10 2022 New Releases That Are Already on My TBR

Do you ever have those moments where you are blissfully going about your day, minding your business, only to glance at a calendar and have reality hit you in the face? Hard?

Hello, welcome to mid-October! Surprised you've ended up here? Me too!

The thing about the middle of October is that it means that it is basically already Halloween. Which means it's almost Thanksgiving. Which means it's almost Christmas. Which means a new year is on the horizon, and oh yeah! What were my New Year's resolutions again?

Personally, I feel time has gone by so quickly over the past few months. I have a ton of projects and big life changes lined up in the next few weeks, and no idea how I'm going to get them all done. There is a silver lining, however!

A new year means new books!

There are SO MANY incredible new releases coming out in 2022, and I don't know about you all, but I'm already starting to put together my holiday wishlists.

(Sidenote: Is there anything better than asking someone to pre-order a book for you, as a birthday/holiday/graduation/generalized celebration gift? It is truly the gift that keeps on giving!)

If you, too, are looking to jump on some of the more exciting new releases coming up, I've got a list of ten promising options for you!

1. A Far Wilder Magic - Allison Saft

This has been one of the most hyped books I've seen on Book Twitter over the past few months. A lot of that, I suspect, has to do with the absolutely STUNNING cover. Seriously, it might be one of my top ten book covers that I've ever seen. The premise stands on its own though. The book centers on a sharpshooter and an aspiring alchemist, who join forces to compete in a hunt to find a mythical beast. It looks like it is going to be full of dark atmosphere, and one of my personal favorite tropes: a grumpy person and a ray of sunshine falling in love with each other. Not to mention the fact that Saft has said it is inspired by the 1920s! It's rare to find a fantasy set in that era, and I'm really interested to see how science, myth, and magic all intertwine. "A Far Wilder Magic" releases on March 8, 2022

PREORDER HERE

2. Juniper and Thorn - Ava Reid

Reid and Saft actually just recently did an event together. After finishing Reid's "The Wolf and the Woodsman" (recipe forthcoming! Stay tuned!), I can see how these two writers pair well. I loved Reid's debut, so when I heard about "Juniper and Thorn," it went straight onto the TBR. If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I love a good fairy tale retelling. Reid's upcoming book is based on the little-known Grimm Brothers' story entitled "The Juniper Tree," widely considered to be one of their darkest stories (can you say cannibalism?). The main character, Marlinchen, and her sisters are the last witches left in their city and are kept away from the outside world by their close-minded father. Marlinchen's horizons are broadened, when she falls in love with a dancer in the city's new ballet theatre. But, of course, this is a fairy tale. Monsters lurk in the shadows, threatening to upend the world as they know it, and I have a feeling it will be up to this trio of sisters to save the day. It sounds like the perfect fall read, and I so wish I could have my hands on a copy ASAP! Alas, we will all have to wait until June 7, 2022 to dive into Reid's new, magical, world!

PREORDER HERE

3. A Magic Steeped in Poison - Judy I. Lin

Judy I. Lin's debut fantasy has one of the most compelling magic systems I've heard of in a long time! Three words, everyone. Magical. Tea. Brewing. I mean...come on! Doesn't that immediately pique your curiosity?

The book tells the story of Ning, who enters a competition to find the kingdom's best Shennong-shi; a master of magical tea brewing. However, Ning already has a complicated relationship with the art form, as she accidentally killed her mother through a cup of poisoned tea. And for some reason, that same poison now threatens her sister's life. Winning the prestigious competition is the only way to ensure her sister's safety, but the competition itself is riddled with dangers that Ning will have to face first.

I am a huge sucker for any story where siblings sacrifice everything to protect each other, and get the sense that this one will really tug at my heartstrings. I ALSO think I may need to create a tea-inspired recipe! Who knows? I guess we'll all have to wait until March 22, 2022!

PREORDER HERE

4. How High We Go In The Dark - Sequoia Nagamatsu

While I love to read books from all sorts of genres, and written for all age ranges, I find I tend to get more pre-emptively excited for YA fantasy, and sort of stumble into the adult reads that I end up falling in love with. But the premise for Sequoia Nagamatsu's debut has really stuck in my head and made me excited to dig in.

A decade in the future, an archeologist and his team are studying the preserved remains of a child, who has been frozen in the ice of the arctic. However, when they accidentally start a spread of the virus that killed her, it sets in motion a chain of events, both tiny and large, that will echo across the globe for years to come.

"How High We Go In The Dark," has been compared to David Mitchell's sprawling "Cloud Atlas," and certainly seems to contain many of the elements that made the latter's work compelling to me; an ensemble cast, a theme of interconnectedness, and new, imaginative worlds. However, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, I imagine Nagamatsu's work will resonate deeply with lots of us, who have had our worlds flipped completely upside down. The book will be released on January 18, 2022.

PREORDER HERE

5. You Truly Assumed - Laila Sabreen

In the early days of the pandemic, my close friends and I started a virtual book club, as a way to try to stay close when the virus forced us apart. We all have hugely differing tastes in books, and as a result, I ended up reading in a lot of genres that I don't often pick up. One of those is YA contemporary, and I really enjoyed a lot of the books my friends selected. I picked Laila Sabreen's debut for this list because I know many of my friends will be excited about this one.

After seeing an increase in Islamophobia in her hometown, Muslim teen Sabriya starts a blog entitled You Truly Assumed in order to process her feelings. What starts as a personal project, spirals out into a viral sensation, leading Sabriya to make friends with two other Black Muslim girls in her community. As the attention and subsequent hateful attacks increase, the girls have to make a choice between speaking up for what they believe in, or shutting the blog down. The decision, of course, weighs heavily on their friendship, and the girls start to wonder if that will survive, too.

Allow me to shout it from the mountaintops: I LOVE STORIES FEATURING FEMALE FRIENDSHIP. Especially, when it's the crux of the book and not a sidenote. I actually think this is really difficult to find outside of the Middle-Grade category, as more and more books focus on romantic relationships (and don't get me wrong, I like those too). I love the idea of getting to share a book that centers on this, with my group of female friends. Sabreen's book debuts on February 8, 2022.

PREORDER HERE

6. Witchlings - Claribel A. Ortega

Claribel Ortega has been one of my favorite internet presences in the past year. You might recognize her as a co-host of the Write or Die podcast, or from her MG debut novel "Ghost Squad," which was published earlier this year. Or, maybe, you, like me, spend a lot of time laughing at her tweets and Instagram reels. Regardless, "Witchlings" sounds like the stuff dreams are made of!

Twelve-year-old Seven Salazar is excited to find out what coven she will be sorted into, so she can finally unlock her powers as a full-fledged witch. But things don't go according to plan, and Seven finds herself being declared a Spare, with her hopes of being able to work powerful magic dashed to pieces. Her only hope is to band together with a group of her fellow Spares to perform The Impossible Task. A task so difficult that the last group who attempted it, turned into toads! It will take teamwork and cooperation, but in the end, the witchlings might finally get a taste of the magic they always dreamed of!

I think some people have some funky attitudes about adults reading middle-grade books. But, some of the most impactful books in my life have been middle-grade, and I have continued to enjoy reading them as I age. A good story is a good story, and Witchlings sounds exactly like the book ten-year-old Maureen would have wanted to find, while combing the shelves of her local library. But don't take my word for it! Go out and buy a copy for yourself on February 1, 2022.

PREORDER HERE

7. The Girl Who Fell Beneath The Sea - Axie Oh

Let me take a moment to tell you all what the comps for this book were.

"Spirited Away meets Naomi Novik's Uprooted."

SPIRITED AWAY.

MEETS

UPROOTED.

Um....favorites meeting favorites? Count me in, 1000%!

Mina's hometown has been ravaged by dangerous storms for years, with most people blaming the Sea God for the destruction. In an attempt to placate him, each year, the village's most beautiful girl is thrown into the sea, with the hopes that the Sea God will fall in love, and finally bring peace. Unfortunately, this year, the girl in question is Shim Cheong, who also happens to be the girl Mina's brother is in love with. To protect her brother, Mina sacrifices herself in Shim Cheong's stead, only to find that not all is as it appears to be under the sea.

Mina cannot survive in the spirit realm forever. But she is the only one who can fix the problems there, and save her hometown. With the help of a soulless boy, gods, and demons, Mina must wake the sleeping Sea God before it is too late.

The book comes out on February 22, 2022, and you better pre-order your copy because I will be buying every copy within a ten-mile radius of me.

PREORDER HERE

8. Cafe con Lychee - Emery Lee

Again, I don't read a whole ton of contemporary YA. And I really don't read a whole lot of contemporary romance. But I LOVE Emery Lee's Twitter presence, and you all already know how I feel about food-centric books.

Theo wants nothing more than to leave behind his small Vermont town, and his parent's Asian-American cafe. Gabi's only safe place is his parents' Puerto Rican cafe, which he one day hopes to run. When a new restaurant opens in town, threatening their parents' businesses, both boys see their dreams slipping away forever.

They decide to band together, to sell food at school, with the hopes of drawing in new customers. But, of course, feelings develop that threaten to ruin all their plans.

I, personally, eagerly await this books' release on May 10, 2022, as well as the subsequent Netflix movie because...come on! It's too perfect, right? Is this not 100% the rom-com you want to see brought to life on screen? I sure do. And, who knows, maybe I'll be crafting a recipe or two to go along with it all!

PREORDER HERE

9. A Comb of Wishes - Lisa Stringfellow

In terms of magical creatures being featured in literature, I really feel mermaids have gotten the short end of the stick. We've had vampires, werewolves, dragons, and unicorns (seriously, though. Why are all kids today OBSESSED with unicorns?). Mermaids are fun! They're beautiful, spooky, humanoid, with such great lore behind them!

Lisa Stringfellow's debut MG novel "A Comb of Wishes," is here to bridge that gap for us, though! Based in Caribbean folklore, the story follows young Kela, who is deeply grieving the death of her mother, when she and her friend discover a magical comb in a coral cave. The comb belongs to a mermaid, who is obligated to grant Kela one wish. Kela, of course, only has one wish: to bring her mother back. But, as any good reader will tell you, wishes always come with complications.

I love writers who aren't afraid to tackle big subjects like grief and loss with their young readers, and look forward to reading Stringfellow's book when it releases on February 8, 2022!

PREORDER HERE

10. This Vicious Grace - Emily Thiede

Our list is ending with a classic adult fantasy tale, about a woman whose magic ends up killing every partner she touches. Alessa's gift from the gods has gone awry three times when it is supposed to magnify her partner's magic instead. To top it all off, demons threaten the safety of everyone on the island where she lives. If she can't find a partner to help her fight them off, they will devour everyone and everything.

But when the local priest convinced everyone that Alessa is the one whose magic is wreaking chaos on their town, she is forced to hire a surly bodyguard to protect her from everyone, while she tries to control her magic. Her new bodyguard may be the key to understanding her powers and her heart...but is she willing to take that risk?

I'm very curious to read about this island setting, and I always love the mix of religion and magic in. fantasy. Thiede's debut comes out June 28, 2022!

PREORDER HERE

Are you adding any of these books to your TBR? Are their upcoming releases you are excited about? Let me know in the comments below!

Triple Tomato Pasta Inspired by "Kitchens of the Great Midwest."

There are a lot of stereotypes about Minnesotans.

You know and love them. The funny accents with the emphasis on the "O's." The tater tot hotdishes. The icy cold winters unfit for human habitation.

And I'm not saying those things aren't true. But that list ignores the single most defining characteristic of any tried and true Minnesotan.

We LOVE to talk about Minnesota.

We will list out the various merits of our state to anyone who is polite enough to listen. Stumble upon a fellow Minnesotan in a place other than Minnesota? Congratulations, you are legally obligated to be best friends now. And let's not forget The Minnesotan Uniform: Red Wing Boots, a long sleeve tee procured from a state park or campground "Up North," and a Love Your Melon beanie (Patagonia down vest optional).

But there is nothing - NOTHING - like the pure, unadulterated high that comes from hearing Minnesota mentioned in any form of media.

Which is, of course, why I went a little gaga over J. Ryan Stradal's "Kitchens of the Great Midwest."

The book centers on Eva Thorvald, a young girl with a prodigious palate and an insatiable curiosity about food. With each chapter, we are introduced to a new character whose life is changed in ways big and small by Eva and her food.

And where, you may ask, within the titular Great Midwest is this fine book set?

You guessed it! The good ol' North Star State.

I found a copy tucked into a Little Free Library and had a sense it would be right up my alley. And, boy, was I right! All readers know that multiple POV books can be... tricky. There's often at least one character whose narration you dread. I've had a single character in a multiple POV book bore me so badly that I put the book down and never finished again. But when it's done right? Chef's kiss. With this book, I found myself interested even in the most unpleasant of characters. Each of them seemed like someone I had met, at some point in my life.

The real star of the book, of course, is the food writing. Pro Tip: Do not sit down to read this book on a day when your fridge is empty. Otherwise, you'll end up like me. Manically shoving a packet of stale Ritz crackers down your gullet, in an attempt to stave off the hunger caused by reading about Vegan Blueberry Sorbet or Sweet Corn Succotash. There are tons of different dishes mentioned throughout this book, without any of the descriptions feeling repetitive. More than that, I loved the attention to detail that was put into describing how the dishes were made. You can tell Stradal cares about food just as much as the characters do.

The whole things adds up to a cozy and charming read, who's realism never tips over into overt cynicism. I turned the last page, and immediately texted several of my foodie acquaintances, telling them to pick this book up, immediately.

When it came time to create a recipe for this blog, I was spoiled with ideas. Originally, I thought I would recreate Eva's traditional Caesar Salad from her Sunday Night Dinner Party. Or perhaps Pat Prager's Peanut Butter Bars.

But this wasn't just a food book, it was a MINNESOTA food book. It would be too easy to drive to the local grocery store and pick up a trusty jar of Skippy. No, what this recipe needed was a field trip!

In the first chapter of the book, Eva's father takes his infant daughter on a mid-September trip to the St. Paul Farmer's Market to pick out tomatoes. So, I, naturally, also had to take a mid-September trip to the St. Paul Farmer's Market for tomatoes.

Unpopular opinion: featuring a tomato in a dish is tricky. Yup, I said it. It's not that there aren't a plethora of ideas on HOW to do it, out there. It's just that, when push comes to shove, a really good tomato is best on its own. Maybe with a touch of salt and pepper. Olive oil, if you're feeling fancy. And I simply don't think the internet needs another recipe for a Caprese salad (does anyone really need a RECIPE for Caprese salad??)

The goal of this recipe was to make tomatoes the star. Not a saucy base that lets a sausage or a meatball shine. No, when you bite into it, I want you to say "Toto, we're not in Spaghetti Territory anymore!" Welcome to Triple Tomato Pasta county, baby, where we're serving them up three ways:

• HEIRLOOM GRAPE TOMATOES - These are the real star of the season. Cooked until tender, yet still holding their shape, these taste exactly like what the end of summer feels like.

• SUNDRIED TOMATOES - These add a depth of flavor and a bit of salt to the dish.

• FRIED GREEN TOMATOES - I'm not going to lie to you. These are just plain fun to eat. Crispy and tart, they add a nice crunch to the pasta.

It's a simple dish, that's perfect for weeknights when you want to get out of the kitchen and enjoy the last of these sunny evenings. While I may not have Eva Thorvald's culinary prowess, I think even she would be happy to have a warm bowl of this satisfying meal.

NOTES:

• I used Lumaconi pasta because I love tubular noodles, that scoop up the sauce (and also because it is what I had on hand, and practicality is the name of the game!). This recipe would work equally well with a long noodle, like a rigatoni. I've also made it with gluten-free red lentil pasta for an added burst of protein and it is totally delicious. If using a gluten-free pasta, add a tiny bit (about 1/4 tsp) of both cornstarch and kosher salt to the pasta water, before adding it to the sauce.

• If you don't have nutritional yeast/don't care about keeping the recipe vegan, feel free to substitute 1/4 cup of parmesan.

• I highly recommend purchasing sundried tomatoes that are packed in oil, rather than the dehydrated ones that come in a bag. This helps in giving our sauce a flavorful base. I also just think they have a better flavor.

• I like to add some sort of green to this dish, particularly spinach. That is what I include in the recipe below, but in the picture you'll see I used broccolini, because SOMEONE (me) had used up all the spinach in the house, and I didn't remember until I was already halfway through cooking.

TRIPLE TOMATO PASTA

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 35 minutes

Serves 4

FOR THE PASTA:

1/3 Cup Olive Oil

5 cloves of Garlic, finely sliced

1 Tsp Calabrian Chilies

1/2 a Red Onion

1/2 cup Sundried Tomatoes

1 Tbsp Capers

1 Pint of Grape Tomatoes

1/4 cup Nutritional Yeast

1/2 cup Pasta Water

1/4 cup Fresh Basil, chopped

4 cups of spinach

10 Ounces Pasta of choice

FOR THE FRIED GREEN TOMATOES

2 Medium-sized green tomatoes

1 cup of All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Tsp Salt

1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/2 Tsp Dried Basil

1/2 cup Vegetable Oil

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. While water is heating, add to a separate pan olive oil, sliced garlic, and Calabrian chilies. Cook for 5 minutes, on low heat.

2. Add red onion, sundried tomato, and capers to the pan. When the pasta water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to the package's instructions.

3. When onions are almost translucent, add Grape Tomatoes, and cover for ten minutes.

4. In a bowl, combine flour, garlic powder, salt, and dried basil. Mix well.

5. In a new skillet, heat vegetable oil. Slice green tomatoes, and dip in flour mixture until well coated. Place tomatoes into the oil, and fry until golden on both sides. Drain on a paper towel.

6. Drain pasta, saving 1/2 a cup of water. Add pasta water and nutritional yeast to the sauce.

7. Combine pasta and sauce, adding spinach and basil.

8. Serve hot, topped with fried green tomatoes. Enjoy!

Anne of Green Gables' Raspberry Cordial

I never thought of myself as a blogger.

In fact, I never really thought of myself as someone who writes down the word “I” while actually referring to myself.

No, I’ve always been a fiction lover, and when I put pen to paper - or, you know, fingertips to keyboard- it was to tell someone else’s story.

In a way, this blog is the same.

But let’s get down to business.

Hello! My name is Maureen. In the real world, I am a professional actor, director, and arts educator. I love musicals, Lake Superior, and chasing strangers down the street asking if I can pet their dogs.

But there are two things in life I absolutely devour.

Books and food.

(Sidenote: while I do not literally devour books, I did used to have a friend who thought it was a neat party trick to rip sheets of paper out of notebooks and eat them like it was a goldang Krispy Kreme donut. I often wonder how he’s doing).

Common freelance writing advice tells you that you should start a blog to showcase your writing skills. Cut to me sitting on my couch, staring into space, trying to think of anything worthwhile I had to say.

It was dinnertime, so my rumbling stomach eventually forced me off of said couch. As I pressed the tofu, and chopped the onions, a thought occurred to me.

I could write about food.

Better yet, I could write about the food I’ve always dreamed of. Edmund Pevensie’s Turkish Delight. The tomato and cream cheese sandwich Charles Wallace makes for Meg when the storm keeps her awake. Nina Zenik’s waffles!

(Don’t have a clue what I’m talking about? Stick around, kid, we’ll get ya there!)

Okay, so I was going to write about food inspired by my favorite books. But, how to start?

There was only one real answer. I had to start with the figure who looms large over my whole life.

Anne of Green Gables.

I couldn’t tell you how old I was when I first discovered L.M. Montgomery’s plucky, red haired orphan, but I can tell you that she has been firmly embedded in my heart, ever since.

I’ve reread the whole series countless times, and I constantly amazed at how real she is. I know her as well as any real human being in my life.

I even got to play her onstage, one time!

When it comes to L.M. Montgomery’s idyllic world, there is one iconic food item that stands above the rest.

I’m talking, of course, about Raspberry Cordial.

You know the one. The one Anne means to serve her bosom buddy, Diana, at a special lunch. But because it is Anne Shirley, things don’t go quite as planned.

I’m going to make a confession to you all: Do I know what raspberry cordial tastes like? Absolutely not.

Do I know what I WANT raspberry cordial to taste like? You betcha.

I turned to our trusty friend Google, and learned that traditional raspberry cordial tastes as if Whole Foods decided to start producing Kool Aid. In theory, it tastes like fruit. Really, though, the dominating flavor is sugar. Many recipes actually design it to be so highly concentrated, that it has to be cut with soda water.

I’m going to make another confession to you all: For someone who is writing recipes, I am very bad at following them.

The Raspberry Cordial of my imagination allowed the fruit to stand on its’ own, with a slight herbal aftertaste.

The resulting beverage is probably nothing like the raspberry cordial Marilla Cuthbert was storing in her pantry. It is, however, delicious.

`For extra tartness, I mixed cherries and raspberries together, and added some fresh basil and spices for a more complex flavor. A friend of mine described it as “Apple Cider for Summertime.” But don’t take my word for it. Try it out, before the leaves start changing colors!

Notes:

• Traditional cordial recipes have you soak your fruit overnight in hot water. However, multi-day recipes are…not my thing. I noticed no difference just simmering the berries over the stove. Faster, and still full of flavor.

• I used frozen berries, for a more budget friendly option, but you could certainly use fresh. I recommend de-pitting your cherries beforehand, so you can save the fruit for a delicious side with your morning yogurt and granola.

• I love the deepness honey adds to this recipe, but feel free to replace with the sweetener of your choice

• While it is delicious on its’ own, it is also super refreshing mixed with soda water, or as the base for a cocktail (or a mocktail).

---

Anne of Green Gables’ Raspberry Cordial

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Serves 6

12 Cups of Water

12 oz of Frozen Raspberries

12 oz of Frozen Cherries, pitted

4 Cinnamon Sticks

1 Tbsp of Cardamom Pods

1 Lemon, juiced

1/8 Cup of Honey

¼ Cup of Fresh Basil

1.) Fill a large pot with water. Add raspberries and cherries and bring to a simmer.

2.) Add in cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, lemon juice, and honey. Allow to simmer for ten minutes.

3.) Add in basil. Let simmer for 30 minutes.

4.) Using a mesh colander, or a cheesecloth over a bowl, separate fruit and spices from liquid.

5.) Store liquid in fridge until fully chilled.

6.) Serve over ice and share with the kindred spirits in your life!