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Falise Platt of the 24/8 Book Club shares her top picks in new books. A voracious reader with diverse interests, Falise chooses the best from fiction and nonfiction alike, creating a selection that is both fun and intelligent.

November Good Reads:
The Art of the Snowflake: Snowflakes are nature’s art: each is miraculously symmetrical and elaborate. Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht has devoted his life to studying...

The Power of Kindness: Psychotherapist and philosopher Piero Ferrucci writes about kindness, expounding upon

The Everything Green Book: The handy Everything® series is known for offers its accessibility, and this eco-conscious edition is no different.

The Ultimate Cookie Book: Chances are that even the world’s greatest chefs have at some point made a batch of cookies that did not turn out.

The Reef: Our planet’s coral reefs are not only breathtaking in their beauty—they are also essential to our survival.

Discover Wellness: Doctors Hoffman and Deitch offer a new approach to understanding your health: the dollar and cents repercussions.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian: Award-winning food writer and cookbook author Mark Bittman is at it again.

The Complete Book of Aunts: The Complete Book of Aunts takes at look at famous, interesting, special and unique aunts throughout history...

The Art of the Snowflake
By Kenneth Libbrecht
Voyageur Press, 2007

Snowflakes are nature’s art: each is miraculously symmetrical and elaborate. Dr. Kenneth Libbrecht has devoted his life to studying crystals, and with this book has angled the focus of his microscope/camera on snowflakes.

By shining colored lights through the crystals, each photograph contains exquisite detail, this perfect cold-weather book showcases the beauty and grace of winter’s most fanciful decoration.

The Power of Kindness
By Piero Ferrucci
Tarcher/Penguin 2007

Psychotherapist and philosopher Piero Ferrucci writes about kindness, expounding upon the Dalai Lama’s belief that humans are designed to be kind.

We all know that kindness has value to those that receive it, but Ferrucci also makes it clear that there are just as many benefits and rewards for the giver. Being kind unlocks the individual’s potential to achieve deeper happiness, greater success and improved health. To enhance kindness, Piero suggests readers contemplate its essential qualities, which include warmth, trust, patience, loyalty and gratitude..

The Everything Green Book
By Diane Gow McDilda
Adams Media, 2007

The handy Everything® series is known for offers its accessibility, and this eco-conscious edition is no different. After just a few pages, you’ll find yourself armed with oodles of new ways to protect the planet.

Containing simple suggestions as well as more in-depth stories, the book covers a variety of topics. For example, in one chapter readers can search for their hometown in the Top Ten Green Cities List. In another, they’ll learn the ins and outs of cork, a sustainable building material that can be harvested without harming the trees.

This family-friendly guide encourages families to go green together. While enjoyable from cover to cover, the spotlighted info boxes work so well as standalones that families might consider reading them aloud on a daily basis for general knowledge or to implement in their daily life.

The Ultimate Cookie Book
By Meredith Books
(Better Homes and Gardens, 2007)

Chances are that even the world’s greatest chefs have at some point made a batch of cookies that did not turn out. This truly “ultimate” guide to all things cookie will hopefully increase your odds of making the perfect treat every time.

Starting with basics, Chapter One contains essential baking tips from pan selection to storage to frosting technique. Then it’s off to sweet tooth heaven with over 500 recipes of mouthwatering delight.

With this epic cookie book, every baker, from the novice to the expert, will find something enticing. And better yet, they’ll be working with the same cookbook company our moms and grandmas used, feeling the same peace of mind we have come to expect from the sensible and complete Better Homes and Gardens.


The Reef
By Scubazoo
(DK Publishing, 2007)

Our planet’s coral reefs are not only breathtaking in their beauty—they are also essential to our survival. The reefs host an ecological clan from algae, sponges and mollusks to fish, sharks and so much more.

All of the Earth began in the sea and thus representatives from every major group of organisms can still be found underwater. There are three main types of reefs: fringing reefs, barrier reefs and atolls. The largest living structures on the planet, reefs have a delicate balance that is now under threat. Reefs provide food, livelihood and wealth for millions of people, but are threatened with extinction by 2050.

Scubazoo is a dedicated team of divers, photographers, marine biologists and conservationists who have dedicated their lives to the filming and preservation of reefs worldwide. By creating this book of stunning images that present the reefs as they have never been seen before, the authors hope to raise awareness about this precious ecosystem that so many call home.

Proceeds from the book support the Coral Reef Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to saving coral reefs around the world. Visit coralreefalliance.org or call 1.888.coralreef for more information.

Discover Wellness
By Dr. Bob Hoffman and Dr. Jason A. Deitch
Center Path Publishing, 2007

Doctors Hoffman and Deitch offer a new approach to understanding your health: the dollar and cents repercussions. According to a studies cited in the book, Half of all personal bankruptcies in this country are due to the high cost of health care and the associated costs of being ill. One answer, says the doctors, is preventative self-care through five components of health that will lead to a lifetime of wellness: alignment, exercise, nutrition, healthy thinking and healthy lifestyle habits.

This book offers helpful solutions to diet, health, weight, chronic pain or stress, and may well be the catalyst you need discover wellness.

How to Cook Everything Vegetarian
By Mark Bittman
(Wiley, 2007)

Award-winning food writer and cookbook author Mark Bittman is at it again. Following his hit cookbook How to Cook Everything, Mark has now tackled the Vegetarian world.

These low-cholesterol and still tasty recipes will appeal to health- and taste-conscious cooks. With recipes ranging from salads and soups to legumes, tofu and desserts, Bittman’s menus are appetizing enough to break any previous notions non-believers may have about eating vegetarian. By introducing the term “flexitorian,” Bittman welcomes all eaters to his kitchen: vegetarians and meat eaters alike, all of whom are striving for a more health-conscious, planet-friendly diet.

The Complete Book of Aunts
By Rupert Christiansen with Beth Brophy
Twelve, 2007

The Complete Book of Aunts takes at look at famous, interesting, special and unique aunts throughout history, real and make believe, as well as from different cultural perspectives.

Famous aunts featured include the Bronte’s Aunt Bramwell, who tried to fill in for her deceased sister, F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Aunt McQuillan, who tried to guide his education, and Jane Austen herself, who was an aunt to 23 nieces and nephews.

With 30 million aunts in the U.S. alone, it’s about time we celebrate them with their own book!

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