Spines in a Line

The Cookie Chapters: Spin on a Classic

Spines in a Line — Wed, 31 Dec 2025 13:30:00 +0000

We’ve officially reached the final chapter of the 2025 edition of the Cookie Chapters! Thank you for joining us for another year of good treats and reads!

Each week in December, my sister and I have been sharing book recommendations from our recent reads based on holiday treats, with many delicious goods baked by Cass. This year, we’ve had Italian stories, historical flashbacks, and a pop of sweetness. Time for the final chapter!

Feel free to join in and share your own list of book recommendations based on holiday cookies of your choice! Use the hashtag #TheCookieChapters or share your post in the comments below!

This week we have a favourite in a new form:

Christmas Crack Cookies!

Christmas crack is one of our favourite treats for the holidays — saltine crackers topped with caramel and chocolate (and any toppings you’d like!). This time around, Cass added them to a chocolate chip cookie base, subbing out the chocolate chips with this sweet treat, that it turns out is just as good in a cookie as on its own! For this new take on our favourite, we’ve paired them with spins on classics — some retellings or stories inspired by other stories!

My sister, Cassandra, teamed up with me again this year to share her beautiful bakes, including the cookies in the official graphic for this feature. Plus she offered her own book recs this year! She made the Christmas crack cookies above and you can find many more of her bakes on Instagram @WhatWillCassCreate!

Here are some spins on a classic:

Sam’s Rec

The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz, translated by Elisabeth Jacquette
Genre: Dystopian Fiction

In a surreal, but familiar, vision of modern day Egypt, a centralized authority known as ‘the Gate’ has risen to power in the aftermath of the ‘Disgraceful Events, ‘ a failed popular uprising. Citizens are required to obtain permission from the Gate in order to take care of even the most basic of their daily affairs, yet the Gate never opens, and the queue in front of it grows longer.

A dreary book to end on the series on but trust that it’s very compelling! Now I’ve never read 1984 but I know the general story and as I got more into this one, I could pick up on all the similarities. It doesn’t appear to be intended as a direct 1984 retelling but the inspiration is certainly there, except that our setting has moved to a fictional Middle Eastern city and more modern-day.

There’s a certain level of growing dread that comes with turning the pages of this story, knowing that fighting an authoritarian state is a never-ending battle and yet there’s still some level of hope and faith (and ignorance) among the characters. I found as much as I was dreading the end of the book, I couldn’t put it down! Very interested in finding more by this author and glad to have stumbled on this one in a bookstore.

Cass’ Rec

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy | Comedy

According to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch (the world’s only completely accurate book of prophecies, written in 1655, before she exploded), the world will end on a Saturday. Next Saturday, in fact. Just before dinner.

So the armies of Good and Evil are amassing, Atlantis is rising, frogs are falling, tempers are flaring. Everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon–both of whom have lived amongst Earth’s mortals since The Beginning and have grown rather fond of the lifestyle–are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture.

And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist . . .

We’re going way back for this classic as this story is a very loose Biblical retelling! Based around a child who is supposedly the Antichrist, we’ve got angels, demons, and even the four horsemen of the apocalypse joining the chaos. There’s a lot of British humour, which I love, so I found the book very funny.

I watched the show adaptation of this first, which made me really interested in picking up the book. The book is much more detailed, but I found that watching the show first helped with my reading as it was easier to follow along in parts. I alternated between physically reading the book and listening to the audiobook. The audiobook is narrated by the cast from the TV show so if you like those actors, I’d highly recommend the audio!

Thank you for joining us for another year of the Cookie Chapters, especially after my long hiatus! We love sharing these treats and recommendations with you, and hope you have some great things to try, whether to bake or read!

What were your favourite pairings from this season of the Cookie Chapters?
Any favourite or unusual retellings you read this year?

Cover images and blurbs from StoryGraph.

The Cookie Chapters: Pop of Sweetness

Spines in a Line — Wed, 24 Dec 2025 13:30:00 +0000

Time to turn to chapter 3 of this year’s edition of the Cookie Chapters!

Each week in December, my sister and I are sharing book recommendations from our recent reads based on holiday treats, with the delicious treats baked by Cass. So far, we’ve had Italian stories and historical flashbacks. Today, it’s time for a little sweetness!

Feel free to join in and share your own list of book recommendations based on holiday cookies of your choice! Use the hashtag #TheCookieChapters or share your post in the comments below!

This week we have a fun flavour twist on a well-loved treat:

Matcha Crinkle Cookies!

I’ve had chocolate crinkle cookies many a time, but this matcha twist is new to me! They’re soft and chewy with just a touch of sweetness. For this not too sweet treat, we decided to pair them with books with their own pop of sweetness — a little sweetness goes a long way!

My sister, Cassandra, has teamed up with me again this year to share her beautiful bakes, including the cookies in the official graphic for this feature. Plus she’s offering her own book recs this year! She baked the matcha crinkle cookies above (with some limited help from me!) and you can find many more of her bakes on Instagram @WhatWillCassCreate!

Here are some stories with a little sweetness:

Sam’s Rec

The Museum of Rain by Dave Eggers
Genre: Short Story

In this elegiac story about age, family, memory and the origins of ideas, Dave Eggers introduces readers to Oisín Mahoney, a U.S. Army vet in his 70s who is asked to lead a group of young grand-nieces and grand-nephews on a walk through the hills of California’s Central Coast. They don’t know him and don’t want to follow him, and Oisín would love to be anywhere else. But still they walk together, through golden grasses and amid live oaks and manzanitas, coyotes and rabbits, on their way to a discovery beyond any of their expectations.

This is a very short story, coming in at only 44 pages, so I won’t share too much more about it but it definitely hits those sweet notes! A large family has gathered for a family reunion and in order to entertain the many young kids, Oisín is asked to take them on a little adventure to a place he hasn’t been in over 40 years.

It’s a beautiful story about memory and of different generations finding common ground and interests, but especially a story about being seen and creating something for others to enjoy. Definitely a sweet read for your holiday break!

Cass’ Rec

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Genre: Literary Fiction

A charming, witty, and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow’s unlikely connection with a giant pacific octopus.

This is another book that uses multiple perspectives (my fave) and I liked getting to see into different characters’ minds as this story unfolds. The octopus, Marcellus, was definitely my favourite character! There are many different twists, including a playful twist on the title based on your expectations.

It’s a very emotional story as it’s about different types of grief, showcasing people healing as they move through the stages. But it’s also about people coming together and forming community, so a heartwarming story at the same time.

Sam’s note: this has been a very popular one in the book community and after Cass’ review, maybe I will finally need to pick it up for myself!

We’ll be back with one last set of holiday recs next week to bring us into the new year!

What are some slightly (or very) sweet books that you’ve enjoyed this year?
Any fun flavours you like to try with your baking?

Cover images and blurbs from StoryGraph.

The Cookie Chapters: Historical Flashbacks

Spines in a Line — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 13:30:00 +0000

It’s already time for chapter 2 of this year’s edition of the Cookie Chapters!

Each week in December, my sister and I are sharing book recommendations from our recent reads based on holiday treats, with the delicious goods baked by Cass. Last week, we had Italian stories to pair with biscotti so let’s get into this week’s treat!

Feel free to join in and share your own list of book recommendations based on holiday cookies of your choice! Use the hashtag #TheCookieChapters or share your post in the comments below!

This week we’re heading back in time:

Cathedral Cookies!

These are a new-to-me cookie but one with a long history! Dating back to the 1950s, these cathedral cookies are meant to resemble cathedral stained-glass windows and feature chocolate, marshmallows, and pecans. For these fun and beautiful throwbacks, we’re pairing them with historical flashbacks — stories that bring their own bits of the past to life.

My sister, Cassandra, has teamed up with me again this year to share her beautiful bakes, including the cookies in the official graphic for this feature. Plus she’s offering her own book recs this year! She made the cathedral cookies above and you can find many more of her bakes on Instagram @WhatWillCassCreate!

Here are some stories with historical flashbacks:

Sam’s Rec

Landbridge: life in fragments by Y-Dang Troeung
Genre: Memoir

In precise, beautiful prose accompanied by moving black-and-white visuals, Y-Dang weaves back and forth in time to tell stories about her parents and two brothers who lived through the Cambodian genocide, about the lives of her grandparents and extended family, about her own childhood in the refugee camps and in rural Ontario, and eventually about her young son’s illness and her own diagnosis with a terminal disease.

The blurb provides some info around the content warnings as this is a heavy book, talking about genocide, violence, death, and terminal illness. I learned of this book when it was first published and knew going in that it had been released posthumously.

The memoir is almost like a series of fragmented diary entries, flitting back and forth in time as the author tells her story as a Cambodian refugee in Canada, her family’s experiences before, during, and after the genocide, her own experience as an academic exploring the genocide and its repercussions, and her terminal diagnosis. All of this is presented alongside intimate letters to her young son, as the book itself seems to be Troeung’s way of passing on teachings to him about understanding his own identity and history, teachings that will survive long after she is gone. It’s a beautiful and heartbreaking book but I’m so glad it exists, both for the general reader and for her son.

Cass’ Rec

The Reformatory by Tananarive Due
Genre: Historical Fiction | Horror

A gripping, page-turning novel set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.

This is another heavy read, based on the real history of the Dozier School for Boys, something I hadn’t heard of before reading. The reform school was intended for children convicted of crimes as well as orphans, but had a known history of abuse, torture, and deaths over its 111 years of operation.

There are many content warnings for this one, including child abuse and death, sexual assault, and animal attacks. In this fictional take, the author uses those real elements with added ghosts to amp up the horror, though there’s still the question of who the true threat is. The story focuses on the Black section of this segregated school, following one boy, Robbie, who can pick up on ghostly presences. On his arrival at the school, he begins to sense the dark secretive history of this place with the many ghosts he’s suddenly surrounded by.

It’s a well-written story and taught me a lot about this particular history I was unfamiliar with. I’m not a big horror fan but the fantastical elements prove to be less scary than the motives of the more natural characters.

There are many decades and aspects of history to explore with this prompt!

What are some of your favourite retro treats?
Any historical fiction or nonfiction books you’d recommend?

Cover images and blurbs from StoryGraph.

The Cookie Chapters: Italian Stories

Spines in a Line — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 13:30:00 +0000

Welcome to the 2025 edition of The Cookie Chapters! We’re so excited to share some delicious treats and great reads again this year!

As I described in the intro post, over the next several weeks my sister Cass and I will be sharing book recommendations from our recent reads based on some of our favourite holiday treats, with baking expertise by Cass!

Feel free to join in and share your own list of book recommendations based on holiday cookies of your choice! Use the hashtag #TheCookieChapters or share your post in the comments below!

We’re starting this year’s series with an international treat:

Biscotti!

Now I shared this treat a couple years ago for some short and snappy reads but this time we’re focusing on its Italian origins. This biscuit that pairs well with a hot beverage can be eaten year-round but there are some great flavour pairings that tie them to the holiday season (my favourite is chocolate orange!). For this Mediterranean treat, I decided to pair it with some Italian stories – a little escape for the holidays.

My sister, Cassandra, has teamed up with me again this year to share her beautiful bakes, including the cookies in the official graphic for this feature. Plus she’s offering her own book recs this year! She baked the Sicilian biscotti with dried orange peel, almond, and white chocolate above and you can find many more of her bakes on Instagram @WhatWillCassCreate!

Here are some Italian stories:

Sam’s Rec

The Last Supper: A Summer in Italy by Rachel Cusk
Genre: Memoir

When Rachel Cusk decides to travel to Italy for a summer with her husband and two young children, she has no idea of the trials and wonders that lie in store. Their journey, chronicled in The Last Supper, leads them to both the expected and the surprising, all seen through Cusk’s sharp and humane perspective.

I have to admit, when I first heard the premise about this British woman spending a couple weeks in Italy and finding herself, I was very hesitant, but it was a pick by my book club of international reads who’ve made some excellent choices in the past so I gave it a go.

It is a beautiful read and as much as this book is about the scenery and history of the family’s new home in Italy, it’s just as much about the people who become their friends and acquaintances and neighbours throughout their stay. Each of these people were given so much depth in Cusk’s reflections, it felt like we as readers were also forced to say goodbye at the end of the summer. If you’re a fan of art history, there’s an extra layer to enjoy here as Cusk weaves in many stories of historical artists among those of her family’s experiences touring the country.

Cass’ Rec

The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
Genre: Mystery | Thriller

From bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jo Piazza, comes a transporting novel rooted in the author’s own family history about a long-awaited trip to Sicily, a disputed inheritance, and a family secret that some will kill to protect…

This is a great read if you’re looking for some thrills this season! There were many twists that I didn’t expect that really added to the mystery. I also found it really cool to read a book set in Sicily as that’s where some of our ancestors are from.

I prefer books with multiple perspectives so I enjoyed getting to switch between Sara in the present and her great-grandmother Serafina in the past. I find it adds a lot more to the story when we get to see inside each character’s head and know what they’re really feeling. I listened to this one on audio and having two different narrators added so much to the two perspectives.

Hopefully one of these stories whisks you away for an imaginary vacation this season!

What are some books set in Italy that you’ve loved?
Do you have favourite biscotti flavours?

Cover images and blurbs from StoryGraph.