Reading can help us find comfort, inspiration, or escape. Why we read is sometimes as important as what we read, but why waste time on the wrong book? Heading into the holidays what will you be reading? Here are a few of our suggestions for navigating the holidays during a pandemic or escaping for a few hours each day/week.
Who Knew Tasmanian Tigers Ate Apples? By John Martin – a funny and easy read about a small Tasmanian community, the town drunk who claims he was woken up by a rare if not extinct Tasmanian tiger eating apples in the mayor’s orchard, and how the many factions of the town react. Martin pokes fun at small town Bureaucracies in this funny story. Not everyone will get the humor, but I always enjoy learning what people all over the world consider funny, because a well-developed sense of humor goes a long way to help make the best of what life throws at us. If you like this book, be sure to check out his Windy Mountain series.
Lowcountry Boughs of Holly (A Liz Talbot Mystery Book 10) by Susan M. Boyer - Private Investigator, Liz Talbot and her husband Nate are back in this Christmas mystery. Liz hasn’t seen her best friend in months and Nate has been spending money like he has his own printing press. When the patriarch of a local wealthy family is found dead in a rowboat dressed as Santa, the holidays get a lot less jolly. Can Liz and Nate solve the case and save the season?
There There by Tommy Orange – this is the debut novel by Native American author, Tommy Orange. Twelve people journey from their respective communities to take part in the Big Oakland Powwow. Each brings shared and unique characteristics to the story reveling the challenges and obstacles faced by members of Native American communities in America.
Thanksgiving Cookbook: 30+ Best Thanksgiving Recipes of All Time by Lenora Sawyer – Whether you are cooking the Thanksgiving meal for the first time or just trying to make your smaller celebration special, these recipes can help.
The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion by Isa Chandra Moskowitz – Many people are changing their diets to include more plant-based foods. Holiday favorites can be adapted to be vegan friendly. This cookbook offers some delicious options to your traditional feast.
The Useful Book: 201 Life Skills They Used to Teach in Home Ec and Shop by Sharon Bowers and David Bowers – the perfect book for sheltering in place. A how to guide for many of those things we never quite mastered or forgot how to do and great for kids who weren’t lucky enough to have Home Economics and Shop in their school curriculums.
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig – Imagine if you can a library filled with the story of your life and the alternate lives you could have lived if you’d made different choices. Nora Seed finds herself in the midnight library trying to decide if she should change her life and become who she always dreamed of being or cherish the life she’s made, mistakes and all.
The Future of Feeling: Building Empathy in a Tech-Obsessed World by Kaitlin Ugolik Phillip – What are social media, AI, robot technology, and the digital world doing to our relationships with each other and with ourselves? How do we find the correct balance?
A Promised Land by Barack Obama – an intimate look at his journey from community activist to the White House – Obama speaks candidly about the challenges he faced as the first Black man to become president of the United States and how his wife and daughters handled life in Washington.
Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics by Dolly Parton and Robert K. Oermann – Read about this remarkable woman and her journey from poverty to superstardom. Parton talks about her career and the inspirations for her songs. From her larger than life persona, weight-loss, and Dollywood to her commitment to promote literacy for all children and her donations to help research for a COVID-19 vaccine, Parton continues to be a source of inspiration.