Since blogging has a decidedly personal tone to it anyway - and since we’re not sure anyone is even reading this one - I thought it would be permissible to give you some book ideas based on the last few I’ve read and enjoyed. (It goes without saying I left the ones off that I read and HATED!) 2006 has been very generous to book-lovers, and consequently you have a plethora of titles to choose from for our holiday gift-giving. This year avoid the mall, and give them a book from the eclectic selection of the best that emerged from the publishing houses this year.
1) Grace at Low Tide by Beth Webb Hart
DeVeaux DeLoach's Daddy has gone belly-up after one too many bad business deals, so the DeLoaches must quit their fancy Charleston digs for a small country cottage. DeVeaux has to pull out of her posh prep school and take a weekend job. Daddy grows progressively meaner throughout the book, screaming at the family, ordering DeVeaux's mother to get a job and cruelly mocking her plump physique. For her part, Mama is mainly worried that DeVeaux, now old enough to turn men's heads, remain chaste. DeVeaux is kept afloat by her Christian faith, a cousin and the youth group leader at her church. DeVeaux's charming narration is the book's greatest strength—readers will love DeVeaux like a sister by the end—and its greatest weakness, for she's still an adolescent but sounds implausibly wise for her age. Set in Charleston and on a thinly disguised Edisto, Hart will be our speaker in February at the annual author’s luncheon.
2) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
3) Empress by Shan Sa
In seventh-century China, during the great Tang dynasty, a young girl from the humble Wu clan entered the imperial gynaecium, which housed ten thousand concubines. Inside the Forbidden City, she witnessed seductions, plots, murders, and brazen acts of treason. Propelled by a shrewd intelligence, an extraordinary persistence, and a friendship with the imperial heir, she rose through the ranks to become the first Empress of China.
4) Lisey's Story by Stephen King
Lisey Debusher Landon lost her husband Scott two years ago, after a twenty five year marriage of the most profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Lisey knew there was a place Scott went -- a place that both terrified and healed him, could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it's Lisey's turn to face Scott's demons.
5) Mind the Gaffe by R.L. Trask
The new paperback edition of “Mind the Gaffe,” by the American linguist R. L. Trask, efficiently untangles problems of style and usage, while administering justice with a strong hand. Mr. Trask, who died in 2004, takes on academic jargon, fad words and other forms of stupidity with a flaming sword. A linguist with attitude, Trask was a steadfast soldier in the never-ending War of Words, fighting the good fight for standard written English. Revered for its insight and legendary for its "cheek," Trask's Mind the Gaffe! is an indispensable guidebook for wordsmiths and language mavens of every stripe, providing safe passage through the ubiquitous minefields of improper usage.
· Artiste: This pretentious word . . . commonly means "fraud pretending to be an artist." Don't use it unless you mean to be insulting.
· Amoral, Immoral: An amoral person is one who does not know the difference between right and wrong. An immoral person knows the difference but does wrong anyway.
· Reaction: A reaction is a sudden and spontaneous response to a stimulus, such as jumping, shrieking, or fainting. The word is not properly used as a fancy word for any kind of considered response. If you circulate a policy document, you can ask others for their opinions, or for their criticisms, but do not ask them for their reactions unless you hope to hear responses like "I burst into uncontrollable laughter."
“Do not write drivel like Galliano is at the epicenter of women’s fashion: all this means is ‘Galliano is important in women’s fashion, and I am a pretentious twit.’ ”
6) Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs
Doll collecting. The Tooth Fairy. Incontinent dogs. eBay addiction. Hot cardiologists. Available locksmiths. Lesbian personal ads. Junior Mints. Blind dates. Nicorette gum. Coffins (as bookcases). Grandmothers. Dry skin. College t-shirts. Santa Claus. Enforcing traffic laws. Julia Child. Possible Side Effects explores the concept of cause and effect. It is a cautionary tale in essay form. Be forewarned and read the label: hilarious, troubling, and shocking results might occur.
7) Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
What's The Holidays without some good ol' fashioned Christmas dysfunction? Anyone can write a jolly good Christmas tale, but it takes a special kind of person to look at this Season with a dark, twisted and hilarious eye. David Sedaris' collection of six twisted Christmas stories reminds us that this time of year can often go seriously wrong, and so above all else, we must be able to retain our sense of humour (a few stiff drinks couldn't hurt, either). I especially enjoyed his first tale, SantaLand Diaries about Sedaris' crazy experiences working as an elf at Macy's. Also memorable is Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!! one of those oh-so-familiar-and-damned-annoying family Christmas newsletters that gradually begings to dissolve into a litany of horrid dysfunctional incidences. Good fun for the whole family! And of course, I like the cover design. Makes me thirsty just looking at it...
8) Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank: And Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom by Celia Rivenbark
In some 32 short essays on the ridiculousness of modern life, Rivenbark (Bless Your Heart, Tramp; We're Just Like You, Only Prettier) wanders through Tweenland at the mall, thinking a better name would be "Lil Skanks." She thinks that the Cruise/Holmes pregnancy has an "indescribably delicious" Rosemary's Baby feel to it and recalls that Monica Lewinsky hosted a TV dating show—in which she "didn't get the guy." Rivenbark riffs on America's crazier obsessions—the painful but obligatory pilgrimage to Disney World, the new attention to "buttocks cleavage," coffee makers calling themselves baristas, or those celebrity moms who have "bumps" instead of babies. Rivenbark describes herself as a "slacker mom" and reminds readers to learn something from men—"because no matter how slack a dad is, if he does the least little thing, people gush over him." This is a hilarious read, perhaps best enjoyed while eating Krispy Kremes
9) West of Jesus by Steven Kotler
In West of Jesus, Steven Kotler sets out to find the origins of a very particular surf legend about a surfer called "the conductor" who can control the weather with a human bone. In doing so, Kotler ends up exploring why surfing - not tennis, archery, softball, or NASCAR - is unique in the sense of spiritual fulfillment it provides the practitioner.
10) World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
"Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? ... For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth." -General Travis D'Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
1) Grace at Low Tide by Beth Webb Hart
DeVeaux DeLoach's Daddy has gone belly-up after one too many bad business deals, so the DeLoaches must quit their fancy Charleston digs for a small country cottage. DeVeaux has to pull out of her posh prep school and take a weekend job. Daddy grows progressively meaner throughout the book, screaming at the family, ordering DeVeaux's mother to get a job and cruelly mocking her plump physique. For her part, Mama is mainly worried that DeVeaux, now old enough to turn men's heads, remain chaste. DeVeaux is kept afloat by her Christian faith, a cousin and the youth group leader at her church. DeVeaux's charming narration is the book's greatest strength—readers will love DeVeaux like a sister by the end—and its greatest weakness, for she's still an adolescent but sounds implausibly wise for her age. Set in Charleston and on a thinly disguised Edisto, Hart will be our speaker in February at the annual author’s luncheon.
2) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Set during World War II in Germany, Markus Zusak's new novel is the story of Liesel Meminger, a foster girl living outside of Munich. Liesel scratches out a meager existence for herself by stealing when she encounters something she can't resist-books. With the help of her accordion-playing foster father, she learns to read and shares her stolen books with her neighbors during bombing raids as well as with the Jewish man hidden in her basement before he is marched to Dachau.
3) Empress by Shan Sa
In seventh-century China, during the great Tang dynasty, a young girl from the humble Wu clan entered the imperial gynaecium, which housed ten thousand concubines. Inside the Forbidden City, she witnessed seductions, plots, murders, and brazen acts of treason. Propelled by a shrewd intelligence, an extraordinary persistence, and a friendship with the imperial heir, she rose through the ranks to become the first Empress of China.
4) Lisey's Story by Stephen King
Lisey Debusher Landon lost her husband Scott two years ago, after a twenty five year marriage of the most profound and sometimes frightening intimacy. Lisey knew there was a place Scott went -- a place that both terrified and healed him, could eat him alive or give him the ideas he needed in order to live. Now it's Lisey's turn to face Scott's demons.
5) Mind the Gaffe by R.L. Trask
The new paperback edition of “Mind the Gaffe,” by the American linguist R. L. Trask, efficiently untangles problems of style and usage, while administering justice with a strong hand. Mr. Trask, who died in 2004, takes on academic jargon, fad words and other forms of stupidity with a flaming sword. A linguist with attitude, Trask was a steadfast soldier in the never-ending War of Words, fighting the good fight for standard written English. Revered for its insight and legendary for its "cheek," Trask's Mind the Gaffe! is an indispensable guidebook for wordsmiths and language mavens of every stripe, providing safe passage through the ubiquitous minefields of improper usage.
· Artiste: This pretentious word . . . commonly means "fraud pretending to be an artist." Don't use it unless you mean to be insulting.
· Amoral, Immoral: An amoral person is one who does not know the difference between right and wrong. An immoral person knows the difference but does wrong anyway.
· Reaction: A reaction is a sudden and spontaneous response to a stimulus, such as jumping, shrieking, or fainting. The word is not properly used as a fancy word for any kind of considered response. If you circulate a policy document, you can ask others for their opinions, or for their criticisms, but do not ask them for their reactions unless you hope to hear responses like "I burst into uncontrollable laughter."
“Do not write drivel like Galliano is at the epicenter of women’s fashion: all this means is ‘Galliano is important in women’s fashion, and I am a pretentious twit.’ ”
6) Possible Side Effects by Augusten Burroughs
Doll collecting. The Tooth Fairy. Incontinent dogs. eBay addiction. Hot cardiologists. Available locksmiths. Lesbian personal ads. Junior Mints. Blind dates. Nicorette gum. Coffins (as bookcases). Grandmothers. Dry skin. College t-shirts. Santa Claus. Enforcing traffic laws. Julia Child. Possible Side Effects explores the concept of cause and effect. It is a cautionary tale in essay form. Be forewarned and read the label: hilarious, troubling, and shocking results might occur.
7) Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris
What's The Holidays without some good ol' fashioned Christmas dysfunction? Anyone can write a jolly good Christmas tale, but it takes a special kind of person to look at this Season with a dark, twisted and hilarious eye. David Sedaris' collection of six twisted Christmas stories reminds us that this time of year can often go seriously wrong, and so above all else, we must be able to retain our sense of humour (a few stiff drinks couldn't hurt, either). I especially enjoyed his first tale, SantaLand Diaries about Sedaris' crazy experiences working as an elf at Macy's. Also memorable is Season's Greetings to Our Friends and Family!!! one of those oh-so-familiar-and-damned-annoying family Christmas newsletters that gradually begings to dissolve into a litany of horrid dysfunctional incidences. Good fun for the whole family! And of course, I like the cover design. Makes me thirsty just looking at it...
8) Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank: And Other Words of Delicate Southern Wisdom by Celia Rivenbark
In some 32 short essays on the ridiculousness of modern life, Rivenbark (Bless Your Heart, Tramp; We're Just Like You, Only Prettier) wanders through Tweenland at the mall, thinking a better name would be "Lil Skanks." She thinks that the Cruise/Holmes pregnancy has an "indescribably delicious" Rosemary's Baby feel to it and recalls that Monica Lewinsky hosted a TV dating show—in which she "didn't get the guy." Rivenbark riffs on America's crazier obsessions—the painful but obligatory pilgrimage to Disney World, the new attention to "buttocks cleavage," coffee makers calling themselves baristas, or those celebrity moms who have "bumps" instead of babies. Rivenbark describes herself as a "slacker mom" and reminds readers to learn something from men—"because no matter how slack a dad is, if he does the least little thing, people gush over him." This is a hilarious read, perhaps best enjoyed while eating Krispy Kremes
9) West of Jesus by Steven Kotler
In West of Jesus, Steven Kotler sets out to find the origins of a very particular surf legend about a surfer called "the conductor" who can control the weather with a human bone. In doing so, Kotler ends up exploring why surfing - not tennis, archery, softball, or NASCAR - is unique in the sense of spiritual fulfillment it provides the practitioner.
10) World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
"Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? ... For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth." -General Travis D'Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe
