In this festive collection commemorating the United States semiquincentennial, Laidlaw (Emily in Paris: The Official Cookbook) serves up 102 appealing cocktail recipes, with two drinks, one classic and one contemporary, celebrating each state, plus Washington, D.C. Classics include expected fare—a mint julep for Kentucky, sazerac for Louisiana, and a Manhattan for New York—alongside more niche local favorites like the Alaskan “Duck Fart,” a tiered shot layering Baileys, Kahlúa, and whiskey, said to originate from an Anchorage bar. A lavish Bloody Mary garnished with lobster meat evokes Maine, while a key lime blended Daiquiri toasts to Florida. Things get creative in the modern recipes: muddled corn adds sweetness to a whiskey sour ode to Iowa, complete with a charred husk as garnish, while a seaweed salt rim complements Rhode Island’s “Briny Breeze.” Throughout, Laidlaw provides fascinating historical tidbits (like how the Moscow Mule came to be associated with Connecticut) and highlights local ingredients—including West Virginian pawpaw fruit and Montanan saskatoon berries—while still providing accessible substitutions. With attractive photography and a diverse array of recipes that range from simple to showstopping, this is sure to inspire home bartenders to raise a glass to the country’s history. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Belgian artist Platel debuts in English with a whimsical guide to collage art. Formerly a hairdresser and “go-go dancing drag queen,” Platel shares how he turned to collaging during the Covid-19 pandemic, when his scissors “were screaming to be picked up” again. He immediately fell in love with the artform, and as a gay man, found it an ideal medium for expressing queerness. Deconstructing existing images to put together a new narrative, he says, is a “queer, subversive act.” Many other artists in the LGBTQ+ community have turned to the art form, Platel demonstrates, highlighting the work of several queer collage artists, like Zach Grear and Carlos Marló. Platel walks readers through how to make their own collages, advising them to use heavyweight paper as the background, gel glue to paste images, and a roller to prevent glued images from bubbling. The images are “the heart and soul” of a collage, he explains, urging crafters to use anything that speaks to them. The book contains hundreds of images that can be cut out and arranged, including photos of drag artists, Pride flags, disco balls, crowns, flowers, butterflies, cocktails, skulls, and desserts. Filled with intriguing background on collage history and an abundance of fun and eccentric cutouts, this will resonate with queer crafters eager to express themselves. (May)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

This smart and funny debut guide from gastroenterologist Pasricha teaches readers the fundamentals of gut health. During her medical training, Pasricha came to realize that “people quite simply do not know how to poop,” and due to cultural taboos, many steer clear of talking about the issue. She details how the gut works and the steps required to make trips to the bathroom effortless and predictable—or, in her words, achieve “poophoria.” Debunking myths like “healthy people poop once a day” and juice cleanses “detox” the gut, she assures readers that frequency differs by person and notes that juicing removes beneficial fiber from fruits and vegetables. Elsewhere, she explains that psychological stress can cause digestive issues but it’s also possible stomach injuries impact the brain; her lab, for example, is studying how Parkinson’s disease may start in the gut. She also offers tips for healthy bowel movements and bathroom habits, like eating more whole foods as opposed to ultraprocessed ones, using a bidet to support cleanliness, and listening to music to calm nerves when attempting to poop in a public restroom. Filled with science-backed, practical advice and frank discussions of issues that can induce embarrassment, this is a comforting resource for anyone battling bathroom anxiety. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Food stylist Mullen (That Cheese Plate Will Change Your Life) shines a spotlight on small bites in this appealing collection. Appetizers, she writes, are “arguably the best part of every meal,” offering guests a “warm welcome” to any event. Mullen’s acronym APPS (ambience, pairings, presentation, and space) provides a handy checklist for hosts to consider, and her approach is refreshingly casual and practical. A chapter on “Bites,” handheld food for easy grazing, brings bursts of flavor in crispy crostini with honey-drizzled chèvre, prosciutto, and nectarines, and pasta salad skewers of tortellini and artichoke hearts. “Bowls” include scoopable dips, salads, and soups, among them creamy tarragon egg salad, or sweet and spicy whipped brie topped with red pepper jelly. The “Boards” chapter offers step-by-step guidance for assembling beautiful arrangements of cheese, nuts, fruit, and meat, while “Beverages” includes a dirty martini three ways, and a light, refreshing grapefruit and rosemary fizz. Sample menus for seasonal parties—from poolside soirees to game day bashes—round things out. Party hosts, especially those looking for tips to streamline prep, will delight in these craveable and shareable recipes. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

This enlightening debut guide from chiropractor Conley and physical therapist McDowell extols the benefits of walking. Arguing that movement is a physiological necessity akin to breathing and sleeping, they demonstrate how walking helps people age better and ward off illnesses. Though modern conveniences, such as cars, remote work, and digital communications, have reduced the need for humans to walk, the authors encourage readers to view the activity as a daily vitamin, noting that an effective “dose” is between 3,500 and 8,500 steps per day. Walking improves mental health, enables more restful sleep, and protects bones against fracture. Sedentary lifestyles, however, lead to obesity, poor cardiovascular health, and other ills. Conley and McDowell outline advice for improving walking efficiency (an upright posture reduces strain on joints), incorporating walking into one’s schedule (start small and invite friends to join), and navigating foot pain (the culprit may be bad shoes). They conclude with weekly programs for increasing step counts, with plans for beginners, consistent movers, and avid walkers. Not overly clinical, this is packed with practical advice, including ideas for “movement snacks,” or short bursts of activity readers can fold into their daily routines, as well as uplifting stories of patients who worked through foot and joint pain. Readers will be motivated and equipped to make walking a regular habit. (May)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

“There’s an art to Southern cooking they don’t teach in culinary school,” asserts country singer and TikTok chef Dasher in her nostalgia-tinged debut. Alongside pimento cheese, buttermilk corn bread, fried catfish po’boys, and other Southern staples, Dasher shares family recipes, among them her sister’s oven-fried cane butter chicken, her mother’s cream cheese pound cake, her father’s Brunswick stew, and her aunt’s simmered garden peas. An aficionado of all things vintage, Dasher encourages readers to hit thrift stores for dinner sets and glasses, and demonstrates how to make several mid-century gelatin salads, including shrimp and tomato aspic, strawberry pretzel salad, and Watergate salad. Other highlights include potato chip–crusted pork chops, squash fritters, and eclair cake made in honor of Elvis. Instructions are easy to follow and replete with amusing, folksy commentary (“I can’t tell blondes apart from one another, but I never forget a blondie,” she writes of the classic dessert). Most recipes require minimal fuss, though some planning ahead is necessary: the low country shrimp boil, for instance, involves brining the shrimp in the fridge for 4–12 hours before cooking, and the broccoli salad needs to be refrigerated for at least four hours before serving. This will be great fun for Dasher fans. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

“I discovered food as a bridge to hope,” writes chef Fowles, three-time Chopped champion, in his bold and flavorful debut. In more than 100 recipes, the Kingston native pays homage to his island roots, drawing particular inspiration from his grandmother’s kitchen. The vibrant flavors of Jamaican fare—including allspice, herbaceous green seasoning (“the backbone of many traditional dishes”), and Scotch bonnet peppers for “authentic Jamaican heat”—are highlighted in both traditional recipes and Fowles’s creative reinterpretations. Classic goat and chicken curries appear alongside the unexpected coconut curry lobster, while oxtail features in both a stew with butter beans and in an innovative ragu atop ricotta gnocchi. Pepper shrimp and pastry-encased beef patties are street fare–inspired bites, while jerk salmon with herb salsa is Fowles’s elegant twist on traditional jerk chicken. “The OG Jamaican Breakfast” offers the “holy trinity” of saltfish cod, fried dumplings (johnny cakes), and sautéed callaloo. Rice, beans, plantains, cassava, and coconut abound, while Jamaican rum graces both desserts and cocktails. Seasoned and novice chefs alike will be enticed by Fowles’s tempting recipes and colorful anecdotes. It’s a joyful introduction to the tastes of Jamaica. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Novelist Bloom (I’ll Be Right Here) makes her mystery debut with a witty whodunit featuring failed academic Dell Chandler, who supplements her PI training with copious episodes of Law & Order. Dell is called to the Connecticut campus of Cromwell University to investigate the death of English department head Oliver Bullfinch, one of the most esteemed American literature scholars in the world. Bullfinch’s body was found in his office, battered by a bronze bust of Nathaniel Hawthorne, and the administration, hoping to avoid too much media attention, wants Dell to get to the bottom of the case before the police do. Dell’s list of suspects lengthens as she interviews Bullfinch’s colleagues and a consensus emerges: he was “a vicious, doddering old man, vain about his reputation and indifferent to those of his junior colleagues.” Bloom draws on her own experience with the dog-eat-dog world of academia to depict the brusque, irascible Dell’s winding journey toward the truth. Some late-breaking plot contrivances take this down a few notches, but for the most part, it’s a blast. A sequel would be welcome. Agent: Claudia Ballard, WME. (June)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Designer and muralist Kamarul debuts with an inspiring guide to creating uniquely decorated homes. Encouraged as a child to express her artistic instincts (her parents let her paint flowers and trees on her bedroom walls), Kamarul counsels readers to “take the first step: Accept that you are creative.” She shares her decorating methods, including asking oneself, “What don’t I like?” about a room, experimenting with materials and objects one already owns, and embracing improvisation or “whatever brilliant but unconventional ideas come into your head.” Such practices led her to add fringe trim to her dining room table, use leftover marble backsplash to line her kitchen’s toe kicks (the recessed area beneath lower cabinets), paint a checkerboard design on a bathtub, and hang a rug on the ceiling. She encourages pursuing the unexpected, like using outside furniture inside or repurposing sheets as curtains, and finding inspiration in hotel lobbies and vintage design books. Her bold and playful ideas—demonstrated throughout in gorgeous photographs—reveal the benefits of being fearless in design. Readers seeking to personalize their spaces will be eager to put Kamarul’s ideas into practice. (Apr.)

Reviewed on 03/13/2026 | Details & Permalink

Recipe developer Alioto emphasizes classic Spanish ingredients and the “convivial social experience” of the tapas tradition in her striking debut collection of mix-and-matchable small bites. Easy-nibbling fare includes small bowls of warm olives, crispy pimento garbanzos, pan con tomate, and tortilla Española. Coca, a flatbread, is “Catalonia’s answer to pizza,” while crab-stuffed piquillo peppers originate from Northern Spain. Meatballs with chopped almond paste reflect an Arabic origin, and pork skewers with green mojo sauce draw from Moorish influence. A section on bocadillos, or little sandwiches, includes a baguette with seared ahi tuna and green olive tapenade. The author takes an expansive approach to tapas, including unexpected options like soup, salad, and paella (both classic Valenciana and a springtime variation). Salsas, desserts, and sangrias round things out. Alioto notes that while tapas are “designed to be served in small portions, should you prefer to serve something as a main dish... it’s simply a matter of presentation.” Some further guidance on this would prove useful, especially as recipe yields vary wildly: the recipe for beef picadillo empanadas makes 24, while the recipe for Galician empanadas—a variant stuffed with tuna, olives, and hard-boiled egg—makes only four. Similarly lacking is advice on which recipes might pair best together. Still, the gorgeous photography and vibrant flavor profiles make this giftable guide appealing, especially for party hosts seeking inspiration. (Mar.)

Reviewed on 02/27/2026 | Details & Permalink