PARTIAL BOOK LIST:

Categories:

HISTORY / CURRENT EVENTS | COOKBOOK / FOOD WRITING | HEALTH / MEDICAL
MEMOIR | SELF HELP | FICTION | YOUNG ADULT

HISTORY / CURRENT EVENTS

Gerald J. Meyer:

• OVER THERE (Ballantine, forthcoming, spring 2017) a narrative history of the American World War I experience, both on the domestic and battle fronts, told in the manner of A World Undone, Meyer's top-selling single volume history of World War I. Over There will focus on and delve more deeply into the Great War’s most important American personalities, the challenges that confronted them, their conflicts over aims and means, and the sometimes disastrous consequences of their actions.

• THE BORGIAS: The Hidden History (Ballantine) a monumental and groundbreaking single volume history of the notorious Borgia family documenting why their notoriety may be undeserved.

• THE TUDORS:  The Complete Story of England’s Most Notorious Dynasty (Delacorte) "History buffs will savor Meyer's cheeky, nuanced, and authoritative perspective on an entire dynasty, and his study brims with enriching background discussions, ranging from class structure and the medieval Catholic Church to the Tudor connection to Spanish royalty" -- Publishers Weekly.
  • New York Times bestseller

• A WORLD UNDONE: The Story of the Great War, 1914-1918 (Delacorte) "A World Undone is an original and very readable account of one of the most significant and often misunderstood events of the last century. With an historian's eye for clear headed analysis and a storytellers talent for detail and narrative, G.J Meyer presents a compelling account of the blunders that produced the world's first 'great war' and set the stage for many of the tragic events that followed" -- Steve Gillon, Resident Historian, The History Channel.

 

Brian VanDeMark:

• AMERICAN SHEIKHS: Two Families, Four Generations, and the Story of America’s Influence in the Middle East (Prometheus) "American Sheikhs is a highly original contribution to our understanding of America's troubling relationship with the Middle East... [It is] essential reading for those wishing to understand America's current predicaments in the Arab world... VanDeMark has written a concise and highly accessible history of the American missionaries and their political and intellectual legacy." -- Kai Bird, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian

• "Brian VanDeMark's book is an excellent study of a neglected subject. It should be of interest to anyone concerned about US relations with the Middle East and the continuing difficulties we face in the region." -- Robert Dallek, presidential historian

 

Will Swift:

• THE KENNEDYS AMIDST THE GATHERING STORM: A Thousand Days in London, 1938-1940 (Smithsonian Books) "By wisely presenting pre-war London as a crucible in the [Kennedy] family history, [Swift] exposes the origin of many of the political, social, personal triumphs and tragedies that have cast the family—the father in particular—as a modern-day Lear." -- Lynne McTaggart , author of Kathleen Kennedy: Her Life and Times, The Field and The Intention Experiment

• "An indefatigable researcher, Will Swift has made magnificent use of materials overlooked or unavailable to previous biographers. He has constructed a thoroughly revisionist but remarkably persuasive history of Joseph P. Kennedy's years in London." -- David Nasaw, author of Pulitzer Prize nominee Andrew Carnegie

• THE ROOSEVELTS AND THE ROYALS: Franklin and Eleanor, The King and Queen of England, and The Friendship that Changed History (John Wiley & Sons) "An admirably balanced assessment of an enormously complicated man who, wrongly but not ignobly, stood athwart history." -- Kirkus Reviews, starred review

 

Stephen Buchmann and Banning Repplier:

• The Reason for Flowers (Scribner, forthcoming, spring 2015)

• LETTERS FROM THE HIVE: An Intimate History of Bees, Honey, and Humankind (Bantam) Bees, as the world's foremost pollinators, are Buchmann's lifework and his obsession, and that blend of science and passion makes for a lively read as he looks at the intertwined lives of bees and humans. -- Booklist

 

Lisa Davis:

• THE SINS OF BROTHER CURTIS (Scribner) "A protracted legal battle to hold the Mormon Church (LDS) responsible for sexual abuse drives investigative reporter Davis's insightful examination of hard-won justice." -- Publisher’s Weekly

 

COOKBOOKS/FOOD WRITING

Nancy Baggett:

• SIMPLY SENSATIONAL COOKIES:  Bright Fresh Flavors, Natural Colors & Easy, Streamlined Techniques (Wiley) Over 200 recipes that celebrate everything wonderful and delicious in today’s world of cookies by the “Queen of Cookies.”
  • IACP Cookbook Awards finalist for Baking: Savory or Sweet

• KNEADLESSLY SIMPLE: Fabulous, Fuss-Free, No-Knead Breads"All the most up-to-the-minute methods for producing outstanding bread with little effort—you'll love it!" -- Nick Malgieri, author of BAKE!

 

Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance:

• THE DAHLIA BAKERY COOKBOOK: Sweetness in Seattle (William Morrow) "In The Dahlia Bakery Cookbook, Tom Douglas has created the volume every cook should have on baking. It¹s useful not only because it compiles the recipes that have delighted Seattle residents for years (my parents included) but also because of the colorful prose and resource guides. It will occupy a prominent shelf in my kitchen." -- Mario Batali
  • Selected by Publishers Weekly as one of Fall, 2012 top ten cookbooks.

• I LOVE CRAB CAKES! (William Morrow) "We covered his book recently on our website and he was nice enough to let us use one of his amazing recipes on the site." -- Teo Kordonowy at bellydulour.com

• TOM’S BIG DINNERS (William Morrow) "...home cooks looking for new ways to entertain in high culinary style will find an abundance of fresh ideas here." -- Publisher's Weekly

• TOM DOUGLAS’ SEATTLE KITCHEN: (William Morrow)" Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen is fresh, inspiring, and filled with aromatic ideas. His prose is relaxed, colloquial, and encouraging--cook, eat, and enjoy are his basic tenets--and the book is filled with photos of Seattle life and institutions. Whether you live in the Emerald City or the Windy City, Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen will spark your imagination and enliven your palate." -- Dana Van Nest
  • One of Food & Wine Magazine's Top 10 Best Books of the Year James Beard Award Winner

 

Carol Firenze Anglin:

• THE PASSIONATE OLIVE:  101 Things to Do With Olive Oil…Cooking is One: (Ballantine) "This delightful book will not only make readers' mouths water, but will provide them with a greater understanding of an under-appreciated domestic and culinary ingredient." -- Publishers Weekly

 

Jerry Traunfeld:

• THE HERBAL KITCHEN: Cooking with Fragrance and Flavor (William Morrow) "a work that is at once practical, informative and inspiring." -- Publishers Weekly

• THE HERBFARM COOKBOOK (Scribner) "The Herbfarm Cookbook belongs on your bookshelf. Remarkable and original in the use of herbs, this is not only a collection of sparkling recipes, it is also the best herb reference book I've ever seen." -- Marion Cunningham, author of The Fannie Farmer Cookbook

• "I am amazed by the scope of this book!" -- Jasper White author of Lobster at Home
  • James Beard Cookbook Award-winner

 

Micol Negrin:

• THE BEST PASTA SAUCES: Favorite Regional Italian Recipes (Ballantine, forthcoming, October 2014): This is the first cookbook to explore the best, most authentic Italian pasta sauce recipes from a regional perspective. The book serves as a primer on saucing the Italian way, the basics for handmade pastas, the key to cooking pasta al dente, vital ingredients for every Italian kitchen, perfect wine pairings, and the best food shopping sources around the United States.

• RUSTICO: Country Cooking From Italy’s Splendid Regions (Clarkson Potter) "This is a truly outstanding take original enough to revive what sometimes feels like a tired subject. With this comprehensive volume her first Negrin stands poised to become an Italian expert on the level of Faith Willinger or even Marcella Hazan. Expect robust sales." -- Publisher's Weekly
  • A James Beard Award Nominee by the owner of Rustico, a New York based culinary school.

• THE ITALIAN GRILL: Fresh Ideas to Fire Up Your Outdoor Cooking (Clarkson Potter): "There is something new under the Italian sun—and it’s Micol Negrin’s new book. The recipes are 'on fire' with flavor, classy in their restraint, bursting with the goodness of the best possible ingredients. . . . You won’t believe what you can cook up on a grill!" -- Rozanne Gold, chef and author of Little Meals, Cooking 1-2-3, and Low Carb 1-2-3

 

Melissa Guerra:

• DISHES FROM THE WILDHORSE DESSERT: Norteño Cooking of South Texas (Wiley) "The recipes are generally simple, but the instructions are thoroughly detailed, and headnotes and boxes provide information on ingredients, traditions, and other topics; the many photographs, some color, add context as well. Strongly recommended." -- Library Journal

 

HEALTH/MEDICAL

Hillary Wright:

• THE PREDIABETES DIET PLAN: How to Reverse Prediabetes and Prevent Diabetes through Healthy Eating and Exercise (Ten Speed Press) "At long last—a practical, positive, and informative guide for people who have prediabetes. It’s a must-have resource for anyone who’s at risk for developing type 2 diabetes." -- Amy P. Campbell, MS, RD, CDE, Manager, Clinical Education Programs, Joslin Diabetes Center

• "Whether readers are looking for a prediabetes diet plan or for a no-nonsense strategy to better health, this book delivers." -- Publishers Weekly

• "This excellent introduction for readers recently diagnosed with (or at risk for) prediabetes will also interest readers with other forms of insulin resistance." -- Library Journal STARRED REVIEW

• THE PCOS DIET PLAN: A Natural Approach to Health for Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: (Ten Speed Press) "This comprehensive, researched-based resource demystifies PCOS and offers hope to women with the condition. Wright’s wealth of professional knowledge shines through on every page…" -- Elizabeth M. Ward, MS, RD, author of Expect the Best: Your Guide to Healthy Eating Before, During, and After Pregnancy

• "Hillary Wright’s book on PCOS is a must-read for the millions of women affected by this common disorder." -- Michael M. Alper, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Harvard Medical School

 

Dr. Richard Johnson and Tim Gower

• THE SUGAR FIX: The High Fructose Fallout that is Making you Fat and Sick:  (Rodale/Pocket Book) "Provides a detailed plan for reducing dietary fructose intake, promoting weight loss, and reversing many of the serious health consequences associated with the typical American high-fructose diet." -- Michael W. Rich, MD, director of the Cardiac Rapid Evaluation Unit, Washington University School of Medicine

 

Kenneth Blanchard, M.D. and Marietta Brill:

• WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT HYPERTHYROIDISM: (Grand Central Publishing) "I am …thrilled that [Dr. Blanchard’s] book so effectively demonstrates how innovative thyroid treatment approaches—not canned, formulaic solutions—are the real answer for the millions of people with hypothyroidism." -- Mary J. Shomon, author of Living Well with Hypothyroidism

 

MEMOIR

Arianne Cohen:

• THE TALL BOOK: A Celebration of Life from on High: (Bloomsbury USA) "...a real resource for giants of all ages (and those who love them) so that we can fully appreciate the advantages and navigate the downfalls of our standing. Not since Randy Newman's "Short People" have those of us of a certain stature had a better rallying cry." -- Men's Journal

 

Susan Pohlman:

• HALFWAY TO EACH OTHER: How a Year in Italy Brought Our Family Home: (Guideposts) The remarkable story of an American family that uproots themselves from all they know in order to save their Family.

• "one of the best memoirs I’ve read lately…funny and touching all at once, it is the perfect feel-good read that really made me appreciate all the people in my family I take for granted every day…" -- Book Addiction
  • 2010 Next Generation Indie Book Awards— Relationship Category

 

Dan Shapiro:

• MOM’S MARIJUANA: Life, Love, and Beating the Odds (Vintage/Random House) A page-turner filled with exquisite drama, deeply personal insight and delightful, quirky humor." -- Arizona Daily Star

• "Part memoir, part social commentary, part medical journal and entirely wonderful." -- Fort Worth Star Telegram

• "An engaging, thoughtful, and funny account from a first-rate writer." -- Andrew Weil, M.D.

• DELIVERING DOCTOR AMELIA: The Story of a Gifted Young Obstetrician's Error and the Psychologist Who Helped Her (Vintage/Random House) "A terrific read: deeply touching, keenly analytical and warmly amusing. No reader will come away unaffected. And no reader will fail to gain new understanding of the intricate web of skills and attitudes--mind and heart--that constitute a good doctor." -- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

• "Masterful storytelling. . . . Amelia's secret keeps the pages turning. . . . A fly-on-the-wall peek into a doctor-patient relationship. . . . a well-written, suspenseful story." -- Austin Chronicle

• "Like Oliver Sacks, Shapiro presents this medical case and its professional analysis from a unique perspective that the public seldom shares…highly recommended." -- Library Journal (starred review)

 

SELF HELP:

Andrew Trees:

• DECODING LOVE: Why It Takes Twelve Frogs to Find a Prince, and Other Revelations from the Science of Attraction (Avery) "[Trees] takes on the subject both familiar and deeply mysterious and breaks down the science behind it in the most entertaining way imaginable." -- Jancee Dunn, author of But Enough About Me

  • Andrew Trees has appeared on the Today Show and The Tyra Banks Show and been featured in The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, USA Today, and New York Magazine.

 

Colleen Kinder:

• DELAYING THE REAL WORLD: A Twentysomething’s Guide to Seeking Adventure (Running Press) "Writing in a comfortably hip, conversational manner, [Kinder] offers ideas for exciting changes of pace…Even the most timid will find her enthusiasm infectious, and both the book's subject and style are sure to appeal to college seniors and those who don't want to settle into the rat race just yet." -- Publishers Weekly

 

FICTION:

Ellen Hawley:

• THE DIVORCE DIET: A Novel (Kensington Books, forthcoming, December 2014) "Narrated with the wry self-deprecating wit of a Nora Ephron and the passion for food of Julie Powell in Julie and Julia, The Divorce Diet is dedicated to every woman who ever walked away from a relationship--or a diet. The tone is beleaguered but upbeat; the content is serious. Ellen Hawley’s two previous novels with small presses: Open Line (Coffee House Press, 2008) and Trips Sheets (Milkweed Editions,1998) were praised for being '…well-written, fast-paced with believable characters…' and '…characterizations' [that] are flawless…"

• "A funny, touching, wry, sophisticated, appealing-- Oh, you know all those adjectives. But Ellen Hawley's 'Divorce Diet' actually deserves them.] Food and love and loss and resilience--and a terrific narrative playfulness--are Hawley's recipe for a slyly entertaining and heartening novel." -- Daniel Menaker, author of The Treatment, a novel, and My Mistake, a memoir.

• "...a delicious book. I read it on a rainy afternoon with a mocha and brownie in hand. Loved the whole book." -- Cathy Lamb, author of Julia's Chocolates and Henry's Sisters.

 

Andrew Trees:

• CLUB RULES (St. Martin's Press) "Trees is an accomplished writer and depicts with great clarity the venal and grasping nature of this world’s inhabitants, and skillfully lays the groundwork for the inevitable tragic ending." -- Booklist

• ACADEMY X (Bloomsbury) "Mr. Trees demonstrates a Kingsley Amis-like ability to extract humor from the travails of his hapless hero." -- New York Times

• "A hilarious upstairs-downstairs story set in the absurd world of Manhattan's most elite private schools. I couldn't put it down." -- Karen Quinn, author of The Ivy Chronicles

 

Michelle Cameron:

• THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS (Gallery/Simon and Schuster) "With a powerful immediacy, Cameron's meticulously researched historical is told by Shira, an anomalous 13th-century woman raised (and educated) like a son by her widowed father...Readers will drink in the historical detail." -- Publishers Weekly

• "Cameron's clean, clear prose clings to the reader's memory long after it's been read, as does her heroine. This novel will appeal to everyone who craves an accurate, arresting novel." -- Romantic Times

• "Readers who appreciated Maggie Anton's Rashi's Daughters trilogy will be entertained." -- Library Journal

 

Eva Etzioni-Halevy:

• THE SONG OF HANNAH (Plume/Penguin) "…dramatic retelling of Samuel's story, which reminds the reader that even God's beloved servants are susceptible to temptation…" -- Booklist

• THE TRIUMPH OF DEBORAH (Plume/Penguin) "…those who like their Bible with a little spice will find plenty to admire in this frothy romance…" -- Booklist

 

YOUNG ADULT:

Stephen Buchmann:

• HONEY BEES: Letters from the Hive (Delacorte) A Junior Library Guild Selection and recipient of the National Science Trade Book 2010 award for Young Adults.

 

Paula J. Freedman:

• My Basmati Bat Mitzvah (Amulet Books) "The latest spunky heroine of South Asian–Jewish heritage to grace middle-grade fiction, Tara Feinstein, 12, charms readers from the get-go in this strong, funny debut." -- Kirkus Reviews

• "A snapshot of modern adolescence, this deserves a spot next to Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret and Naylor’s Alice series in the coming-of-age canon for girls." -- "The Bulletin of The Center for Chlidren's Books"

• "My Basmati Bat Mitzvah is a delightful, thoughtful MG/YA contemporary book. Freedman beautifully depicts what it is to pay respect to two very separate cultures, and I think readers of all ages will appreciate it." -- Goodreads.com review

• Kirkus Reviews’ Best Books of 2013
• Selected as a Highly Commended Book title for the 2014 SABA Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature.
• 2014 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, sponsored by the Children’s Book Council and the National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS).