Merry Bookmas Vol 2: College Friends Edition

Yesterday, I focused on books for the family. Today: College Friends.

For your very pregnant friend who loves books so much that she threatened to name her daughter “Katniss Anne Shirley.”   She’s a super feminist history PhD student who likes her Lilly Pulitzer pink and her Bloody Mary extra spicy.

Death Comes to Pemberley. Written by PD James.  As I rule, I generally avoid Austen “sequels,”  but sometimes they’re too fun to resist. Such is the case with this one written by a well-respected mystery writer. Other writers are gleefully snapping it up and singing its praises, and I think my friend will like a little escapism with old literary friends before she has a baby full time.

 

 

 

For your social worker comrade in arms who also happens to be one of the funniest people you know in real life. Likes ninja penguins, would marry Aziz Ansari, and is prone to texting snarky comments about Facebook posts.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns). Written by Mindy Kaling. I want everybody to like Mindy Kaling as much as I do. Anyway, my friend will like her essays about heroines in romantic comedies and rules for being an attractive guy . She has to drive a long way for her job, so the audiobook might even be better since Kaling reads it herself– complete with high pitched outrage when her stories take dark turns.

 

 

 

 

For your romantic comedy loving friend who likes a good glass of wine and all things ABC Family.  Thanks to her busy schedule, she’s prone to falling asleep if you look away for two minutes.

A Countess Below Stairs. Written by Eva Ibbotson.   Oh, Eva Ibbotson! Why do we not have dozens of her charming romances to keep us warm in the winter months?  Devoid of smut but high on longing glances and lingering touches, Ibbotson has a gift for turning trite scenarios into lovely stories.  In this one, a Russian countess escapes the Bolsheviks and takes a position as  a maid in an English manor.  Naturally, she’s fated for the master of the house.

 

 

 

 

For your ultra fashionable ball buster friend who lives in her fabulous NYC apartment and flies coast to coast on a monthly basis.    There’s a gooey center under her flashy hard candy shell, and she’s always game for an international adventure.

  Parisian Chic: A Style Guide.  Written by Ines de la Fressange with Sophie Gachet. I don’t know who this Ines person is, but she’s evidently kind of a big deal. I think her name sounds like a fancy cheese, but this little style manual is so well done. It’s packed with glossy full colored pictures and deceptively simple tips.   If I thought I could actually follow her advice, I’d buy it for myself.

 

 

 

 

For your slightly OCD friend who likes zip codes, weather, college football, the University of Virginia, and country music.  He’s obsessed with mixing the perfect drink for the occasion and thinks the ideal weather for his daughter’s birth is a snowstorm.

  True Prep. Written by Lisa Birnbach with Chip Kidd. The prior generation had The Preppy Handbook, and we have this.  With a streak of humor, the rules of civility are outlined with attention to appropriate clothing, proper drinks, and acceptable vacation spots. As a dedicated rule abider, he might take it too seriously.

 

 

 

 

 

For your part time vegetarian friend who wishes we would all bike to work and grow our own produce but who is definitely not above refined sugar and craft beers.   She’s got a subtle sense of humor and a delightful streak of whimsy.

The Princess Bride: S. Morgenstern’s Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure. Written by William Goldman.  DId you know this was a book before it was a movie?  It’s written much in the same style as the movie,  with many asides and odd little details.  My friend just finished a masters program and this read will help her relax and keep her smiling.

 

 

 

For your pop culture obsessed lawyer friend who still plays dodgeball and sends the occasional inflammatory email.  Listens to emo without irony, eats fast food like its his job, and prides himself on choosing unique gifts for other people.

World War Z. Written by Max Brooks.  Okay, so truthfully, this guy is never going to read this book because he doesn’t read for pleasure. I could easily choose some Stephen Colbert swag or a pop culture picture book, but I think he would like this one if he actually gave it a shot. Written like a documentary about a fictional zombie outbreak, it makes your skin crawl with “what ifs” for days after you read. This book made me want to get a bike. You know, in case I need to outstrip a zombie.

 

 

 

For your excitable and squealy friend who gives excellent back rubs, listens better than anyone else, and is about a week away from officially finishing her PhD.  Lover of all things fluffy and sparkly. Like Taylor Swift but a lot smarter and more feminist.

The Name of the Star. Written by Maureen Johnson.  This one is a gamble because I don’t know if this particular friend would be willing to read YA books, but I wish she would give it a shot. It takes  place in London, where my friend met her husband and where she spent several summers visiting him.  She would enjoy recognizing the landmarks as this British boarding school ghost story unfolds and her psychology obsessed brain could pick apart the Jack the Ripper copycat murders.

 

 

 

For your Obama Kool-Aid drinking friend who writes thoughtful emails about the Occupy movement and then flies off to Africa to help build cell networks (or something?).   Once took a creative writing class and always encourages you to work on your fiction.

Nickeled and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America. Written by Barbara Ehrenreich.  If he hadn’t already read all the Nick Hornby books, I would give him one of those. As it is, he probably already this, but if he hasn’t, he should.  A reporter seeks to answer a simple question: in the best case scenario, can an American survive on minimum wage?  It turns out to be more complicated than that and the issue spreads to hot button topics like healthcare and housing costs.  Also, this book is why I won’t shop at Wal-Mart.

 

 

 

Next up: Assorted Other Friends

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