It's that time of year again: hot cider, snowflakes, and the nagging feeling that the perfect present is out there somewhere. Socks wear out and boxes of holiday chocolates are instantly consumed with nothing to show for it but poundage. However, books, particularly good ones, can be devoured without consequences and last forever.
"A River Runs Through It and Other Stories" by Norman Maclean is reminiscent of Hemingway in its simple but vibrant descriptions. The story is familial and haunting, immersing the reader in the nature of Montana. There, the reader returns to an American lifestyle that is no longer present in the new millennium. Parents or even grandparents will warm to the traditional pace of this modest collection.
"New Jack" by Ted Conover or "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer are both books that appeal to those interested in journalism or nonfiction. These authors submerge themselves into two equally stressful but incredibly different environments. Conover writes about his experience as a prison guard at Sing-Sing, taking an inside look at the dynamic between inmates and their keepers. The narrative is engaging and sheds light on stereotypes and the toll that prison life takes for those on either side of the bars.
"Into Thin Air" sucks its readers straight up the dangerous slopes of Everest. It is the perfect book to open in front of the fire with a mug of cocoa and trays of Christmas cookies. You won't be going anywhere beyond the couch for awhile. For all of Krakauer's objectivity, his relationship to the event seeps through?it is a sobering human story of arrogance, achievement, and miscalculation.
"The Namesake" by Jhumpa Lahiri is my favorite recommendation and unfailingly produces positive responses. Gogol is the son of first-generation Indians who settle in Cambridge. For many, the locale will be familiar, and maneuvering through the world with Gogol is wonderful. I think anyone would enjoy this book, but women might be more receptive to it.
Around this time last year, the movie "Brokeback Mountain" caused considerable uproar. The film was based on Annie Proulx's short story from the collection, "Close Range." Her work is mesmerizing. The reader is immersed in the gritty lifestyle of Wyoming; everything about her stories is stripped down and raw. The flavor of her stories is unlike much of what is on the shelves, and it is impossible not to savor her characters who are consistently craggy, weird, real, and perceptive.
Finally, "Nothing But You" is a superb collection of short stories from The New Yorker, edited by Robert Angell. This is a wonderful gift for anyone with a soft spot for love stories or for phenomenal writing. Angell draws upon over 30 years of New Yorker fiction, assembling a riveting procession of love in all its arduous and blissful forms. The stories are by well-known writers as well as featuring some uncelebrated gems. When it feels like the worst December you can remember, this book has enough love to keep you warm.