Merry Bookmas Vol 1: Family Edition

I don’t usually end up giving books to everyone on my holiday gift list, but I like a Book-Mas list anyway.   Today’s list: the Family Edition.

For your dad who doesn’t spend much time reading but occasionally cracks open something when he’s feeling intellectual and who mostly gets his literary intake while listening to audiobooks as he drives. He  effing loved the Harry Potter audiobooks.

The Hunger Games audiobook. Written by Suzanne Collins.  Dad hates “chicky” stuff, but he does like action.  I think he would like the blood and guts aspect of the games, and the political undertones would speak to his intelligence without overwhelming him.   I shall trick him into the romance side story. Mwah ha!

 

 

For your mom who read you “The Owl and the Pussycat” ad nauseam when you were little and who can still spout off quotes from literature like she’s a Jane Austen character.

She Walks in Beauty: A Woman’s Journey Through Poems. Selected by Caroline Kennedy.  We so often forget that our mothers experienced all those milestones of growing up and felt the ringing truthiness of poems long before we ever did.  This collection includes poems from diverse writers like Dorothy Parker and Pablo Neruda, and the pretty cover will look nice on Mom’s bookshelf.  Also, she’s in love with all things Kennedy.

 

 

 

For your stylish and sharp-as-a-tack  sister who now spends her days corralling her unruly toddler and his gurgling baby sister.   Beneath her practical exterior lurks a sentimental romantic who loves a good epic.

   In the Garden of the Beasts. Written by Erik Larson.  My sister likes her history lessons with a healthy dose of scandal, and this compelling account of an American family in Germany during the rise of Hitler will hit all her literary buttons. There’s the love affairs of the ambassador’s twenty-something daughter Martha Dodd for her soapy side, the complicated political interaction between the US and Germany to appeal to her brainiac side, and the insider stories of Hitler’s regime to rally her moralistic side. When she’s done, she can pass it to her husband for double value.

 

 

For your intimidating brother in law who has particular tastes when it comes to wine, cars, TV shows, clothes, and basically everything else.  He’s the closest thing you have to a brother and you really want him to like you even though he probably finds your Mighty Ducks t-shirt ridiculous.

  Steve Jobs. Written by Walter Isaacson. This is a really generic choice, I know.  But he’s already read everything by Malcolm Gladwell and I feel ill qualified to pick fiction for him since my favorite book this year featured a Russian countess in disguise as  an English maid and the last book I saw him reading was about the economics of oil production.  So, I feel this is a good compromise.

 

 

 

For your flask toting 92 year old grandmother who loves a good mystery and doesn’t care for anything too serious.  She’s gotten a little salty in her old age, enjoys her mid-afternoon soap opera, and prays the rosary every day

 The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie. Written by Alan Bradley.  I don’t read many straight-up mysteries, but I did finish this one earlier this year.  It features a sassy pre-teen protagonist solving a murder mystery in 1950s England, and there’s plenty of intrigue to go with her unique voice. I think Grandma will like the twists, and it’s not too difficult to follow the plot line.

 

 

 

For your hipster male cousin who used to play video games until 4 in the morning and who now is about five months away from being a respectable electrical engineer.  He goes against the grain, loves his mama, and has a elevated sense of wanderlust.

  Ready Player One. Written by Ernest Cline.  I totally want to read this myself.  It takes place in a future where most people live their lives through a huge interactive video game. The lead is trying to solve a mystery that could earn him a fortune, and he has to know tons of 80s trivia to do this. A geeky 80s nostalgia mystery packed with puzzles.  Let’s play.

 

 

 

For your garden-loving aunt who cooks up a mean fried chicken and brings all the best desserts to family dinners.   She raised two boys, works hard as a nurse, and needs a good solid escape.

  Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table. Written by Ruth Reichl.  The former editor of Gourmet Magazine can sure spin a good story.  She tells nearly her whole life story over the course of about three books, and this is the first.  It’s amazing how so many of her experiences growing up related to food and shaped her worldview.    I think my aunt will appreciate her sense of humor and the recipes tucked throughout the narrative.

 

 

 

For your slightly smug senior in high school cousin who just got into college and would rather mess around with his friends than sit down for family dinner.

  Ruminations on College Life. Written by Aaron Karo.  Many years ago, this author wrote weekly emails to his friends at college and they, in turn, forwarded them to to friends at other schools.  I remember when these weekly missives were A Thing and how we were all a little impressed that he actually got published.  Now, Aaron Karo has several published books about his life and his observations. I suspect some of his collegiate thoughts are now dated, but there’s still some truth here.

 

 

 

For your obstinate 3 year old nephew who likes story time but despises sitting still very long.  He  favors trucks, penguins, going pantsless,  and the occasional dinosaur.

 I Want My Hat Back. Written by Jon Klassen. I like buying slightly subversive picture books for my nephew, and this one is deceptively simple. It seems an innocent story of a lost hat, but there lurks a sinister current. A young rabbit lies about his knowledge of the hat and later pays the price.  I snicker every time I read it.

 

 

 

For your sausage legged 8 month old niece who smiles at everyone but has a charming disregard for her socks. Loves: Sophie the Giraffe, eating, and sneaking a peak at the TV even though she is not allowed.

  Little Miss Austen: Pride & Prejudice. Written by Jennifer Adams. I’m determined to start early with my sweet niece. So help me, in this age of sexting and immediate gratification, she will learn to love the slow burn of an Austen romance.   This is a really adorable counting book that is really more interesting to mothers than to their infant daughters, but it’s hard to resist for a true bibliophile.

 

 

 

For your quirky pint-sized schnauzer who would rather chew on a book than read it.   She is deeply upset by human sneezing and insists upon hiding bits of food in either your bed sheets or the crevices of the sofa.

  The Loved Dog. Written by Tamar Geller.  Look, if she’s good enough for Oprah, she’s good enough for me. This celebrity dog trainer promotes a gentler training method than her Roman-named counterpart with the TV show. Truthfully, Heidi did learn to sit and lie down based on her techniques, so I think there’s some value in her philosophy.

 

 

 

Next time: College Friends!

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