plan for anything that might happen (like getting hit by a bus). This book showed all the little details of what you should do before you go to make sure that your loved ones are not burdened with things after you're gone.
A great book for anyone interested in witchcraft. It teaches a lot of the basics in such an understanding way. Gabriela really makes it personable and simple so that everyone can integrate magick into our daily lives.
The second book from Herstik and she brings so much more information to the table. She builds on so much that was talked about in Inner Witch. If you liked Inner Witch, then you'll love this.
A girl living in the '70s from a fairly conservative family. Mary Jane grew up learning how to be a housewife and nothing much else. Her views completely change when she is a nanny for a family that is a complete 180 to her family: jewish very liberal and accepting of different ideas. A great coming of age story!
A wonderful novel about a Jewish woman finding her sexuality. It gets steamy. Pretty steamy. Like, very steamy. A great novel if you are interested in romance but also LGBTQ stories. Broder found a niche with Jewish LGBTQ stories and does wonderful writing bringing that reality that is not so much explored to life.
Another great cookbook from Ina. She really does take a fresh spin on classics. Like all of Ina's recipes, they are clean and sleek and ready for your next dinner party. This would make a great gift to someone who loves to entertain!
Chef Tosi does a great job of baking nostalgia into great desserts. She combines flavors that just sing of childhood, but she makes it in a way that has so much sophistication and whimsy. A really great baking cookbook for any person with a young heart.
Before I read this book I thought oaks were just a really awesome tree species. Now I am aware of just how awesome the species is. I never thought of just how important oaks are to a ecosytem. The book is split up through each month of the oaks life which makes you feel like you are living with an oak for a whole year. A truly captivating and informative book. a great book to read sitting under a great big oak and finish in one sitting.
This is a great analysis of women in media. It goes into the history of how women have always been perceived as total trainwrecks since the beginning of time and have been held to different standards than men. A really great read for an analysis of women in western culture.
A great critique of modern feminism in the fact that it is not as inclusive as it should most definitely be. This wave of feminism, while trying to be better, tends to forget of our BIPOC sisters. In this book, it explores how this tendency has been carried from the beginning of the feminist movement. It does a wonderful job at explaining how to make feminism more intersectional and points out that women can't win the fight of gender equality until all races and ethnicities are included.
Stories from inspiring women in the culinary world. The recipies in here are so homey and you can tell that each one means so much to each of the chefs. As a women who was once involved in the culinary world, it is great to have this currated book with amazing stories and great recipies that come from the heart of each of the chefs.