A Few Friday Tidbits

Good golly, the Friday before Christmas. If you're celebrating I hope you're more ready than I. I always start early planning and prep, but still somehow manage to end up behind as the big day approaches.

To give you a sense of the content for the final weeks of the year, I'll be posting mostly reviews next week to catch up a little and then I'll wrap up with my traditional favorites lists. I'll let you know what my favorite audiobooks were, my favorite debuts, my favorite book covers, my favorite first lines and my overall favorite books for 2014.

But I'd like to add a new element to the year end lists and that's YOUR favorite books of 2014 so I have a quick (and hopefully painless) form for you to submit your favorite titles. Then I'll include the outcomes in my final posts of the year:



Since it's Friday, we should take a look at some contests you can enter, right?

Book Riot has a chance for you to win a Kobo Aura ereader.
Friday Reads has a musical array of books you should check out.
Criminal Element has the Yule Be Sorry sweepstakes.
You can peruse through Read it Forward's various giveaways here.

I wanted to throw a couple more last minute book gift recommendations out for you. You know, if you're like me, you're still finishing up...*sigh*

First is a book I just think is stunning and would be loved by ANY Neil Gaiman fan.  The Art of Neil Gaiman by Haley Campbell is a book to soak in bit by beautiful bit. It's a full color collection of art, previously unseen materials, and an exploration of the creative genius. This is a book you keep for the ages, it really is. If you have a Gaiman fan on your gift list and he/she does not have this book, they will treasure it. But hey, if YOU'RE a Gaiman fan and you don't have this book, get yourself a copy.

The Art of Neil Gaiman (ISBN: 9780062248565) is available from Harper Design.

And let me just extend my Gaiman love a little further because I owe my discovery of his work to my good friend Rhonda who introduced me to The Graveyard Book. And when I saw the publication of graphic novel version earlier this year, I drooled. It's target audience is the young...but I think the young at heart qualify as well. There is also a full cast recording of the audiobook that came out this year. I listened to the audiobook narrated entirely by Gaiman and gosh was it beautiful. I still have to try the full cast version, though.

The Graveyard Book graphic novel (Vol I) (ISBN:  9780062194817) is available from HarperCollins. And the full cast audiobook (ISBN: 9780062364463) is also available from HarperCollins.

And finally, a little bookish fun I saw the other day and liked--plus is handy this time of year when all the colds and flus are raging--a book tissue box cover.

Coffee Table Gems

To continue with the gift ideas for your loved ones this holiday season, I have two beautiful coffee table books that I reviewed for Shelf Awareness this year. One is perfect for your nature-lover or photography lover, the other for your pop culture junkie. Take a look.

Crown of the Continent: The Wildest Rockies
by Steven Gnam

In this stunning homage to the expanse of Rocky Mountains between Missoula, Montana and Banff, Alberta, photographer Steven Gnam captures the Crown of the Continent in all of its colors, seasons and life while locals offer essays on the importance of this exceptional geographic stretch and the need to increase wildlife corridors.

Gnam preserves the vast plant and animal life in breath-taking colors and textures. All the images--taken at ground level, and in some cases below water--emphasize the miraculous expanse of this region, especially in relation to man.

The essays weaved into the collection are as mesmerizing as the images. Crown of the Continent was conceived as a way to educate people to the vital importance of connecting protected islands of wilderness. Each essay, with a passion mirroring the photographs, contributes to the enlightenment through anecdotes, data and insight.

Contributor Michael Jamison says, "There is no separating the human from the wild. Our species has not seceded from nature." Readers will feel this connection acutely in Crown of the Continent.

Crown of the Continent (ISBN: 9781594857720) is available from Mountaineers Books.

Retronaut: The Photographic Time Machine
by Chris Wild

With the chance discovery of an old book of photographs, Chris Wild realized the mental image he had of history was inaccurate. He set out to find other photographs that would transform his "low resolution version" into "a new colorful past of high resolution, high contrast, low noise--and lots and lots of detail."

Wild took the acquisitions of his quest to the Internet and created a blog he called "Retronaut" to mean "someone who travels back." Retronaut: The Photographic Time Machine brings a slice of the virtual collection into a captivating print compilation of photos, posters, advertisements and other curiosities that enhance the detail of bygone times.

The organization of the images combined with riveting quotes and thorough captions will mesmerize readers as they view snapshots of the world through Wild's retronaut goggles.

Sure to be a great conversation starter, Retronaut is a perfect coffee table book. Teachers may find it a fresh springboard for projects. And fans of the unusual will rejoice.

Retronaut (ISBN: 9781426213830) is available from National Geographic.

Stocking Stuffer gift ideas

The next post in my gift ideas series is a couple of ideas for your book lover's stocking gifts.

The first one is especially good if your book lover enjoys writing letters. I've had several books this year from Quirk Books that have really tickled my fancy and this pair of books of postcards does as well.

Hugs and Misses and Stars and Swipes both include 30 mailable postscards with humorous silhouette art from Wilhelm Staehle.

First I have to share the bio for Staehle on the inside flap of the binding. This will give you an idea of the tickling humor found on the cards themselves:

"Wilhelm Staehle is a horribly disfigured gentleman who often frightens small children when passing by. He divides his free time between sporting for fox hunters and dressing his broad collection of taxidermy. He also finds time to craft silhouettes. He begs you to enjoy them. Or at the very least to refrain from informing him if you do not."

Stars and Swipes is a collection of Americana images blended with pop culture to create wacky, laugh out loud scenarios like this one featuring Lady Liberty:

Text reads: "100 years with my arm raised in New York and still no cab."

I can envision these being great little greetings during hot political campaigns or just for your book lover who takes a special pride in his/her American-ness.

Hugs and Misses is summed up by Quirk as: "full of lovelorn ladies and roguish gentlemen suffering through painful encounters, indecent proposals, tasteless pick-up lines and failed attempts at charm. The postcards feature the truths about love and relationships that we're not permitted to say aloud (lest we find ourselves sleeping upon the couch)." Here's one of my favorites:

The text reads: (woman) "I'm allergic to mussels." (man) "That's fantastic I don't work out."

Both books of postcards are made from a nice, heavy stock and each card needs only a stamp--and your pithy message--to be ready for posting.

The other stocking stuffer gift idea I have to share with you is this humorous gag gift: Collected Works of Literary Lites. They are available on Etsy and are perfect for your book lover who has a "stinky" sense of humor.

And let's hear from you all. What other fun stocking stuffer ideas have you found for book lovers on your gift list?

Bookish Gifts for the Doglover on your List

The first group I'll target in the bookish gift series this year is dog lovers. Most of you who know me, know I am definitely a dog lover myself.

I have a couple of wonderful gift books that would delight most any dog lover on your list. First is a full-color photography collection called SHAKE PUPPIES. This is a book that will put a smile on your face as soon as you open it--heck, as soon as you look at the cover! I plan to keep it nearby for anytime I just need a mood alteration because every time I flip through the photos, I feel an overall sense of happiness descend on me.

The book consists of a series of puppy photos in mid-shake. Each puppy has two freeze frame shots from their shake motion and the looks on the puppy faces are priceless. There are long-haired puppies, short-haired puppies, big puppies and wee little puppies. And heart-warmingly, there are disabled puppies included as well. It's just an all-around lovely book. And if you watch the video below, you'll see that an ear flush or fluid of some kind was used to induce the shaking motions. I attempted to get my dogs photographed after their ear cleanings, but it wasn't nearly as successful as this.

 

The book also begins and ends with great segments from Carli Davidson, the photographer, on adopting puppies and some very basic first training steps. So this would also be a prize item for someone considering a new adoption.

There's also a previous collection called simply, SHAKE, that features dogs. Here's a little video you can check out:

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The other book that would make a lovely gift for dog--and animal--lovers on your list is UNLIKELY HEROES by National Geographic writer Jennifer Holland. You may already be familiar with her very popular UNLIKELY FRIENDSHIPS. This follow-up is an uplifting collection of 37 stories about animals taking on the role of hero. There are instances involving domesticated dogs and cats, but also farm animals: cows and goats, exotic animals: elephants and lions, and lots of other fun creatures: elk, otters and llamas.

The stories are each short, quick reads so the book can be consumed in bursts, possibly a feature or two each night before turning in, or it can be devoured like a regular book. The small little factoid insets add extra interest and photos accompany each anecdote. (Note: the final book is full color, but my review version was black and white.)

SHAKE PUPPIES (and SHAKE) is available in hardcover from Harper Design. And if you really find yourself addicted, there are calendars of the shake photos as well.

UNLIKELY HEROES is available in a paperback version from Workman Press.