Some book ideas for stockings this year include these two novels published in the 60”s with new movies worth reading:
Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides, heir to a noble family tasked with ruling an inhospitable world where the only thing of value is the “spice” melange, a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. Coveted across the known universe, melange is a prize worth killing for.
When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.
A stunning blend of adventure and mysticism, environmentalism and politics, first published in 1965, Dune won the first Nebula Award, shared the Hugo Award, and formed the basis of what is undoubtedly the grandest epic in science fiction. Get ready for more movies based on this trilogy.
The story takes place in a small town in Montana in the 1920s where two brothers’ interests clash when one of them unexpectedly decides to marry a widow with a son. The Burbanks are important ranchers in the area, and Phil and George are two brothers who, in their thirty-five-plus years have always lived and worked together, not to mention sleeping in the same room. However, the brothers could not have been more different from each other. Phil is magnetic but cruel, a natural leader, who does not like showing any weakness. George, on the other hand, is gentle and quiet with no apparent opinions or interests. When George marries and brings his wife and her son to the ranch
The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage, first published in 1967, deserves new attention thanks to Jane Campion!
Other new treasures include:
Don’t let her age fool you. Maud may be nearly ninety, but if you cross her, this elderly lady is more sinister than sweet.
Just when things have finally cooled down for 88-year-old Maud after the disturbing discovery of a dead body in her apartment in Gothenburg, a couple of detectives return to her doorstep. Though Maud dodges their questions with the skill of an Olympic gymnast a fifth of her age, she wonders if suspicion has fallen on her, little old lady that she is. The truth is, ever since Maud was a girl, death has seemed to follow her.
In these six interlocking stories, memories of unfortunate incidents from Maud’s past keep bubbling to the surface. Meanwhile, certain Problems in the present require immediate attention. Luckily, Maud is no stranger to taking matters into her own hands…even if it means she has to get a little blood on them in the process.
Includes cookie recipes* Gingerbread Cookies for the naughty and the nice!
The Writer’s Cats by Muriel Barbery, translated by Alison Anderson, illustrated by, Maria Guitart
From the best-selling author of The Elegance of the Hedgehog comes this delightful, delicate tale that pays tribute to the poetry of the everyday, to Japanese philosophy, and to the ingenuity and sardonic humor of cats.
What a mysterious, confounding thing is a writer! Yet, spend a little time with the writer’s cats and one might just understand her better.
Muriel Barbery, via her feline friends and co-conspirators, takes readers into her writing studio, offering them a behind-the-scenes peek into her process and problems, joys and disappointments. The tale is told from the perspective of one of the writer’s four cats, Kirin, who, together with her cohort, may or may not be a reliable narrator. There’s Ocha, the leader of the gang, a tough guy with a soft heart; the bandy-legged and affectionate Mizu, Ocha’s sister; the phlegmatic and refined Petrus, lover of flowers; and finally, pretty Kirin, narrator of this bewitching story.
A superb, funny, and touching text for writers, readers, fans of Muriel Barbery’s best-selling novels, and of course cat lovers.
The ultimate trivia review:
The World Almanac® is America’s bestselling reference book of all time, with more than 83 million copies sold. For more than 150 years, this compendium of information has been the authoritative source for school, library, business, and home. The 2022 edition of The World Almanac reviews the biggest events of 2021 and will be your go-to source for questions on any topic in the upcoming year. Praised as a “treasure trove of political, economic, scientific and educational statistics and information” by The Wall Street Journal, The World Almanac and Book of Facts will answer all of your trivia needs effortlessly.
Review the good and bad events of 2021, maybe add your own family memories or reactions. Here’s a challenge---Keep a copy by your reading or TV viewing chair and use it rather than the search engine on your phone.
EXPLORE YOUR LOCAL BOOKSTORE
FIND SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ON YOUR LIST
HAPPY HOLIDAY SHOPPING!
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