Fiction for the Holidays
I know that gift cards have become the easy thing to, well, gift to friends and loved ones for the holidays. And I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve received some clunker gifts without the option of exchanging for something I’d rather have. But everyone likes to read. And if they don’t, they should get in the habit. There’s nothing like a good story to take you someplace new.
So with that in mind, I’ve listed a handful of options (minus the thumb) for better gift giving through fiction. Feel free to include some of your own suggestions. But just remember to include a gift receipt.
Water for Elephants, Sara Gruen
The tale of a ninety-three-year-old nursing home resident who reminisces about his time spent working in the circus to the point that he almost begins to lose track of what’s real and what’s not. The characters are delightful, the story intoxicating, and the prose inspired.
Lamb, Christopher Moore
The lost years of Jesus through the eyes of “Levi bar Alphaeus who is called Biff,” Christ’s childhood pal. I found myself laughing, enthralled, educated, appalled, and thoroughly entertained all at the same time. You’ll never look at Christianity the same way again.
Life of Pi, Yann Martel
Pi, son of a zookeeper whose family is emigrating to North America, finds himself the lone human survivor of a shipwreck in a lifeboat with a hyena, an orangutan, a wounded zebra, and a 450-pound Bengal tiger. A funny and thoughtful adventure of a read.
In the Woods, Tana French
A cold-case double murder in the suburban woods of Dublin is revived twenty years later by another murder in the same woods. Narrated by a detective with a shadowy past connected to the double murder, this debut novel is part mystery, part psychological thriller, and nearly perfect.
IN THE WOODS is on my want-to-read list. I LOVED Water for Elephants and Life of Pi.
I’ve been suggesting my friends’ books to people lately. Anything I can do to spread the wealth. A good middle-grade series is Erica Kirov’s Magickeepers series. I believe the first two of three are released.
Comment by Melanie — December 22, 2010 @ 7:05 pm
Pretty excellent suggestions all around I think.
I’d have to suggest ZOMBIES VS. UNICORNS edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. It’s YA fiction but I enjoy it immensely as an adult. Also, I never have loved Anthologies because it’s usually really hard to sort out the gems from the “meh” from the “I don’t know why they bothered.” This one, however, doesn’t have a lot of real disappointments. Plus, it’s a Who’s Who of the Best YA authors out there, so it might inspire someone to find a new author they love.
Happy Holidays!
Comment by LibrarianMarian — December 23, 2010 @ 10:22 am
Thanks for the comments and suggestions! Happy holidays!
Comment by admin — December 24, 2010 @ 7:18 am