What’s that? Puffin Plated and The Golden Girls? Are you wondering what I’m talking about? Well, this picture-heavy post is all about books perfect for the upcoming holiday and Christmas season- specifically about three great new books from the kind folks at Penguin Random House Canada.

Puffin Plated is a new series of beautiful “deluxe, full-color, illustrated editions of classic novels accompanied by a selection of recipes by high-profile chefs”, and I have the two titles currently in the series to talk about today: Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol and Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. The third book I’m featuring and talking about is called The Golden Girls: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas– just wait and see!

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol: A Book-to-Table Classic
Puffin Plated: A Book-to-Table Reading Experience
Artists: Tisha Cherry and Vega Hernando
Featuring recipes by: Giada De Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, Trisha Yearwood
Publication: October 16, 2018 by Puffin Books
Book Description:

A deluxe, full-color hardback edition of the perennial Christmas classic featuring a selection of recipes for your holiday table from Giada de Laurentiis, Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, and Trisha Yearwood!

Have your book and eat it, too, with this clever edition of Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol featuring delicious recipes from celebrity chefs. Plan your perfect Christmas feast with a carefully curated menu of holiday dishes, from succulent baked ham to smashed root vegetables. And top it all off with fruitcake cookies and pecan pie. Celebrate the holiday with a good meal and a good book!

Book includes full, unabridged text of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, interspersed with recipes, food photography, and special food artwork.

Charles Dickens’s A Christmas Carol: A Book-to-Table Classic is a beautiful book, containing the unabridged text of the Dickens classic, selected seasonal recipes from a group of well-known, acclaimed and bestselling authors and chefs, as well as gorgeous food artwork throughout. The artists behind all the delicious food details you see in the book are Tisha Cherry and Vega Hernando, and my goodness, their work is amazing (you can see the meticulous detail and the beauty of their work in the pictures below!). This Book-to-Table Classic would be a wonderful holiday treat for readers who love beautiful coffee table books, celebrity chef books, cookbook enthusiasts who love seasonal recipes, or foodies who enjoy a little something out of the ordinary in the (cook)books they peruse.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Book-to-Table Classic
Puffin Plated: A Book-to-Table Reading Experience
Artist: Amber Spiegel
Featuring recipes by: Martha Stewart
Publication: October 16, 2018 by Puffin Books
Book Description:

A deluxe, full-color hardback edition of the perennial Jane Austen classic featuring a selection of recipes for tea-time treats by the one and only Martha Stewart!

Have your book and eat it, too, with this clever edition of a classic novel, featuring delicious recipes from celebrity chefs. In this edition of Jane Austen’s regency classic Pride and Prejudice, plan a fancy tea party or book club gathering with recipes for sweet confections and pastries. From maple glazed scones and delicate sugar and spice cake, to berry tartlets and French macaroons. Bring your friends and family together with a good meal and a good book!

Book includes full, unabridged text of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, interspersed with recipes, food photography, and special food artwork.

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Book-to-Table Classic is the next Puffin Plated title and it is an absolutely gorgeous book. It contains the unabridged text of Austen’s (arguably) most famous work and a selection of “modern teatime treats” from multi-hyphenate mogul and “lifestyle expert” Martha Stewart. Simply beautiful and a pleasure to browse through with recipes to drool over (and try out!), and dreamy, detailed edible artwork throughout by Amber Spiegel, this book is a real visual treat (check out the photos below)! Whether you are a Jane Austen or Pride and Prejudice enthusiast, a collector of Martha Stewart recipe books, or simply think this looks like a lovely out-of-the-ordinary way to enjoy Austen’s classic novel, then this is definitely a (cook)book to check out!

The Golden Girls: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas by Francesco Sedita and Douglas Yacka, illus. by Alex Fine
Publication: October 16, 2018 by Penguin Workshop
Book Description:

Celebrate this holiday season with the Golden Girls!

‘Twas the night before Christmas and out on the lanai…

This holiday season, celebrate with Blanche, Dorothy, Rose, and Sophia. This illustrated gift book is a perfect stocking stuffer for fans of the show that won eleven Emmy Awards, three Golden Globes, and a place in pop culture fame as one of the best shows of all time.

I can’t recall exactly when I started watching the now-iconic show The Golden Girls, but it’s around the time that I was hooked on sitcoms like Family Ties, Who’s the Boss?, Cheers and other big shows of the day. I also can’t recall exactly how I discovered The Golden Girls– though I do remember watching episodes with my mom!- but I do know that I immediately clicked with the world of Sophia, Dorothy, Rose, and Blanche (and the theme song). I thought all of these women were, quite simply, awesome; Sophia especially made me howl with laughter, Blanche was so glam, Rose so unintentionally hilarious, and I always had a soft spot for Bea Arthur’s Dorothy.

In recent years, I bought the series on DVD and marathoned it during my first pregnancy when all I wanted and needed was to put my aching feet up and watch some comfort TV. I jumped at the chance to take a look at this gift book because: hello, it’s the The Golden Girls and I have a sincere fondness of that era’s TV! For any fan of this series, of the characters, or for anyone with a sweet nostalgia for classic 80’s TV, this is for you! The Golden Girls: ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is an abbreviated adaptation of the Clement C. Moore classic by Francesco Sedita and Douglas Yacka, featuring the beloved sitcom characters (oh yeah, and Stanley), as well as quick references to series staples like Blanche’s flirty nature, Ma’s stories of Sicily and Rose’s mind-boggling stories about St. Olaf. As the ladies of Richmond Street prepare for their families coming to visit them at Christmas, a hurricane warning grounds flights. This leaves the ladies missing their immediate families, dealing with Stanley’s latest failed venture, and finding their holiday spirit in their close friendship. The book is funny, sassy and a little bonkers, with this great pop-art/Roy Lichtenstein-like art by Alex Fine, and will likely be loved and giggled over by fans of the series.

I received copies of these titles courtesy of Penguin Random House Canada in exchange for honest reviews. All opinions and comments are my own. All titles have been published and are currently available.