By Michele Stueven

Copyright laweekly

It’s never too early to start your holiday shopping. Here’s our book list for perfect gift ideas:

Celebrity chef Nicole Andrea Guzman’s novel, The Creepy Culinary Adventures of Nia Luna, out in paperback, hardcover, and Kindle formats, is a darkly whimsical fantasy that follows a neurodivergent heroine who uncovers a haunted cookbook, a magical kitchen underworld, and the power of embracing her difference.

Set in a world of eerie recipes, mischievous ingredients, and forgotten kitchen spirits, the first in a series of books follows 11-year-old Nia Luna, a young girl who swims, paces, and hums her way through a mystery only she can decode. With a bubbling sidekick named Grublet, a magical cookbook known as the Grimoire Gastronomicon, and a looming threat tied to her mother and the mysterious Munchery, Nia must rely on her senses and neurodivergent strengths to save the day.

“Writing this book is my way of turning my feelings of worry, sadness, exhaustion into enchantment,” Guzman, a single mother inspired by her real-life autistic daughter, Nia, tells LA Weekly. “Each page became a survival spell. This story is a love letter to my daughter’s spark of magic that lives in all of us.”

Blending spooky storytelling with heartfelt advocacy, Guzman’s novel aims to celebrate autism as a superpower-while still offering plenty of creepy fun. With its vivid world-building, recipes, and inclusive representation, The Creepy Culinary Adventures of Nia Luna is perfect for readers aged 8 to 13, and adults who enjoy stories sprinkled with soul and lots of flavor.

Taco by Ignacio Sánchez Prado comes out on Thursday, Oct. 16, by the researcher and teacher of Mexican culture at Washington University in St. Louis. Sánchez Prado examines the cultural and historical significance of one of the most iconic Mexican foods from the perspective of a Mexico City native. Taco looks at the existence of the taco as a modern social touchstone that has been shaped by history and geography. He writes about his taco tours in Los Angeles and his favorite spots in the area.

With personal stories woven into the book, Sánchez Prado discusses what the taco means to Mexico and its people and what happened after it crossed the border. The book challenges the idea of authenticity and examines the history of technology in tortilla-making.

“I emphasize Mexico’s importance as a global and transcultural country,” he says in a statement about the book. “I aim to produce images of Mexico that contradict many of the negative stereotypes and flat conceptions that some people in the US have of my country. I hope this crónica provides readers not only an enticement to taste the broad spectrum of tacos out there, but also the ability to see Mexico in a new light. The book traces its arguments in parallel to my experience as someone born in Mexico City, where tacos are integral to everyday life, who came to confront tacos in the United States.

“Readers unfamiliar with Mexico must not believe that we eat tacos every day or in every meal, but rather envision the taco as a food that belongs to a much larger culinary ecosystem,” he says. While tacos are recognizably Mexican, they are not immune to foreign influence. One must remember here that two of the most beloved tacos, tacos al pastor and tacos árabes, are in fact a form of shawarma, a topic discussed in Chapter 4.”

The Unofficial TikTok Cookbook Volume 2 by Palestrina McCaffrey, one of YouTube’s most popular creators with over 2 million subscribers, comes out on Tuesday, Oct. 14.

Full of vibrant photos and emojis galore, the anticipated collection features 75 new TikTok-inspired recipes covering everything from appetizers to desserts. The cookbook is all about the food that’s trending and shareable. A rising star on TikTok known as Little Remy Food, McCaffrey brings her bubbly personality to the page. Her signature recipes are designed to excite social-media-savvy home cooks while remaining approachable for anyone who loves a good meal, keeping its pulse on the current culinary zeitgeist, like Baked Feta Pasta, Dubai Chocolate Bars, whipped lemonade, pasta chips, and the very trendy Dirty Soda.

Sugar plums dancing, gingerbread glistening, and cakes crowned with clouds of whipped cream — holiday tables of the Gilded Age were as extravagant as the era itself.

With HBO’s The Gilded Age drawing record-breaking viewership, it’s clear America remains fascinated by the elegance, extravagance, and traditions of that dazzling era. Food writer and historian Becky Libourel Diamond brings them back, along with dozens of other decadent desserts, in The Gilded Age Christmas Cookbook: Cookies and Treats from America’s Golden Era. More than a recipe collection, it’s a festive feast of flavors, stories, and traditions from America’s most dazzling period.

Diamond has lovingly adapted recipes from the 19th century and earlier for today’s kitchens, making it possible to bake the very same cakes, pies, puddings, custards, and candies that once graced Gilded Age holiday tables. Each recipe is paired with historical notes and sprinkled with lore, offering readers a colorful glimpse into a season when opulence met old-fashioned charm.

While the book brims with nostalgic Christmas favorites like brown sugar cookies and lemon gingerbread, it also highlights seasonal traditions from other celebrations, including Hanukkah and New Year’s. Accompanied by colorful photographs, the recipes invite bakers of all levels to recreate the sparkle and spirit of holidays past in their own homes.

Content creator and recipe developer Lindsey Baruch of @lindseyeats, known for her low-fuss recipes, has released her first cookbook, Something Delicious: 100 Recipes for Everyday Cooking .

The book invites home cooks to engage all five senses throughout the cooking process– smelling, tasting, touching, and experiencing each recipe as an opportunity for discovery. Drawing from her Indian, Jewish, and Iraqi roots, and inspired by memories of cooking alongside her aunts and grandmother in her hometown of Los Angeles, Baruch presents a deeply personal, yet practical guide to exploring your palate and flavor preferences intuitively.

Book sections and recipe highlights include Meyer lemon and harissa wings, Persian shallot dip with sumac and saffron chili crisp, scallop and radish crudo with chile and citrus, marinated labneh balls with harissa and Aleppo pepper, skillet hot sauce and brown sugar chicken thighs with frazzled snap peas, and Aleppo-braised chicken legs with butter beans and smashed olives.

To celebrate the launch, Baruch will appear at the following book tour events in Los Angeles:

Sunday, Oct. 5, 8 a.m. –12 p.m. at the Hollywood Farmers Market

Book signing and sampling on Wednesday, Oct. 8, 6 p.m. –8 p.m. at Zibby’s Bookshop

Thursday, Oct. 9, at Sweetfin Beverly Hills with a limited-time collab: seared tuna poke bowl with ponzu, crispy garlic, and cucumbers

Shop, Cook & Eat Like A Chef – Recipes Inspired by the Farmers Market from LA local Le Gordon Bleu chef Porsche Reid is a collection of farmers market-inspired recipes,like waffles with peach rosemary compote. Reid, who has taught cooking classes for more than ten years, also offers shopping tips in the book, available at Barnes & Noble.

Mother, stepmother, co-founder of Make Time Wellness, and author of The Unexpected Journey, Emma Heming Willis, is a passionate voice for care partners and families navigating neurodegenerative disease following her husband Bruce Willis’s frontotemporal dementia diagnosis. Through her first book, Emma aims to help others feel less alone on the caregiving journey.

She will be signing her book at an intimate fireside Q&A chat at the Love. Life Holistic Health + Wellness Club on Sunday, Sept. 28, in El Segundo. The event will offer insight into Willis’ personal journey, how to reshape conversations around caregiving and women’s brain health, as well as a guided Love. Life tour, complimentary refreshments, and a gift bag. Eventbrite link for more information HERE.