Beagle and Wolf Books & Bindery Newletter

Staff Picks

Page One Staff Picks Youth Yak Book Groups News

Our tradition for the December newsletter is to ask members of our staff which books from our holiday catalog they’d like to give and to receive. Here’s a link to the catalog.

Jen

Books I'd like to give:

And There He Kept Her
Joshua Moelling

This is THE BEST mystery I read this year and I want all mystery-lovers to share in my joy! Even better......this is book #1 in a series, and #2 is in the pipeline for publication.

Inciting Joy
Ross Gay

Ross Gay is one of the sweetest, most gentle humans among us and thank goodness he shares that in his writing. I'd love to incite joy in all my loved ones.

A Dog Lover's Guide to Hiking Wisconsin State Parks
Danielle St. Louis

My husband and I have fallen in love with hiking AND we have dogs. Giving this to my husband just might inspire a fun getaway with the dogs.

Books I'd like to receive:

Creature
Shaun Tan

I'm a fan of fantasy and I love the art style of Shaun Tan, so this is a win-win. Every time I walk by the display with this book, I must fight the urge to go curl up in a corner with a copy for the rest of the day.

Art of the Board
Olivia Carney

Yes, this is technically a cookbook and I do not cook (and it's better when I don't as my family can attest), but this is the most gorgeous art book I've seen!

Note: more of Jen’s recommendations are in Youth Yak.

Sally

Books I'd like to receive:

The Book of Delights
Ross Gay

Ross Gay wrote a short essay each day for a year, recording the small joys of everyday life. The book is a reminder to search out and celebrate delight in our lives. I could use that now. How about you?

A Book that Loves You
Irene Smit and Astrid Van Der Hulst

What a notion—an interactive book that encourages self-compassion! It’s packed with thoughtful reading, beautiful illustrations, and paper goodies to help readers slow down and be kind to themselves. We could all use this book!

Fresh Midwest: Modern Recipes from the Heartland
Maren Ellingboe King

Maren Ellengboe King, a Minnesota native, was inspired by recipes from her grandmother and great grandmother in creating a cookbook which draws on her Scandinavian heritage, emphasizes local ingredients, and provides a modern take on distinctly Minnesotan cuisine.

Note: more of Sally’s recommendations are in Youth Yak.



Ann				A book I'd like to give: Little Hawk and the Lone Wolf: A Memoir Raymond Kaquatosh This non-fiction work includes the author's remembrances of life on the reservation, experiences at an Indian boarding school, life in the military, and more. It strikes me as a captivating and timely story.
				Books I'd like to receive: The Woman They Could Not Silence Kate Moore I find it fascinating to learn about little-known people and events in history. I am intrigued by this story and look forward to learning more.
				The Ski Jumpers Peter Geye I have enjoyed reading Peter Geye's previous books and look forward to seeing how ski jumping, family, and acceptance of life's hardships are incorporated into The Ski Jumpers.
				Winners Frederik Backman Having read Beartown years ago, I'm excited to immerse myself once again in the little hockey town and the lives of its people. Note: more of Ann’s recommendations are in Youth Yak.

Bob

A book I'd like to give:

Little Hawk and the Lone Wolf
Raymond C. Kaquatosh

This memoir shares experiences on the reservation and more.

Mad Honey
Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

A boy falls in love with a girl. OK, good start. Then she dies and he’s the prime suspect. Oh, now that hurts.

The Ski Jumpers
Peter Geye

This is a book about a family disguised as a sports book.

book cover

Books I'd like to receive:

Engines
T. Gray

How can anyone not want to read this book?

How Am I Doing?
Dr. Corey Yeager

Evaluating yourself with the help of a sports psychotherapist.

The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking through Science
J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

Perfect. A book that crosses science and food.

Brita

book cover

Books I'd like to give:

The Art of the Board
Olivia Carney

If you know a hostess, cook, friend or relative, who truly enjoys making beautiful, artistic food, this is the book to get for them. It is filled with absolutely lovely photos of enticing snack boards, complete with recipes, tips and techniques on how to make the creations yourself.

The Woman They Count Not Silence
Kate Moore

I am a fan of narrative nonfiction, and The Woman They Could Not Silence has joined the collection of my most recommended books. This tells the true story of Elizabeth Packard, a brilliant, empathetic, woman who in 1860, was wrongfully confined to an insane asylum by her husband who shared neither of those traits I am grateful to author Kate Moore for her skill in bringing Packard’s story to life, and will continue encouraging more people to read this important, yet buried part of our history.

book cover

Books I'd like to receive:

Painting Beyond Walls
David Rhodes

Painting Beyond Walls sounds and looks so intriguing. Anything about painting grabs my attention immediately, as does a book about the wonders of the natural world and our collective future.

The Herbivorous Butcher
Aubry and Kale Walch

This book would offer some new and welcome approaches to sustenance and taste. (Besides, any cookbook authored by someone named ‘Kale’ has an authoritative ring to it.)

The King Arthur Baking School
King Arthur Baking Company

This promises not only recipes, but potential improvement to my baking techniques. ‘You never know what you don’t know’ until you really study something in depth, and this hefty tome will offer plenty of depth.

Note: more of Brita’s recommendations are in Youth Yak.

Doni

Books I'd like to give:

Bread Head
Greg Wade

After 10 seasons of Great British Baking Show, who doesn’t want to learn to bake bread? Greg Wade is a farmer. He grows the wheat to make the flour to bake the bread. His recipes cover everything from doughnuts to Volkornbrot(?), from proving dough to building gluten. And the pictures are gorgeous. A great gift for yourself (myself) or anyone who wants to learn to bake bread.

The Tears of Buddha
E.A. Allen

Sherlock Holmes wasn’t the only uber detective of his time. Across the channel, Gerard de Montclaire has been summoned to solve a murder that had wide ripples throughout the international political scene. This short, elegant tale is a great book if you drew the mystery lover in your gift exchange.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff
Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen

We all know the story of the Gruff brothers. This is an updated version, and the artwork is fantastic. This is a great addition to the library for anyone on your list that loves great children’s books.



Gina				Books I'd like to give: Long Shadows David Baldacci I think this would be a perfect gift for anyone who loves police detective novels. That makes up about half of my family!
				Drawn to Birds Jenny Defouw Geuder This book is stunning! It’s the perfect coffee table gift for anyone who loves nature, especially birds.
				Books I'd like to receive: The Winners Fredrik Backman I would like this book as motivation to finally start reading the Beartown series.
				In Praise of Good Bookstores Jeff Deutsch I love bookstores. It always brings a smile to my face when customers come into Beagle and Wolf and get lost in the books, whether it’s solitary silence or a couple of friends chatting about books they have previously read and loved. This book sounds right up my alley.
				Bread Head Greg Wade For the last six years my family has been gluten free. I don’t miss pasta, but I do miss good bread. I recently found out sourdough is low in gluten due to the fermentation process. Learning how to make homemade fresh sourdough sounds like heaven. Note: see Youth Yak for more of Gina’s recommendations.

Hannah

Books I'd like to give:

Painting Beyond Walls
David Rhodes

I have a friend I exchange novels with. She’s deeply interested in science, especially botany. This looks like a book she would love. And I bet she’ll eventually lend it to me!

Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments
Carell Augustus

My daughter works with fashion photographers in New York and is a voracious reader about Black culture. This book looks like a skillful realization of a delightful conceit.

A book I'd like to receive:

Finding Freedom: The Untold Story of Joshua Glover
Ruby West Jackson and Walter T. McDonald

I read the novelThe Underground Railroad this year. I’m ready to learn more about the real thing. It has to be fascinating, humbling, and generally astounding.

Note: see Youth Yak for more of Hannah’s recommendations.



Lee				The books I'd like to give: The Ski Jumpers Peter Geye Geye is one of my favorite Minnesota authors, and he was also an accomplished ski jumper. This book involves ski jumping, of course, but it is much more about family, love, and belonging.
				Dinosaurs Lydia Millet The main character, Gil, is wealthy. Even so, this novel is not so much about his wealth, but an examination of love and friendship, and what it means to be a good person.
				The books I'd like to receive: The Winner Fredrik Backman I know. Such an obvious choice. I have loved everything he has written.
				Small Game Blair Braverman. The title of her memoir, Welcome to the Goddamn Ice Cube, drew me to that book, which tells of how a one-year move to Norway with her family at age 10 became a life-long fascination with winter adventures. She completed the Iditarod in 2019 and has used the race to raise money for rural schools in Alaska.
				The Zero Night Brian Freeman Freeman is one of the many Minnesota authors that I love to follow. His specialty is psychological thrillers, and I expect this new one will not disappoint me. (By the way, Putnam and the Robert Ludlum estate chose him to continue the Bourne series.)