We just wrapped. Betsy and Brian and I – on the Martha Stewart Living show. Asked to prepare a Gift Book segment, I have so many gorgeous, stimulating books that we didn’t get to them all. Hence, the list here!
I’ll begin with Non-Fiction…because that’s where we left off on the show. And, in fact, these are the most perfect of adult books. For the girlfriend with the snappy sense of humor, there’s Thx Thx Thx. For your friend with the warm heart, there’s Unlikely Friendships - about unusual, feel-good pairings, like the kitten and gorilla, and how they came to be. Two magnificent books about John F Kennedy – one, through Jackie’s own words. It’s an historical, first-person view we so seldom get – and it comes with 8 CD’s. Plus, there’s Chris Matthews’ stunningly different portrait of the president. Two of the most amazing books in my gift collection focus on cultural icons – one fantasy (Batman), one real (Marilyn Monroe). Although one might argue that Marilyn Monroe is fantasy, as well as Batman. Both books are evocative, magnificent art, and a complete treasure.
Adult Non-Fiction:
1. Thx Thx Thx: Thank Goodness for Everything by Leah Dieterich; Andrews McMeel
2. Unlikely Friendships: 47 Remarkable Stories from the Animal Kingdom by Jennifer Holland; Workman
3. Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F Kennedy by Caroline Kennedy; Hyperion AND Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews; Simon & Schuster
4. Marilyn Monroe: Metamorphosis by David Wills and Stephen Schmidt; HarperCollins
5. The Batman Files by Matthew Manning; Andrews McMee
Another great gift idea is calendars. And, Pomegranate is my favorite, especially an artist named Susan Seddon Boulet, whose work is mesmerizing – about Shaman and Goddesses. Another calendar is the Reading Woman Wall Calendar. Give it, along with one of the books on my list.
And here is the rest of the list – the highlights of our discussion on Martha Stewart Living – are The Third Gift for kids, The Hunger Games Trilogy for YA, Damned by my friend Chuck Palahniuk, and Out of Oz by Gregory Maguire.
Kids:
1. The Third Gift by Linda Sue Park; Clarion Books
2. The Happy Elf by Harry Connick, Jr w/CD; HarperCollins
3. Stars by Mary Lyn Ray and Marla Frazee; Simon & Schuster
4. Three Classic Children’s Stories – Drawings by Edward Gorey, Text by James Donnelly; Pomegranate
5. The Wizard of Oz: A Scanimation Book by Rufus butler Seder; Workman
YA:
1. The Hugo Movie Companion by Brian Selznick; Scholastic
2. The Chronicles of Harris Burdick by Chris Van Allsburg; Houghton Mifflin
3. WonderStruck by Brian Selznick; Scholastic
4. Dearly Departed by Lia Habel; Del Rey
5. The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins; Scholastic
Adult Fiction:
- The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson; Little, Brown
- Damned by Chuck Palahniuk; Doubleday
- 11 / 22 / 63 by Stephen King; Simon & Schuster
- The Exorcist: 40th Anniversary Edition by William Peter Blatty; HarperCollins
- Out of Oz: The Final Volume in the Wicked Years by Gregory Maguire; William Morrow
No secret that I love books. They saved my life when I was a kid. They led me outside the abusive world I lived in, to know that there was a greater beauty where I could live instead. What these books have in common – while they’re from all genres – is that connection with that greater gorgeousness. No coincidence that many of the books on my list were sparked by the authors’ insistent dreams.
Enjoy! And, feel free to comment on any of these books.
Love,
Diana
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