Book of the Day Roundup: January 26-30, 2026
A Dance with Death
Amanda Linsmeier
Keylight Books
Hardcover $33.99 (320pp)
979-888798090-4
Buy: Local Bookstore (Bookshop)
A gothic fairytale with nods to “Beauty and the Beast,” Amanda Linsmeier’s A Dance with Death explores the overlap of love and grief.
The three Bell sisters have seen their shares of loss—of their parents, their home, and the husband and stillborn child of the eldest, Aven. Corliss holds them together as they run their family’s apothecary shop in the Pins, a small seaside town. One morning, Corliss catches grief-stricken Aven walking into the sea; shortly after, she disappears and is presumed dead.
Unable to accept this, Corliss makes a desperate decision: She goes to the rumored home of a demon in hopes of making a trade for Aven’s return. Inside the mansion, she finds only a pair of red ballet slippers; they call to her, and she steals them, growing connected to them as she uses them to rekindle her love for dancing. The mansion was not as deserted as it appeared, however: the demon, Orrin, comes to collect—first the shoes, then Corliss herself. She is imprisoned and forced to dance for him.
But Corliss is no submissive captive. She sees her sentence as an opportunity to bargain for Aven’s life. As tempers cool and feelings spark, a tenuous truce leads to a daring plan. But Corliss and Orrin have to face a greater evil in order to save Aven and each other.
The atmospheric prose paints lush pictures of misty beaches, hollow mansion halls, and a demonic queen’s court. Grief weighs heavy over all, clouding perceptions and people’s good judgement. The tender portrayal of the quiet devastation of grief is standout, rooting the characters in empathetic experiences, even when they aren’t human at all.
An atmospheric Gothic novel, A Dance with Death probes the pain of grief within a supernatural world.
DANIELLE BALLANTYNE (December 18, 2025)
The Ramadan Kitchen
Nourishing Recipes from Fast to Feast
Ilhan Mohamed Abdi
Haarala Hamilton, photographer
Interlink Books
Hardcover $36.00 (224pp)
978-1-62371-569-4
Buy: Local Bookstore (Bookshop)
Highlighting cycles of fasting and feasting, Ilhan Mohamed Abdi’s creative, enchanting cookbook features an enticing mix of new and traditional Middle Eastern recipes.
Born in Somalia and raised in London, Abdi produces an alluring collection of recipes from various Muslim cultures. Her sources include handwritten recipes handed down by her mother and aunts and creative variations that reflect the influence of British and North African cuisines. Organized around the daily rhythms of Ramadan, the recipes include predawn Suhoor meals like Yemeni Lahsa (stewed tomatoes with eggs and cheese); small “bites” like Bajiye (Somali split-pea fritters) consumed at sunset after the daily fast; and hearty lamb, chicken, and beef stews for the evening meal. Sweet and savory dishes for Eid at the close of the monthlong celebration are also featured.
The meals are depicted in gorgeous full-page photographs. The featured flavors favor the Middle East, as with piquant blends of cumin, cinnamon, cardamom, and cilantro. Many of the dishes are meat based, but there are also lovely recipes for sea bass and cod and and intriguing plant-based recipes for vegetable lasagna, broccoli slaw, and date cinnamon rolls.
With a focus on “meals for real life,” the book emphasizes readily available ingredients and includes tips for stocking the pantry and preparing dishes in advance. While many items are traditional, there are clever, modern twists included, such as adding dill to beef for samosas and adding potatoes to the chickpea mixture for falafel. Evocative, reverential descriptions of Muslim beliefs and the cadences of Ramadan round the book out, as with Abdi’s lyrical reflections on quiet time spent with her family over the years.
While Ramadan Kitchen is designed to enrich ritual celebrations for practicing Muslims, it will also appeal to anyone interested in Middle Eastern flavors or in the warm, family-centered customs of the holiday.
KRISTEN RABE (December 18, 2025)
The Curious Life of Cecilia Payne
Discovering the Stuff of Stars
Laura Alary
Yas Imamura, illustrator
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers
Hardcover $19.99 (56pp)
978-0-8028-5515-2
Buy: Local Bookstore (Bookshop)
In this way-blazing biographical picture book, watercolor and gouache illustrations track the trail of Cecilia Payne, a renowned astronomer who overcame sexism and self-doubt to succeed. Cecilia knew she was a scientist early on, preferring the company of nature to that of her peers; she studied astronomy at Cambridge, but as a woman, she was not granted a degree. At Harvard, she became part of an elite group of women studying the stars; her research changed the field of astronomy forever.
DANIELLE BALLANTYNE (December 18, 2025)
Menopause
What Your Ob-Gyn Wants You to Know
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
ACOG
Softcover $21.99 (256pp)
978-1-948258-63-0
Buy: Local Bookstore (Bookshop)
This practical, comprehensive health book addresses every imaginable subject related to menopause, including the timing of menopause and perimenopause; biological and hormonal shifts during the transition; basic signs and symptoms; hot flashes and night sweats; and abnormal bleeding. With a matter-of-fact and nonjudgmental tone, the book delves into potentially sensitive issues including mood changes, incontinence, sleep problems, sexual health, and weight gain. General health concerns associated with aging are also discussed, including bone health, heart disease, diabetes, vaccinations, and cancer screenings.
The book’s approach is instructive and supportive. For instance, a section on finding the right doctor includes clear explanations of medical specialties related to women’s health and suggestions for getting the most out of a medical appointment. Available medications are described along with natural approaches, including diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes that can ease symptoms. Sections on mental health include useful information on distinguishing between depression versus “feeling down” and early dementia versus “brain fog” with recommendations on when to consult a mental health professional.
The information is presented in direct, nontechnical language and is organized under logical headings and subheadings. Numerous illustrations and charts are used to amplify key points. Timely topics are highlighted, including recent weight loss drugs, the potential downside of herbal supplements, and suggestions for navigating misleading information on social media and online advertising. Further, the book is sensitive to unique challenges faced by women of color, those in the LGBTQ+ community, and women with histories of traumatic experiences. The advice is empowering throughout, designed to “help move past stereotypes,” with the book emphasizing that “there is no right or wrong way to feel about your menopause experience.”
Menopause is an enlightening and accessible resource on a vital women’s health issue.
KRISTEN RABE (December 18, 2025)
A Spell for Drowning
Rebecca Ferrier
Alcove Press
Hardcover $29.99 (304pp)
979-889242283-3
Buy: Local Bookstore (Bookshop)
In Rebecca Ferrier’s captivating novel A Spell for Drowning, sisters’ fates are tied to the mythical beings off the Cornish coast.
Kensa lives in Cornwall. Her outlaw father was executed; her mother remarried. Charged with watching her younger half sister Elowen, Kensa finds her at the beach where a sea monster, the Morgawr, has come to die. The village wise woman, Isolde, assumes that Kensa found the Morgawr and takes her as an apprentice.
Already an outcast, Kensa thrives under Isolde’s tutelage, though fearing that Elowen will claim her rightful place as her apprentice. Elowen keeps her secret, though. Meanwhile, though the Pact binds mythical creatures to the sea as long as a wise woman keeps her bargain on the land, merfolk and other predatory creatures begin to infiltrate the village, sweeping Kensa and Elowen into their dangerous games.
Kensa’s stubbornness both aids and hinders her training. The mistakes she makes when plunging ahead on her own grow more dire each time. The Bucka, one of the mythical creatures bound up in the Pact, manipulates her to his own ends, and Kensa is slow to mature and right her wrongs. But she does learn, and as she takes responsibility for her actions and for her community, she demonstrates satisfying development.
The sparse yet lyrical language vivifies the villagers whose lives are suspended between the land and sea, described as born “on ship bones and their anchors, seal skins and scallop ears.” In the harrowing climax, Kensa’s greatest mistake results in a monstrosity terrorizing the village. Her sister Elowen persists in helping and, in doing so, helps heal the rift between the sisters and the rift in the Pact.
In the alluring fantasy novel A Spell for Drowning, a girl comes of age, and into her wisdom, in a world where folklore and myths still rule.
JEANA JORGENSEN (December 12, 2025)
Kathy Young
