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Kelsey Ford: New Year, New You: 9 Books for a Better You, 9 Books for a Worse You (0 comment)

I’m not a huge believer in new year’s resolutions — they always feel like set ups for failure and disappointment instead of the well-meaning self-bettering they’re intended to be. However, I do believe in the fresh promise of a new year and taking the opportunity to deliberately (and gently) think about your routines and what you might be missing...

Keith Mosman: Powell's Picks Spotlight: Gene Luen Yang and LeUyen Pham's 'Lunar New Year Love Story' (0 comment)
Kate Brody: What If the Real Monsters Were Inside Us All Along: Kate Brody’s Movie Playlist for ‘Rabbit Hole’ (0 comment)

The Cooking Gene: A Journey Through African American Culinary History in the Old South

Michael W. Twitty

I've followed Michael Twitty on social media for quite a while, so I couldn’t wait to read his book. What a fresh, unique, and fascinating look at both the rich culinary history of African American cooking traditions in the South and Twitty’s family’s history. This is a very worthy addition to my Southern food book collection.
Recommended by Robin F.

Fiery Ferments: 70 Stimulating Recipes for Hot Sauces, Spicy Chutneys, Kimchis with Kick, and Other Blazing Fermented Condiments

Kirsten K Shockey, Christopher Shockey

Kirsten and Christopher Shockey's first book, Fermented Vegetables, is one of my absolute favorite fermentation books. So, as soon as I heard last year that their next book would be all about hot sauces, salsas, and other spicy fermented yumminess from around the world, I couldn't wait. They have a way of providing an inspirational framework for experimenting with fermentation that means the sky is the limit. Fiery Ferments also... (read more)
Recommended by Robin F.

Cure: A Journey Into the Science of Mind Over Body

Jo Marchant

Cure is a fascinating exploration of the power of the mind in regard to our physical health. Because Jo Marchant has a background in both science and journalism, her approach is no-nonsense and rigorous, which I greatly appreciated. She explores how effective such things as virtual reality, placebos, meditation, and acupuncture are in managing pain, and makes her exploration come alive by linking her coverage to the experiences of people... (read more)
Recommended by Robin F.

Oh Florida!: How America's Weirdest State Influences the Rest of the Country

Craig Pittman

As I debated which of my Top Fives to give the top spot, in my heart I knew there was no debate. It had to be Oh, Florida! While I'm passionate about all of my picks (and I wish I could add more), Pittman's book won for the simple fact that I come from the crazy state that is Florida and he captures things perfectly. Reading Oh, Florida! will make you realize how true to reality Carl Hiaasen is in his entertaining mysteries.... (read more)
Recommended by Robin F.

Incarnations

Susan Barker

There is a deep underlying spookiness to The Incarnations by Susan Barker that kept me on the edge of my seat and eager to devour the entire book to get at the core of the mystery. An unknown letter writer guides a Beijing taxi driver through a tour, via mysterious letters left in the cab, of the driver's purported past lives. The letters illustrate how the lives of the letter writer and the cab driver have intertwined over 1,000 years,... (read more)
Recommended by Robin F.

Its What I Do A Photographers Life of Love & War

Lynsey Addario

Lynsey Addario's account of her career as a photojournalist in some of the most war-torn areas of the world is gripping and fascinating. She's brutally honest about the situations she's faced and her own reactions. After reading It's What I Do, I'll never read a newspaper article again without noting who both the journalist and photographers are who risked their lives to bring us the story.
Recommended by Robin F.