Nutritionist Swanson debuts with a disappointing guide to optimizing health to improve one’s chances of getting pregnant. Swanson takes a “whole-body, longevity-focused” approach, encouraging readers to see their fertility as part of their overall health and understand that “the patterns that lead to accelerated aging are often the same ones that can create roadblocks to fertility.” She directs readers to actively manage the collection of microbes that live in their gut and vagina by eating a diversity of fruits and vegetables and opting for fragrance-free hygiene products, and urges improving metabolic health (“your body’s internal energy economy”) by eating protein throughout the day and exercising regularly. Much of the advice is intended for both partners; for example, she stresses avoiding environmental toxins, like microplastics, which have been linked to decreased odds of women conceiving and lowered sperm quality in men. Elsewhere, she discusses how omega-3s and vitamin D can “supercharge” one’s mitochondria (the part of cells that generates energy), the health of which she says is fundamental to reproductive vitality. Overall, Swanson’s method reads more like general health advice than a fertility-specific program. At times, the account is unhelpfully granular, as when she discusses the various microbial communities found in one’s vagina. Prospective parents will find little of use here. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Cheshire, the private yacht chef behind the TikTok account @abbyinthegalley, brings armchair travelers on a high-seas food adventure from her ship’s “small but mighty” kitchen in this pleasurable debut cookbook. It’s structured around an around-the-world “port crawl” visiting 14 locations—including Ireland, Greece, India, and Mexico—and offering recipes for a complete day’s menu, from breakfast to dessert plus cocktails, appetizers, soups, and salads at each port of call. The menus feature local flavors and fresh ingredients sourced en route at farmers markets. Bahamian johnny cake gets slathered with coconut-lime butter and mango jam for breakfast, while dinner offers seared scallops, corn, and sweet potato chowder in coconut milk. There’s onion soup and seared duck breast for dinner in Nice; bánh mì breakfast sandwiches in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam; beef bulgogi with cucumber kimchi in Seoul; and mai tai cocktails in Hawaii. A final chapter of “Provisional Pointers” offers tips on efficiency and produce storage, while sidebars throughout encourage substitutions and teach simple cooking techniques. The recipes, while not particularly innovative, are dependable adaptations of classic international dishes that home cooks, even in landlocked kitchens, can easily source and prepare. It’s good fun. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Attorney and former Minnesota state senator Reichgott Junge (Zero Chance of Passage) offers a wide-ranging examination of the healing power of dance. Reichgott Junge, who took up ballroom dancing at 35, writes that it has taught her resilience and helped her become a more authentic person, one “who could love myself first—then love another person.” Elsewhere, she demonstrates how, by encouraging movement, dancing can improve quality of life. Case studies of individuals who have benefitted from ballroom dance include Dennis Yelkin, who found it helped him with his cancer recovery; Lisa Davis, who is blind and has Meniere’s disease and says partner dance has helped with her posture and agility; and married instructors Gene and Elena Bersten, who have witnessed dance help young people build confidence. Reichgott Junge points to studies that show regular dancing lowers the risk of dementia and slows the progression of Parkinson’s disease and urges medical institutions, insurers, and policymakers to invest in “social prescribing”—connecting people to nonmedical activities, like dance, to improve their overall well-being. While Reichgott Junge effectively shows how movement can improve people’s lives, she struggles to tie the account’s various strands together with a clear through line. Still, this is a loving testament to the transformative potential of dance. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Artist Jansson (Hidden Winter) offers a dazzling guide to creating crepe paper flowers. In 15 projects, Jansson demonstrates the twists and folds that differentiate anemones from peonies, or poppies from bluebells, resulting in paper flowers that are not just an imitation of the real thing but beautiful objects themselves. Her goal, she writes, isn’t to fashion thoroughly realistic flowers but to create work that “captures the feeling of the living and organic in the natural kingdom that sometimes actually surpasses reality.” Jansson instructs crafters to prepare the different parts of the flower before beginning assembly—cutting pieces of crepe paper in the shape of leaves and petals, giving them realistic structure by shaping them with a dowel, and covering wire with a strip of green paper to create a stem. Crafters can add depth to the petals and leaves with markers and dyes. Paper flowers are constructed from the inside out, Jansson explains, beginning with a stem and a pistil, followed by petals and leaves. The volume is beginner-friendly, but those who have made paper flowers before will especially appreciate the breadth of templates, from water lilies and sweet peas, to geraniums and irises. Crafters will be inspired. Photos. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

Sports medicine physician Metzl and health writer Zimmerman follow up Dr. Jordan Metzl’s Workout Prescription with an accessible guide to developing a lasting exercise routine. Emphasizing that daily movement lengthens lifespans, Meltzer argues the best way to convince people to exercise regularly is to get them to “fall in love with movement.” He offers strategies for building this motivation, such as turning exercise into a game or competition; implementing incentives, like saving one’s favorite podcast for their daily run; honing one’s curiosity by thinking “I’d like to finally find out what I can really do”; and understanding that exercise can save thousands in healthcare costs down the line. Once the novelty of a new workout routine wears off, people tend to stop—but Metzl urges readers to become comfortable pushing themselves and notes that workouts don’t need to be complex to be beneficial. He recommends regularly walking or running and provides workout templates that include a mix of pushups, lunges, and squats. His practical ideas culminate in an easy-to-follow four-week workout plan readers can adapt to their individual fitness levels. Positive and informative, this will help readers reignite their love for movement. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/16/2026 | Details & Permalink

DeBary (Saved by the Bellini & Other ’90s-Inspired Cocktails) instructs home bartenders how to “concoct nonalcoholic drinks that tast[e] as interesting and delicious as ‘regular’ cocktails” in this cheery collection. Most of his offerings rely on nonalcoholic versions of liquors or wine, and there’s an extensive ingredient list section providing guidance for those who may be new to shopping this section of the liquor store. He opens with a section of “back bar” recipes for sophisticated syrups (ginger, black pepper), saffron-infused honey, and concentrates (green tea), as well as tricks for making NA whiskey and NA gin taste better via infusions of other flavors. Recipes are then sorted by flavor profile: herbal (including a lavender-forward punch), tart (virgin daiquiris), fruity (a midori sour that swaps its namesake liqueur for fresh melon juice), earthy (pumpkin spice margaritas), bitter (three riffs on the old fashioned), and velvety (egg- and alcohol-free egg nog). DeBary marks each recipe’s difficulty level, determined partly by how many back bar ingredients the drink incorporates, and very few fall into the “easy” tier. Still, for readers willing to put in the effort and eager to add some mocktails to their repertoire, this competent guide is sure to be helpful. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 01/09/2026 | Details & Permalink

In this charming and comprehensive monograph, Nilsson (Ramen) takes readers on a world tour of egg-centric recipes. It opens with in-depth how-tos, accompanied by helpful step-by-step photos, on frying, scrambling, boiling, and making meringues and emulsions. For brunch, there’s classic eggs Benedict (on home-made brioche)—followed by riffs featuring mushroom and fennel, and salmon with dill-horseradish-hollandaise—and an Instagramable egg baked inside half an avocado. Other recipes span the globe, including Chinese tea eggs, Korean bibimbap, Spanish tortilla, salade Niçoise, various types of ramen, and huevos rancheros. Oto, a Ghanaian dish of sweet potato, red onion, and soft-boiled eggs, is often served at celebrations, while chawanmushi, a Japanese steamed-egg custard, is reminiscent of a “savory creme brulée.” (There is also a recipe for creme brulée.) Nilsson nods to her native Sweden with the decadent pelle janzon, or toast topped with raw beef tenderloin, roe, and raw quail egg, and includes fun tips throughout (one can spin an egg to determine if it has been hard-boiled). Desserts and drinks, including raspberry marshmallows and eggnog, round things out. Colorful design, appetizing photography, a friendly tone, and clear instructions support this surprisingly wide-ranging collection. It’s sure to inspire home cooks to crack some shells. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 01/02/2026 | Details & Permalink

Dietician and fertility specialist Ruth debuts with an encouraging guide to managing symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome, an endocrine disorder that causes infertility, irregular periods, weight gain, and other issues. Drawing on her personal experience with PCOS, she explains how the chronic condition can be managed through lifestyle and dietary changes, writing that “a diagnosis wasn’t the end of my life.” Stress, hormones, genetics, and inflammation are the four main factors that influence PCOS symptoms, Ruth notes, laying out steps for mitigating the impacts of each. Increased stress, for example, causes spikes in hormone levels, which for women with PCOS can lead to missed periods, weight gain, and facial hair. Ruth encourages readers to take mental and physical stress seriously and prioritize minimizing it, suggesting that exercise and quality sleep are key to doing so. Nutrition can also make a significant difference. Explaining that there are “no good or bad foods,” she recommends a balanced diet of fiber, carbs, fats, and protein and offers “pro tips,” like eating vegetables and protein before carbs, which research shows can reduce blood sugar spikes and PCOS symptoms. Rounding things out are easy-to-follow weekly meal plans, extensive grocery lists, and delicious-sounding recipes, like portobello baked eggs and salmon burgers with tangy slaw. For readers with PCOS, Ruth’s friendly tone and accessible advice chart a hopeful path forward. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 01/02/2026 | Details & Permalink

Whitmore, creator of the Instagram account The Formula Mom, debuts with a confidence-boosting guide to feeding newborns with formula. Even though most American parents rely on formula, she says, only a fraction receive any training from healthcare providers on how to properly prepare it. Whitmore helps readers understand formula, a combination of milk, lactose, and plant-based oils designed to be similar to breast milk, and how to choose the right kind (“Don’t break your budget for ingredients that aren’t required unless you really want them”). She covers how to safely prepare bottles, noting that parents can generally mix formula with tap water if it’s safe to drink in their area, as well as topics that become relevant in later months, like introducing solid foods and moving from bottles to cups. “Quick Tip” sidebars offer game-changing ideas, like batching a pitcher of a day’s worth of formula, as it can be stored in the fridge for up to 24 hours, and implementing “dream feeds,” or waking up and feeding a baby roughly three hours after their bedtime to help them—and parents—sleep longer. Throughout, Whitmore suffuses her practical advice with compassion, acknowledging that women are often made to feel guilty for not breastfeeding their babies. Parents will feel informed and affirmed. (Feb.)

Reviewed on 01/02/2026 | Details & Permalink

“I’m in the trenches of daily cooking for the people who live under my roof.... We need meals that are quick, easy, affordable,” writes Secrest, the home cook behind the TikTok account @applesauceandadhd, in her fun debut collection of unfussy weeknight crowd-pleasers. Secrest went viral for her self-described “aggressive tutorials” and attempts to maintain her signature sassy-to-belligerent tone in print via excessive italicization, all caps, and plenty of cursing. The comic effect doesn’t entirely translate, however, and may alienate those who aren’t already fans. Still, the recipes themselves are quick, flavorful, and consciously beginner chef– and child taste bud–friendly. “Fast and Furious” fare promises meals ready in 30 minutes or less, including sloppy joe fries and “lazy lasagna” made by layering frozen ravioli. The “Meaty Mayhem” chapter offers classics like pulled pork, while “Veggie Vendetta” features side dishes such as honey garlic carrots. “Pantry Raid” is full of clever suggestions for using up pantry staples, while the most out-there section, “Potato Tot Take-Down,” serves up six meals made with tater tots, including “taco tot bowls.” Throughout, Secrest offers judgement-free ideas for store-bought substitutions and tips for how to freeze and stretch dishes over multiple meals. Busy home chefs will be inspired. (Jan.)

Reviewed on 01/02/2026 | Details & Permalink