December Reads.
Leyla: The Black Tulip (Girls of Many Lands Series) by Alev Lytle Croutier
Again, I am impressed by this series. Leyla is well written with interesting characters and a steadily developing plot which should engage most readers.
When the Emperor was Divine by Julie Otsuka
That such a small book should tell such a terrible story so well. Timely. Profound. Stark.
The Sweet Potato Queens' Big Ass Cookbook (and Financial Planner) by Jill Conner Browne
The financial advice probably will not make you rich and the recipes (Death Corn Five is even better the second day) will give you a cholesterol problem, but who cares? This is one hilarious book (even The Husband thought so).
The Enchanted Forest Chronicles by Patricia Wrede
Includes Dealing with Dragons, Searching for Dragons, Calling on Dragons, and Talking to Dragons in one real purty book club omnibus edition. Hilarious, fun, sarcastic, and clever -- a good "make me happy" read.
Jewish Cooking in America by Joan Nathan
My favorite kind of cookbook -- both a recipe book and a culinary history. Fun to read as well as to cook from. An excellent companion to Nathan's The Foods of Israel Today
East by Edith Pattou
Wow, what a good YA fantasy! Combining elements of the fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, the legend of Cupid and Psyche, and aspects of Norse mythology, this is an utterly captivating story. Beautiful cover art, too.
Poetry 180: A Turning Back to Poetry intro. by Billy Collins
Wonderful little book full of approachable poems for people who avoid or disparage poetry. While this collection is a print version of the LOC's Poetry 180 project the poems currently on the site are different from those in the book. Ideally, you should read both.
In the Forests of Serre by Patricia A. McKillip
Beautifully crafted, but very dense and full of twisty passages. Best read slowly and carefully over a period of evenings. If you like creative usage of language or interpretations of old fairy stories, this is a good pick. I mean, it has Baba Yaga -- what's not to like?