A Bookish Christmas List, 2010

The snow here in Tennessee definitely has people thinking about Christmas, if they were trying to avoid it before! Now you can't get away from the fact that the season is upon us, complete with Christmas shopping. Here is my annual list of the books I've wished for:

 Table of Contents: From Breakfast from Anita Diamant to Dessert with James Patterson - a Generous Helping of Recipes, Writings, and Insights from Today's Bestselling Authors by Judy Gelman: Couple great authors with foodie writing, and I'm there. I'm so interested to find out what this book holds inside; hopefully, some recipes inspired by book characters or locations.

Nanny Returns by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus: I loved the original book, The Nanny Diaries. I never watched the movie, but they're usually not as good as the book anyway. I can't wait to see what else will happen in the lives of Nanny and the X family.

My Reading Life by Pat Conroy: Conroy is one of the greatest writers around. The fact that he's from the south only deepens my love for his writing. In this book, he writes about how reading has shaped his life and defined moments along the way.

Rescue by Anita Shreve: I don't know the premise for this novel off the top of my head, and to be honest, it really doesn't matter. I've read every Anita Shreve book out there and rarely been disappointed. If it's new from her, I'm reading it.

Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell: Kathy Reichs' Tempe Brennan may be more famous because she's on television, but Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta will always be my favorite mystery series star. The medical examiner is back in the eighteenth novel in the series.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger: While Chasing Harry Winston was not a favorite of mine, The Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing were both fantastic. Looking forward to this fourth novel from Weisberger.

Body Work by Sara Paretsky: It's cheating a bit to say this is on my Christmas list... It was, but I read it this week while I was out of school for snow. Fantastic read, and a good purchase for any mystery lover.

Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella: Some people think Kinsella's books are too light. I happen to think they're just right. This is her sixth title in the Shopaholic series, written under a pen name. I also can't claim this is actually on my Christmas wish list, as I checked it out at the library today. It definitely was, though, and I can't wait to read it!

Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs: As I mentioned above, this is a popular series. On this book's cover, in fact, is a reminder to buyers that the main character also stars in the Fox television series Bones. I don't watch the show, but I am a huge fan of the books. It's been several months since I finished the last Reichs' novel, so I can't wait to dive into this thirteenth book in the Tempe Brennan series. I  may just get the chance before Christmas, as I also checked this one out from the New Books shelf at my local library.





As the days bring us closer to Christmas, I may also share some book ideas for men. The titles above all reflect fairly female interests; a little variety is good for anyone (or any blog), so keep looking for the books I've looked at for my dad, brothers, and other males I'm shopping for.