Queens Tribune

Every year, your holiday list gets longer but your budget gets shorter. You’d love to be uber-generous but money is tight in your house this year. You’d make gifts for everybody, but time is tight, too. Your kids need something for their teacher. You’d like to remember the mailman, delivery people, your mechanic, the lady who took such good care of your Grandma. The list grows, but the money doesn’t.

Ho-ho-humbug.

But don’t despair. Books still make great gifts, and they last! Prices on books have held stable – some books have even gone down in price – and there’s something for almost everybody. For instance, take a look at these….

General Nonfiction

So it’s going to be a year of Bar or Bat Mitzvahs for your family. Remember your own celebration and read about the memories of celebrities in Mazel Tov by Jil Rappaport, photographs by Linda Solomon. This book is funny and heartfelt and would make a great gift for celeb watchers or the parents or grandparents of the lucky new “adult”.

The holidays can be a romantic time, so why not match it with a different kind of love story: The Geography of Love by Glenda Burgess. This is the story of love against all sorts of roadblocks, love against all the quirky things life can throw at two people. Be aware that this isn’t some fluffy paperback novel. It’s a true story, and very satisfying for anyone who believes in the impossible.

A good biography always makes a great gift, you know, and one to wrap up for someone you love is Casanova by Ian Kelly. This book takes a look at the original Lover Boy from the perspective of his friends and paramours.

Having trouble finding a present for Mom? How about finding Riding Shotgun: Women Write About Their Mothers, edited by Kathryn Kysar? This anthology is about Mom from the vantage point of twenty-one women who had a mother, became mothers, and grew up to learn that Mom was the most important person in their lives. Wrap it up for the most important person in yours. Hint: would make a great gift for anyone who is expecting a daughter.

Is it impossible to find something Dad doesn’t have? A history book to peek at (maybe as a gift for yourself?) is The Forgotten History of America by Cormac O’Brien. America wasn’t built on bravery alone; there were lots of skirmishes fought long before any of us were born. This book is about them.

Who doesn’t love reading about trivia? I’m sure you know somebody who does, so What Does the Moon Smell Like? by Eva Everything is an excellent gift choice. Part education, part quiz, this book isn’t your normal turn-to-the-back-of-the-book trivia tome; the answers are upside down on the next page, which makes it kind of unique. It’s perfect for anyone over age 15, especially science buffs.

Novels

From chick-adventure author Jennifer Estep comes Jinx, the story of a reluctant new female superhero who falls in love like a speeding bullet with a dangerous man who’s able to find trouble in a single bound. Tip: this little paperback is perfect for a stocking stuffer.

If you’ve got someone on your list who loves novels but craves the unusual, look for Woman’s World by Graham Rawle. This unique book is written in the manner of a movie-plot kidnapper’s note: all the sentences were taken from women’s magazines of days gone by and glued onto the pages. Hint: anyone with a love for “found” art might find this quirky novel fun, too.

Undoubtedly, you’ve got a sleuth or two on your list, and I’ve undoubtedly got some suggestions to make your giving easy: look for Crime by Irvine Welsh, a book about a murdered child and the messed-up guy in charge of saving her; “Irrational Numbers” by Robert Spiller, another in the Bonnie Pinkwater series (your giftee will want them all, by the way); or find The Fourth Victim by Tony Spinosa, a thriller-mystery with multiple bodies.

Looking for a gift for someone who’s looking for love? Then wrap up Manless in Montclair by Amy Holman Edelman. This cute book is about one widow’s reluctant search for love in very-married suburbia. Also consider Cutting Loose by Nadine Dajani (a book about three women and the men they might – or might not – love).

Sometimes, it’s just nice to relax with a good western and if your giftee is a cowpoke in disguise, you can’t go wrong with Texas Sunrise by Elmer Kelton. With two stories (kind of books-within-a-book), Kelton tells a tale of the Texas Revolution before the Lone Star State was a state, and oater fans will love it.

Children’s Books

Interactive seems to be all the rage in books these days, and it’s kind of fun. If your teen loved Cathy’s Book last year, then be sure to wrap up “Cathy’s Key” this year. This book contains a novel, as well as real phone numbers to call, real email addresses to send to, and an envelope of “stuff” that the fictional Cathy has kept. Hint: this series isn’t just for teens. I loved these books and I passed them on to adult friends.

Even if your kids are into fantasy-type fiction, there’s a bit of scientist in them. Speak to that tendency with Will It Blow by Elizabeth Rusch. This book takes a look at Mt. St. Helens and all the things that go along with volcanoes and volcano sleuthing. This is a skinny book packed with all kinds of experiments and – shhhhhhh – learning-without-learning text. Also try The American Boy’s Handy Book by D.C. Beard. This is a reprint of a 19th-century book for boys. It’s quaint, but the stuff in here will still thrill a boy who loves activity.

Do you have a young explorer in your house? If you do, you can’t go wrong with The Field Guide to Safari Animals by Paul Beck or The Field Guide to Ocean Animals by Phyllis Perry. These cool interactive books are filled with facts and information, but the bonus is that there are easy-to-assemble cardboard animals and pull-out dioramas that your child can play with while reading these books. While you’re probably going to want to keep them away from little kids, these books are perfect for boys or girls ages 8 to 13.

And if you want a classic book to read aloud, pick up A Charlie Brown Christmas by Charles M. Schulz. Newly released in a beautiful picture book, this will delight any fan of any age.

Did your young stargazer ask Santa for a telescope this year? Be sure to add The Planet Hunter by Elizabeth Rusch in that package. This is a (fictional) story about what “happened” to the (real) planet Pluto, and it includes a poster of the Solar System inside so your child can become a Planet Hunter, too.

Is there a kid alive who doesn’t enjoy hearing their own story of how they came into the family? As much as you love telling it, you’ll also love reading these books aloud: You Are My Wish Come True is the story of a little bear who loves hearing how his mother waited for him and imagined him before he was born. In I Wished For You: An Adoption Story, a young bear hears the story of how he and his Mama became a family. Both of these books are written and illustrated by Marianne Richmond, and they’re both perfect for kids ages 3 to 8.

So many kids will be celebrating the holidays this year, while Mom or Dad (or both) is half a world away. If you know a kid like that, you’ll want to share Off to War by Deborah Ellis. This is a book written mostly by kids, for kids who have a parent away at war. Meant for kids 10-and-up, it might be okay for kids who are slightly younger, but carefully consider your giftee first. Either way, it’s a good book to read with a child who’s missing someone special this holiday season.

New York

Anyone for adventure this Christmas break? If you’re looking for something fun to do, grab Off the Beaten (Subway) Track by Suzanne Reisman. This book lists dozens and dozens of unusual sites and scenes you can see in New York City and surroundings, including directions, street addresses, and phone numbers. Tip: This book isn’t just for native New Yorkers. Visitors or anyone coming to town will love it, too.

See? There are lots of gift choices when you head to a bookstore. Be sure to remember bookmarks, check out the audiobooks, too, and ask the bookstore people if you’re completely stumped. They know books, and they’re overjoyed to help you.

Season’s Readings!