book review: The Art of French Tarts by Jacquy Pfeiffer and Martha Rose Shulman

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Knopf for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

Wowza! With over 400 pages of in depth information, this is the ONLY cookbook about tarts a person would ever need. It is evident Jacquy's over fifty years of experience has been poured into these pages. It has incredibly detailed instructions that are expanded by diagrams, charts, photos, and helpful notes like "staying out of trouble," "trick of the trade," and "variation." The bulk of the volume leans into the fundamentals and master dough recipes so the base knowledge of tart making can be perfected. Yet it also manages to fit in over 80 recipes as well.  

I anticipate going against Jacquy's advisement and "running instead of walking" into making my first tarts ;) There are a lot of steps and time involved. However, I have gotten into a rhythm with my artisan bread making and therefore believe this would be much the same once a comfort level is reached. 

When visiting Paris I was so focused on croissants and baguette that I never did try any tarts, which was clearly a big miss. Had I done so, it would have been fun to re-create some of the ones I tried. However, there are plenty of enticing options in this book. I think I'd start with one of the savory options - tomato confit tart with chorizo sausage and goat cheese, savory roasted pumpkin tart with shiitakes and aged cheddar, or the savory brioche galette with braised leeks, sweet potatoes, feta cheese, and bacon. With so many styles of crusts - rustic galette folded in edges, straight up or fluted edges, no crust, crumble, almost a pie-like top and bottom crust...this book is going to be so much fun to recipe test from!

This book makes the baking of tarts as approachable as possible to every home baker. I hope you'll join me in learning the art of tart marking. This book would also make a fantastic Christmas gift! 

book review: As We Fall Through Time by Claire North

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Orbit Books for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own.

This highly imaginative and fresh take on time travel easily skyrocketed this book into my top five reads of 2026. Cal, Fadimatu, Bede, and their fellow travelers "fall through time" by tethering themselves to objects that exist across eras—an ancient wall, a still-standing building, or a heavy boulder. However, emergence requires precision and mindfulness; a traveler must carefully calculate the risk of emerging into an exploding bomb, a collapsing structure, or a crowded street of passersby! Because the narrative spans from ancient history to the frozen end of the world, there is an immense amount of ground to cover. Yet, while the scale can be dizzying, North masterfully pieces it all together.

This back-and-forth traversal of eons is perfected by North’s distinct narrative voice and style, which brings unique sensory details to every century and layer to every character. While the time travel alone would have provided a stable foundation for the plot, there are also consequential discussions on love, humanity, greed, the preservation of history, the simultaneous insignificance and vital importance of living, and whether fate is pre-written.

As a reader, I always love walking away from a book with new recipes to try—something I certainly didn't expect to find in a sci-fi epic like this. Yet, I am now incredibly intrigued to try injera and shiro wot (inspired by Cal’s visit to a flooded 2130s NYC, taking a sampan to Bede’s high-rise apartment), currywurst in a fluffy bun with cheese chips from Berlin, and the pilav and vizier’s fingers that Fadimatu serves to her guests.

I highly recommend this book for so many reasons. It is fantastic. At the absolute bare minimum, it will beautifully expand your vocabulary; I have rarely encountered an author who wields language in such a brilliant and mesmerizing way.

book review: The Death and Birth of Iliana Marek by David Liss

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ 5/5

Thank you Tachyon Publications for providing an ARC for review consideration via NetGalley! All opinions are my own. 

This fresh sci-fi thriller had me riveted - I devoured it on a lazy Sunday! 

For the past seven years, Dan has just been trying to survive each day after being blamed for a classmate's tragic death. Shunned by both his family and his hometown, he is left feeling isolated and demeaned, with his best friend, Benito, serving as his only source of support. Everything changes one night when a mysterious figure saves him from harm — an event Dan initially writes off as a hallucination due to his dependence on prescription meds. But as Dan draws closer to this stranger and they attempt to untangle their connections to this corrupt, secretive town, both discover more about themselves and their pasts. 

The portrayal of the main character and unique writing style will resonate with fans of Josh Silver, one of my favorite authors. More broadly, though, anyone who loves a complexly crafted mystery that leaves you guessing until the last page, this is a must-read!