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NonfictionNatureArt

Gift books: For the outdoorsy person who’s always planning the next hike

Feature by Megan Reardon

Find your way home with these special books.

The cold and dark of winter can lead to neglected boots and seriously unrequited wanderlust for trekkers of a certain latitude. Although they might not fit into an ultralight pack, these five books will inspire the avid hiker in your life to plan their next adventure.

National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks by Jon Waterman
Any outdoor lover will appreciate the lush and comprehensive National Geographic Atlas of the National Parks. Former ranger Jon Waterman profiles 60 national parks, from the Gates of the Arctic to American Samoa’s jungles, with detailed maps, photographs and plenty of stories of the parks’ histories and ecosystems that are perfect for omnivorous readers. The information is practical for planning a visit, but more importantly it’ll make you itch to see them all. It’s hard to read a book like this without being awed by the enormous treasure these parks represent. (Send copies to your elected officials.) There’s no substitute for visiting, but this atlas is a fine alternative.

Hiker Trash by Sarah Kaizar
Sarah Kaizar’s unique Hiker Trash is neither a guidebook nor a personal memoir, but rather a collage of the places and personalities along the Appalachian Trail. Although it celebrates the beauty of the landscapes with Nicholas Reichard’s photographs and Kaizar’s graceful illustrations of the trail’s iconic shelters, the real star of the book is the community of tired, inspired hikers who have built a network of communication through the shelters’ trail logs. Through their handwritten messages, this eclectic group of modern nomads (with trail names like Food Truck and Dr. Pickles) tell their stories: jokes, lamentations, triumphs, shout-outs to friends ahead and behind. Evocative scenes of hikers in repose—with Sawyer filters, socks and snacks—feel instantly relatable to anyone already seasoned on long-distance trails, but these images will also resonate with anyone looking for a glimpse into a sometimes smelly, always fascinating hiking subculture.

She Explores by Gale Straub
The digital community She Explores, created by author Gale Straub through her website and podcast of the same name, comes into gorgeous, tangible form in a new book. With personal vignettes by outdoorswomen and stirring photography, Straub curates stories that challenge the one-size-fits-all archetype of what it means to be “outdoorsy.” Nomads, entrepreneurs, mothers, activists and artists all share space in these pages. Tucked between their anecdotes are tips on skills from solo hiking to how to stay creatively inspired. Unlike outdoor narratives that focus on elite extremes, She Explores feels accessible, inspiring and affirming that the outdoors is for all. You’ll find yourself wanting to connect with these women and write your own story, too.

Expeditions Unpacked by Ed Stafford
Spend too long with a group of outdoor nuts, and talk will inevitably turn to gear. You’ll watch a dreamy look come into someone’s eyes as they wax poetic about the weight of their favorite tent. British explorer Ed Stafford’s fascinating Expeditions Unpacked details the stories of 25 adventurers and their famed expeditions by analyzing their gear. Poring over beautiful flat-lay illustrations for each expedition, armchair travelers can compare the kits of pioneers like Roald Amundsen, Amelia Earhart and Thor Heyerdahl, as well as lesser-known adventurers like Clärenore Stinnes, the first woman to circumnavigate the world by car. In each chapter, Stafford examines how the chosen gear impacted the expedition. The minutiae of the selections reveals not only the hazards of their journeys but also the explorers’ personalities, as with Percy Fawcett’s accordion in the Amazon and contemporary balloonist Fedor Konyukhov’s religious icons. Curious outdoor lovers of any stripe will find something to inspire them here.

An American Sunrise by Joy Harjo
U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo’s An American Sunrise is an important companion for the thoughtful hiker ready to wrestle with complex questions of land ownership and stewardship. Harjo, the first Native American laureate, synthesizes history, memory and contemporary issues in her collection of poetry that laments the treatment of Native peoples and sings tribute to her Muscogee Creek heritage and ancestors. The legacy of the Trail of Tears and its echoes in today’s political landscape weave together with her personal experiences, benedictions and exhortations for us to care for the earth—and to listen. Leave the other books on your nightstand; this one is slim but powerful, with plenty of complexity to unravel as it keeps you company on a solo trail. It deserves to be appreciated in the wild spaces that Harjo celebrates: “for even the land is a singer, a lover of poetry.”

Find your way home with these special books.
NonfictionChildren's & YAPicture BookMiddle Grade

Gift books: For curious young minds

Feature by Julie Hale

Brimming with eye-opening information and hands-on activities, these innovative books will inspire young readers to think, create and collaborate. No screens or devices required!

Mythologica by Steve Kershaw, illustrated by Victoria Topping
Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals From Ancient Greece is sure to ignite young imaginations. Classicist Steve Kershaw chronicles the exploits of gods, goddesses and the humans with whom they become entangled in this mesmerizing volume. Brief yet detailed encyclopedic entries explain the background and notable traits of Greek mythology’s players from Athena to Zeus. Kershaw’s snapshots of these fascinating figures communicate the drama and adventure that give the myths their perennial appeal, and artist Victoria Topping’s fantastical collages create a dazzling dreamscape that suits the gods’ larger-than-life deeds. Mythologica is an outstanding introduction to ancient stories and a volume to be treasured. 

Castles Magnified by David Long, illustrated by Harry Bloom
Tales of knights, lords and ladies rival those of the gods for spectacle and intrigue. Castles Magnified tells of storied figures such as Richard the Lionheart and explores the manners and mores of the Middle Ages through teeming illustrations of medieval life. Splendidly rendered by illustrator Harry Bloom, the bustling scenes invite close inspection; with the magnifying glass included in the book, readers can do just that. A cutaway effect in Bloom’s illustrations reveals castle interiors inhabited by servants, guards and nobles. A list of items for youngsters to spy and identify accompanies each scene. With ample historical background contributed by author David Long, Castles Magnified brings a long-ago era into focus.

Paper World by Bomboland
Another eye-opening pick that’s perfect for holiday giving is Paper World: Planet Earth by Bomboland, the Italian illustration studio of cut-paper artists Maurizio Santucci and Elisa Cerri. The book’s ingeniously engineered flaps, cutouts and illustrations teach readers about the diverse topographies and ecosystems that exist across the globe. Movable tabs reveal Earth’s hidden wonders: tectonic plates, deep-sea marine trenches, underground caves and more. 

Easy-to-follow descriptions complement the book’s impressive visuals, and the authors have included related sections on weather forecasting and storms, along with a helpful glossary. Their vibrant cut-paper replicas of soaring mountain ranges, snaking rivers, explosive volcanoes and mighty glaciers are designed to delight. This inventive geological journey will transform the way children view the great outdoors.

Make Your Own Optical Illusions by Clive Gifford
New ways of seeing also abound in Make Your Own Optical Illusions: 50 Hands-On Models and Experiments to Make and Do. In this beguiling book, author Clive Gifford investigates different types of optical illusions and equips his audience with need-to-know information on vision and perception. Through clear, accessible explanations of how our brains process color, motion and other stimuli, he sets the stage for an amazing magic show.

Nifty projects with clear instructions appear throughout the book. Paper punch-outs allow aspiring illusionists to create spinning tops, a 3D dog and other objects. With helpful illustrations and interactive elements contributed by artist Rob Ives, the book gives readers everything they need to explore new modes of perception. Get ready for some visual trickery!

United Tastes of America by Gabrielle Langholtz, illustrated by Jenny Bowers, photographs by DL Acken
The creativity continues—in the kitchen—with United Tastes of America: An Atlas of Food Facts and Recipes From Every State!. Food writer Gabrielle Langholtz serves up 54 dishes in this delectable book—one for each state, plus Washington, D.C., and the three U.S. territories—and her simple instructions cater to the kiddos. Featuring favorites like Wisconsin stovetop macaroni and cheese, along with out-of-the-ordinary menu items like Ohio buckeye candies, United Tastes delivers a mouthwatering overview of America’s culinary culture. Photographer DL Acken presents the completed dishes as works of art that are clean and simple. The atlas also offers a state-by-state survey of food-related trivia, with encyclopedic spreads beautifully illustrated by Jenny Bowers. Break out the aprons! Little cooks will love this terrific book.

The Interactive Constitution by David Miles, illustrated by Albert Pinilla
America’s heritage is also the focus of David Miles’ The Interactive Constitution. The sturdy pages in this bold, colorful book have flaps, tabs, windows and wheels—inviting elements that inform readers about political science, American history and the U.S. Constitution. The book’s welcoming text provides important information about the Founding Fathers, the three branches of government and the system of checks and balances, as well as deep dives into important facets of the Constitution, including its famous Preamble and the Bill of Rights. Albert Pinilla’s vivid artwork is filled with standout infographics and plenty of surprises, such as a lift-the-flap portrait gallery of presidents. This immersive title is certain to inspire the leaders of tomorrow.

Welcome to Jazz by Carolyn Sloan, illustrated by Jessica Gibson
There’s more hands-on fun to be found in Carolyn Sloan’s Welcome to Jazz, featuring three felines (yes, these cats are cool!) who drop in to a club to see a band. The musicians kick off their set with “When the Saints Go Marching In,” a song that Sloan uses to riff on the subject of jazz. Breaking down the tune’s components, Sloan covers significant instruments, including the saxophone, trumpet and trombone, and defines musical concepts such as improvisation. Readers can listen to “Saints” and sample musical sounds via the book’s press-and-play audio panel. Jessica Gibson’s energetic illustrations capture the spirit of the proceedings, making this a five-star performance from start to finish.

Brimming with eye-opening information and hands-on activities, these innovative books will inspire young readers to think, create and collaborate. No screens or devices required!

Mythologica by Steve Kershaw, illustrated by Victoria Topping
Mythologica: An Encyclopedia of Gods, Monsters and Mortals From Ancient…

Children's & YAPicture Book

Seasonal books to make spirits bright

Feature by Alice Cary

Whether you’re waiting for Santa or the winter solstice, these six picture books capture the excitement, wonder and joy of the holiday season.

Collectors of Christmas tales mustn’t miss Dasher, Matt Tavares’ exhilarating chronicle of how Santa went from a single horse to a team of flying reindeer pulling his sleigh. Determined Dasher is the star of this show, escaping from a difficult life in a traveling circus and doggedly finding her way to the North Pole. Tavares excels at Christmas stories (Red & Lulu, The Gingerbread Pirates), and young readers are apt to inhale every word of this yarn. As an illustrator, Tavares is a master of dramatic light, emotion and mood, as well as deep, vibrant color, whether he’s depicting Dasher’s family penned in at the circus or Santa’s sleigh magically lifting up into the air. Dasher is sure to join the stacks of enduring Christmas favorites read by families year after year.

Kids are always trying to outsmart Santa, but young Freddy Melcher hopes to finally succeed in The Great Santa Stakeout. After all, he’s obsessed with St. Nick, dressing in a Santa suit for every holiday—even Talk Like a Pirate Day! This #1 Santa fan is sure he’s got a failsafe plan for capturing a selfie with his idol, and his plan seems thorough, complete with meticulous preparation and blueprints. Betsy Bird’s snappy text enlivens this rollicking, action-packed tale, while Caldecott Medalist Dan Santat’s illustrations dramatically capture Freddy’s wide-eyed excitement. This modern Santa caper will keep the magic alive for young readers counting the days until the big guy shimmies down their chimneys.

On a more serious note, Between Us and Abuela: A Family Story From the Border is a poignant story set at the wall separating Tijuana and San Diego. Young María and her little brother are traveling with their mother by bus. Their destination is an annual day when Border Patrol officials allow groups of people to gather in an area called the enforcement zone to talk and touch fingertips with those on the other side of the border. María and her family are going to see their Abuela, whom they haven’t seen for five years. “For a moment,” María notes, “the fences are invisible”—until she realizes her brother can’t give Abuela the drawing he made for her. Mitali Perkins’ story is a perfect introduction for children to how borders separate families, delicately embracing the reunion’s joy and enduring sadness. Sara Palacios’ illustrations cheerfully capture the love among separated families as well as the realities of the border wall. This superb picture book is a holiday story that deserves to be a year-round read.

While some things are designed to keep people apart, others draw them together. One snowy morning, Bear wakes to a new star on the horizon and knows it’s time to begin his annual search for a special tree in The Bear and the Star. Bear soon finds a majestic evergreen on top of a windswept hill, and as “his call echoed through canyon and valley, between boulder and butte, across prairie and lake,” he summons living creatures far and wide. Lola M. Schaefer’s spare but mesmerizing text invites inclusiveness, as “People put down hammer and hoe, grass and thatch, knife and rice, shield and sword.” Bethanne Andersen’s snowy scenes, reminiscent of Eric Carle’s Dream Snow, beautifully depict the rich reds of the desert, the warmth of tropical fields, a menagerie of species and a glorious array of people. The Bear and the Star is a stunning and universal tribute to peace, joy, love and winter celebrations.

Years ago, Susan Cooper wrote a beloved poem that has remained a mainstay of John Langstaff’s phenomenal theatrical production Christmas Revels, performed each year across the country (see it if you can!). Now transformed into a picture book, The Shortest Day is a joyful and timeless celebration of the winter solstice that will surely become a classic. Even very young children will enjoy Cooper’s splendid, stately words: “And everywhere down the centuries of the snow-white world / Came people singing, dancing, / To drive the dark away.” The multitalented, Caldecott Honor-winning Carson Ellis (Du Iz Tak?) is the perfect illustrator for this project, using muted colors to accentuate the changing interplay between the sun and surrounding darkness. Beginning with a scene of prehistoric people and a godlike sun figure walking the earth, Ellis echoes the sweep of ages so prevalent in Cooper's poem, showing a progression of people and homes, ending with a modern house and children. In a helpful author’s note, Cooper explains both solstice celebrations and the evolution of her poem. In her words, “Welcome Yule!”

When Little Redbird injures her wing and can’t fly south for the winter, she seeks shelter in several hardwood trees, who all turn her down. Happily, the evergreen trees welcome her with open boughs in Why Evergreens Keep Their Leaves. Annemarie Riley Guertin’s text is a lively retelling of this holiday legend, while Helena Pérez Garcia’s illustrations burst off the page with beautifully vibrant colors and intriguing textures, design and depth. In a not-so-easy feat, Garcia instills all of these trees with plenty of personality without resorting to anthropomorphism. This story, which never grows old, is not only a visual delight but a well-told and timely tale of kindness.

Whether you’re waiting for Santa or the winter solstice, these six picture books capture the excitement, wonder and joy of the holiday season.

Collectors of Christmas tales mustn’t miss Dasher, Matt Tavares’ exhilarating chronicle of how Santa went from a single horse…

NonfictionNatureCrafts, Hobbies & Home

Gift books: For the gardener, the composter, the lover of flowers

Feature by Annie Peters

As in one of the loveliest lines attributed to Margaret Atwood, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”

For those who love to spend time outside in their garden, four entertaining books on clouds, bees, flower scents and Emily Dickinson’s gardens will provide ample diversion during the cold, wet days of winter.

A Cloud a Day by Gavin Pretor-Pinney
How often do you really notice the beauty and diversity of clouds? Readers of Gavin Pretor-Pinney’s A Cloud a Day will be hard-pressed to ignore the skies again. He has gathered a year’s worth of cloud pictures from all over the world, many of which were taken by members of his Cloud Appreciation Society. Thought-provoking quotations and explanations of lesser-known cloud formations accompany the photos. He even includes clouds from unexpected places like distant planets and famous paintings. Fun charts aid readers in navigating the book by helping them locate certain cloud formations, artworks, optical effects and imaginative descriptions. In his introduction, Pretor-Pinney explains that we live upon an ocean of gasses, and that it would improve the quality of our lives to spend a bit of time noticing that ever-changing ocean around us. After perusing this enlightening book, many readers will agree.

The Little Book of Bees by Hilary Kearney
Most of us are aware that our honeybees are endangered, but few may realize how fascinating these helpful creatures really are or the ways we can support them. Hilary Kearney’s The Little Book of Bees proves an excellent remedy for these shortcomings. A beekeeper, writer and artist who hosts workshops for other beekeepers, Kearney starts by providing brief, digestible descriptions of flowers, pollination and bee evolution. She goes on to describe bee anatomy, the many types of bees and their various social organizations. Next, she turns to honey: what it is, the different types and its uses. Finally, she offers an introduction to beekeeping, an explanation of why bees are endangered and a list of easy steps the average person can take to help them. For readers who wish to know more, Kearney provides a brief list of additional resources. For all its usefulness, The Little Book of Bees is also filled with wonderful illustrations by Amy Holliday and fascinating tidbits of bee trivia, making this book not only a treasure trove of information for those interested in bees but also delightfully entertaining.

The Scentual Garden by Ken Druse
Bees naturally bring flowers to mind, and Ken Druse delivers a unique approach to flower gardening in The Scentual Garden. Druse focuses on plants solely through their significance to our sense of smell. He begins by providing a brief but provocative explanation of why plants produce a scent, how our olfactory sense works and methods for capturing scent. By far the bulk of the book, however, is an encyclopedia of fragrant plants with incredibly sensual descriptions that will help even the most dejected gardener endure the darkest days of winter. The most striking aspect of the book is the absolutely exquisite garden photographs by Druse and botanical photographs by Ellen Hoverkamp. While the information contained in the encyclopedia may prove eye-opening to new and experienced gardeners alike, the photographs make The Scentual Garden a gorgeous addition to any home.

Emily Dickenson’s Gardening Life by Marta McDowell
Finally, for gardeners with an affection for poetry, Marta McDowell’s Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life may prove a perfect choice. In this newly revised and expanded edition, McDowell, a past Gardener-in-Residence at the Emily Dickinson Museum, first surveys Dickinson’s life, describing the garden at the poet’s lifelong home throughout the seasons. McDowell frequently quotes Dickinson’s poetry to highlight pertinent connections between her garden and her writing.  Although no photographs of Dickinson’s garden taken during her lifetime have been discovered, McDowell includes lovely hand-drawn botanical illustrations by Dickinson’s contemporaries and colorful, present-day photos of some of the plants in question, as well as vintage and modern photographs of significant buildings and landscapes. McDowell also includes chapters on how to plant a garden similar to Dickinson’s, the painstaking efforts to restore Dickinson’s garden and a detailed list of the plants cultivated by the Dickinson family. Taken as a whole, Emily Dickinson’s Gardening Life gives readers the real sense that they can almost slip back in time and survey Dickinson’s garden with her.

As in one of the loveliest lines attributed to Margaret Atwood, “In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”
NonfictionPhotographyNature

Gift books: For the human who likes animals more than people

Feature by Alice Cary

Cats, dogs and wildlife mixed with humor, art and photographic beauty—these books offer a bit of everything. 

What I Lick Before Your Face by Jamie Coleman
The title alone is laugh-worthy: What I Lick Before Your Face and Other Haikus by Dogs. Given the brevity of the form, you’ll find yourself scarfing down nuggets like this one, called “Standing,” as if they were dog treats: “I sometimes feel bad / That I don’t get as happy / Whenever you sit.” The snark is always spot-on, such as in “Walkies”: “I have come to loathe / That singsong voice you employ / It demeans us both.” Jamie Coleman’s entertaining little volume just begs for a feline follow-up.

Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby by Matthew Inman
There’s plenty more dog humor in Why My Cat Is More Impressive Than Your Baby. The magic of Matthew Inman’s irreverent cartoons is that he imagines what cats, dogs and babies are thinking while doting humans tend to them. Inman is a master of emotion in both his art and prose, calling a dog an “affable ball of fur” and a “lovable idiot” while a baby is an “obese, naked leprechaun” and a “relentless ScreamBall.” Ultimately, Inman is full of heart, such as when he writes, “Understand that befriending a cat is like befriending a hurricane. It’ll be violent. It’ll be devastating. But in the eye of the storm, in that calm, serene center, it’ll be beautiful.” Of course, he adds the inevitable kicker: “And then it’ll just be violent again.”

A History of Art in 21 Cats by Nia Gould
British artist Nia Gould combines her passion for art and cats in her uniquely whimsical A History of Art in 21 Cats. Each section includes one of Gould’s marvelous cat-imagined masterpieces, such as a feline Frida Kahlo-style portrait, complete with a floral headpiece and costume, paired with a succinct but informative discussion of magic realism. Few could pull off such an equally artistic and edifying feat, which includes an utterly purr-fect Pablo Picasso cat and a stately, whiskered Mona Lisa. Be forewarned: Your museum trips may never be quite the same.

Unforgettable Portraits by Rosamund Kidman Cox
Animal lovers are bound to lose themselves in the 70 memorable color photographs from the London Natural History Museum’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competitions, collected in Rosamund Kidman Cox’s Unforgettable Portraits. Cyril Ruoso’s young snub-nosed monkey looks like a stuffed toy perched in a tree in China’s Qinling Mountains. An angry queen ant photographed in the Cambodian forest by Piotr Naskrecki wears an expression eerily similar to that of an NFL linebacker waiting for the snap. Wildlife fans will relish the surprises waiting on each and every page.

Cats, dogs and wildlife mixed with humor, art and photographic beauty—these books offer a bit of everything.

NonfictionFictionPhotographyGraphic Novels & ComicsFashion

Gift books: For the artistic soul plugged in to all creative outlets

Feature by Alice Cary

Creativity is often born under unexpected circumstances, as these books so beautifully demonstrate.

The Art of Love by Kate Bryan
Married British artists Idris Khan and Annie Morris have a framed sign in their London home that’s meant to be ironic: “An artist should avoid falling in love with another artist.” Of course, two highly talented artistic souls living and creating together can be a dream, a nightmare or a highly charged bit of both, as evidenced by the endlessly fascinating stories revealed in The Art of Love: The Romantic and Explosive Stories Behind Art’s Greatest Couples.

British art curator Kate Bryan—a lively, informed guide—profiles 34 artistic couples, ranging from 1880 to the present, including the likes of Françoise Gilot and Pablo Picasso, Georgia O’Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, and Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg. Asli Yazan’s illustrations of these artists add a wonderful touch of color, helping to bring their personalities to life.

Bryan writes that her goal was to “present as many different perspectives on artists in love as possible.” She focuses on how these relationships affected each creator’s art instead of chronicling the melodrama—yet she does dole out a variety of delicious tidbits, like the fact that even after Frida Kahlo divorced Diego Rivera, who was 21 years her senior, she “continued to mother the wayward beast, even running him baths with rubber ducks.” Oh my.

Skip by Molly Mendoza
Art and story meld beautifully in Skip, Molly Mendoza’s virtuoso graphic novel about fear and courage, friendship, change and creativity. In a dystopian world rife with the threat of attacking “tech-hounds,” a child named Bloom and his guardian, Bee, live on a lake’s island, subsisting on duck eggs and fish. After hearing a radio SOS, Bee announces that she must leave, asking Bloom to be brave until she comes back from her rescue mission—except she never returns.

While skipping stones one day, Bloom suddenly finds himself in a completely different world, where he meets a mysterious creature named Gloopy who’s having a hard time fulfilling his creative spirit and fitting into his community. Bloom and Gloopy join forces and “skip” into several different worlds, facing a myriad of dangerous creatures: a giant, lonely bird and a universe creator named Lily, who urges Gloopy to follow his creative desires. Mendoza describes her own artistic style as “chaotic yet rhythmic,” and her multicolored, imaginative creations make Skip a memorable, action-packed adventure, full of bold swirls of both color and emotion.

Body by Nathalie Herschdorfer
Curator and art historian Nathalie Herschdorfer has compiled a glorious celebration of the human form with more than 350 images from over 175 photographers in Body: The Photography Book. As she notes in the preface, contemporary photography reflects society’s changing standards of beauty and opens up “new pathways for bodily representations and perspectives beyond the traditional nude.” With artists like Sally Mann, Herb Ritts, Cindy Sherman and Liu Bolan, the sweepingly broad perspectives are fascinating, a mix of fantasy and reality.

You’ll see a 3D ultrasound of an 8-month-old yawning, the hunched figures of elderly people walking, sculpturelike nudes, baseball players in action, a crowd of happily dancing people at a Scottish Town Hall Christmas party and even the colorfully abstract, highly magnified view of the connections between human nerve cells. There are disturbing images as well—an anorexic young woman, a man’s face after a fight, scars left on a refugee’s back by the Taliban. Youth, love, joy, movement, health, disease, celebration—Body honors the many sizes, shapes and moments that make us all human.

Shoot for the Moon by Tim Walker
Shoot for the Moon takes its title from a Norman Vincent Peale quotation: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars.” It’s an apt title, for renowned British fashion photographer Tim Walker spends his life among stars, creating famously surreal wonderlands within his images.

A follow-up to a previous volume, Story Teller, Shoot for the Moon focuses Walker’s lens on the darker side of his imagination, somewhere he’d “been previously too scared to visit.” In a brief introduction, he writes, “Like every child, I had a fear of the dark—but now I know that it is here, in the shadows, that the magic is hidden.”

And what magic there is! These images are at times fun, funky, bizarre, glamorous, spooky and over the top, featuring celebrities like Claire Foy, RuPaul, Bill Hader, Tommy Lee Jones, Tilda Swinton and Whoopi Goldberg, all like you’ve never seen them before. A number of comments are included from models like Kate Moss, who says: “Tim’s magic is that he makes fantasy believable. He makes otherworldly images that seem so accessible.” Fashion fans will quickly lose themselves in these wonder-filled pages.

Creativity is often born in unexpected circumstances, as these books so beautifully demonstrate.
NonfictionSocial SciencePhotographyGraphic Memoirs

Gift books: For resisters & persisters

Feature by Alice Cary

Four books celebrate our friends who fight for justice, the right to love, the power to tell their own stories and the possibility of a better future. They’re also the perfect gift for a budding ally who wishes to learn more.

Activist by KK Ottesen
One can’t help but feel inspired by the over 40 interviews and black-and-white portraits compiled in Activist: Portraits of Courage, written and photographed by KK Ottesen, a Washington Post contributor and author of a similarly styled book, Great Americans. Ottesen’s powerful photographs immediately draw readers in, adding to the intimacy of these highly readable first-person interviews, all introduced by a quote from Martin Luther King Jr.: “A time comes when silence is betrayal.”

In content, layout and style, this is an engrossing, inviting volume, one that spotlights a wide range of figures, from age 21 to 94. There are well-known personalities like John Lewis, Ralph Nader, Angela Davis, Billie Jean King, Bernie Sanders and Marian Wright Edelman. Then there are relative newcomers to the scene, such as Jayna Zweiman, co-founder of the 2016 Pussycat Project; Linda Sarsour, the Palestinian American co-chair of the 2017 Women's March; and transgender actor Nicole Maines, the anonymous plaintiff in a Maine Supreme Judicial Court regarding gender identity and bathroom use in schools. Maines speaks of knowing from an early age, “I didn’t feel the need to hide who I was. Nobody else had to, so why should I?”

Seeing Gender by Iris Gottlieb
After reading last year’s Seeing Science and now Seeing Gender: An Illustrated Guide to Identity and Expression, I’ve become an incurable Iris Gottlieb fan. No matter what the topic, this graphic artist has a singular knack for presenting an imaginative array of art and text in an informative, exciting way.

Early on, this new book features a helpful spread of 24 gender terms, including agender, cisgender, gender dysphoria and intersex. “All of us are shapeshifters,” Gottlieb explains. In straightforward, vibrantly illustrated prose that is neither politicized nor reactionary, Gottlieb further explores these terms, while also discussing such varied topics as gender etiquette, gender biology, sex verification in sports, Frida Kahlo, Laverne Cox, Prince, gender violence, Stonewall, #MeToo and much, much more. Gottleib also includes her own story, noting that “she” is her pronoun of choice for the time being, that she identifies as a boy (“for now”), is asexual, has struggled with anorexia and in 2018 had both breasts removed, a surgical transformation she bravely describes with a series of “after” photos.

No matter your age or inclination, Seeing Gender presents an extraordinarily helpful discussion in a way that’s both personal and powerful. As Gottlieb concludes, “The process of learning about gender is never finished.”

Drawing Power edited by Diane Noomin
Many books have been born from the #MeToo movement, but perhaps none so comprehensively resonant as Drawing Power: Women’s Stories of Sexual Violence, Harassment, and Survival. In vastly divergent styles, 63 female cartoonists—of different races, ages, nationalities and sexual orientations—tell their immensely varied, poignant stories here, demonstrating the power of their medium.

Emil Ferris (My Favorite Thing Is Monsters) describes how she found her way back to cartoons decades after being sexually brutalized by a relative while watching a Mr. Magoo special on TV. As a result, her beloved cartoons felt suddenly poisoned, and for years she turned instead to fine art and illustrating. Finally, while working on the aforementioned graphic novel, Ferris noticed that she “found herself using a cartoonier style when I needed to talk about difficult things . . . especially those revelatory moments when a character confronts abuse, fear and shame.”

As Drawing Power so strikingly proves, cartoons do indeed provide the perfect forum for sharing these intensely intimate, painful stories. And editor Diane Noomin offers an important distinction, noting, “The artists in this collection present themselves not as victims but rather as truth tellers, shining light on the dirty secrets of abusers.”

How to Cure a Ghost by Fariha Róisín
As an Australian Canadian based in Brooklyn, Fariha Róisín knows all too well how tricky it is trying to navigate the world as a queer Muslim femme. “i was born to this sticky mess, this stark confusion.” she writes in How to Cure a Ghost, her powerful biographical collection of 50 poems, beautifully complemented by abstract illustrations from Monica Ramos.

In a sensual, evocative style reminiscent of Rupi Kaur’s Milk and Honey, Róisín acknowledges, “i am tied to this skin, although I may not always understand it.” She chronicles her father’s challenges as an immigrant and her mother’s struggles as a Muslim woman with mental illness. Róisín remembers being 7 and briefly taking a “white name”—Felicity Hanson—to try to gain acceptance from a neighbor. She describes watching 9/11 unfold on television from her home in Sydney, Australia, saying that as a Muslim, “this world was not built for us.” Her virginity was stolen by a man who got her pregnant, telling her “it’s not a big deal.”

Despite everything, Róisín writes of hope, boldly declaring, “i am better now. i gave birth to myself, a new beginning, a robust cycle. i rewrote the scriptures of my mother’s pasts, and her mother’s pasts. i am in the throes of survival, i am lived. i am living. it’s astonishing.”

Four books celebrate our friends who fight for justice, the right to love, the power to tell their own stories and the possibility of a better future.
NonfictionWomen's HistoryMusicFashionAmerican History

Gift books: For musicians, audiophiles and anyone with a song in their heart

Feature by Hilli Levin

Whether you’re shopping for a burgeoning Bach or someone who can’t carry a tune in a bucket, these books will play on any music lover’s heartstrings.

What do you get for the music obsessive on your list in the age of streaming? Skip the Spotify gift subscriptions and try one of these lovingly curated coffee table books instead. Whether you’re buying for a Woodstock fan who wants to relive the good ol’ days or for someone who’s always hoping to discover their next favorite artist, these are sure to please the person at your holiday gathering who always asks, “Hey, do you mind if I change the music?”

She Can Really Lay It Down by Rachel Frankel
“The present—if long overdue—push toward a more progressive, feminist reading of our cultural history requires disabusing ourselves of known canons, and some pretty deeply entrenched ideas about the history of popular music,” writes Amanda Petrusich in the foreword to the celebratory book She Can Really Lay It Down: 50 Rebels, Rockers, and Musical Revolutionaries. Author Rachel Frankel gamely sets out to help us reconsider the history of popular music with short but thorough essays on big names like Beyoncé, Selena and Dolly Parton. However, the most exciting pages in Frankel’s book shine a light on figures like guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, folk musician Violeta Parra, South African singer-songwriter Miriam Makeba and other women who have been overlooked for too long. This incisive compilation delivers more than just surface-level girl power, and it would make an excellent gift for anyone with a deep interest in music, creativity and popular culture. I’d especially recommend putting this in the hands of a teenage girl.

Supreme Glamour by Mary Wilson
From the vantage point of 2019, it’s easy to wax poetic about the essential give-and-take between fashion and music, but that relationship certainly wasn’t a given when the Supremes began performing together and crafting their iconic looks in 1961. Mary Wilson, a founding member and anchor of the legendary musical group, takes us through the group’s sartorial evolution with Supreme Glamour, a collection of more than 400 photographs of their most influential sequined, bedazzled and brightly colored outfits. Wilson’s personal musings about the group’s journey perfectly accompany the glossy full-page spreads of dazzling gowns embellished with crystals and pearls, sequined show-stoppers seen on “The Ed Sullivan Show” and marabou-trimmed couture made for their Broadway performances. Fashion lovers will especially appreciate the attention to detail, with notes that include the material, embellishments and notable appearances of the outfits along with other interesting historical tidbits.

Country Music: An Illustrated History by Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns
As PBS devotees know, a new Ken Burns documentary is cause for celebration, and “Country Music” is already being hailed as one of his best. Although a big ol’ coffee table book that ties in with a television series can be a tough sell, Country Music: An Illustrated History is definitely a worthy companion piece. Country music afficionados are often left a little high and dry, as music journalists tend to reserve their ink for rock ’n’ roll heroes. But authors Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns dive deep into the roots and rise of this genre: the African American banjo players and Scottish American fiddlers who laid the foundations of the genre, the gospel-infused songs from groups like the Carter Family that helped radio stations get on board, the surprising rise of Hank Williams, the storied Nashville Sound of the 1960s, the outlaw swagger of Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter, the rise of modern pop-country and everything in between. This tome packs in hundreds of rare photographs, excellent historical asides and interviews with influential figures like singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris. I’d wager that this will be one of the more popular gifts for music lovers this year.

Woodstock Live: 50 Years by Julien Bitoun
It’s the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, and, like it or not, this music festival on a dairy farm in upstate New York remains one of the most influential cultural events in modern history. Long before “festival fashion” was even a part of the zeitgeist, more than 500,000 Woodstock attendees jammed out in harmony with each other, in the rain and mud, while watching performances that have reached near-mythological status. Guitarist and author Julien Bitoun revisits the weekend with Woodstock Live: 50 Years, an attractive giftbook that includes a short and reverential summary of each performance, along with every performer’s setlist, their accompanying musicians, the amount of time they spent on stage and striking photographs from each gig. Bitoun begins with Richie Havens’ improvised opening set at 5:07 on Friday and ends with Jimi Hendrix’s guitar-burning closer on Monday morning, then wraps it all up in an extensive epilogue that runs through notable absentees, the most iconic guitars played at the festival and how the weekend is remembered today. This will make a great gift for anyone hoping to relive the experience, or those who dream about traveling back in time to attend.

What do you get the music obsessive on your list in the age of streaming? Skip the Spotify gift subscriptions and try one of these lovingly curated coffee table books instead.
Mystery

Whodunit: January 2020

Feature by Bruce Tierney

The month’s best new mystery & suspense titles.

The Missing American
Lonely-hearts internet scams out of West Africa are legendary and legion, the twin epicenters being Nigeria and Ghana. Kwei Quartey’s The Missing American focuses on Ghana, where the local word for this sort of scam is sakawa. Retired American bookseller Gordon Tilson has been in contact online with a beautiful Ghanaian widow, and when she tearfully tells him that her younger sister has been in an accident, he unhesitatingly offers to send money for the girl’s medical care. If you guessed that he has just become a victim of sakawa, please pat yourself on the back and advance to the head of the queue. It takes a personal visit to Accra, Ghana’s capital, for Gordon to fully realize that he has been duped, not by a doe-eyed Ghanaian widow but more likely by a team of clever and newly wealthy young men. In a parallel narrative, police officer Emma Djan, summarily dismissed from the Accra police force after refusing sexual advances from a superior, lands a job as a private detective. When Gordon goes missing from his hotel in Accra, Emma and Gordon’s son, Derek, launch a joint search, fearing the worst but hoping and praying for the best. Sakawa scams abound, overlaid with a witch doctor (or two) and a trio of likable, if occasionally gullible, protagonists. My prediction: We will be seeing Emma Djan again.

The Body Outside the Kremlin
In 1923, the Russian government established a prison camp on the remote island of Solovetsky in which to sequester opponents of the new Bolshevik regime. By some accounts, it worked all too well, serving as the prototype for the legendary Gulag system. At the outset of James L. May’s debut novel, The Body Outside the Kremlin, Tolya Bogomolov is serving time at Solovetsky for possession of forbidden books. Quick of mind and well-versed in novels of detection, Tolya is something of a natural when it comes to assisting in the investigation of a fellow prisoner’s murder. Two bonuses: 1) Whatever time Tolya spends sleuthing is time he doesn’t have to engage in hard labor, and 2) he is a potential suspect, so assisting the investigator will deflect some of the suspicion. In the days before Solovetsky housed a prison, the island was home to a monastery that held some very rare and valuable Russian Orthodox icons, which the murder victim was in the process of restoring. Some of those icons were rumored to have fallen into the hands of the secret police, which is not a group anyone would choose to cultivate as an adversary. That choice may have been made for Tolya without his consent. Historical, atmospheric (in a frigid sort of way) and exceptionally well-written, The Body Outside the Kremlin is a first-rate debut.

The Decent Inn of Death
World War II has just ended, and a pair of retired Scotland Yard policemen with decades of experience under their belts and plenty of time on their hands investigates a mysterious death in Rennie Airth’s The Decent Inn of Death. It all starts out innocently enough, when former chief inspector Angus Sinclair receives a last-minute invitation to the home of a friend. While there, he learns of the death of the church organist, Greta Hartmann, a German woman who apparently slipped on a rock while crossing a stream, hit her head and drowned. This explanation does not sit well with her housemate, however, and Sinclair is drawn into investigating the death. It seems that a recent encounter with a stranded motorist had left Greta shaken. It’s possible that she had recognized an escaped German war criminal and, worse yet, that he recognized her as well. Later in the narrative, series linchpin John Madden shows up, as does a blinding snowstorm, at which point an English manor house becomes the scene of a locked-room murder mystery that rivals the best of Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell or P.D. James.

★ Facets of Death
Botswana police Detective David Bengu is more commonly known by his nickname, Kubu, which is Setswana for “hippopotamus,” in a nod to his plus-size dimensions. In the latest adventure from the writing team known as Michael Stanley, the portly policeman finds himself in hot pursuit of a gang of diamond thieves who engineered a devilishly clever, broad-daylight heist. Three trucks left the diamond mine at Jwaneng, each carrying a locked box. One of the boxes contained diamonds and the other two only pebbles in an attempt to confuse any potential hijackers. To say that it didn’t work would be a monumental understatement. The diamond truck was quickly identified and hijacked, while the other two made it to their destination unimpeded. Kubu quickly arrives at the conclusion that the robbery could not have been pulled off without the assistance of an insider, but that line of reasoning leads to dead end after dead end (literally more than figuratively), as one by one the likeliest perpetrators die off violently. But where are the diamonds? A fabulous test of Kubu’s legendary deductive talents, Facets of Death is easily one of the best heist novels I’ve read since Gerald Browne’s classic 11 Harrowhouse.

The best mystery & suspense novels of January 2020.

Four thrillers for bleak winter nights

Feature by Linda M. Castellitto

Readers who believe that hell is other people will find validation in these sublimely suspenseful thrillers.

Within these books, the psychological tension mounts, the lies pile up, the gaslighting gets ever more complex and our protagonists try to figure out how to win battles of wits and wills while, y’know, staying alive. 

How Quickly She Disappears
It’s 1941, and Elisabeth Pfautz is trying to adjust to life in the isolated town of Tanacross, Alaska, in Raymond Fleischmann’s How Quickly She Disappears. Elisabeth’s husband, John, is hired to teach children of the Athabaskan tribe, and so they move with their daughter, Margaret, to Alaska for the government gig. They live in a large building that houses the school and is also the de facto accommodation for visitors to the tiny town. When a German pilot named Alfred arrives, Elisabeth offers him a room—even though John’s out of town and her instincts are pinging. Sure enough, Alfred commits murder, terrifying everyone and threatening the already strained relationship between the Pfautzes and the locals. It’s a sudden and dramatic shift, a finely tuned reminder of how quickly life can change.

The now-imprisoned Alfred claims to know about Elisabeth’s twin sister, who disappeared when she was 11. He promises information in exchange for favors, and she complies, while keeping everything secret from her family. She’s desperate for answers, and Fleischmann handily ratchets up the suspense as Elisabeth’s longing becomes obsession and Alfred becomes the center of her life. Elisabeth’s past crashes into her present in a compelling exploration of the power of unresolved grief and unanswered questions.

Good Girls Lie
Bestselling author J.T. Ellison’s newest thriller, Good Girls Lie, is set in an elite girls’ prep school in Virginia. It’s a beautiful place, rife with greenery and mountains and . . . murder? 

Ellison kicks things off with a gruesome scene: A girl’s lifeless body dangles from the school’s entrance gates as classmates look on in shock and horror. This is just the latest in a series of events plaguing the Goode School and its headmistress, Ford Westhaven, who took over when her mother resigned after a different student’s death.

The story unfolds via Ash, a sophomore from Oxford, England, who comes to Goode after her parents’ violent deaths. Confident and smart with a knack for coding, Ash attempts to keep to herself but draws the attention of queen bee senior Becca. Ash is excited when Becca taps her to join a secret society—sparking jealousy and suspicion that feels both inevitable and dangerous.

Ellison does an excellent job toggling between students and staff, past and present, U.K. and U.S., and readers will be engrossed even as they wonder how Ford will explain away each distressing new development. Good Girls Lie is an entertainingly twisted coming-of-age tale, pitting the desire for privacy against the corrosiveness of secrecy and taking an often harrowing look at how wealth and power can lull recipients into believing they’re untouchable. Schadenfreude, ho! 

The Poison Garden
Cults have long captured the popular imagination. We’re repelled yet fascinated, disturbed yet wildly curious. Alex Marwood’s fourth thriller, The Poison Garden, will slake readers’ thirst for stories about what goes on in such communities and what happens when everything falls apart—which it very much does for 100 members of the Ark, a doomsday prepper cult in North Wales. 

After members of the Ark are found poisoned to death, the few survivors are set loose in a world they’ve been taught will end at any minute. Romy, in her early 20s and pregnant, is set up in her own apartment and getting therapy, but she only wants to track down her half-siblings so they can rejoin any other remaining Arkians. Teens Eden and Ilo are placed with Romy’s aunt Sarah, an exhausted school administrator whose late sister joined the cult 20 years prior. 

Marwood does a wonderful job building exquisite tension among the players. Romy strives to seem normal and nonthreatening in a society she finds abnormal and frightening, and Sarah wants the kids to feel safe and heard even as she struggles to understand their beliefs. Flashbacks to the Ark’s pre-poison days boost the dread factor and gradually reveal the group’s complex dynamics, prompting readers to reflect on the nature of community, faith and survival.

The Better Liar
Debut author Tanen Jones takes sisterhood to a whole new level in The Better Liar. It begins in Las Vegas, where Leslie goes to find her estranged sister, Robin—not because she misses her but because their deceased father stipulated that his daughters would only receive their halves of his estate if they claimed them together. But Robin dies of an overdose just before Leslie’s arrival.

When Leslie encounters a woman named Mary who looks like Robin, she proposes that the vivacious waitress and aspiring actress temporarily leave her cares behind (including a stalker ex) and pose as Robin for a week so they can each claim $50,000. The two travel back to Albuquerque together, and Mary moves in to Leslie’s home, which she shares with her husband and baby. It’s unnerving to imagine letting a stranger just move in, which signals how desperately Leslie wants the cash. But why? 

As the days pass, the women grow more suspicious of each other. Readers will enjoy trying to discern which one is the titular better liar—or perhaps, which liar is the better “sister.” Leslie struggles to control the proceedings while Mary courts disaster by revisiting people and places from Robin’s past. The chapters alternate between three points of view, and the characters’ motivations converge, diverge and threaten to explode as the story builds to an unexpected yet gratifying conclusion. Jones has crafted a dark, twisty tribute to unreliable narrators and tenacious women.

 

ALSO IN BOOKPAGE: Read our Q&A with Tanen Jones about The Better Liar.

Love thrillers? Sign up for our mystery & suspense newsletter here! 

Readers who believe that hell is other people will find validation in these sublimely suspenseful thrillers.

NonfictionSocial ScienceBusiness & Finance

Eight books to bring out your best self

Feature by Julie Hale

Are you pondering personal goals for 2020? Then you’ve come to the right place. 

We’ve gathered a stellar collection of books targeting a wide range of New Year’s resolutions. From fitness and finance to political activism, the volumes featured here are loaded with inspiring ideas for improving your life and the lives of those around you.

Remember: Progress is a process. Any step you take toward achieving your objectives—no matter how small—deserves to be celebrated.

If your resolution is to take better care of yourself

The new year is a time to take stock of both body and mind. If you have visions of getting in shape, spending fewer hours online or simply developing a more upbeat attitude, Dr. Jennifer Ashton’s The Self-Care Solution: A Year of Becoming Happier, Healthier, and Fitter—One Month at a Time can help you move from dreaming to doing. 

In this warm, welcoming book, Ashton—a nutritionist who is the chief medical correspondent for ABC News—suggests self-care strategies for every month of the year, with recommendations for firing up your cardio routine (April), eating more veggies (May), cutting out sugar (September) and sleeping better (November). Ashton herself completed this yearlong plan, and she breaks down each month into weekly chunks with directives that will guide you toward your goals. Trying out a new technique each month, Ashton says, can bring about permanent, positive change. So get out your calendar and get cracking. The Self-Care Solution will support you every step of the way.

If your resolution is to speak your truth

In an era when “fake news” is all too real, and shiny social-media facades conceal less-than-perfect lives, honesty—once a bedrock value—seems to have lost its gravitas. How did this happen, and how can we be more forthright and fearless in our daily lives? Award-winning journalist Judi Ketteler explores these questions in Would I Lie to You? The Amazing Power of Being Honest in a World That Lies.

Throughout the book, Ketteler probes the meaning of honesty in contemporary culture and assesses the ways in which the concept shapes our morals and beliefs, our in-person and virtual relationships, and our experiences at home and on the job. Along the way, she weaves in intriguing behavioral science data. She also provides guidance through 11 “honesty principles” that address social and family interactions. If confidence issues or personal disappointments are keeping you from living an authentic life, pick up Ketteler’s book for wise counsel on managing those obstacles, and move into 2020 with a bold new attitude.

If your resolution is to cultivate more justice

Readers looking to combat inequality in our society will connect with Ibram X. Kendi’s How to Be an Antiracist. In this thought-provoking volume, Kendi, a National Book Award-winning author and scholar, explores antiracism, a concept that runs counter to the attitudes that have caused America’s social fabric to fray. “An antiracist idea,” he writes, “is any idea that suggests the racial groups are equals in all their apparent differences—that there is nothing right or wrong with any racial group.”

Blending history, sociology and autobiography, Kendi investigates the ways in which discriminatory perspectives both subtle and overt influence how we experience other genders and races and shape our notions of physical beauty. He also opens up about the evolution of his own prejudiced perceptions. Recognizing racist prompts and shifting our mindset, Kendi says, can lead to progress. His powerful narrative proves that, for those willing to put in the work, bridging differences in today’s world can be done. Here’s to a hope-filled 2020.

If your resolution is to become more financially literate

If you want to get savvy about savings but don’t know the difference between a 401(k) and an IRA, you should check out Tina Hay’s Napkin Finance: Build Your Wealth in 30 Seconds or Less. After graduating from Harvard Business School, Hay formed Napkin Finance, a multimedia company that arms consumers with financial information via easy-to-understand diagrams and terminology.

The company’s accessible approach is reflected in this entertaining book. In short chapters filled with nifty infographics, Hay demystifies subjects like investing, budgeting, building credit and preparing for retirement. Writing in a frank, friendly style, she presents practical advice about money matters, and she makes sure her audience gets the gist through quizzes and key takeaway sections. Hay also clarifies head-scratching topics like cryptocurrency and blockchain. Her appealing M.O. makes financial planning seem feasible and (dare I say it?) fun. Now’s the time to get smart and start saving, and this book will put you on the right track.

Remember: Progress is a process. Any step you take toward achieving your objectives—no matter how small—deserves to be celebrated.

If your resolution is to participate more in our democracy

2020 promises to be a watershed year on the American political front. Reform-minded readers who want to do more than cast a vote will find essential information in Eitan Hersh’s Politics Is for Power: How to Move Beyond Political Hobbyism, Take Action, and Make Real Change. Hersh, a political science scholar specializing in voting rights and the electoral process, brings unique expertise to this important book.

Most of us engage in what Hersh calls “political hobbyism” by checking the news online, listening to podcasts and perhaps expressing our opinions via social media. Through galvanizing stories of everyday folks whose participation in civic matters have had a marked impact, Hersh urges readers to put an end to the political dabbling, step up and get involved—by establishing local political groups, bonding with neighbors and building solidarity at the community level. His book is a fascinating mix of history, statistics, social science, storytelling and personal insight. Making the shift from political bystander to change-maker is easier than you think, and Hersh’s book can help you do it.

If your resolution is to be a better listener and to exercise more empathy

Given the disparate distractions of modern life—career demands, family matters and social media all desperately vying for our attention—focusing on what’s right in front of us can be tough. Journalist Kate Murphy delivers tips on how to stop getting sidetracked and start being present in You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters. While researching the book, Murphy interviewed people around the world about the topic of listening; it proved to be a sensitive subject. Many interviewees admitted that they felt no one in their lives really—really—heard what they had to say and confessed to being inadequate listeners themselves.

In a narrative that’s lively and fact-packed, Murphy recounts personal anecdotes (as a journalist, she earns a living by listening), talks with other professional listeners (including a CIA agent and the production team behind NPR’s “Fresh Air”) and shares input from psychologists and sociologists. “Done well and with deliberation, listening can transform your understanding of the people and the world around you,” Murphy writes. She gives sound advice in this timely book. So listen up!

If your resolution is to spend less time worrying and more time living

Taking action to combat anxiety requires a special kind of resolve. Dr. Kathleen Smith offers hope for coping in Everything Isn’t Terrible: Conquer Your Insecurities, Interrupt Your Anxiety, and Finally Calm Down. A licensed therapist, Smith encourages readers to focus on their inner selves and cultivate awareness. Learning to identify and defuse anxiety-induced reactions, she says, can result in an improved outlook and a more grounded day-to-day experience.

“We all want to live a life guided by principle rather than fear or worry,” Smith writes. “And by choosing how we handle our anxiety, we choose our fate.” In the book, she considers life categories that can be impaired by anxiety, from friendships and family to career and religion, and proposes healthy methods for navigating those areas. She also includes exercises for doing the important work of teasing apart thoughts and emotions. Through the inspiring stories of clients, she gives readers motivation to follow through on their goals. 

Banishing the haze of doubt is perfectly possible, Smith says, and she supplies the tools for doing it in this empowering book.

If your resolution is to get in shape as a family

Is your household in need of a lifestyle overhaul? Introducing healthy habits into your family’s daily routine is definitely doable—and more easily achieved when the entire clan is on board. Family Fit Plan: A 30-Day Wellness Transformation is chock-full of tactics for implementing new wellness practices that everyone under your roof will embrace. This program—created by Dr. Natalie Digate Muth, a pediatrician, dietitian and mother of two—is well rounded and designed to energize. It features delicious recipes, easy exercises, ideas for reducing device usage and pointers for staying focused. 

As Muth demonstrates in this holistic guide, getting in shape as a domestic unit can actually be a blast. Consistent family check-ins are central to her vision for better health. She simplifies the lifestyle adjustments by including sample menus, activity logs and fitness assessments. By making incremental changes over the book’s prescribed 30-day period, you can set an example the kiddos will carry with them for the rest of their lives. Grab Muth’s book, gather your group, and start planning.

Are you pondering personal goals for 2020? Then you’ve come to the right place. 

We’ve gathered a stellar collection of books targeting a wide range of New Year’s resolutions. From fitness and finance to political activism, the volumes featured here are loaded with inspiring…

FictionBlack History

5 great books of American history

Feature by Ron Wynn

THE REVOLUTIONARY AND THE PRESIDENT
Though they only met in person three times, each encounter between former slave turned outspoken freedom fighter Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln was monumental. Perhaps the biggest surprise in Douglass and Lincoln, the latest work of father-and-son team Paul and Stephen Kendrick, is how much influence Douglass is credited with having on Lincoln, whose major goal in the Civil War was always saving the Union. The authors document specific instances where Lincoln's responsiveness to abolitionist sentiments was altered after reading various Douglass letters and speeches. In turn, Douglass' views about Lincoln were equally affected by things he heard and saw coming from the president. Despite not agreeing on every issue, the two men eventually forged a common ground regarding the necessity for a Northern victory and the ultimate emancipation of the slaves. How they reached that point, as well as other intriguing insights and events that resulted from or were affected by their meetings, is illuminated and outlined in Douglass and Lincoln.

BEYOND SLAVERY
While even casual readers of American history are familiar with Frederick Douglass, very few people have heard of Sarah Johnson. Johnson was one of the many African Americans owned by the father of our country, George Washington, and her story is told in Scott E. Casper's riveting Sarah Johnson's Mount Vernon. Johnson spent more than five decades at Mount Vernon, choosing to remain after Washington's will freed her, and was an integral part of its daily operation. Casper gets to the root of some thorny issues, such as the daily routines of those who lived at Mount Vernon, how they were treated by George Washington and others, why an enslaved person would choose to remain after winning freedom, and what roles slaves played in shaping Mount Vernon into a historical shrine. Casper, a professor of history at the University of Nevada, Reno, approaches the subject with the care and scrutiny of a scholar, drawing from a number of sources. The result is an intimate and frequently surprising look at both an overlooked individual and one of the nation's foremost historical sites.

An industrious African-American couple living in the North, Lucy and Abijah Prince were far more materially successful than Sarah Johnson or indeed most people in 18th-century America. All that changed, however, when they decided to challenge convention and purchase land. In Mr. and Mrs. Prince: How an Extraordinary Eighteenth-Century Family Moved Out of Slavery and Into Legend, Gretchen Holbrook Gerzina, host of NPR's "The Book Show," crafts a tale that's got plenty of 21st-century intrigue and surprise. Gerzina depicts the Princes as visionary, highly determined figures who refused to let the taunts, actions or ignorance of bigots stop them. They also had enough faith in their fellow citizens to take their land battle to court in an era when the judicial system was, at best, stacked against blacks. Mr. and Mrs. Prince represents the kind of true-life story that's so amazing it should be much better known, something Gerzina's book may help accomplish.

WHERE HISTORY HAPPENED
Charles E. Cobb Jr.'s On the Road to Freedom: A Guided Tour of the Civil Rights Trail may cover the most familiar ground among these books, but that doesn't make it any less important. Cobb, a field secretary for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) during the '60s, enhances his coverage of 400 sites with poignant first-person interviews, classic speeches and more than 150 historic photos. He also includes maps and websites offering additional detail and information on the period. On the Road to Freedom should appeal both to those who grew up during this time and those who've come later.

HUNTER AND PREY
The people and places featured in James McBride's Song Yet Sung may be fictional, but they convey with authenticity and power the plight of those enslaved, while revealing the emotional damage done by those charged with maintaining this vicious and dehumanizing practice. McBride, author of the acclaimed memoir The Color of Water, considers the plight of young Liz Spocott, an escaped slave who is shot and captured by slave catcher Denwood Long. Long comes out of retirement to find Spocott; once he does, his life is turned upside down forever. While focusing mainly on the relationship between these two, McBride also ventures into the role of poverty in the formation of attitudes in the pre-war South, the family structure of slaves, African Americans in the abolitionist movement, and the way codes and news were disseminated within songs. McBride's facility with language and knowledge of the period bring his characters to life in vivid, unforgettable fashion. Spike Lee is already at work on the film adaptation of the book; that production should ultimately bring even more readers to this wonderful novel that is equally fascinating, disturbing and magnificent.

THE REVOLUTIONARY AND THE PRESIDENT
Though they only met in person three times, each encounter between former slave turned outspoken freedom fighter Frederick Douglass and President Abraham Lincoln was monumental. Perhaps the biggest surprise in Douglass and Lincoln, the latest work of father-and-son team…

NonfictionFictionBiography

Book Clubs: January 2020

Feature by Julie Hale

What to read with your book club in January 2020

★ The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
Yangsze Choo’s second novel, The Night Tiger is a suspenseful work of fiction set in 1930s Malaysia. Ren, a young servant, attempts to fulfill the extraordinary final desire of his late master, Dr. MacFarlane, whose finger was amputated following an accident. MacFarlane asks Ren to track down the finger and ensure that it’s put in his grave. If the finger isn’t buried before 49 days have passed, the doctor’s spirit will never rest. The tale of Ren’s quest intersects with the story of Ji Lin, a seamstress and dance-hall worker who comes into possession of a remarkably well-maintained amputated finger. The plot thickens when the corpse of a young woman who appears to have been attacked by a tiger is found. Mixing in elements of Malay folklore, Choo spins a wonderfully compelling historical thriller that’s enriched by themes of class and imperialism. Reading groups will savor this acclaimed, multilayered mystery.

Frederick Douglass by David W. Blight
The first substantial biography of Douglass in almost 25 years, Blight’s important book rightfully won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize in History.

Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
This companion novel to Brennert’s popular Moloka'i follows the story of Ruth, whose sense of identity is transformed when she gets a letter from her mother, Rachel, who was confined to a leprosy colony in Hawaii.

Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston
In 1927, Hurston interviewed 86-year-old Cudjo Lewis, one of the few remaining survivors of the transatlantic slave trade. Providing a deeply personal look at a dark chapter in history, Hurston’s book is revelatory.

The Far Field by Madhuri Vijay
When her mother dies, Shalini travels to a village in the Himalayas in search of a salesman who visited her family when she was a child, convinced that he is a link to her mother. Vijay writes with poise and polish in this electrifying story of one woman’s attempt to come to terms with her past and her homeland.

What to read with your book club in January 2020.

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