This slight debut compendium from Maillard brings together hundreds of cross-stitch patterns she collected from old manuals. The majority of the designs are for alphabets, since the patterns are lifted from books intended to help women initial their household linens. Disappointingly, Maillard doesn’t provide any further details on the originating manuals, or even what eras they date from. The letter styles are ornate, and they retain some antiquated irregularities (“The I and the J are often conflated into one letter,” she notes). Maillard dispenses a few basic tips, recommending that readers count out stitches from the center of the fabric before beginning, to ensure they have enough room, and that they “slip the last inches of thread through some stitches at the back to stop them from fraying when washing.” Unfortunately, there’s no written or illustrated step-by-step instructions, just designs overlaid onto grids, making this feel more like a look book than a guide. There are a few intricate pictorial motifs featuring the Eiffel Tower, flowers, swans, and teapots, but the hundreds of alphabets feel like overkill. The retro designs have their charm, but this comes across as a one-trick pony. (June)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

Journalist Lampert debuts with a trenchant investigation of the egg freezing industry and the commodification of women’s reproductive health. Doctors first recommended Lampert freeze her eggs when she was in her early 20s, shortly after an emergency operation on her remaining ovary (the other had been removed because of unrelated complications when she was 12). Providing a critical look at the egg freezing industry, Lampert reports on the scientific conferences, medical consultations, and promotional events she attended while deciding on whether to undergo the procedure as she entered her early 30s. For instance, she recounts going to an educational seminar at a venture capital–backed fertility clinic and contends that its claims to provide “insurance” against infertility promise more than the clinic can deliver (one freezing cycle has only a 75% chance of leading to a live birth). Despite this, Lampert suggests egg freezing still has significant benefits and describes how one of her interview subjects felt less pressure to settle for a romantic partner because freezing her eggs afforded her time to find a better match. Lampert ultimately chose not to undergo the procedure, but her evenhanded reporting will help those considering it sift the science from the hype. This will open readers’ eyes. Agent: Elias Altman, Massie & McQuilkin Literary. (July)

Reviewed on 05/31/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this nimble guide, fashion designer Mahon (Ultimate Illustrated Guide to Sewing Clothes) offers advice on how intermediate sewists can up their game. Though Mahon includes instructions for making a cardigan, quilted reversible coat, and knit top, the majority of the book is dedicated to advanced techniques for modifying clothing patterns from other sources with various enhancements, edge finishings, and embellishments. For instance, she details how to make corded and bound buttonholes; invisible, centered, and lapped zippers; and flat welt, appliqué patch, and in-seam pockets. The embellishments aim to reproduce the trappings of “classy, high-end fashion,” including braided trim made from elegant passementerie loops and inset sleeves featuring bands of decorative yoyos (fabric circles). Expounding on how to sew with relatively tricky fabrics, she recommends cutting “outside the seam allowance” when working with lace “so you can match and overlap” the motif. Mahon includes helpful tips throughout, suggesting, for example, that using spray-on temporary adhesive can help hold a patch pocket in place while it’s being sewn on. Though the techniques are advanced, the detailed written instructions are accompanied by easy-to-follow color illustrations. Experienced sewists looking for a challenge will appreciate the opportunity to enhance their skills. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

“A desire to show the real Bethlehem, and to celebrate it, is what led me to food and hospitality so many years ago,” writes Kattan, the owner and chef behind London’s Akub and Bethlehem’s Fawda restaurants, in his sincere and beautiful debut. Inviting readers to “share in the memories and flavours of a land far away,” he intersperses his seasonally grouped recipes with profiles of the people and places that play a role in Palestinian foodways, including his favorite herb vendor, Bethlehem’s many bakeries, and Jericho’s date trees. He also offers heartfelt personal memories of food shared with family members and opines about “the tangible impact of colonialism... visible in the effects it has had on Palestinian agriculture, access to land and natural sources of water, and restrictions on foraging.” The appealing recipes are deeply rooted in tradition and range from the complex­—taboun bread is historically baked on embers in a specially designed oven but can be made at home on a baking sheet covered in “clean, washed pebbles”—to the refreshingly simple, including a salad of figs tossed in olive oil and sumac. Spring recipes include mustard greens in labneh (a dish that, Kattan writes, is “full of creamy sunshine”), while winter brings hearty qidreh, a lamb and rice dish that is “the quintessential centerpiece for family celebrations in Palestine.” Augmented with beautiful photos, this ode to Palestinian culinary culture stuns. (May)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

In this casual and creative cookbook, Hayden (Nistisima) offers over 100 recipes influenced by her Greek Cypriot heritage and travels, aiming for “low effort, high-reward” family-friendly fare. Savory and sweet breakfast options include some double-duty recipes: meatballs in chili tomatoes with eggs can serve as a “hangover-busting brunch” or a tasty dinner, while baklava French toast is a sweet morning treat that, Hayden notes, also makes a decadent dessert. Alongside classic Greek flavors, there’s plenty that’s new and intriguing, including grilled watermelon in a “breakfast salad” with sesame seeds, mint, and pistachio, and spanakopita fritters. In the “Things on Sticks” chapter, Hayden presents the expected pork and lamb kebabs as well as some exciting vegetarian options, such as halloumi and tomato kebabs drizzled in honey. Main meals for weekdays or entertaining include braised sausage, lentils, and fennel; an impressive whole roast cabbage with spiced butter; and the more involved kreatopites, little filo-wrapped meat pies. Home cooks in the U.S. should be aware that Hayden uses metric measurements (with a conversion chart at the back of the book), as well as some Britishisms, such as “hob” for stove top. She’s a sure-handed guide through potentially unfamiliar ingredients and provides a handy list of sources for hard-to-find specialty ingredients. This inviting collection will appeal to anyone interested in expanding their Mediterranean repertoire. (June)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

“Moving your body is the first step to changing your life,” according to this uninspired debut. Spouses Devan and Morgan Kline, who founded the Burn Boot Camp gym franchise, outline a five-part plan that involves developing a workout routine, adopting a positive mindset, eating nutritious foods, following through toward one’s goals, and drawing motivation from loved ones. Unfortunately, their breakdown of how to follow each step will leave readers scratching their heads. For instance, the authors encourage changing one’s mindset by developing emotional intelligence, but their explanation of how to do so consists only of vague directives to “know yourself and your feelings.” Throughout, stories of individuals who turned their life around after joining a Burn Boot Camp gym feel self-serving, as when the Klines share the story of a Florida woman who credits working out at their gym with helping her quit smoking and taking Adderall. There are useful sample workout plans and dietary suggestions (e.g., London broil steak and potatoes is a healthier alternative to rib-eye steak and fries), but the guidance is otherwise hazy and unhelpful. Readers looking to change their exercise and eating habits would be better off with Kelly and Juliet Starrett’s Built to Move. Agent: Tom Miller, Liza Dawson Assoc. (June)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

Mulholland, a psychology professor at the University of Minnesota—Morris, debuts with a sagacious parenting manual for teaching children and teens about erections, gender, periods, sex, and more. To ensure children feel comfortable asking potentially awkward questions, Mulholland encourages parents to frequently remind their kids that “there’s nothing you can do to make me stop loving you.” She suggests that parents might answer “where do babies come from” by telling children between two and five that babies form in the uterus “when two cells combine and help each other grow,” while those between five and seven can be told that “sex is when a man puts his penis into a woman’s vagina.” The sex-positive advice emphasizes the importance of teaching kids that their desires and urges are normal (“Let kids know that it’s okay that they’re curious and want to touch their bodies”). Mulholland provides sensible sample scripts for broaching such topics as body odor, period products, and shaving, though the chatty tone occasionally grates (“This. Was. MIND-BLOWING,” she writes of her young daughter’s reaction to learning how babies are made). Still, this will be a boon for parents. (July)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

This bewitching coffee-table book from antiques collector Gambino (Morbid Curiosities) showcases the interiors of homes that pay homage to the Gothic style, which is characterized by symmetrical architecture, “carved cabinetry, velvet-covered couches, and heavy drapery.” Contrary to the contemporary vogue for minimalist decor, these Gothic homes are blissfully maximalist, cluttered with taxidermy, antiquated medical equipment, and artwork that looks like it was lifted from a Tim Burton set. The photography zeroes in on the eerie ornamentation that makes the homes distinctive, highlighting the antique electric chair on the stair landing of a set designer’s house in Australia, and an open casket containing a real human skeleton in the living room of a repurposed 19th-century Ohio church. The homeowners are as colorful as one would expect; for instance, Ryan Cohn, who runs a flea market specializing in macabre “oddities,” demurs on whether there are ghosts in his Connecticut Victorian: “Hell, if it were haunted, I wouldn’t move; I would charge admission to visit us.” Many of the homes come with fascinating histories that are as morbid as their decor, such as the Pennsylvania house that in the 1930s was owned by members of a gang that poisoned women so their husbands could cash in their life insurance policies. The results are marvelously offbeat. (Aug.)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

Food Network Stars finalist Patel (The Chutney Life) digs deep into Indian cuisine in this nutritious outing. Patel’s recipes showcase her inventiveness, as in idli made with rolled oats in place of the traditional fermented rice; her curiosity, demonstrated in a flavorful corn chowder based on a soup first tasted in Saudi Arabia; and her light touch in fusing different culinary traditions, as when she substitutes green apples for hard-to-find green mangos in the chundo chutney that features in a savory puff pastry tart. Organization, however, is less of a strong suit. Recipes are divided by “mood and emotion” into vague chapters such as “Joyful” or “Inviting,” with little explanation as to why, for example, a chopped salad with sprouted lentils falls under the nostalgic section and Beyond burgers seasoned to taste like seekh kebabs are classified as comfort food. Still, the book’s highlights, including the vegetarian “chicken” curry Patel made to win the Food Network show Beat Bobby Flay and a layered biryani with easy-to-follow instructions, outnumber its head-scratchers, like a recipe for an old fashioned cocktail and another for spiced popcorn, neither of which feel particularly on-theme. Patel’s breezy tone keeps the whole thing upbeat and appealing. There are plenty of gems here. (May)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink

When Massih, founder and owner of Brooklyn restaurant Edy’s Grocer, emigrated as a child from Lebanon to Boston, food was one of the primary ways he remained connected to his homeland, he explains in this appetizing and authentic debut collection. Massih conceived the volume as a deeply personal tribute to overcoming the many challenges he faced in his new country as well as an homage to the women who influenced his career path and life’s journey. For those new to Middle Eastern cuisine, he offers a useful primer on techniques and ingredients and makes menu planning and portioning a cinch with a handy guide. There’s enough variety to satisfy just about every palate: appetizers, breakfast and lunch options, and quick weeknight meals headline a stellar lineup of recipes including a summery fattoush salad, lemony chicken orzo soup, and salmon with sumac and everything seasoning. Chapters on entertaining, Lebanese staples, desserts, and beverages showcase everything from herby falafel fit for a feast and traditional kibbeh prepared three ways to Turkish coffee tiramisu and spicy sumac margaritas. Massih’s no-nonsense approach makes it easy for home cooks to dabble with a dish or two or go all-in with a full menu. This versatile collection is as practical as it is heartfelt. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 05/17/2024 | Details & Permalink