Chronicle Books' April Trio

 As I was looking through the books I have lined up for April, I came to a startling conclusion. Three of the books I was looking forward to the most, that I was ready to rave about, came from Chronicle Books. So I figured I'd give you a slight heads up, just so you knew what greatness to expect.

The Madman's Library was such fun to read, I loved traversing the literary world for the weird, odd and beautiful with Brooke-Hitching. À Table is the cookbook that reignited my love for cooking and baking and I truly owe Rebekah Peppler for that. Why She Wrote is a beautifully illustrated deep-dive into some of my favourite female authors and was a great introduction to some new faces. As a bonus, it is written by one of my latest podcast faves, the hosts of Bonnets at Dawn.

The Madman's Library by Edward Brooke-Hitching - 4/6/2021

This fascinating and bizarre collection compiles the most unusual, obscure books from the far reaches of the human imagination throughout history. 

From the author of the critically acclaimed bestsellers The Phantom Atlas and The Sky Atlas comes a unique and beautifully illustrated journey through the history of literature. The Madman’s Library delves into its darkest territories to hunt down the oddest books and manuscripts ever written, uncovering the intriguing stories behind their creation. 

From the Qur’an written in the blood of Saddam Hussein, to the gorgeously decorated fifteenth-century lawsuit filed by the Devil against Jesus, to the most enormous book ever created, The Madman’s Library features many long forgotten, eccentric, and extraordinary volumes gathered from around the world. 

Books written in blood and books that kill, books of the insane and books that hoaxed the globe, books invisible to the naked eye and books so long they could destroy the Universe, books worn into battle and books of code and cypher whose secrets remain undiscovered. Spell books, alchemist scrolls, wearable books, edible books, books to summon demons, books written by ghosts, and more all come together in the most curiously strange library imaginable. 

Featuring hundreds of remarkable images and packed with entertaining facts and stories to discover, The Madman’s Library is a captivating compendium perfect for bibliophiles, literature enthusiasts, and collectors intrigued by bizarre oddities, obscure history, and the macabre.

•MUST-HAVE FOR BOOKLOVERS: Anyone who appreciates a good read will love delving into this weird world of books and adding this collection to their own bookshelf. 

•DISCOVER SOMETHING TRULY UNIQUE: The Madman’s Library will let you in on the secret and obscure histories of the strangest books ever made.

•EXPERT AUTHOR: Edward Brooke-Hitching is the son of an antiquarian book dealer, a lifelong rare book collector, and a master of taking visual deep dives into unusual historical subjects, such as the maps of imaginary geography in The Phantom Atlas or ancient pathways through the stars in The Sky Atlas. 

À Table: Recipes for Cooking and Eating the French Way by Rebekah Peppler - 4/6/2021

Mastering the Art of French Cooking meets Dinner: Changing the Game in a beautifully photographed, fresh approach to French cooking and gathering, with 125 simple recipes.

Voilà! Here is an alluring, delicious invitation to the French table. At once a repertoire-building cookbook and a stylish guide to easy gathering over food and drink, À Table features 125 simple, elegant recipes that reflect a modern, multicultural French table. 

Paris-based American food writer Rebekah Peppler includes classics, regional specialties, and dishes with a strong international influence. Here are recipes for all the courses, from snacks to desserts, organized into before, during, and after-dinner chapters.

Perfect for: 

• Home cooks looking for accessible French recipes, relying less on fancy techniques and more on ease and accessibility 

• Fans of Rebecca Peppler's work, including her James-Beard Award nominated book, Apperatif

• People of all ages who like to host unfussy gatherings with delicious food and minimal prep for themselves or a small crowd

Why She Wrote: A Graphic History of the Lives, Inspiration, and Influence Behind the Pens of Classic Women Writers by Hannah K. Chapman and Lauren Burke, illustrated by Kaley Bales - 4/20/2021

In Why She Wrote, dive into the fascinating, unexpected, and inspiring stories behind the greatest women writers in the English language.

This compelling graphic collection features 18 women—including Jane Austen, Louisa May Alcott, Alice Dunbar Nelson, Anne Lister, and more—and asks a simple question: in a time when being a woman writer often meant being undervalued, overlooked, or pigeonholed, why did she write?

Why did Jane Austen struggle to write for five years before her first novel was ever published? How did Edith Maude Eaton's writing change the narrative around Chinese immigrant workers in North America? Why did the Brontë sisters choose to write under male pennames, and Anne Lister write her personal diaries in code?

Learn about women writers from the 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries, from familiar favorites to those who have undeservedly fallen into obscurity, and their often untold histories, including:

• The forgotten mother of the gothic genre

• The unexpected success of Little Women

• The diaries of the ""first modern lesbian""

• The lawsuit to protect Little Lord Fauntleroy

• The personal account of a mastectomy in 1811

• Austen's struggles with writer's block

• And much, much more!

I am so excited for all three of these books to come out into the world proper! Which of these sounds good to you?