A book I'd like to give:

The Nix
by Nathan Hill

I love this novel! I think it will have a lot of appeal for both men and women.

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See Youth Yak for more of my suggestions!

Books I'd like to receive:

The Heavens May Fall
by Allen Eskens
 
I’ve been reading The Life We Bury by this author and I think I’ve found a new favorite mystery author!

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Hidden Thunder
by Schrab and Boshardt  

This amazing history/art book looks fascinating.

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Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube
by Blair Braverman  

I love journey memoirs, in which journey is a physical trek as well as a soul-searching expedition.

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The Once and Future King
by T.H. White

Beautiful new editions of this and other classics are in our catalog this year. Since reading Helen MacDonald’s H is for Hawk, I’ve been wanting to read T.H. White’s classic about King Arthur and Camelot.

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Books I'd like to receive:

American Museum of Natural History Birds of North America
by Paul D. Hess, David Bird

I come from a family of bird watchers. Everyone has a collection of feeders in the yard and bird books close at hand. This book of beautiful photographs would be a great addition. And I’d even let others in my family look at it, as long as they didn’t drool on the pages.

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Art of the Pie
by Kate McDermott

Favorite dessert? Hands down, it’s pie every time. Now that I have a new crust recipe which is delicious and turns out every time, I’m ready to branch out!

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A book I'd like to give:

A Great Reckoning
by Louise Penny

My favorite mysteries are those by Louise Penny. They’re character driven, featuring Armand Gamache, with whom I’m in love. This book would have to be accompanied by a copy of Still Life, the first in the series, with strict instructions to start at the beginning.

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My suggestions for books for kids are in Youth Yak.

Books I'd like to give:

Locally Laid
by Lucie B. Amundsen

Set in the Duluth area, this is a funny, honest, and informative memoir chronicling the ups and downs of building an egg business from scratch.
It gave me a whole new appreciation of what it takes to start any new business, especially one of the "back to the land" variety.

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The Nightingale
by Kristin Hannah

The Nightingale is the story of two sisters living in German-occupied France during World War II. Though their lives are very different, they are both impacted profoundly by the war. They also face difficult, life changing choices. I would not hesitate to give this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

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A book I'd like to receive:

Alexander Hamilton
by Ron Chernow

I've heard so many good things about this book!  I'm interested in American history, but know very little about Hamilton. It seems like this winter would be a great time to grab a cup of coffee, find a cozy spot, and dig into this book.

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Books I'd like to receive:

The Other Einstein
by Marie Benedict

I’m always interested in the people around great people. This book is about Albert Einstein’s first wife, Mitza, who was also a noted physicist. The challenges as a woman in science at the time were enormous, but imagine the added stress of being married to a man who was considered so brilliant.

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A Life Well Played: My Stories
by Arnold Palmer

On a lighter, sportier side— While not the first famous person in the game of golf, Palmer certainly was one of the giants. Funny stories and wisdom of golf flow through the entertaining book. You may not be inspired to go out and buy a set of golf clubs, but you should find the book interesting.

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Books I'd like to give:

Butter: A Rich History
by Elaine Khosrova

Ha! I bet you didn’t expect to find me in the cookbook section!  I reviewed this book earlier, mostly because my Dad worked on the butter industry for 40 years and I picked up a few things along the way. I found the book fascinating and I don’t cook (except to survive.) It’s got stuff about butter that goes back 5000 years. I loved it--how could you not?  As my Dad used to say, “Everything’s better with butter!”

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The Star Trek Encyclopedia, Revised and Expanded Edition
by Michael and Denise Okuda

OK, if you have a REALLY dedicated Star Trek fan on your gift list, if that person needs to know the third Klingon from the left in the second episode of the second season, here’s the reference.  Note: it has lots of engineering diagrams!

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Atlas Obscura: An Explorer’s Guide to The World’s Hidden Wonders
by Foer, Thuras and Morton

Finally, a more practical choice. This is what I would call a coffee table book that appeals to everyone. I really enjoyed this. It has some of the most bizarre places to go and things to see in the world. Check this out!

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A book I'd like to receive:

Paint by Sticker Masterpieces
Workman Publishing

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Editor’s note: we have a sample copy of this book in the store, ready for you to try your hand at creating a masterpiece.

A book I'd like to give:

Johanna's Christmas: A Festive Coloring Book for Adults
by Johanna Basford  

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See Youth Yak for more of my suggestions!

Books I'd like to give:

Christmas Caramel Murder
by Joanne Fluke

Our granddaughter likes mysteries and loves to cook, so is the perfect fit for her.

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A Great Reckoning
by Louise Penny

Joe lived in Montreal and speaks French so this will be a good choice for him.

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Voices in the Stones: Life Lessons from the Native Way
by Kent Nerburn

A great pick for friends—or for me! Nerburn also wrote Neither Wolf Nor Dog.

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Editor’s note: the book will be released in December, and we expect to have it in the store early this month, in plenty of time for holiday gift giving.

Books I'd like to receive:
It was hard to narrow the list down because there are so many good choices this year.

The Other Einstein
by Marie Benedict

I like historical fiction, so I’m sure I’d enjoy this.

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Wintering
by Peter Geye

I have read and enjoyed Geye's books so I'm looking forward to reading Wintering.

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The Bookshop on the Corner
by Jenny Colgan

Any book with book store or library in the title is one I want to read.

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Books I'd like to give:

Butter: A Rich History
by Elaine Khosrova

A foody friend out in Idaho has convinced me to stop worrying and love (and eat) butter. I bet she would devour this book.

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A Life Well Played: My Stories
byArnold Palmer

My brother spoke very highly of Palmer when the golfer recently died. I’m sure Michael would be interested in reading these stories. 

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Paint by Sticker Masterpieces

My daughter loves adult coloring, so this might be right up her alley. It may also be a way non-artists can experience how images are broken down into shapes. My jigsaw puzzler sister might enjoy it, too. 

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Books I'd like to receive:

The Once and Future King
T. H. White
I want to read this because I recently finished H Is for Hawk. The author quoted extensively from White’s descriptions about training a goshawk, and dwelled on White as a person and as the author of The Once and Future King. It makes me quite eager to read White's book.

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2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur C. Clarke

I love some of Clarke’s other science fiction and the movie was a milestone when it came out. Somehow I never put the two together. This is bound to be good.

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Victoria: A Novel of a Young Queen
Daisy Goodwin

Since Goodwin is writing a Masterpiece drama about the fascinating 19th century queen, this novel will surely be great fun!

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Books I'd like to give:

The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
by Katarina Bivald

I like the idea of a small town awakening to the importance and influence on the quality of their lives, through the coming of a small bookstore.

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Victoria
by Daisy Goodwin

I have a deep and abiding affection for history. Queen Victoria's reign straddles a period of human history that particularly appeals to me.

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Books I'd like to receive:

Molly on the Range
by Molly Yeh

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Following a recent birthday, I've come to think more on the regional things that set us apart and make us distinct from other parts of the country. I've been here now 37 years, and I've come to realize that home for me is Minnesota, more particularly, rural Minnesota. It's time that I investigate regional dishes, and food trends that we may follow, but are unaware of...

Tasting Minnesota
by Betsy Nelson

...and the authors of these books are two young chefs who introduce the world of New Minnesota Cooking. Nothing is static, so show me where we might be heading.

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