{"id":14712,"date":"2024-12-24T15:36:46","date_gmt":"2024-12-24T15:36:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/?p=14712"},"modified":"2024-12-24T15:36:46","modified_gmt":"2024-12-24T15:36:46","slug":"end-of-year-book-roundup-a-few-of-the-years-best-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/2024\/12\/24\/end-of-year-book-roundup-a-few-of-the-years-best-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"End of Year Book Roundup \u2013 A Few of the Year\u2019s Best!! Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Terri Schlichenmeyer<\/em>
\nThe Truth Contributor<\/em><\/p>\n

So you looked at the calendar the other day and… eeeek.<\/em><\/p>\n

We\u2019re in the middle of the holidays already \u2013 but there is always time to gift someone \u2026 or even yourself with one of these greats books of this past year!<\/p>\n

Fiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the reader who loves a good comedy, The Best Way to Bury Your Husband<\/em> by Alexia Casale<\/strong> (Penguin, $18.00) is perfect. It’s the story of four women and one same old story: their husbands have been jerks and it’s time to take matters into their own hands. Pair it with How to Solve Your Own Murder<\/em> by Kristen Perrin <\/strong>(Dutton, $28), another fine mystery that’ll keep your giftee perfectly entertained.<\/p>\n

If there’s someone on your list who loves a good novel with a healthy dose of drama, you can’t go wrong with Very Bad Company<\/em> by Emma Rosenblum <\/strong>(Flatiron Books, $28.99), the story of a group of high-level, high-money executives on retreat in Florida. What could go wrong, right? Turns out, plenty…Wrap it up with The Divorcees<\/em> by Rowan Beaird<\/strong> (Flatiron Books, $28.99), a novel set in a midcentury Reno divorce ranch.<\/p>\n

That thriller-lover on your gift list will be easy to satisfy when you give She’s Not Sorry<\/em> by Mary Kubica<\/strong> (Park Row Books, $30.00), a story of an ICU nurse, a suicidal-now-comatose patient, and secrets that come to light about an almost-deadly accident that was (maybe) no accident. Wrap it up with Heads Will Roll<\/em> by Josh Winning<\/strong> (Putnam, $30.00), a novel of a dumb mistake at work made by an actor who’s sent away to deal with her demons. Sometimes, though, the demons are real…<\/p>\n

Your vampire lover will want to bite into So Thirsty<\/em> by Rachel Harrison<\/strong> (Berkley, $29.00), a mystery of best friends and secrets with unexpected consequences. Wrap it up with Tiny Threads<\/em>\u00a0 by Lilliam Rivera<\/strong> (Del Ray, $28.00), a novel of a fashionista and a dream job that turns out to be, well, from you-know-where…<\/p>\n

Is there a reader on your list who loves complicated family dramas? Then April May June July<\/em> by Alison B. Hart<\/strong> (Graydon House, $28.99) is the book to wrap. Siblings April, May, June, and brother July Barber are totally separate people with nothing in common, other than that they’re family. When their missing father resurfaces after more than a decade, the family wedding they’re all set to attend suddenly becomes so much more than a family wedding. Wrap it up with A Fire So Wild<\/em> by Sarah Ruiz-Grossman <\/strong>(Harper, $25.99), the story of a wildfire in Berkeley, California, and a group of the city’s residents who must immediately reckon with the lives they’ve built there.<\/p>\n

You don’t have to know a thing about St. Paul, Minnesota, to want to read Mysterious Tales of Old St. Paul<\/em> by Larry Millett<\/strong> (University of Minnesota Press, $24.95). It’s a collection of whodunits set in the 1890s and features a character you’ll come to love. Wrap it up with You’d Look Better as a Ghost<\/em><\/strong> by Joanna Wallace (Penguin, $18.00), an LOL novel about a killer with an unusual gift: she sees people as ghosts, just before they become one. Also try The Mesmerist<\/em> by Caroline Woods<\/strong> (Doubleday, $28.00), a book of magic based on a real story from the late 1800s.<\/p>\n

For the person on your list who is a self-professed lover of Mark Twain’s works, Big Jim and the White Boy<\/em> by David F. Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson <\/strong>(Ten Speed Graphic, $35.00) will be a welcome gift this season. It’s a re-imagining of the classic Twain tale, told in graphic-novel format. It’s great for collectors, and teens would love it, too.<\/p>\n

Here’s an unusual sibling novel: Pearly Everlasting<\/em> by Tammy Armstrong<\/strong> (HarperCollins, $28.99). It’s the story of a bear cub named Bruno, the human sister he was raised with, and the bond of love that overcomes everything when the bear goes missing. Wrap it up with We’ll Prescribe You a Cat<\/em> by Syou Ishida<\/strong> (Berkley, $25.00), a cute novel about the “healing power” of cats.<\/p>\n

Lovers of short stories will enjoy unwrapping Neighbors and Other Stories<\/em> by Diane Oliver<\/strong> (Grove Press, $27.00), a collection of tales about racism, Jim Crow, fear, prejudice, scandal, and more. Pair it with Float Up, Sing Down<\/em> by Laird Hunt <\/strong>(Bloomsbury, $26,99), a collection about a single day in the life of folks in a small Indiana community.<\/p>\n

No doubt, there’s someone on your gift list who loves to be really, really scared and Nightwatching <\/em>by Tracy Sierra <\/strong>may fit on your gift list. It’s a novel about a woman alone with her children during a blizzard, and an intruder who seems awfully, horrifyingly familiar…<\/p>\n

General Nonfiction<\/strong><\/p>\n

Someone on your gift list will love reading Cunning Folk: Life in the Era of Practical Magic<\/em> by Tabitha Stanmore <\/strong>(Bloomsbury, $29.99). Not only is this a history of magic and the magical arts, but it’s a bit of a mini-biography about people who practice the arts.<\/p>\n

If you know your giftee well and this year is going to mean big changes, then carefully <\/em>give Divorce Matters<\/em> by Kathy Criscuolo Boufford <\/strong>(Square One Publishers, $18.95). Wrap it up with I Do (I Think)<\/em> by Allison Raskin<\/strong> (Hanover Square Press, $28.99), a book about marriage in the modern world. Together, they’re perfect for the person you know needs them, now or in the near future.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, Somehow: Thoughts on Love<\/em> by Anne Lamott <\/strong>(Riverhead Books, $22.00) is a book filled with hope and words on love. why it irritates us, and why we need it. Wrap it up for the romantic in your life. Wrap it up with Vows: The Modern Genius of an Ancient Rite<\/em> by Cheryl Mendelson<\/strong> (Simon & Schuster, $28.99), a surprising look at the things we say at a wedding, and why we say them.<\/p>\n

Is there a lover of Shakespeare on your gift list? Then you absolutely can’t go wrong when you wrap up Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent<\/strong><\/em> by Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea<\/strong> (St. martin’s Press, $32). Here, Dame Judi writes about the Bard and the various roles she’s played through the decades, audiences, critics, and more. Your giftee will want it “to be” under the tree, along with The World in Books: 52 Works of Great Short Nonfiction<\/em> by Kenneth C. Davis <\/strong>(Scribner, $29.99), a whole book full of suggestions to carry your giftee into the new year.<\/p>\n

The runner in your life will be delighted when In the Spell of the Barkley<\/em> by Michiel Panhuysen<\/strong> (Bloomsbury, $24.00) is unwrapped. This story of the ultimate ultramarathon challenge is a read as wild as the race itself. Wrap it up with another book about a big sport: Everest, Inc.: The Renegabes and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World<\/em> by Will Cockrell<\/strong> (Gallery Books, $29.99). Wrap it up with a warm pair of gloves and a long scarf.<\/p>\n

Is there a reader on your gift list who loves history but who’s tired of the same old thing? Then wrap up Plentiful Country: The Great Potato Famine and the Making of Irish New York<\/em> by Tyler Anbinder<\/strong> (Little, Brown, $32.50). Why did more than a million of Ireland’s citizens come to America in the mid-1800s? What did they find here, and how did Americans think of the sudden influx of new immigrants? Historians will devour this book; anyone concerned about immigration will, too.<\/p>\n

No doubt, the history lover on your list will want The Handy World War II Answer Book<\/em> by Richard Estep<\/strong> (Visible Ink Press, $29.99). In an easy-to-read, easy-to-browse format, your giftee will get a nice extra peek inside and around the world at the Second World War.<\/p>\n

The science-minded person on your gift list will want Turning to Stone<\/em> by Marcia Bjornerud <\/strong>(Flatiron Books, $28.99), a book about rocks but also about geology and the wonders of our planet. Wrap it up with Subpar Planet<\/em> by Amber Share<\/strong> (Penguin Random House, $30.00), a hilarious book of reviews and ratings of planetary wonders from real people who probably didn’t quite get the whole “nature” thing.<\/p>\n

Your proud HBCU grad will love reading A Forgotten Migration<\/em> by Crystal R. Sanders<\/strong> (UNC Press, $27.95), a book about racism, segregation, Black colleges & universities, and what American society owes them for decades of education.<\/p>\n

Is there an activist for justice on your gift list? Then they’ll be happy to open Morningside: The 1979 Greensboro Massacre and the Struggle for an American City’s Soul<\/em> by Aran Shetterly<\/strong> (Amistad, $28.99), It’s a story of the Klan, white supremacy, racial conflict, and how it fits in with what’s going on in America today. Pair it with Sidney Poitier: The Great Speefhes of an Icon Who Moved Us Forward<\/em> complied by Joanna Poitier, edited by John Malahy<\/strong> (Running Press, $29). Bonus: This inspiring book is packed with photos.<\/p>\n

If there’s a person on your list who’s concerned with ecologically-minded things, check out The 15-Minute City<\/em> by Carlos Moreno<\/strong> (Wiley, $28). It’s a book about a radical way of planning a new city so it’s walkable, not congested, and greener. Pair it with Atlas of a Threatened Planet<\/em> by Esther Gonstalla<\/strong> (Island Press, $35), a book of infographics that make being greener easier to understand.<\/p>\n

Everybody \u2013 including your giftee \u2013 loves a good treasure hunt, and you don’t have to hunt far for Lost Loot: Cursed Treasures and Blood Money<\/em> by Jim Willis<\/strong> (Visible Ink Press, $22.95). It’s a sometimes-swashbuckling, sometimes just plain fun look at booty, true crime, and possibilities of riches. Wrap it up with The Heirloomist: 100 Treasures and the Stories They Tell<\/em> by Shana Novak<\/strong> (Chronicle Books, $27.99), an absorbing book about random objects, collectors, and the hold that things hold on us.<\/p>\n

Your football fan will absolutely want The Football Game That Changed America<\/em> by Dennis Deninger<\/strong> (Rowman & Littlefield, $35). It’s a book about how the NFL’s “Big Game” became the biggest day of football for every fan, whether they follow the teams playing or not. If your giftee loves basketball, too, then wrap up Globetrotter: How Abe Saperstein Shook Up the World of Sports<\/em> by Mark Jacob and Matthew Jacob <\/strong>(Rowman & Littlefield, $35), a book about the iconic Harlem Globetrotters basketball team, racism, and the path to become one of the sports’ best-loved teams.<\/p>\n

The person on your gift list who’s working on a second chapter will be happy to unwrap The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It <\/em>by Lorraine Besser, PhD<\/strong> (Balance, $30). Based on science and psychology, this book helps your giftee create the best life and be happier and healthier in mind and spirit.<\/p>\n

Biography<\/strong><\/p>\n

Did your giftee spend a childhood immersed in books about growing up? If so, they’ll cherish those memories when they read The Genius of Judy<\/em> by Rachelle Bergstein<\/strong> (One Signal Publishers, $28.99). This biography fills readers in on who Judy Blume was, why she wrote the novels she penned, and how her stories fit in with today’s adolescence, feminism, current events, and literature. Wrap it up with this great biography: Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters <\/em>by Susan Page<\/strong> (Simon & Schuster $30). It’s the story of Walters, her times, and her impressive works.<\/p>\n

If your giftee is riled by this years’ politics and feminism, then they’ll love reading A Well-Trained Wife <\/em>by Tia Levings<\/strong> (St. Martin’s Press, $30). It’s the story of Levings’ life as a wife in a Christian patriarchy-based marriage, the submissiveness, the expectations, and her ultimate resistance. The right kind of giftee will love this book completely.<\/p>\n

The British history lover on your list will absolutely want The Eagle and the Hart: The Tragedy of Richard II and Henry IV <\/em>by Helen Castor<\/strong> (Avid Reader Press, $35). This book takes a deep dive into history, the lives of two cousins, and a shocking assumption to the throne. Pair it with a bookmark and Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King<\/em> by Dan Jones<\/strong> (Viking, $35), a book about the life and times of this English king in the fifteenth century.<\/p>\n

For the person on your gift list who loves music, How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music<\/em> edited by Alison Fensterstock <\/strong>(HarperOne, $40) is exactly the right gift. It’s a look at female musicians from the 1920s to more recent years, from country music to hip hop to guitar players and beyond. Wrap it up with I Heard There Was a Secret Chord: Music as Medicine <\/em>by Daniel J. Levitin <\/strong>(Norton, $32.50), a book about music and how it contributes to healing and well-being.<\/p>\n

Friendly Fire: A Fractured Memoir<\/em><\/strong> by Paul Rousseau<\/strong> (Harper Horizon, $29.99) may be the exact right gift for anyone who loves a unique memoir. Just before he graduated from college, Rousseau was shot in the head accidentally. How he survived, both physically and in the friendship with the man who shot him is the basis of this very well-done book.<\/p>\n

The science-minded person on your gift list will be happy to have The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science<\/em> by Dava Sobel<\/strong> (Atlantic Monthly Press, $30). Chances are, your giftee knows exactly who Madame Curie was, but do they know about the women who came after her in the laboratory. This book tells the tale in an engaging, interesting way.<\/p>\n

For your fashionista who loves make-up, Becoming Elizabeth Arden: The Woman Behind the Global Beauty Empire <\/em>by Stacy A. Cordery<\/strong> (Viking, $35) could be the best gift beneath the tree this year. It’s a sweeping story of a businesswoman, glamour maven, revolutionary, visionary, her work, her times, and the controversy she lit.<\/p>\n

Business<\/strong><\/p>\n

For the designer or design student on your list, you’ll want to wrap up Design for a Radically Changing World <\/em>by Andy Cohen FAIA and Diane Hoskins FAIA<\/strong> (Oro Editions, $70). It’s a heavy, gorgeously-illustrated book full of ideas and works by designers your giftee may know. This is a book they’ll love for years to come.<\/p>\n

Everybody knows that work requires a certain sense of humor, right? And so The Customer is Always Wrong <\/em>by Scott Seiss <\/strong>(Harper Celebrate, $22.99) is a book that’ll help your giftee keep a smile on that overworked face.<\/p>\n

Here’s a unique little gift for the businessperson on your list: Pencil <\/em>by Carol Beggy <\/strong>(Bloomsbury, $14.95). It’s a small book, perfect for a stocking-stuffer, and it’s all about the writing instrument we know, love, and of which about two billion are used by Americans each year.<\/p>\n

For the young entrepreneurial couple on your list, Tightwads and Spendthrifts: Navigating the Money Minefield in Real Relationships <\/em>by Scott Rick<\/strong> (St. Martin’s Press, $28) may be something they’ll both appreciate. It’s a book that offers advice and a guideline for making sure both finances and love triumph in the end.<\/p>\n

The gamer on your list \u2013 the one who’s also an entrepreneur \u2013 will like to unwrap Playing with Reality<\/em> by Kelly Clancy<\/strong> (Riverhead, $30). What do games teach us about science, business, and risk? Looking at games from antiquity to AI, this book will tell it.<\/p>\n

If the giftee on your list is trying to achieve a good work-life balance, then wrap up Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life<\/em> by Brigid Schulte<\/strong> (Henry Holt, $31.99). This book will help your giftee understand how some everyday tasks are considered “work” and how such unpaid jobs can contribute to your happiness. Wrap it up with Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life<\/em> by Megan Hellerer <\/strong>(Penguin Life, $29.00). The subtitle says it all.<\/p>\n

For the person who loves their job but struggles with the workplace, Toxic Productivity<\/em> by Israa Nasir, MHC-LP (Bridge City<\/strong> Books, $19.99) might help. It’s a book about overcoming stress and pressure at work and how to become a healthier employee, mentally.<\/p>\n

Next week, Terri will present Part II of some of 2024\u2019s best!!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Terri Schlichenmeyer The Truth Contributor So you looked at the calendar the other day and… eeeek. We\u2019re in the middle of the holidays already \u2013 but there is always time to gift someone \u2026 or even yourself with one of these greats books of this past year! Fiction For the reader who loves a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":14713,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[20],"class_list":["post-14712","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-book_review"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14712","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14712"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14712\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14714,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14712\/revisions\/14714"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14713"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14712"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14712"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14712"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordpress.thetruthtoledo.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=14712"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}