Books on the Nightstand Podcast, Episode #19: Books We Want to Unwrap

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 19 (19:11)

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We're still polishing off the Thanksgiving leftovers, so this episode is a little bit like our refrigerators -- a little of this, a little of that...

First, we answer the most often-asked question related to our jobs: "Do you have to read all of those books?"

In the second segment, we tell you what books we hope to find under our Christmas trees this holiday season, as well as some books we'd want to find there if we didn't already own them. If we didn't have them, we'd both want every book in our 2008 Holiday Gift Guide (wouldn't you?), but we picked out some favorites nonetheless. Oh, and Ann wants someone to pick out a great graphic novel for her (no superheroes, please). The books that we don't yet have we are hoping to unwrap in a few weeks -- we'll let you know.

Lastly, we present our usual "Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read." Ann discusses The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller, which will be published in paperback on January 6th. Michael talks about Colum McCann's This Side of Brightness -- it was published in 1998 but Michael wants you to read it now so that you can look forward to the summer 09 publication of McCann's new novel.
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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

The Complete Robuchon by Joel Robuchon, Knopf hardcover
Martha Stewart's Cooking School by Martha Stewart, Clarkson Potter hardcover
Barefoot Contessa Back to Basics by Ina Garten, Clarkson Potter hardcover
Giada's Kitchen by Giada De Laurentiis, Clarkson Potter hardcover
The Oxford Project by Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom, Welcome Books hardcover
Doomed Queens by Kris Waldherr, Broadway trade paperback
Turquoise: A Chef's Travels in Turkey by Greg and Lucy Malouf
The 33 1/3 Series, paperback published by Continuum Press, paperbacks
Queen and Country, the Definitive Edition by Greg Rucka, Oni Press trade paperback
Hellboy by Mike Mignola, Dark Horse hardcover
Local by Brian Wood, Oni Press hardcover
The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller, Vintage trade paperback
This Side of Brightness by Colum McCann, Picador trade paperback

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

Congratulations to Hannah Tinti! (and a Giveaway!)

I just found out (via Galleycat) that, last night, Hannah Tinti won the John Sargent Sr. First Novel Prize for  her amazing book The Good Thief.  I loved this book and am thrilled that it's getting the attention it truly deserves. René Steinke, one of the prize judges, said that The Good Thief is "a book that I wanted everyone I know to read." High praise indeed, considering the book was up against the likes of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle and Songs for the Butcher's Daughter.

Hannah's book was also named by the editors of The New York Times Book Review as one of the 100 Notable Books of 2008.

I talked about The Good Thief back in episode 15 of the podcast so you can listen to my comments there. If you haven't read it yet, this book should definitely be added to your holiday wishlist!

Our holiday gift to you: Leave a comment below with a topic you'd like to hear Ann and I talk or write about. We'll randomly pick a winner to receive a copy of The Good Thief!

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We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. LibraryThing also links to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti, Dial Press hardcover

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski, Ecco hardcover

Songs for the Butcher's Daughter by Peter Manseau, Free Press hardcover

(all information is for the U.S. editions).

Books Make Great Gifts because ...

Have you downloaded our 2008 Holiday Gift Guide yet? You may find that your holiday shopping just got a bit easier. Click on the image to the left, follow the link above, or look in the right-hand column of the blog sidebar. We've gotten some great response -- thank you so much to those of you who've sent us emails and twitter messages. We're glad you are finding the Gift Guide to be valuable.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about "value." The word has so many meanings, and they've all been on my mind. The whole "Black Friday" phenomenon here in the U.S. has me baffled. I don't know when it became its own "holiday", but I really don't like it. However, I do recognize that at the root of the madness lies the search for "value".

I have always believed and still believe that books have the most value of any holiday gift. Most books provide more entertainment for the dollar than a movie, but that's not really the type of value that I mean. It's the value of ideas, of imagination, of knowledge, of history. And for many, there is the added value that comes with sharing books and their content with others -- talking about them, writing about them, blogging, participating in book groups.

I'm not alone, of course. This year many publishers in the U.S. (including Random House, our employer) have joined together to spread this message wider than ever, though the books=gifts campaign. The highlight of the campaign: this great video, which I have now watched many times. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. After you watch, please tell us in the comments why you think books make great gifts ...

The Books on the Nightstand 2008 Holiday Gift Guide is here!

Below, for your use this Holiday Season, is the first ever Books on the Nightstand Holiday Gift Guide. It features not only the books from our "12 Days of Holiday Gifts", but many, many more across a broad range of categories -- including several great gifts that cost less than $20! Just click to download (don't worry, it's free)!

In order to download and read the Gift Guide on your computer, you will need Adobe Reader. If you do not have Adobe Reader, you may download a free copy here:

We've designed this e-book to be printed or read on your computer. If you choose to read it on your computer, the very last page is a checklist of all of the recommended titles, so that you may just print out that single page and take it with you to the bookstore.

We believe that books make the perfect gift. There is truly a book for everyone, and books have an importance and value beyond two covers and some paper in between. In this year where so many of us are looking to spend less and give more thoughtfully, we think books are the answer. We hope you agree.

We've had a lot of fun putting this together, and we hope that we've given you enough great ideas to allow you to complete all of your holiday shopping. There's something here for everyone, we believe ... including yourself. I've heard through the grapevine that some of you may be using this as your own personal wish list! That's fine with us, and if you need us to email a copy anonymously to your personal Santa, just let us know!

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of your for your support of Books on the Nightstand. Thank you for allowing us to share our love of books and reading with you. For those of you that read and listen on a regular basis, thank you. For our new friends, welcome -- we look forward to getting to know you.

And of course, we'd love to hear your feedback about the Gift Guide, so please let us know what you think in the comments. Did this help you with your holiday shopping? Have you used it to create your own reading list?

Holiday Gift Idea #12

Welcome to the finale of our 12 Days of Holiday Gifts. As we mentioned in episode 17 of the podcast, for the 12 days leading up to Thanksgiving, we'll be giving you our picks for great gifts. Later tonight we'll have a Gift Guide available for you to download (not sure what time, depends on when my guests go home!). The guide will include the 12 books featured on the blog, plus many other gift ideas, several under $20!
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The Oxford Project, by Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom

The Oxford Project is an amazing book that defies categorization. On the surface, it looks like a coffee-table book of black and white photographs. But as you will see from just looking at the cover of this book, there is more here than meets the eye. It's a book of photos, yes, but it's also an oral history, a portrait of a town, and a personal look at the people that make up a community.

Let's start with the cover. You really must see it in person. You start with the image of a small boy, and then shift the book just a bit, and it becomes the image of a man. That's the same person, Hunter Tandy, in two photographs taken 20 years apart, and it those 20 years in between that are the focus of this book.

In 1984, Peter Feldstein set out to photograph every resident of Oxford, Iowa (pop. 676), and he managed to get all but a few. In 2005, he did it again, and this book is a compilation of the before-and-after photographs. And it's not only how the residents have changed physically. Along with the photos are compelling stories that the townspeople told to Stephen G. Bloom. Like any town in America, those 20 years brought its residents times of triumph and times of sorrow. Many of the stories are in these pages. It's a portrait of a town, yes, but it's also a reminder that people are alike in many ways, no matter where they live. It's a tribute to the fading small-town customs and culture that threaten to disappear as our roads become lined with identical chain stores from coast to coast. And it's a testament to the strength of the individual, and of the community.

I can't say enough about this book, but you need to take a look inside. You can do that here: The Oxford Project. This would be a very special gift for so many ... the photographer, the historian, and anyone who is interested in people. If I didn't already have my own copy this would be at the very top of my holiday wish list.

The Oxford Project by Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom
ISBN: 978-1599620480, $50.00

Holiday Gift Idea #11

Welcome to our 12 Days of Holiday Gifts. As we mentioned in episode 17 of the podcast, for the 12 days leading up to Thanksgiving, we'll be giving you our picks for great gifts. Then, on Thanksgiving night, we'll have a Gift Guide available for you to download. The guide will include the 12 books featured on the blog, plus many other gift ideas, several under $20!
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The Man Who Invented Christmas
by Les Standiford

This was my “12 Days of Holiday Gifts” sneak peak in episode 17 of the podcast. So if you want to listen to me rave about the book, check that out. Here, you can read my rave!

Les Standiford’s new book looks at the life of Charles Dickens, focusing on the year he wrote A Christmas Carol. Dickens was serializing Martin Chuzzlewitt and sales were not good. Everyone thought it was too depressing. He decided to write something more uplifiting and something that might make him a little bit of money. Based on his recent sales, his publisher rejected A Christmas Carol. Dickens was forced to self-publish 6000 copies which sold out in three days!

The book also talks about how A Christmas Carol changed the way people celebrated Christmas, it looks at all of the great (and not-so-great) adaptations on stage and screen, and shows Dickens’ failed attempts to recreate the book’s magic. Les Standiford has done an amazing job of weaving these stories together into a cohesive and enjoyable read that fills in the details in a story we thought we knew.

I really loved this book and think it is perfect for any book-lover on your list. It also makes a nice little treat for yourself!

The Man Who Invented Christmas by Les Standiford 
ISBN: 978-0-307-40578-4, $19.95

Holiday Gift Idea #10

Welcome to our 12 Days of Holiday Gifts. As we mentioned in episode 17 of the podcast, for the 12 days leading up to Thanksgiving, we'll be giving you our picks for great gifts. Then, on Thanksgiving night, we'll have a Gift Guide available for you to download. The guide will include the 12 books featured on the blog, plus many other gift ideas, several under $20!

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The Complete Robuchon by Joel Robuchon

This is the gift for the serious foodie, the one for whom cooking is an obsession, the one who can think of nothing better than a weekend spent in the kitchen among butter and spices and bubbling sauces.

Joel Robuchon is a master chef; he holds more Michelin stars than any other chef in the world, and owns a vast empire of restaurants. With a resume like that, it is easy to think that this book might be intimidating. However, it is very much the opposite. This book is written for the home cook, with straightforward and easy-to-follow instructions. His emphasis is on technique, and on quality ingredients.

Robuchon gives us more than 800 recipes for classic French cuisine, with a modern twist. The classics are all here, including pot-au-feu, garlic mayonnaise, vichyssoise, terrines, custards and tarts. At 770 pages (before the index), this book is truly comprehensive. Seafood, meats and game take center stage. If you are looking for just the right rabbit or pheasant recipe, you will find it here. The "eggs" section alone runs 21 pages.

At $35, this is an incredible value. The Complete Robuchon will find a comfortable home on the bookshelf next to culinary reference classics like Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking or Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking. And if you're lucky, your gift recipient will invite you for the first meal cooked from this incredible volume.

The Complete Robuchon by Joel Robuchon
ISBN: 978-0-307-26719-1, $35.00

Holiday Gift Idea #9

Welcome to our 12 Days of Holiday Gifts. As we mentioned in episode 17 of the podcast, for the 12 days leading up to Thanksgiving, we'll be giving you our picks for great gifts. Then, on Thanksgiving night, we'll have a Gift Guide available for you to download. The guide will include the 12 books featured on the blog, plus many other gift ideas, several under $20!
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American Lion by Jon Meacham

In this historic election year it seems only natural to think back on the other men who have held the office of president. Ann has already chosen a book about FDR; this is my choice.

Jon Meacham, best-selling author and editor of Newsweek, is back with a look at the presidential years of Andrew Jackson. Meacham had access to newly discovered family papers and letters, so this is the most complete biography of Jackson, who was not only he the founder of the Democratic Party, but was also responsible for redefining the role of the presidency in American government.

Meacham’s books always get rave reviews and this book is no exception:

  “In helping us understand Jackson, Jon Meacham helps us understand America.”
  -Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe

  “A beautifully written, absolutely riveting story from start to finish.”
  -Doris Kearns Goodwin, author of Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln

finally, here's a great video of Jon Meacham on The Daily Show. This should give you an idea of what a unique and interesting character Jackson was!

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Jon Meacham

Barack Obama Interview
John McCain Interview

Sarah Palin Video
Funny Election Video

 

American Lion by Jon Meacham 
ISBN: 978-1-4000-6325-3, $30.00

Holiday Gift Idea #8

Welcome to our 12 Days of Holiday Gifts. As we mentioned in episode 17 of the podcast, for the 12 days leading up to Thanksgiving, we'll be giving you our picks for great gifts. Then, on Thanksgiving night, we'll have a Gift Guide available for you to download. The guide will include the 12 books featured on the blog, plus many other gift ideas, several under $20! 
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The Private Patient by P.D. James

If there's a mystery-lover on your holiday list, it won't take a private eye to find the perfect gift. P.D. James is arguably the finest living crime novelist, and this book does not disappoint. It's the 14th book featuring Adam Dalgliesh of Scotland Yard, and it's a brilliant read even if you have never read any of the other Dalgliesh novels.

It's a classic "locked-room" style mystery: A murder has occurred at an exclusive plastic-surgery clinic in the Dorset countyside. The victim: an investigative journalist who made enemies at every turn. The suspects could be none but the doctors, nurses, staff, administrators, and only other patient on the premises at the time of the murder.

The beauty of a P.D. James novel is in her characterization and intricate plotting -- each person we meet in the book is real, interesting, and has a purpose; the multi-layered and interweaving stories leave us guessing to the end how it will all come together. I can think of no better book for a long winter weekend, especially if coupled with a crackling fire and a glass of good port.

 The Private Patient by P.D. James
ISBN: 978-0-307-27077-1, $25.95

Holiday Gift Idea #7

Welcome to our 12 Days of Holiday Gifts. As we mentioned in episode 17 of the podcast, for the 12 days leading up to Thanksgiving, we'll be giving you our picks for great gifts. Then, on Thanksgiving night, we'll have a Gift Guide available for you to download. The guide will include the 12 books featured on the blog, plus many other gift ideas, several under $20!
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Magic Books & Paper Toys by Esther K. Smith

Esther K. Smith, author of How to Make Books, is back with a new instructional guide to all things fun and paper, including cootie catchers, pop-ups, magic wallets, and flip books.

Esther is one of the owners of Purgatory Pie Press, a letterpress and book arts studio in NYC, and this book is illustrated with great vintage typography and full-color photos of projects from the studio.

The instructions are easy to follow and all have explanatory diagrams. The thing I like so much about this book it that many of the projects are extremely simple and suitable for kids, but there are also more elaborate creations to satisfy crafty adults too. If this were an infomercial, I'd be shouting, "Fun for the whole family!" And I wouldn't be lying.

Magic Books & Paper Toys by Esther K. Smith 
ISBN: 978-0-307-40709-2, $21.95