The books Southern indie booksellers are recommending to readers everywhere!

Cooking

Linger by Hetty Lui McKinnon

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Linger by Hetty Lui McKinnon
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I love to sip morning coffee and page through a cookbook looking for dinner inspiration, so when it’s as much fun to READ a cookbook as it is to cook and eat from it, I’m in heaven. Hetty Lui McKinnon’s Linger offers up not just healthy recipes for salads (think both hearty and delicate) and desserts (think healthy and easy) but her tips on making food ahead, entertaining and creating community with food- in a warm and engaging style that will have you trying new things even on weeknights. Bonus! Her daughter has short essays about music and food with accompanying playlists (via QR code).

Linger by Hetty Lui McKinnon, (List Price: $40, Knopf, 9780593804193, October 2025)

Reviewed by Jamie, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Food for Thought by Alton Brown

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Food for Thought by Alton Brown
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You don’t have to be familiar with any food programs to have great fun reading these essays. Funny, quirky, and honest, they are as much about life as food, or even food as life.

Food for Thought by Alton Brown, (List Price: $28.99, Gallery Books, 9781668064214, February 2025)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Gateaux by Mori Yoshida

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Gateaux by Mori Yoshida
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There are different types of cookbooks. Some focus on the science…others on weeknight meals…but this one focuses on beauty, gorgeous pictures make this cookbook an adult picture book that you want to look at over and over. The recipes are not simple but works of art that will take your time and reward you with all things beautiful, beautiful to look at and pop in your mouth.

Gateaux by Mori Yoshida, (List Price: $40, Tra Publishing, 9781962098120, April 2025)

Reviewed by Ashby Rushing, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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Boustany by Sami Tamimi

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Boustany by Sami Tamimi
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Boustany has been on my radar for a while now, and I am happy to report it is everything you could want and more! Filled with luscious recipes that are rich in tradition yet infused with new ideas that bring something fresh, the pantry section alone had me feeling like I had ascended into spice and pickled heaven. The history and culture that’s embedded in each dish add something so special and meaningful that it brings this book to a new level, truly something for everyone!

Boustany by Sami Tamimi, (List Price: $37.99, Ten Speed Press, 9781984863188, July 2025)

Reviewed by Grace Sullivan, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall

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What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall
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John Birdsall is the winner of two James Beard awards for food and culture writing and the author of The Many Who Ate Too Much: The Life of James Beard (which I also devoured!!). Focused on the European and American food scenes starting in the late 19th century. Birdsall deftly combines food writing and cultural history in this book he was born to write. Swinging by the tables of Truman Capote, James Baldwin, Alice B. Toklas, and others, we are shown the intersections between fashion, music, art, and food. It’s deliciously dishy, but also deeply substantive. If I could give Michelin stars to a book, I would give this 3 stars! (That’s the most you can give, btw).

What Is Queer Food? by John Birdsall, (List Price: $29.99, W. W. Norton & Company, 9781324073796, June 2025)

Reviewed by Kelly Justice, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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You Gotta Eat by Margaret Eby

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You Gotta Eat by Margaret Eby
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I loved this book. I never learned how to cook and have spent most of my life struggling with feeding myself. What I would give to go back in time and hand this book to younger versions of myself. I’m also someone with a history of disordered eating and depression, and this book speaks so kindly to those parts of me. If you struggle with feeding yourself, either because you didn’t learn how to cook, or you’re depressed or low-energy, or you just have a demanding job and can’t deal with making yourself an involved, multi-step dinner, this book is the answer. It helped me so much that I told the registered dietitian I work with about it, and she bought one for her office. I’m also obsessed with one of the meals in the book: potstickers, broccoli, and ramen. And not for nothing, this is one of the funniest books I’ve ever read. Three cheers for Margaret!

You Gotta Eat by Margaret Eby, (List Price: $19.99, Quirk Books, 9781683694427, November 2024)

Reviewed by Kim Baldwin, Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee

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A Grain, a Green, a Bean by Gena Hamshaw

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A Grain, a Green, a Bean by Gena Hamshaw
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This cookbook is stunning and would look beautiful on any home cook’s shelf. Gena Hamshaw’s simple formula of grain+green+bean = mouthwatering, healthy meals that I cannot wait to try.

A Grain, a Green, a Bean by Gena Hamshaw, (List Price: $26, Ten Speed Press, 9781984863201, April 2025)

Reviewed by Jessica Nock, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein

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The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein
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If you’ve been to a specialty grocery store in the last few years, you’ve surely seen these charming tins glittering from the canned foods aisle. Founded in 2020, Fishwife sought to glamorize the pantry staples of tuna and sardines. Now, they’re sharing how to take these versatile, shelf-stable products to the next level with indulgent, European (with a few Asian) inspired, veggie-packed recipes. Simple, delectable snacks and dips, self-care inspired meals for one, and extravagant summery salads populate this whimsical book, peppered with adorable maximalist illustrations and mouthwatering photos! So many pastas I’m dying to try!

The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein, (List Price: $30, Harvest, 9780063382527, February 2025

Reviewed by Julia Lewis, Fountain Bookstore in Richmond, Virginia

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Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti

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Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti
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A delicious and beautiful cookbook! I love the variety of ingredients that are rooted in the area, especially ones I never even thought about using. If you’re ever bored of the same old same old biscuits and gravy in your average Southern cookbooks, give this a shot! The flavor combinations are to die for.

Our South: Black Food Through My Lens by Ashleigh Shanti, (List Price: $40, Union Square & Co., 9781454949121, October 2024)

Reviewed by Lana Repic, E. Shaver Bookseller in Savannah, Georgia

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Bake Club by Christina Tosi

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Bake Club by Christina Tosi
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Another social media cookbook crossover, many of the recipes debuted online. Now gathered in a useful collection that focuses on minimal ingredients and basic techniques. The tone is all about having fun and improvising. Recipes are truly accessible, and Bloom knows how to cheerlead cooking. A great gift for new and old cooks.

Bake Club by Christina Tosi, (List Price: $35, Knopf, 9780593802397, November 2024)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, Georgia

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Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn

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Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn
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A well-researched history of recipes tied to Southern towns and regions. Many of the recipes are not new. The value is in the breadth of communities represented in the biographies and histories. This is a broad and inclusive South with plenty of tempting recipes presented with clear instructions.

Baking in the American South by Anne Byrn, (List Price: $44.99, Harper Celebrate, 9780785291336, September 2024)

Reviewed by Jan Blodgett, Main Street Books in Davidson, North Carolina

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Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez

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Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez
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An exciting and creative cookbook filled with classic American treats. These recipes add some uniquely Caribbean flavors to quintessential desserts. I can’t wait to make the Sorrel Snickerdoodles and the OG Chocolate Chip Thick’ems.

Bodega Bakes by Paola Velez, (List Price: $35, Union Square & Co., 9781454952374, October 2024)

Reviewed by Michelle Whittaker, Fonts Books in Mclean, Virginia

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Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi

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Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi
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Ottolenghi was once my family’s favorite local cafe. I’ve collected the signed cookbooks for many years, and cooking from them reminds me of my London days. This latest book is a winner, and I’ll recommend it for cozy recipes that feature bold flavors and international influences that reflect the delicious London food scene.

Ottolenghi Comfort by Yotam Ottolenghi, (List Price: $37.99, Ten Speed Press, 9780399581779, October 2024)

Reviewed by Maggie Robe, Flyleaf Books in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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Pass the Plate by Carolina Gelen

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Pass the Plate by Carolina Gelen
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One of the things that Gelen gets absolutely right with this book is textural contrast in the recipes. If you love yogurt sauces, crispy rice and potatoes and fresh herbs, this cookbook should live in your kitchen, as it will in mine (as soon as I get a hard copy)! Some of my favorite recipes here are: Gruyere-Stuffed Dates with Salted Sesame Honey, Spiced Kebabs with Mint Sauce and Pineapple, Saucy Beans al Limone, and Honey Balsamic Roasted Cauliflower. By the way, Gelen really, really knows how to use a lemon. If you’re looking for something bright and beautiful on your table, start with Pass the Plate.

Pass the Plate by Carolina Gelen, (List Price: $35, Clarkson Potter, 9780593581872, September 2024)

Reviewed by Julia Paganelli Marin, Pearl’s Books in Fayetteville, Arkansas

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Chocolate Lover : A Baking Book—Decadent Treats by Michele Song

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Chocolate Lover : A Baking Book—Decadent Treats by Michele Song
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As a self-professed chocoholic, this book is fantastic! There are familiar favorites, different takes on classics, and new chocolate treats that make me want to get in the kitchen pronto. I want to sample every recipe. YUMMMMMY!”

Chocolate Lover : A Baking Book—Decadent Treats by Michele Song, (List Price: $27.95, Chronicle Books, 9781797215914, September 2024)

Reviewed by Kim Brock, Joseph-Beth Booksellers Lexington in Lexington, Kentucky

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