Malvern has once again upped the ante on its continuing arts initiative, making its quaint town center even prettier in the process. Take this self-guided art walk, and hope for a few snowflakes for the quintessential winter stroll. It now includes a series of murals by Great Valley students along Bridge Street. Follow the route from the train station to King Street to the public library and onward. Visit www.facebook.com/malvernmuralproject.
—Lisa Dukart
By Helen V. Reese (Oak Hill Press, 324 pages)
Narberth-based social worker Helen Reese’s first novel centers around a psychotherapist who also happens to be a relationship guru—even though she’s single. Her midlife jaunt through past relationships is our page-turning guilty obsession this holiday season. —L.D.
By Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook
(Rux Martin/Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 368 pages)
The James Beard Award-winning Solomonov and his business partner first brought gourmet Israeli cuisine to Philadelphia with Zahav back in 2008. But it’s the cookbook he’ll discuss at Bryn Mawr’s Main Point Books on Dec. 6 at 11 a.m. Delivered in Solomonov’s menschy style, kosher-optional recipes range from innovative but simple (tabbouleh, tahini) to challenging yet rewarding (lamb shoulder, Persian rice). You’ll also learn the secret to his mind-blowing hummus. Visit www.mainpointbooks.com. —Melissa Jacobs
