I always know a book has made an impression when I want to tell others about it.
Here are a few I've told colleagues, friends and family about in recent weeks -- and that might make really fine holiday picks for certain people on your shopping list. (And watch this space for more holiday recommendations over the next weeks.)
FOR THE NATURE LOVER:
Shreve Stockton is a young writer/photographer living in a big expanse of land in a tiny town in Wyoming. Soon after she settles there, a neighbor -- and her love interest -- gives her a 10-day old coyote pup. Shreve never figures this animal will take hold of her heart the way it does -- and exactly how Charlie the coyote does that forms the delicate spine of her lovely book, The Daily Coyote (Simon & Schuster, December 08). Included throughout are gorgeous pictures of the coyote, taken by Stockton, as he grows to maturity. This book is an extension of the author's very popular blog of the same name; a nice surprise in these pages is the unfolding love story between her and the man who was generous enough to save Charlie from a bullet.
FOR THE BIOGRAPHY LOVER:
Now available in paperback from Harper Perennial is one of the strongest biographies in the last couple of years, Schulz and Peanuts by David Michaelis, a bestselling author who spent six years researching the life of Charles M. Schulz. Everything you ever wanted to know about the creation of Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Snoopy and the others is here -- often in poignant detail. That Schulz worked hard to create and sustain this strip over many decades is well known; but here, in nearly every line, is just what he sweated over and suffered through to reach success -- and then once he did, problems of a different kind plagued him. Also it's just plain fun reading about why Frieda perched her elbows on a ledge a certain way or what Snoopy's fantasy universe was all about. Last year, when the hardcover came out, reviewers loved this book. This year, on the 85th anniversary of Charles Schulz's birth on November 26, the book is SO worth the time to read if you haven't before, because of its richness and insight into one human being's triumphs and struggles -- and because "Peanuts" is so embedded in the American psyche.
FOR THE CHEF (OR ASPIRING CHEF):
I am not a good cook by any stretch of the imagination, but others in my life are, and so my take on these things is: Knock yourself out! (I'm grateful for being able to enjoy the fruits of their passion.) A book that recalls this passion is A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis (Artisan/Workman Publishing). Tanis spends half the year working at Chez Panisse in Berkeley with Alice Waters; the other half of the year, he's in Paris. This is not just a collection of fabulous recipes; it contains beautiful writing about the heart of a meal and the virtue of fresh ingredients and simple arrangements. Plus, the pictures are just gorgeous. When even total amateurs like me can handle the goat cheese with honey and walnuts dish on p. 181 -- if I couldn't manage that, I would seriously worry -- that is a very good thing. Buy, read, and enjoy.
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