5 Books That’ll Make You Sooooo Hungry

Hi, my bookish friend!

It’s “5 on Five” time again! (Miraculously, the stars have aligned so that it’s landed on a Wednesday, my publishing day! Woot!) Over at The Cozy Library, is hosting this month’s “5 on Five,” and she’s chosen a tasty theme: “Books That Make You Hungry: Fiction, Memoir, and Cookbooks.”

I’ve spent wayyyy too much time doing what I’ll call “research” (a.k.a. drooling over savory pasta dishes, melty-cheesy side dishes, and cakes dreams are made of) for this post!

But it was all worth it, so today I can serve up:

• 5 Brand new, hot-off -the-(panini)-press Cookbooks + a bonus delicious novel to pre-order!

• Several foodie Substacks you’ll definitely want to follow or subscribe to!

• Why Cookbooks are still worth buying!

• Handy (or rather hands-free) bookish buys for your new cookbooks

• The “3-Course Meal Reading Method” (No books are actually eaten!)

And, bookish friends, we’re down to our final month of mini-challenges for the Bookish AF Summer of Reading: #12 🔍 Read a New Genre and #13 🏠 Find a Little Free Library!

Happy Reading!

Your friend,

Audry

P.S. I’m thanking new or current Annual or Founding Members by giving away a $50 Bookshop.org gift card on August 26th to celebrate the Bookish AF Summer of Reading!

5 New Cookbooks That’ll Make You Hungry!

On the bookish menu today, you’ll find five brand-new cookbooks: two are memoir/cookbook combos, plus a bonus historical fiction (out soon) that I think Julia Child would endorse. You’ll also make the delicious discovery of several foodie Substack publications that you’ll definitely want to follow or hit subscribe!

More, Please!: Feel-Good Meals for Busy Families and Their Picky Eaters by Rachel Mansfield

When you’re “hangry” and don’t know what to make for dinner, these sheet-pan meals and one-pot recipes with flexible ingredients are the perfect solution. How do you know for sure that these recipes are so good? When your family says “more, please!” And, honestly, is there any better compliment? (Amazon | Bookshop.org)

writes the much-loved Substack publication More, Please, where she shares approachable recipes, meal-planning tips, grocery-saving ideas, and practical kitchen advice.

Great Bakes by Martin Sorge

You may know as the recent winner of The Great American Baking Show! In his new cookbook, Martin spills the tea about what it was like to be on the show. And then, for the rest of the book, he’s just showing off! See why he won with his over 100 sweet and savory baking recipes inspired by the Midwest. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)

Martin has his own Substack: Great Bakes, where he shares “recipes, tips and tricks, stories and more.” Plus, learn more about the Great Bakes cookbook in an interview with Martin over at the Cookbookery Collective: Cookbooks Are for Reading - by Jenna Helwig

*BONUS! The Cookbookery Collective creator, , who’s also the current food editor at Real Simple, plus the author of two cookbooks, has penned her first novel: The Foreign Correspondent’s Wife. This historical fiction mystery set in post-war Paris features delectable food scenes. Preorder or look for it in October 2026! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)

Will This Make You Happy by Tanya Bush

More like “will this make you hungry?” And the answer is yes! Meet Tanya Bush. In her early twenties, Tanya decided baking an almond cake would make her feel less hopeless and lost.

Spoiler alert: the cake turned out awful! But something amazing came out of Tanya’s repeated attempts to perfect her baking skills … a new outlook on life, many rewarding experiences, and eventually a career!

And now, in this hybrid memoir/cookbook that shares her stories along with her four-season recipes. (Amazon | Bookshop.org)

recently featured Tanya! See their conversation about writing narrative cookbooks and why this book couldn’t exist as a standalone cookbook or memoir. Check out Everything Cookbooks and their podcast hosted by , , Kristin Donnelly, and Andrea Nguyen!

What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking: Make It Fast by Caroline Chambers

If I’m being honest, I don’t feel like cooking most nights. Shocker, I know! So this cookbook (coming out on August 11th) may be exactly what I need! In this sequel to her first cookbook with the same name, you’ll find 100 recipes for complete meals that take only 30 minutes - for real! And that includes all the prep! I’m sure it’ll take me longer, but I love this concept! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)

Find on her top Substack publication called (you guessed it) What to Cook When You Don’t Feel Like Cooking. It has hundreds of thousands of subscribers because I’m obviously not the only one who doesn’t feel like cooking! Caroline makes it easy to cook good food you and your family will enjoy. Everything is about ease and please, even for picky eaters!

You Do You by Serena Wolf

You know when you read a recipe, and there’s that one ingredient you’re not really a fan of? (Like seeing cilantro and knowing you’re on team “tastes like soap.”) Well, don’t even worry if something doesn't hit right with the recipes in this new cookbook. They’re all perfectly adaptable so that you really can “you do you” with confidence and have it turn out delicious! (Amazon | Bookshop.org)

Serena Wolf recently joined The Dinner Plan podcast to discuss her new cookbook! The Dinner Plan podcast, hosted by cookbook author , is full of practical dinner inspo and cookbook recommendations. And when you need something to sip on as you enjoy your meal creations, check out Maggie Hoffman’s fab and fun books on Batch Cocktails: Make-Ahead Pitcher Drinks for Every Occasion and The One-Bottle Cocktail.

5 on Five: August 2026

Remember to visit today’s host, Laura K Bray, at The Cozy Library!

See all my past 5 on Five book lists here! And if you want to participate in future 5 on Five book lists, learn more about it and how to get in on it here!

Mark your calendars for September 5th: Our host will be Elle Reads Library Books. Elle lives in Brazil, and she chose one of the most famous Portuguese words, saudades, for the optional theme. Saudades is a combination of missing something or someone, nostalgia, and yearning.

Bookish Thoughts: Is Buying a Cookbook Worth It?

Of all the different genres of books, including nonfiction, cookbooks live in a class all their own. They’re part keepers of knowledge, part survival guides, part sources of indulgence, and occasionally, a family heirloom. (I still have the Fannie Farmer Cookbook that belonged to my grandmother!)

But when everything you ever wanted to know is a click away, are physical cookbooks even worth buying and collecting anymore?

Umm, yeah! Following a recipe from a beautifully designed physical cookbook beats scrolling through reels that move too fast to follow and recipe websites you can’t read thanks to a thousand pop-up ads.

Rachel Mansfield from More, Please answers this question in her post, i didn’t want to write another cookbook, “i don’t think people need more recipes. i think they need fewer decisions … we’ve somehow convinced ourselves that having unlimited recipes should make feeding our families easier. i actually think it’s made it harder because there is too much noise”

Jenna Helwig from the Cookbookery Collective shares on her About Page: “The best cookbooks, the ones worth a spot on our shelves, are more than just a collection of recipes. They also have a story to tell.” And she adds, “A cookbook is tangible in a way that I’m missing in other parts of my life.”

Bookish Buys: Cookbook Accessories

Make prepping the recipes in your cookbook collection so much easier with:

• This stylish yet functional cookbook stand. I love the look of it!

• These colorful and clever magnetic bookmarks to save your fav recipes

• And a kitchen counter cookbook organizer to keep them within reach

Bookish AF Summer Reading BINGO

This summer, add whimsy to your reading habit! Follow along with the Bookish AF Summer of Reading 2026 here!

#12 🔍 Read a New Genre: Try the “3-Course Meal Reading Method”

Trying out a new genre pushes you out of your comfort zone and can add fresh energy to your reading habit!

In keeping with the food theme, I recently discovered a clever way to motivate yourself to try new genres by creating a “3-course meal reading method” each month. I wish I could take credit for this idea, but here’s the Instagram reel that found me.

Basically, you read an entree book, a vegetable book, and a dessert book. The entree book is in a genre you love to read and has great reviews and acclaim. Next, your vegetable book is where you branch out into a new genre (and complete this mini-challenge!). And, finally, a dessert book is exactly what it sounds like: a guilty pleasure!

#13 🏠 Find a Little Free Library

Building on the last mini-challenge of expanding your reading repertoire to new genres, a Little Free Library is a great way to read something unexpected. You only have so many choices, and their contents are left to random synchronicities!

I love the magic of Little Free Libraries! They can be anywhere! And it’s such a fun surprise when you come upon one. I once found a Little Free Library while walking a local trail near my home. (I’ll have to venture back to it and take pictures to share with you!)

Learn more about Little Free Libraries and where to find one near you! They also have an app!

Bookish AF News Updates

Note: Next week I’ll have the full report on the August Book Club Selections and all the latest bookish news I found!

Bookish Quote of the Week

“Now that I had started writing, I found cookbookery such fulfilling work that I intended to keep at it for years and years.” - Julia Child, My Life in France

Shop for the books I recommend on Bookish AF at my Bookshop on Bookshop.org!

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