## Books & Bakes (episode 22)! 🍎

Welcome to episode twenty-two of Books & Bakes, where I bake special treats that fit perfectly with special books! 🫶🏼

The book that inspired this episode features an Apple Bundt Cake/Muffin recipe inspired by *The Tear Collector* by R.M. Romero. I listened to *Junie* by Erin Crosby Eckstine, which was absolutely spectacular. If you love cli-fi, apples, and immersive audiobooks, this episode is for you. 🫶

If you want to hear from R.M. about her writing process for *The Tear Collector*, here's my interview with her: [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO1ZPcwEnFh/?igsh=MXd3aHdwaXJ6cTFy](https://www.instagram.com/reel/DO1ZPcwEnFh/?igsh=MXd3aHdwaXJ6cTFy)

Happy reading, listening, and baking! 🥰

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### Book Recommendations:

- *Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe* by C.B. Lee  
  A cozy YA fantasy with sapphic love, magic, and a powerful exploration of doing one’s part to take care of the planet in the face of climate change.

- *Is It Spring?* by Kevin Henkes  
  A calming, peaceful, and captivating children’s book that emphasizes the importance of patience, hope, and nature.

- *Metamorphosis: Climate Fiction for a Better Future* edited by Grist  
  A thoughtful, immersive short story anthology filled with hopeful, creative stories that present an alternative future of sustainability, inclusivity, and justice.

- *The Tear Collector* by R.M. Romero  
  A middle-grade cli-fi tale of monsters, love, memories, and hope set after the end of the world.

- *Wild Dark Shore* by Charlotte McConaghy  
  A gripping cli-fi psychological thriller with powerful descriptions of nature, weather, and animals of Shearwater.

- *Heiress of Nowhere* by Stacey Lee  
  An immersive YA historical mystery with lush descriptions of Orcas Island.

- *Burn the Kingdom Down* by Addie Thorley  
  Features a captivating plant magic system along with swoon-worthy romance and adventure.

- *When Trees Testify: Science, Wisdom, History, and America’s Black Botanical Legacy* by Beronda L. Montgomery  
  An eye-opening and entertaining non-fiction read brimming with botany and Black history.

- *Saltcrop* by Yume Kitasei  
  A vivid story of sisterhood, sailing, and environmental salvation.

- *The Island of Last Things* by Emma Sloley  
  A creative dystopian novel following two zookeepers at Earth’s last zoo.

- *Doctors by Nature: How Ants, Apes, and Other Animals Heal Themselves* by Jaap de Roode  
  Blends medicine, evolution, agriculture, and animals in an enlightening way.

- *Brewed with Love* by Shelly Page  
  A cozy YA fantasy with a magic system inspired by the properties of redwood trees and delightful mystery.

- *The Honey Witch* by Sydney J. Shields  
  A cozy fantasy filled with a bee-based magic system.

- *Weyward* by Emilia Hart  
  Follows three women across five centuries, centering on the power of women, nature, and magic.

- *The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt* by Chelsea Iversen  
  A twisty historical fantasy with a wonderfully eerie plant magic system.

- *Homegrown Magic* by Jamie Pacton and Rebecca Podos  
  A sweeping fantasy with garden magic and found family.

- *Wildblood* by Lauren Blackwood  
  A gripping YA novel filled with monsters, mythology, and adventure through a Jamaican jungle.

- *Wild Is the Witch* by Rachel Griffin  
  An enchanting adventure set in the Pacific Northwest with lush descriptions and charming interactions.

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Happy reading, and let me know which books you're reading this season! 🫶🏼