Books and Breads Blog

April 15, 2026

A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif *** (of 4)

Ali Shingri is serving in Pakistan’s army just before the unexplained plane crash of Dictator Zia Al-Huq in 1988. Shingri’s father committed forced suicide at...

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April 15, 2026

Heartwood, Amity Gaige *** (of 4)

Valerie, a 42-year-old nurse, burnt out by round-the-clock care for dying Covid patients during the height of the epidemic, decides to hike the Appalachian Trail....

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March 23, 2026

Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson ** (of 4)

Overrated, repetitive, inconsistent, and terribly out of date just 18 months after publication. Don’t get me wrong. I think Ezra Klein is one of the...

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March 16, 2026

American by Day by Derek Miller *** (of 4)

Sigrid Odegard, a Norwegian Chief Inspector, travels to the United States to search for her missing brother. Her brother may or may not be responsible...

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March 16, 2026

A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst *** (of 4)

In 1973, Maurice and Maralyn Bailey set sail from England in a small sailboat. They were headed for New Zealand and had already crossed the...

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March 3, 2026

Dinner with King Tut by Sam Kean *** (of 4)

In his introduction, Sam Kean makes clear how little regard he has for the classical approach to archaeology with its tedious unearthing of potsherds with...

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March 3, 2026

The Take by Christopher Reich *** (of 4)

A fun spy-thriller with relatively few injuries and a protagonist who is an all-around nice guy. Simon Riske–alright, a little heavy-handed on the naming protocols...

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March 2, 2026

Twisting the Kaiser

I found an on-line recipe for sourdough Kaiser rolls (there are several to choose from; pick the one that suits you) and at the same...

Sourdoughs and SCOBYs

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February 9, 2026

The Book of Revolutions by Edward Feld *** (of 4)

Interesting for those curious about the interplay of the Hebrew Bible and historicity. Feld does not take a stance on which is more accurate, archaeology...

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February 3, 2026

The Beast in the Clouds by Nathalie Holt *** (of 4)

The year is 1929. America’s large museums are filling out their exhibits with mysterious animals delivered from the remotest parts of the world. There are...

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