IF I COULD BUT SEE IT: A Graphic Biography of William Morris, by socialist and artist Nick Thorkelson

IF I COULD BUT SEE IT: A Graphic Biography of William Morris
NICK THORKELSON
Pluto Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$24.95 ebook, available now

Rating: 4.8* of five

The Publisher Says: A vivid, full-colour graphic biography of the celebrated 19th-century designer and socialist William Morris (1834–1896), the celebrated designer, driven polymath and radical socialist.

Acclaimed cartoonist Nick Thorkelson moves through the events of Morris’s life weaving a rich tapestry of the major artistic, social and political questions which animated him.

He explores Morris’s politics and art, and how his hatred of class tyranny and love of humanity shaped his poetry, design and relationships.

The book brings to life the tension of Morris’s efforts to democratise art while creating pieces for the wealthy, his critique of Britain’s Empire, and his central place in socialist culture and propaganda.

Thorkelson’s striking and idiosyncratic drawings chime with the Arts and Crafts movement’s emphasis on the humanising power of the handmade.

The book also features fourteen pages of immersive and dazzling illustrations by Sharon Rudahl, pioneer of women’s comics, honouring the literary work for which William Morris was best known during his lifetime.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: If there has ever been an illustrated biography of socialist artist, poet, and capitalism-fleecer William Morris, I did not hear about it. Now that I have it's hard for me to see why this is the first one (if it is). Morris's role in reviving and revamping Gothic architecture in the newly rich Victorian era, using the English hunger to memorialize their ill-got gains to redistribute huge sums of money from the kleptocrats to honest craftworkers.

Like Josiah Wedgwood a century earlier, Morris used the design and manufacture of gorgeous luxury goods to redress the income imbalance he saw plaguing and ruining his society as it turned from the United Kingdom into the British Empire.

a graphic synopsis

chapter opening art in the Master's style

In a clear and concise telling of the events and the beliefs that animated the events of his life, Author Thorkelson does something I both enjoy and admire: he uses the technique of Morris's métier to give we-the-reader extra, surprising insight into the forces Morris was so contemptuous of and adept at harnessing to the economic betterment of the craftworkers he employed, and the aesthetic improvement of the people who paid for it all.

Morris thinking and scheming and designing

It's only 128pp so you know how very much heavy lifting the illustrations are doing. Much time is saved, in a sense, by leaving us to look in the corners and backgrounds for the rest of the story. In a time where sequential-art storytelling is so very prevalent, finding it deployed well on a major culture-shaping visual artist and designer of built living environments is deeply refreshing.

Morris out in his world

And lo, behold! Morris made over a world that was not heading anywhere beautiful into a world that included public and private spaces with gravitas and grandeur...handcrafted by well-paid workers in an increasingly mass-produced, uninspired, enslaved by machines ethos. He made it possible for aesthetics to last into our own age.

It might not be to your personal taste but it for sure and certain could not have been created by a LLM.

THE LUCKY RED ENVELOPE: A lift-the-flap Lunar New Year Celebration, welcome to the Year of the Fire Horse

THE LUCKY RED ENVELOPE: A lift-the-flap Lunar New Year Celebration
VIKKI ZHANG
Wide Eyed Editions (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$22.99 hardcover, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: *Winner of the Society of Illustrators' 66th Annual Gold Medal*
Get ready for Lunar New Year, following a little girl and her family as they get ready for and celebrate the Lunar New Year festival.

With non-fiction information about the significance of certain rituals, but told through the excited eyes of a child, this is a book to return to year after year in the run up to the biggest festival in the Chinese calendar.

Each of the 12 spreads will feature 12 lift flaps, 144 in total.

Spreads include:
- See the little girl decorate the house with lucky red decorations
- Tidy the house to welcome in the new year
- Watch a special firework display
- Discover which animal year it will be
- Make festive dumplings with Nainai (grandma)
- Read a story about the zodiac with Yeye (grandpa)
- Watch a lion and dragon dance in the town square
- Make offerings to her ancestors
- And on the very last spread, have a traditional family reunion new year on the eve of Lunar new year and exchange lucky red envelopes.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Absolutely beautiful book! Stunning artwork making the cultural relevance of this ancient seasonal festival the US is finally learning deserves holiday attention.

Which is, of course, very upsetting to high-control people. I will not be surprised if there are opponents to this topic who are quietly working against its addition to library ourchases. Of course, interactive juvenile books don't last all that long...it's far better given as a gift to a lap-reader's lap-owner for an adult mediated experience.

Look at the way it's made:

The production values on this make me slack-jawed at the cover price. This is a complex printing and stamping job! It looks intuitive to me, which means someone designed it very carefully to work as a teaching tool.

What the story in these lovely pages does is illuminate this annual festival's cultural roots, its family-bond reinforcing uses, and its rituals in context.

Family focus is clear throughout the narrative. It's not didactic in its presentation, but sweetly organic as it unfolds the activities and actions the observances include. As a lap-reader's experience is likely to focus on acquiring this kind of information, I'd venture to guess the interactive bits will put it over the attention hump to becoming a favorite.

The Year of the Fire Horse started yesterday, 17 February 2026. It's the first one in sixty years; it has some very interesting connotations in East Asian cultures. I've linked an explainer in The Guardian for you to start learning the significance of the animal-year zodiac and its complementary elements that create each year's unique qualities. Even if you don't believe in zodiacs, the topic is a fascinating one to explore.

Aside from being culturally expanding, it is a beautiful and well-designed object to possess. I recommend it without reservation.

USING GIFT CARDS: Cookbooks...Health, Wellness, Frugality

Now that The Big Day's come and gone, lots of us have some giftcards, or some actual filthy lucre, to spend. There being no better way to spend that haul than on books, here are some reasonably priced options you might not've thought of to get your New Year's resolution-following needs met.
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COMFORT IN ONE: Simple, joyful one pot meals—The Sunday Times Bestseller
HARI BEAVIS
Carnival (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$32.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Explore 90 irresistible recipes that call for just one piece of cookware and minimal prep, delivering everyday delight to your kitchen. Whether it’s a one-pan wonder, a hearty traybake, a vibrant salad bowl, or a decadent one-tin cake, each dish promises effortless satisfaction with maximum flavour. Dive into a world of easy comfort food with the latest cookbook from Sunday Times bestselling author Hari Beavis.

Renowned for her down-to-earth approach and irresistible flavours, Hari brings you a collection of heart-warming meals that require just one pan, pot, tray or tin.

Each dish comes with handy alternative ingredient suggestions, allowing you to adapt to what’s already in your store cupboard and tailor your meals to any craving or dietary preference. From speedy suppers to slow-cooked comfort classics, you’ll find inspiration for every mood and occasion.

Recipes include:

Green Goddess Winter Pie—a nourishing, flaky-crusted delight

Rosé Wine Prawn Pasta—effortless elegance in one pan

Chorizo and Manchego Red Pepper Traybake—bold flavours with zero fuss

Slow Cooker Birria Tacos—tender, melt-in-the-mouth goodness

Garlic Butter, Lemon Chicken Orzo—creamy and comforting in a single pot

Pumpkin Risotto with Bacon and Walnut Crunch—seasonal indulgence at its best

Creamy Salmon Salad with Dill and Chive Dressing—a light yet satisfying bowl

Mozzarella, Peach and Prosciutto Salad—sweet, salty perfection

Lemon, Olive Oil and Thyme Cake—tangy and aromatic, all in one tin

With 90 soul-soothing recipes that champion simplicity and flavour, this cookbook invites you to relax, dig in, and discover how easy it is to whip up truly comforting meals. Let Hari Beavis guide you to your new favourite dish—one pot at a time.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: This is the kind of cookbook you single/two-person householders should buy immediately with your giftcards. Its focus is on how to eat well with minimum fuss on the cooking side and the cleanup side.

I think this is an idea most of us can really get behind. More people live in small households every year across the developed world. It's a great idea to get information and learn tecgniques that will help you navigate this unusual-to-many change of lifestyle. If you or your grands/niblings are just beginning this journey, now is the time to learn the practical realty management needed.

Our journey's organized by the utensil we're using one of. The delights that can be made this way, well, just look:

And, of course, she didn't forget the cake!

A lovely and useful collection of good, practical ideas to make soliary easy to clean up eating fun and pleasant.

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THE PROTEIN ADVANTAGE COOKBOOK: High-Protein, Low-Carb Recipes That Burn Fat, Build Muscle, and Restore Metabolism
CAROLYN KETCHUM
Fair Winds Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$27.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: In The Protein Advantage Cookbook, best-selling author Carolyn Ketchum sets you up for success with the new, higher-protein approach to low-carb eating with science-back advice and 100 delicious recipes.

The Protein Advantage Cookbook is the new template for low-carb eating, filled with the latest science and 100 recipes to help you meet your weight loss, body composition, and health goals.

Authored by best-selling cookbook author, Carolyn Ketchum, The Protein Advantage Cookbook includes step-by-step recipes with full-color photos, the latest research on high-protein, low-carbohydrate eating, and tips and tricks for building your high-protein, low-carbohydrate pantry.

For years, we’ve followed the traditional ketogenic diet formula: high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbs. And it worked—individuals saw the benefits of shifting from being sugar burners to fat burners. However, new science is showing that a low carbohydrate diet with higher protein ratios burns more stored fat and preserves and builds more lean muscle tissue. Recent research also suggests that a large percentage of adults are not consuming enough protein to maintain healthy bodies into middle age and beyond. And numerous experts agree that the RDA or protein for adults over age 50 is too low. High protein, low-carb diets are no longer the purview of body builders and athletes. It is a vital requirement for our health and longevity.

The Protein Advantage Cookbook provides a delicious path to health with recipes like:

Sheet Pan Omelet

Loaded Breakfast Casserole

Protein Bagels

Chocolate Donuts

Turkey Chili Verde

Korean Beef and Broccoli

Spinach Feta Chicken Burgers

Lasagna Stuffed Zucchini Boats

Pork Tenderloin with Dijon Cream Sauce

Easy Protein Chocolate Mousse

Peanut Butter Bars

Protein Cheesecake

Start your high-protein, low-carb journey to optimum health with this game-changing guide.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: High-protein eating is what turned on my latent gout decades ago. There are squads and fleets of people who need to lose weight for a variety of reasons, whose health will be improved by eating a lot more protein than carbohydrates.

The recipes in this book are simple, easy to follow, and I'll assume very well designed to improve protein deficient dieters' health.

It's obvious the book was designed with tablet-users in mind. It's a very easy to scan and understand design. It's a very well thought out guide to making your transition into a protein-heavy diet.

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SMART YOGURT: New Ways to Make Yogurt that Minimize Prep, Optimize Output, Improve Taste and Texture, Add Natural Flavors, Reduce Intolerance, and Boost Probiotics
MARK SHEPARD
Shepard Publications (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$20.00 paperback, available now

Rating: 5* of five

The Publisher Says: Continuing from his ground-breaking Smart Sourdough, Mark Shepard presents innovative approaches to what may be the world's most popular fermented food.

Yogurt is the quickest and simplest of all the fermented foods you can make at home—or it SHOULD be. More recent methods tend to complicate the process or make it less efficient. Smart Yogurt strips away unnecessary steps and identifies the most practical equipment, so your prep takes no more than a few minutes.

But maybe you have special needs or goals for your yogurt. For those who want to go beyond basics, "Smart Yogurt" presents a wealth of possibilities:

Improving taste and texture without adding to prep time.

Adding natural flavors and colors before incubation, without interfering with firming.

Making your own lactose-free yogurt to increase tolerance.

Boosting your yogurt's probiotic value by starting it from scratch—without any yogurt starter, dried "heirloom" culture, or probiotic tablets.

Making your own non-dairy yogurt without thickeners or stabilizers.

Whether you want to simplify your yogurt making, explore new options, or just understand all the ways milk can be turned into one of the world's most popular foods, Smart Yogurt is your guide.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: I love this kind of book...simplifying the making of a food that can be quite costly, enabling you to take control of a process traditionally performed at home. It's such a great idea.

All of these are tech discussed in relation to the making of yogurt in the book. The Instant Pot was the most familiar to me, and I'd guess to you as well.

The end products are very familiar, aren't they? Making them yourself is something we can all do pretty easily with this kind of guidance from this author's simple instructions.

USING GIFT CARDS: Cookbooks...weird and witchy

Now that The Big Day's come and gone, lots of us have some giftcards, or some actual filthy lucre, to spend. There being no better way to spend that haul than on books, here are some reasonably priced options you might not've thought of to get your spooky-cake-eating needs met.
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THE LITTLE GOTHIC BAKESHOP: Over 50 Recipes with Sweetness and Shadows in Every Bite
HELENA GARCÍA
Castle Books (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$19.99 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: The Little Gothic Bakeshop features over 50 deliciously spooky and inventive recipes that bring a gothic twist to everyday baking. Give your baking a wicked, whimsigoth twist with The Little Gothic Bakeshop, featuring sweet and savory treats with a gothic flair.

The Little Gothic Bakeshop showcases over 50 spooky and inventive recipes from The Great British Baking Show star, Helena Garcia, who impressed the judges and audiences alike with her creepy creations. Brewing with mystique, this cookbook is your go-to guide to easily transform ordinary recipes into macabre masterpieces, including devilishly delicious cakes, cookies, pastries, breads, desserts, and drinks.

Covering Bewitching Beverages, Spooky Cookies and Candies, Ghoulish Breads and Pastries, To-Die-For Desserts, and Macabre Cakes and Bakes, unleash your inner goth with recipes like:

Black Cat Mini Swiss Rolls

Spiderweb Sand-witch Cookies

Vampire's Bloody Valentine Lollipops

Flying Broomstick Focaccia Muffins

Skull Boba Bubble Tea

Scary Berry Lemon Tarts

Gothic Arch Peanut Butter Cheesecake

Bat Fougasse

Cemetery Traybake slices

And more!

A combination of tactile illustration and darkened photography throughout the book is a homage to the old Victorian aesthetic of gothic elegance. Step into the dark side of baking and discover recipes that are easy to make, fun and spooky to design, and delicious when devoured. Whether you’re an everyday goth or Halloween-obsessed, The Little Gothic Bakeshop is filled with tricks and treats designed to bring some ghoulish fun to your baking repertoire!

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: The draw here is less unique recipes, these are fairly usual baking-cookbook fare, but GBBO season 10 Helena's design aesthetic.

I thought both Helena and Michelle were robbed that season. I loved Helena's complete willingness to stick to a theme...the vampire's kiss cocktail cake!...went underappreciated by the judges. Her latest baking cookbook is more about how to take ordinary bakes to the next level in theme and decoration. That was Helena's gift, and she's sticking with it.

Small bakes for small crowds, like those above, or big ones for parties like below:

There's all the stuff between, too, like main courses and dinner-do desserts and weird, witch drinks:

Much against my personal taste I'll include some of her chocolate stuff here at the end so I don't have to look at it often:

There. Happy now, chocoholics?

A lovely little lifestyle-enhancer for all y'all Halloweeners who wouldn't buy this unless it was a self-gift.

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BEYOND DELICIOUS COOKBOOK: Recipes & Stories from the Original Ghost Whisperer (2nd Edition, Revised)
MARY ANN WINKOWSKI & David Powers
Clerisy Press (non-affiliate Bookshop.org link)
$22.00 all editions, available now

Rating: 4.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Savor this collection of more than 100 recipes, shared with the Ghost Whisperer by the spirits of several great cooks.

We cook because our connection to food is ever-present. We cook for sustenance and joy. For a culinary experience that’s completely unique, the Beyond Delicious Cookbook tickles your tastebuds while making your paranormal senses tingle. It is half cookbook and half ghost story—two ingredients needed to create meals that are tasty and chillingly unforgettable.

Mary Ann Winkowski (aka “The Ghost Whisperer”) has been communicating with earthbound spirits for most of her life, and she learned that our connection with food is not broken after death. In fact, she has received countless recipes from spirits of great cooks who have passed on. Co-written by David Powers, the Beyond Delicious Cookbook features more than 100 of these recipes, each paired with the ghostly tale of how Mary Ann learned about the dish. The book is divided into sections about soups, sides, main dishes, desserts, and more.

As Mary Ann notes, these recipes are the best home-cooked meals you can find because they came from the kitchens of families who prepared and perfected them over a lifetime. The meals are so beloved that the living asked Mary Ann to get them or so meaningful that a spirit asked her to record them for those left behind. The stories that go along with the recipes are often sweet, sometimes spooky, and always transfixing.

Book Features:

More than 100 recipes passed to Mary Ann from beyond the grave

Ghost stories that explain where each recipe came from

Sections that feature main dishes, sides, desserts, and more

Family favorites that have been handed down from previous generations

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA EDELWEISS+. THANK YOU.

My Review: Believe in ghosts? This cookbook of their remembered favorite recipes is likely to be a hit with you.

Don't believe in ghosts? Bet you like good, basic cooking books to glean new ideas from. And it looks right pretty doing it.

That's as fancy as we get; the Introduction is much more typical of the way information's presented. It's good, basic cooking, and the recipes are not hard to follow.

It's a fun concept for a decent cookbook, presented well. A nice, whimsical self-gift.