What I've Been Up To: Fall 2023
Publishing on soup, mushrooms, moon gardens, and more, edited by me!
Well, August came and went. (Happy September by the way!) Between moving, travel, and getting sick, I barely cooked, and when I did, it was something like chicken cutlets or a bowl of pasta. Not very exciting, hence the lack of updates over on @books.to.cook. Instead of the typical end-of-month cookbook review, I’m sending the second annual installment of “What I’ve Been Up To” (in my work life!). So here goes—all the books and formats I edited that are publishing this fall season.
🥣 Every Season is Soup Season by Shelly Westerhausen: It’s officially #Souptember so get your soup pots out! From the author of the bestselling Platters and Boards comes this versatile collection of 85+ recipes for soups, soup toppings, soup sides, and more. White Chicken Chili and French Onion Soup to Tomato-Watermelon Gazpacho and Carrot-Orange-Ginger Soup, plus ideas for repurposing leftovers. Yum!
🔭 Stargazing by Swapna Krishna: Another charming installment in the Pocket Nature series, this little handbook includes helpful tips for stargazing, including 17 easy-to-spot constellations in the northern hemisphere, plus meditations related to stars, space, and the universe. Filled with fascinating facts about outer space!
🍄 Mushroom Hunting by Emily Han and Gregory Han: Yet another installment in the Pocket Nature series, Mushroom Hunting teaches readers to identify 15 common types of shrooms, as well as how to forage as a practice in mindfulness and peaceful observation. An ideal gift for an amateur mycologist.
🎄 Very Merry Cocktails Deck: 50 recipes for seasonal cocktails in a handy trim size that’s perfect for stuffing in a stocking and displaying on a bar cart. Included are party punches, sparkling libations, non-alcoholic sippers, cozy bevs, and classic holiday cocktails (your eggnogs, your spiked cocoas).
🧘🏽 Pocket Therapy by Sana Isaac Powell: From a licensed professional counselor, this deck of 70 cards shares therapy-based practices to improve your mental health and wellbeing, such as tips for curbing toxic positivity, connecting with your inner child, avoiding procrastination, and establishing boundaries around your time.
🔥 Sexology Deck by Kanica Saphan: Enhance your relationship via intimate conversation, romantic date nights, and lusty bedroom activities. Written by a sex and couple therapist, these 60 prompts are based on proven practices and will help you and your partner deepen your connection and keep things fun and spicy.
🪴Moon Garden by Jarema Osofsky: Moon gardens are gardens that come alive at night, with plants that reflect moonlight, attract nocturnal pollinators, and release scent after sundown. This guide teaches green thumbs how to design and plant their own enchanting moon garden, whether outside, inside, in containers, or in a window box. Also included are soothing meditative rituals to practice in your garden.
That’s all for now folks. Hope you enjoy September, which is, imho, the best month of the year. Yes, it’s my birthday month so I’m biased, but c’mon! Cooling temps, sweaters, back to school, new notebooks and pens, aforementioned #souptember… Soak some of that up and I’ll be back in your inboxes in two weeks!
xo,
Claire