podcasts

 

Mark your calendars for the next Reader’s Advisory Roundtable on Wednesday, June 9^th at 9am on Zoom!  We’ll be sharing and discussing LGBTQ fiction and nonfiction. This morning, RART met to discuss podcasts.

18 in attendance:

Holley W, O’Neal (Mountain Brook)
Samm H, Hoover
Nicole L, Tarrant
Shawn C, Pinson
Cara W, Center Point
Leslie W, Homewood
Maura D, Trussville
Alisha J, BPL Central
Lynn H, BPL Central
Samuel R, Springville Road
Jenn P, Smithfield
Russell L, Smithfield
Reba W, Smithfield
Jiemin F, BPL Central
Riana M, Pinson
Anicha C
twest
1 anonymous participant

From true crime to book nerds to oddity enthusiasts…there’s probably something for everyone on this list!

Derry Public Radio: A Stephen King Book Club Podcast
Provides you with a variety of perspectives on Stephen King’s work – ranging from the comfortably familiar to the frighteningly fanatic. Derry Public Radio is here to keep you up-to-date with all that’s happening in Derry, Maine and “beyond.”
Samm

Ghoul School: Horror & History
Host Andy Sell guides you through the history of horror movies! 
Holley

Ghoul Guides
The Ghoul Guides is a digital multimedia project created by Lauren Nixon and Mary Going that is devoted to exploring, understanding, and enjoying the wonders and weirdness of the Gothic.
Holley

Authentic Living with Andrea Mathews
You’ll learn how to see your true self in the midst of life’s twists and turns and be challenged to think outside the box when it comes to the mysteries of life. Authentic Living airs live Wednesdays at 1 PM Pacific on the VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel.
Leslie

Sunday with Sterling & Linda G
Welcome to my channel where I share insight about the future of present circumstances in the world by using my Psychic Medium gift.
Leslie

Intuitiview with Kim Richey
Intuitiview [in-too-i-tiv-yoo] explores Kim's intuitive and psychic abilities through references to movies, television, and images.
Leslie

Wiwibloggs
wiwibloggs is the world’s most-visited independent web site devoted to the Eurovision Song Contest.
Samuel

Toy & Goy
In Toy and Goy we talk about stuff (currently Eurovision coverage!), do silly things, discuss about not very important things and basically just be us!
Samuel

True Crime Horror Story
In each episode your host JD Horror brings you his take on some of the most disturbing cases in history, highlighting both obscure and notorious incidents of real life murder.
Holley

This Podcast Will Kill You
Grad students studying disease ecology, Erin and Erin found themselves disenchanted with the insular world of academia. They wanted a way to share their love of epidemics and weird medical mysteries with the world, not just colleagues.
Nicole

A Slob Comes to Clean
Reality-based cleaning and organizing with Dana “Nony” White
Nicole

Coronavirus: Fact vs Fiction (CNN)
Join CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta for the latest news about the coronavirus. He'll make sense of the headlines, speak with the experts and give you all the information you need to stay safe and healthy.
Maura

Behind the Bastards
Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of their lives.
Holley

Marvel’s Wolverine
Marvel’s “Wolverine: The Lost Trail” is an epic quest that takes place in the Louisiana bayou. Following the events of Marvel’s “Wolverine: The Long Night,” Logan (Richard Armitage) returns to New Orleans in search of redemption, only to discover that his ex-lover, Maureen is nowhere to be found.
Samm

Ru Paul: What’s the Tea with Michelle Visage
In this podcast RuPaul and his cohost Michelle Visage discuss pop culture, advice, beauty advice and behind the scenes of their hit show, RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Samm

Atlas Obscura
With its new podcast, Atlas Obscura co-founder and host Dylan Thuras will take listeners on an audio journey to discover new and hidden places; perhaps on the other side of the world, or perhaps in one's own backyard.
Holley

99% Invisible
99% Invisible is a sound rich, narrative podcast hosted by Roman Mars about all the thought that goes into the things we don’t think about — the unnoticed architecture and design that shape our world.
Holley

The Vibe of Muscle Shoals Sound
Muscle Shoals Sound Studios produced this series to capture the colorful stories of musicians, like the members of the Swampers, the studio musicians who can be heard on hundreds of songs.
Holley

Canary
Two women (one from Birmingham) and a shared refusal to stay silent, a 7-part podcast hosted by investigative reporter Amy Brittain.
Holley

Under the Skin
Russell Brand talks about revolutionary politics and spiritual awakening.
Samm

Life is Short with Justin Long
Host Justin Long gets personal with all kinds of people, from actors to musicians to deep thinkers to learn how they find meaning in life.
Samm

Armchair Expert
A podcast with Dax Shepard that celebrates the messiness of being human.
Samm

Kevin Smith podcasts
Samm

Chameleon, Hollywood Con Queen
For the past 6 years, someone – or some group – has been terrorizing a certain class of Hollywood workers. Strivers – day players and physical trainers and make-up artists and security guards – receive a phone call or email offering the job of a lifetime. It’s all a fraud. This is the incredible true story of one of the longest and strangest cons in history.
Cara

The Opportunist
The Opportunist tells true stories of regular people who turn sinister simply by being opportunistic. How does an everyday person turn into a thief, a cult leader, or a scammer? Instead of portraying criminals as distinctly “other,” we explore our similarities and reveal the dark potential lurking inside of all of us.
Cara

Leslie was unable to join in this morning, but sent me her picks via email!

History Chicks
Introduces you to female characters in history, both factional and fictional. Also encourages listeners to  independently explore and learn more about women's history.
Leslie D

Ear Hustle
Exposes daily realities of life inside San Quentin prison, shared by those inside and others, post-incarceration.
Leslie D

How to Be A Girl
A mom produced this podcast about life with her young transgender daughter as they both attempt to sort out what it means to be a girl.
Leslie D

Two participants sent me their delicious lists of favorites! 

Jenn from Smithfield suggests…

True Crime:

American Scandal

Last Podcast on the Left (don't go earlier than episode 150)

Women and Crime - A+  (2 PhD ladies that teach criminology talk about cases involving women. Listen to "Direct Appeal" first - this is a spin-off)

Supernatural with Ashley Flowers

The Clearing

Root of Evil 

Your Own Backyard

The Immaculate Deception - a fertility specialist used his own sperm and has over 80 children

Breakdown - A+  (ATL based podcast by an awesome reporter about GA crimes)

Amy Should be Forty

Dr. Death - A+ (2 seasons, each focusing on a doctor doing wrong)

CounterClock

UnCover - A+ (About NXIVM cult in first season, rest of seasons are good too)

Solved Murders

Motive for Murder

Someone Knows Something (Canada based reporter, each season about a different case)

Confronting OJ

Atlanta Monster (about the ATL child murders

Over My Dead Body

Up and Vanished (A cold case about a missing women - break in case happens DURING the taping of the podcast)

The Thing About Pam

Cold

Accused

Bear Brook - A++ (Mindblowing connection between the stories)

Broken Harts

Heaven's Gate

In the Dark - A++ (All seasons good, but an appeal by the accused murderer in season 2 goes all the way to the Supreme Court during taping)

Son of a Hitman

The Dating Game Killer

Something was Wrong - A+ (Great telling of stories incorporating research about different mental illnesses)

Scam Goddess

RedHanded - A+ (Similar to My Favorite Murder, but British - and maybe a little funnier)

True Crime Adjacent: 

Oh, Hello: the P'dcast (Satire/Comedy podcast about True Crime)

Crime Writers On…

The Black Tapes - A+ (Non-fiction, scripted horror/supernatural podcast that kept me up at night!) 

The Alarmist

You're Wrong About - A++ (2 hosts go back to give you the full story - not just what media covers. The female host especially likes focusing on maligned females like Monica Lewinsky, Tonya Hardy, Lorena Bobbitt)

Informative:

Ologies with Alie Ward

Freakonomics

Reply All

Forever 35

Radiolab

Sawbones - A+ (a medical history/comedy show)

Harry Potter and the Sacred Text - A+

By the Book - A+ (2 friends read self-help books and live by them for 2 weeks to see if they change their life)

Comedy:

Shagged, Married, Annoyed

A Very Fatal Murder

Gossip

The Babysitter's Club Club - A++ (2 male friends read the Babysitter's Club books - SO FUNNY)

Gilmore Guys - A++ (1 guy who has never watched Gilmore Girls and 1 guy who is a superfan watch every episode - SO SO FUNNY)

 NSFW (Rated R): (these are not directly linked because the filter was catching them!)

Sex Talk with my Mom - A+ (A very open mom and son discuss their lives and have special guests to talk about sex and relationships)

Girls on Porn

Better in Bed

Savage Lovecast

My Dad Wrote a Porno

 

Shawn from Pinson Library suggests…

 

For fans of The Golden Girls

Enough Wicker https://open.spotify.com/show/0QvE9FL9VFCjSWxJqPBl1Y

Out on the Lanai https://open.spotify.com/show/52pY8asfcVJ1ZLz8n4lcHT

For fans of True Crime

Unsolved Murders: True Crime Stories https://open.spotify.com/show/6Mk7Wk6cmrgXWnitO3NdYe

Serial Killers https://open.spotify.com/show/4ruq7mH0jg1sFi8KQhnGb8

My Favorite Murder https://open.spotify.com/show/0U9S5J2ltMaKdxIfLuEjzE

Crimes of Passion https://open.spotify.com/show/5PFgy6lc8UvYIjDsaaO3dN

Minds of Madness https://open.spotify.com/show/4RKwfnVZfoHZcWeU0BHz9X

For/by POC

Therapy for Black Girls https://open.spotify.com/show/7kPXrtK66kXyiqpKTtsqNN

Code Switch https://open.spotify.com/show/3bExJ9JQpkwNhoHvaIIuyV

The Nod https://open.spotify.com/show/1jFYnTSP29jx6mzWvysW3Q

Random/Miscellaneous

LeVar Burton Reads https://open.spotify.com/show/21yjAjzYXD1xCNDad4OdTV

Reading Women https://open.spotify.com/show/1sTe0aE1ZztIjo1ACyP7qi

Dictators https://open.spotify.com/show/5JwUl9pJUndHkbiiJTKRqg

The Dark Side of... https://open.spotify.com/show/0at0IZJtlav1KQDxaTsmj6

Every Little Thing https://open.spotify.com/show/2dY2l2v95zz9HTlYvDSAdA

Tales https://open.spotify.com/show/2OIRaDoDPKx77wz1945ihy

Cults https://open.spotify.com/show/4JbxNUkWfveKC0xnKrK7tX

The Walk https://open.spotify.com/show/4XwfA86pXZgG82RVPpHbOh

Limetown https://open.spotify.com/show/1tshi3C3cIBEj6XkyLuo6b

S-Town https://open.spotify.com/show/1KPTM79Wn9vkWX0UoMYyrd

Deadly Manners https://open.spotify.com/show/35w241dVyGT3StoDmPp0w3

Call Your Girlfriend https://open.spotify.com/show/7zajYkB0SQfvtpXQJqy5pI

Potterless https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0yxno98Ob6FxeNj43rzjDM

Bronzeville https://open.spotify.com/show/6O6KnRABTgHWSOhHTbVlEr

 

 

 

inspirational fiction

 

In attendance today, 17 total:

Holley W, O’Neal Library
Jenn P, Smithfield
Rachel, Smithfield
Reba, Smithfield
Samuel R, Springville Road
Maura D, Trussville
Leslie D, Avondale
Samantha H, Hoover
Catherine F, BPL Central
Ellen S, Avondale
Shawn, Pinson
Alisha J, BPL Central
Amanda, Titusville
Jon N, Avondale
Michelle H, Irondale
Leslie W, Homewood
Loretta J, Books By Mail

BPL is debuting a new program, a weekly Community Interview, on Monday, February 15^th at 10am on their Facebook page.  The first interview will be with Lisa Yeager, Program Director at STAIR, a free after-school tutoring program for 2^nd grade students at 13 schools across Birmingham.  Monday, February 22^nd will feature Rachel Bayerle and Nicole Putman, owners of Charm on 2^nd, a locally owned and operated boutique in downtown Birmingham featuring jewelry, accessories, and handmade and locally made goods. 

Join the Trussville Library over ZOOM Tuesday, February 23rd at 6:30PM as Dr. Aaron Hawkins discusses mental health and coping skills. You will not want to miss this interesting and engaging educational program! Sign-up here to receive the ZOOM link: https://forms.gle/q9uZxRzQNTKuLK3KA

The next meeting of the Reader’s Advisory Roundtable will be Wednesday, April 14th at 9am on Zoom and the topic up for discussion will be podcasts and other not-a-book recommendations.  Podcasts have come up in discussions before, but I don’t remember ever exploring it as its own independent meeting so I’m particularly excited about this one.  Do mark your calendars to join the conversation on April 14th!

Today, RART met for a discussion of inspirational/Christian fiction.

Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers

California’s gold country, 1850. A time when men sold their souls for a bag of gold and women sold their bodies for a place to sleep. Angel expects nothing from men but betrayal. Sold into prostitution as a child, she survives by keeping her hatred alive. And what she hates most are the men who use her, leaving her empty and dead inside.  
 
Then she meets Michael Hosea, a man who seeks his Father’s heart in everything. Michael obeys God’s call to marry Angel and to love her unconditionally. Slowly, day by day, he defies Angel’s every bitter expectation, until despite her resistance, her frozen heart begins to thaw.  
 
But with her unexpected softening comes overwhelming feelings of unworthiness and fear. And so Angel runs. Back to the darkness, away from her husband’s pursuing love, terrified of the truth she no longer can deny: Her final healing must come from the One who loves her even more than Michael does…the One who will never let her go.  
 
A powerful retelling of the story of Gomer and Hosea, Redeeming Love is a life-changing story of God’s unconditional, redemptive, all-consuming love.

The Red Tent by Anita Diamant

In the Bible, Dinah's life is only hinted at in a brief and violent detour within the more familiar chapters of the Book of Genesis that tell of her father, Jacob, and his twelve sons.

The Red Tent begins with the story of the mothers--Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah--the four wives of Jacob. They love Dinah and give her gifts that sustain her through childhood, a calling to midwifery, and a new home in a foreign land. Dinah's story reaches out from a remarkable period of early history and creates an intimate connection with the past.

Deeply affecting, The Red Tent combines rich storytelling and the valuable achievement of presenting a new view of biblical women's lives.

Romance-focused Christian/inspirational fiction:

Deanna Gist
Janette Oke
Ryan Phillips
Candace Calvert (medical field focus)
Colleen Cobble

Non-romance Christian/inspirational fiction:

Madman by Tracy Groot

If there is a way into madness, logic says there is a way out. Logic says. Tallis, a philosopher’s servant, is sent to a Greek academy in Palestine only to discover that it has silently, ominously, disappeared. No one will tell him what happened, but he learns what has become of four of its scholars. One was murdered. One committed suicide. One worships in the temple of Dionysus. And one . . . one is a madman.

From Christy Award–winning author Tracy Groot comes a tale of mystery, horror, and hope in the midst of unimaginable darkness: the story behind the Gerasene demoniac of the Gospels of Mark and Luke.

Thirsty by Tracey Bateman

"Hello, I'm Nina Parker…and I'm an alcoholic."
For Nina, it's not the weighty admission but the first steps toward recovery that prove most difficult. She must face her ex-husband, Hunt, with little hope of making amends, and try to rebuild a relationship with her angry teenage daughter, Meagan. Hardest of all, she is forced to return to Abbey Hills, Missouri, the hometown she abruptly abandoned nearly two decades earlier–and her unexpected arrival in the sleepy Ozark town catches the attention of someone–or something–igniting a two-hundred-fifty-year-old desire that rages like a wildfire.

Unaware of the darkness stalking her, Nina is confronted with a series of events that threaten to unhinge her sobriety. Her daughter wants to spend time with the parents Nina left behind. A terrifying event that has haunted Nina for almost twenty years begins to surface. And an alluring neighbor initiates an unusual friendship with Nina, but is Markus truly a kindred spirit or a man guarding dangerous secrets?

As everything she loves hangs in the balance, will Nina's feeble grasp on her demons be broken, leaving her powerless against the thirst? The battle between redemption and obsession unfold to its startling, unforgettable end.

The books of Kimberla Lawson Roby

The Left Behind series by Tim LaHaye

   1. Left Behind 
   2. Tribulation Force 
   3. Nicolae 
   4. Soul Harvest 
   5. Apollyon 
   6. Assassins 
   7. The Indwelling 
   8. The Mark 
   9. The Desecration 
   10. The Remnant 
   11. Armageddon 
   12. Glorious Appearing 
   13. The Rising 
   14. The Regime 
   15. The Rapture 
   16. Kingdom Come

Mystery/Thriller authors:

Robin Lee Hatcher
Dee Henderson
Lynette Eason
Terri Blackstock
Julie Klassen
Tracie Peterson
Ted Dekker

No religious/spiritual focus, but “clean” stories:

Craig Johnson (modern western-themed crime novels)

Adriana Trigiani (women’s fiction)

Shadow Mountain Publishing’s Proper Romance imprint; these titles are available in PB and digitally in the JCLC

Allen, Nancy Campbell – Beauty and the Clockwork Beast

Brass Carriages and Glass Hearts

Kiss of the Spindle

My Fair Gentleman

The Lady in the Coppergate Tower

The Secret of the India Orchid

Donaldson, Julianne – Blackmoore

Edenbrooke

Heir to Edenbrooke

Eden, Sarah M – Ashes on the Moor

Healing Hearts

Hope Springs

Longing for Home

The Gentleman and the Thief

The Lady and the Highwayman

The Sherrifs of Savage Wells

Garriott, Leah – Promised

Hawks, Arlem – Georgana's Secret

Jensen, Krista Lynne – Miracle Creek Christmas

Kilpack, Josi S – A Heart Revealed

All that Makes Life Bright

Daisies and Devotion

Forever and Forever

Lord Fenton's Folly

Miss Wilton's Waltz

Promises and Primroses

Rakes and Roses

The Lady of the Lakes

The Vicar's Daughter

Todd, Ilima – A Song for the Stars

Walker, Megan – Lakeshire Park

Wilhite, Rebecca – Check Me Out

Wright, Julie – Glass Slippers, Ever After, and Me

Lies Jane Austen Told Me

Lies, Love, and Breakfast at Tiffany's

Resources:

Libraries with NoveList subscriptions will find much assistance there.  If you don’t have access to NoveList, Literature-Map is a fun exploration: https://www.literature-map.com/.

Fantastic Fiction, long a treasure trove for series information and forthcoming publications, also has a genre area and Inspirational is one of their offerings: https://www.fantasticfiction.com/genres/?gp=I.

Jon from Avondale has generously shared access to a genre-organized list of 50 Christian fiction authors, which does overlap and reorganized discussion above.  Your mileage may vary!

Contemporary                                                                 

Brunstetter, Wanda

Cramer, W. Dale                                                                              

Samson, Lisa (The Church Ladies)                                                             

Tatlock, Ann

Turner, Jamie L.

Gulley, Phillip

Whitlow, Robert

Karon, Jan

Colleen Coble

Richard Paul Evans

Andrew Greeley

Jerry Jenkins

Karen Kingsbury

Gilbert Morris

Janette Oke

Tracie Peterson

Francine Rivers

Lori Wick

 

Historical

Beazely, Jan and Thom Lemmons

 

African American authors

Michele Andrea Bowen

Victoria Christopher Murray

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Vanessa Davis Griggs

Jacquelin Thomas

Kendra Norman Bellamy

T.D. Jakes

Sharon Ewell Foster

Michelle Stimpson

Kimberla Lawson Roby

Serita Jakes

Angela Benson

Sharon Ewell Foster

Linda Hudson-Smith

North American Historical

Austin, Lynn

Dow, Rosey

Morris, Gilbert

Oke, Janette

 

Historical International                                               

Cavanaugh, J.     (Fire)                                                                    

Rivers, Francine

                                                                               

Romance                                                                                                            

Heitzmann, Kristen                                         

Alexander, Hannah                         

Henderson, Dee

Palmer, Catherine

Hatcher, Robin Lee

 

Western

Bly, Stephen

 

Suspense

Alcorn, Randy C.

Blackstock, Terri

Bright, Bill

Bunn, T. Davis

Burkett, Larry

Coble, Colleen

Dekker, Ted

Singer, Randy

Rosenberg, Joel                                               

Morris, Gilbert

Peterson, Tracie

Lewis, Beverly

Kingsbury, Karen

Hatcher, Robin Lee

Wangerin, Walter

Billingsley, ReShonda T.

Thoene, Bodie                                                  

Huggins, James B.

Peretti, Frank

Martinusen, Cindy M.

Norris, Helen

Whitlow, Robert

cookbooks

 

The next Reader’s Advisory Roundtable meeting will be on Zoom on Wednesday, February 10 at 9am and the topic up for discussion is inspirational fiction. 

As a reminder, you can find RART here in the blogosphere (how long has it been since you’ve seen that word?) at www.raroundtable.blogspot.com and on Facebook under RA Reading (www.facebook.com/jcplareadersadvisory.roundtable).

Yesterday, RART met to discuss cookbooks and it was lively!  And delicious!  COVID prevented us from having the usual holiday potluck, but maybe next year!

 

15 in attendance:

Holley W, O’Neal

Samuel R, BPL Springville Road

Judith W, Homewood

Leslie W, Homewood

Laura T, Homewood

Joi M, Vestavia

Melissa B, Homewood

Veronica C, Homewood

Maura D, Trussville

Heather C, Homewood

Shawn C, Pinson

Nicole L, Tarrant

Riana M, Pinson

Tamiko N, BPL

Martella N, Center Point

 

Salt Fat Acid Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat      

A visionary new master class in cooking that distills decades of professional experience into just four simple elements, from the woman declared “America’s next great cooking teacher” by Alice Waters.

Holley

The Lebanese Palate: Recipes and Traditions from Saint Elias Maronite Church

This title is not in the Jefferson County Library system, nor could I find it for sale online.  Contact St. Elias Church directly if you are interested! Recipes from The Ladies' Altar Society of St. Elias Maronite Church in Birmingham, Alabama. Includes the church history, historical photos, and blessings.

Holley

Thug Kitchen: Eat Like You Give a F*ck

Yeah, plenty of blogs and cookbooks preach about how to eat more kale, why ginger fights inflammation, and how to cook with microgreens and nettles. But they are dull or pretentious as hell—and most people can't afford the hype. Thug Kitchen lives in the real world. In their first cookbook, they're throwing down more than 100 recipes for their best-loved meals, snacks and sides for beginning cooks to home chefs.

Leslie

Magnolia Table by Joanna Gaines

Magnolia Table is infused with Joanna Gaines' warmth and passion for all things family, prepared and served straight from the heart of her home, with recipes inspired by dozens of Gaines family favorites and classic comfort selections from the couple's new Waco restaurant, Magnolia Table.

Leslie

Lidia’s Celebrate Like an Italian: 220 Foolproof Recipes That Make Every Meal a Party by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich

Beautifully illustrated throughout with full-color photographs and filled with her trademark warmth and enthusiasm, this is Lidia's most festive book. Whether you're planning a romantic picnic for two, a child's birthday party, a holiday gathering, or a simple weeknight family dinner, Lidia's flavorful, easy-to-follow recipes and advice will have you calling to your guests: "Tutti a tavola a mangiare!"

Samuel

The Mediterranean Slow Cooker by Michele Scicolone

With the combination of tradition, innovation, and ease that have made her recipes so popular, Michele Scicolone gathers intriguing dishes from every corner of the Mediterranean and streamlines them for the slow cooker.

Samuel

Middle Eastern Home Cooking: Quick, Easy, Delicious Recipes to Make at Home by Tess Mallos

With beautifully illustrated easy-to-follow recipes, Middle Eastern Home Cooking is the perfect guide for cooks of all abilities.

Samuel

Delish Ultimate Cocktails: Why Limit Happy to an Hour? By Joanna Saltz

100+ insanely great cocktail recipes for every occasion including margaritas, mimosas, martinis and more, each with a fresh and fun twist. Plus, super-creative boozy sweets!

Joi

Son of a Southern Chef: Cook with Soul by Lazarus Lynch

In his debut cookbook, Laz offers up more than 100 recipe hits with new takes on classic dishes. Packed with splashy color photography that pops off the page, this cookbook blends fashion, food, and storytelling to get readers into the kitchen. It's a Southern cookbook like you've never seen before.

Joi

Christmas with Kim-Joy: A Festive Collection of Edible Cuteness by Kim-Joy

Kim-Joy's baked creations have charmed fans since she was in the final of the Great British Bake Off 2018. Following on from her bestselling debut book, Baking with Kim-Joy, she's turning to everyone's favourite time of year – Christmas!

Joi

Nadiya Hussain’s “Bake Me a Story” children’s cookbook series

Join Great British Bake Off sensation Nadiya Hussain for scrumptious stories and delicious bakes that all the family can enjoy.

Laura

The Little Women Cookbook: Tempting Recipes from the March Sisters and Their Friends and Family by Wini Moranville

Here at last is the first cookbook to celebrate the scrumptious and comforting foods that play a prominent role in Louisa May Alcott’s classic novel Little Women. 

Laura

Niche/pop culture cookbooks:

The Golden Girls Cookbook, The Downton Abbey Cookbook, The Madmen Cookbook, The Harry Potter Cookbook, The Star Wars Cookbook, Chrissy Teigen’s cookbooks, the HungryGirl cookbooks

Shawn

The Power of Sprinkles: A Cake Book by the Founder of Flour Shop by Amirah Kassem

Flour Shop’s rainbow explosion cakes have become an international sensation! And now, with The Power of Sprinkles, Flour Shop Founder Amirah Kassem reveals the secrets to making her magical cakes at home.

Judith

The Wizard’s Dessert Cookbook: Magical Recipes Inspired by Harry Potter, The Hobbit, Fantastic Beasts, The Chronicles of Narnia, and More by Aurelia Beaupommier

From Hobbits to Willy Wonka to Ghostbusters, from Harry Potter to Merlin, wizards and fantastic creatures alike like to put a little sweetness in their daily lives. There are bites to snack and share, charming cookies and cakes, and divine desserts that are full of mystery!

Judith

The Perfect Cookie: Your Ultimate Guide to Foolproof Cookies, Brownies, and Bars edited by America’s Test Kitchen

America's Test Kitchen has years of experience making the very best cookies; in The Perfect Cookie, the test kitchen has collected all of that knowledge in one place for the definitive guide to cookie baking.

Judith

Let’s Make Ramen!: A Comic Book Cookbook by Hugh Amano

A comic book cookbook with accessible ramen recipes for the home cook, including simple weeknight bowls, weekend project stocks, homemade noodles, and an array of delicious accompaniments, with insights and tips from notable ramen luminaries.

Shawn

Cook Anime: Eat Like Your Favorite Character-From Bento to Yakisoba by Diana Ault

Learn to recreate delicious dishes referenced in over 500 of your favorite anime series with this practical guide to anime food.

Shawn

Paul Hollywood’s baking books

Heather

Sally’s Cookie Addiction: Irresistible Cookies, Cookie Bars, Shortbread, and More form the Creator of the Sally’s Baking Addiction Blog by Sally McKenney

Bake exquisite cookies, bars, and doughs perfectly every time with Sally's Cookie Addiction, the long-awaited follow-up to baking addict and food blogger Sally McKenney's popular cookbook, Sally's Baking Addiction. A world of baking wonder awaits you and all the lucky people you’ll share these treats with.

Heather

The Whole30 Slow Cooker: 150 Totally Compliant Prep-and-Go Recipes for Your Whole30 – With Instant Pot Recipes by Melissa Hartwig

The Whole30 Slow Cooker features delicious, no-fuss dinners that cook while you work; roasts that transform into tacos, salads, and soups, for easy meals throughout the week; and satisfying one-pot meals that make prep and cleanup a breeze. These creative meals use whole-food ingredients found in any supermarket, and as an added bonus, feature recipes and directions for making your meals Instant Pot-friendly!

Heather

Keto Instant Pot: 130+ Healthy Low-Carb Recipes for Your Electric Pressure Cooker or Slow Cooker by Maria Emmerich

 In this book, international bestselling author Maria Emmerich presents more than 160 delicious low-carb, high-fat keto recipes designed to be cooked in an Instant Pot or other multi-cooker. The recipes run the gamut from appetizers and sides to soups to main dishes to sweet treats and even a few drinks, along with some handy keto basics. As a bonus, Maria also includes slow-cooking instructions (which can be done either in the Instant Pot or in a separate slow cooker) for each recipe for those days when set-it-and-forget-it convenience takes precedence over the need for speed.

Heather

The King Arthur Flour Baker’s Companion: The All-Purpose Baking Cookbook edited by King Arthur Flour

The King Arthur Flour Baker's Companion is the definitive kitchen resource. Exhaustive in scope, authoritative in style, and offering clear, practical, and encouraging instruction, it is the one book you'll turn to every time you bake. Like your set of measuring cups and favorite wooden spoon, it will become an essential kitchen tool. No kitchen in America should be without a copy.

Heather

Braided: A Journey of a Thousand Challahs by Beth Ricanati

What if you could bake bread once a week, every week? What if the smell of fresh bread could turn your house into a home? And what if the act of making the bread―mixing and kneading, watching and waiting―could heal your heartache and your emptiness, your sense of being overwhelmed? It can. This is the surprise that physician-mother Beth Ricanati learned when she started baking challah: that simply stopping and baking bread was the best medicine she could prescribe for women in a fast-paced world.

Heather

Will it Waffle?: 53 Irresistible and Unexpected Recipes to Make in a Waffle Iron by Daniel Shumski

How many great ideas begin with a nagging thought in the middle of the night that should disappear by morning, but doesn’t? For Daniel Shumski, it was: Will it waffle? Hundreds of hours, countless messes, and 53 perfected recipes later, that answer is a resounding: Yes, it will! Steak? Yes! Pizza? Yes! Apple pie? Emphatically yes.

Melissa

Cook Korean!: A Comic Book with Recipes by Robin Ha

A charming introduction to the basics of Korean cooking in graphic novel form, with 64 recipes, ingredient profiles, and more, presented through light-hearted comics.

Melissa

Bento Blast!: More Than 150 Cute and Clever Bento Box Meals for Your Kids by Li Ming Lee

With more than 160 step-by-step tutorials on how to assemble balanced bento boxes, create food art, and cook individual recipes that bridge the East and the West, Bento Blast turns food preparation into an art and makes eating fun again for both parent and child. 

Melissa

The SkinnyTaste cookbook series

Get the recipes everyone is talking about, handy nutrition facts, and stunning photographs in the cookbooks from the wildly popular blog Skinnytaste.

Riana

Cooking Light: The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook by the editors of Cooking Light

For quick, healthy, no-fuss recipes, home cooks count on Cooking Light The Essential Dinner Tonight Cookbook--the ultimate dinner guide for making, healthy tasty dishes in minutes using game plans, nutritional analyses, and over 350 recipes.

Riana

The Manga Cookbook, illustrated by Chihiro Hattori

Reading manga sure can make a person hungry! Food appears frequently in Japanese comics, but what exactly is it that the characters are eating? Introducing The Manga Cookbook, an illustrated step-by-step guide to preparing simple Japanese dishes using ingredients found in every Western kitchen.

Nicole

Rose Water and Orange Blossoms: Fresh & Classic Recipes from my Lebanese Kitchen by Maureen Abood

Pomegranates and pistachios. Floral waters and cinnamon. Bulgur wheat, lentils, and succulent lamb. These lush flavors of Maureen Abood's childhood, growing up as a Lebanese-American in Michigan, inspired Maureen to launch her award-winning blog, Rose Water & Orange Blossoms. Here she revisits the recipes she was reared on, exploring her heritage through its most-beloved foods and chronicling her riffs on traditional cuisine. 

Maura

See You on Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends by Sam Sifton

From big meats to big pots, with a few words on salad, and a diatribe on the needless complexity of desserts, See You on Sunday is an indispensable addition to any home cook’s library. From how to shuck an oyster to the perfection of Mallomars with flutes of milk, from the joys of grilled eggplant to those of gumbo and bog, this book is devoted to the preparation of delicious proteins and grains, vegetables and desserts, taco nights and pizza parties.

Maura

The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook: 75 Recipes Celebrating the Perfect Condiment by Ashley Strickland Freeman

Celebrate the South's favorite mayonnaise and learn how to cook with it in new delicious ways with this cookbook from food writer and Duke's lover Ashley Freeman.

Maura

 

GENERAL DISCUSSION

Youtube cooking shows: Sam the Cooking Guy, Mr. Make It Happen, Mandy in the Making, Roman’s Cooking Corner, FlavCity with Bobby Parrish, Joshua Weissman, Gourmet Makes

Japanese bento box cookbooks are very popular.

The Mealime meal planning website and app is fun. (www.mealime.com)

Blog: Sally’s Baking Addiction - https://sallysbakingaddiction.com/

NPR interview with author of “See You On Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends,” Sam Sifton:

https://www.npr.org/2020/04/17/836907993/best-of-sam-sifton-on-quarantine-cooking-jason-bateman

Healthy cooking is in the bag with this list of delectable cookbooks, curated by the Homewood Public Library: https://hpladultservices.wordpress.com/2020/12/03/healthy-holiday-cooking/.  Or, abandon healthy and bake ALL THE COOKIES: https://hpladultservices.wordpress.com/2020/12/12/9777/

OUTSTANDING COOKING SHOWS

Somebody Feed Phil (Netflix)

"Everybody Loves Raymond" creator Phil Rosenthal travels the globe to take in the local cuisine and culture of Bangkok, Lisbon, Mexico City and more.

The Eater’s Guide to the World (Hulu)

Join narrator Maya Rudolph on a quest to find the most unexpected places to score an epic meal, while drinking and dining with the locals along the way.

Flavorful Origins (Netflix)

Embark on a delightful journey through the culinary traditions of China and uncover the stories of the people who create and cherish its dishes.

Ugly Delicious (Netflix)

All the flavor. None of the BS. Star chef David Chang leads friends on a mouthwatering, cross-cultural hunt for the world's most satisfying grub.      

Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi (Hulu)

In Taste the Nation, award winning cookbook author, host and executive producer Padma Lakshmi, takes audiences on a journey across America, exploring the rich and diverse food culture of various immigrant groups, seeking out the people who have so heavily shaped what American food is today.             

Samurai Gourmet (Netflix)

Recent retiree Takeshi rediscovers his passion for food and life by getting in touch with his inner warrior and eating what he truly desires.