It seems like just yesterday that you were lounging next to Lake Michigan, enjoying the warm weather, when suddenly you’re wearing boots every day and Christmas is right around the corner. If you still have gifts to buy, why not share your love of books with family and friends? From the faculty and staff at Loyola University Libraries, here are some books we think would make terrific holiday gifts.
American Farmer: The Heart of Our Country
By Katrina Fried and Paul Mobley
American Farmer is a richly layered mosaic of brilliant visuals and honest text that honors the farmers and ranchers across America. Mobley’s keen vision of the American farmer, and his ability to capture the spirit which each farmer embodies, will impress readers.
Submitted by: Susan Wardzala, Reference Librarian
Assassination Vacation
By Sarah Vowell
Sarah Vowell takes us on a road trip like no other – a journey to the pit stops of American political murder and through the myriad ways they have been used for fun and profit, for political and cultural advantage. Vowell visits locations immortalized and influenced by the spilling of politically important blood, reporting as she goes with her trademark blend of wisecracking humor, remarkable honesty, and thought-provoking criticism.
Submitted by: Kimberly Medema, Monograph Cataloging Assistant
The Book Thief
By Markus Zusak
Death, a sardonic and articulate character who is afraid of humans, narrates this WWII coming-of-age story about faith, love, hope amidst tragedy.
Submitted by: Kristina Schwoebel, Reference Librarian
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
By Junot Diaz
Author Junot Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of the family at large, rendering with genuine warmth and dazzling energy, humor, and insight the Dominican-American experience, and, ultimately, the endless human capacity to persevere in the face of heartbreak and loss.
Submitted by: Brigette Anthony, Monograph Acquisitions Assistant
The Chicagoan: A Lost Magazine of the Jazz Age
By Neil Harris
Recalling a vivid moment in the life of the Second City, the Chicagoan is a forgotten treasure, offered here for a whole new age to enjoy.
Submitted by: Jeannette Pierce, Head of Cudahy Reference
China Road: The Journey into a Future of a Rising Power
By Rob Gifford
Route 312 is the Chinese Route 66. It flows three thousand miles from east to west, passing through the factory towns of the coastal areas, through the rural heart of China, then up into the Gobi Desert, where it merges with the Old Silk Road. The highway witnesses every part of the social and economic revolution that is turning China upside down.
Submitted by: Robert Seal, Dean of Libraries
East of Eden
By John Steinbeck
East of Eden is an epic tale of good vs. evil with many biblical references and parallels. The story is ultimately that of good’s triumph over evil and the human will’s ability to make that happen.
Submitted by: Katherine Dunn, Serials Acquisitions Assistant
Holidays on Ice
By David Sedaris
Holidays on Ice is a collection of three previously published stories matched with three newer ones, all, of course, on a Christmas theme.
Submitted by: Martha Spring, Head of Serials and Electronic Resources
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
By Stephen Chbosky
What is most notable about this funny, touching, memorable first novel from Stephen Chbosky is the resounding accuracy with which the author captures the voice of a boy teetering on the brink of adulthood.
Submitted by: Anna Gentry, Intercampus Loan Assistant
The Post-American World
By Fareed Zakaria
One of our most distinguished thinkers argues that the “rise of the rest” is the great story of our time.
Submitted by: Cathy Miesse, Assistant Dean for Technical Services and Outreach
The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac: Styles, Stats, and Stars in Today’s Game
By FreeDarko
The indispensible, amazingly illustrated companion to today’s NBA—a roundball Rosetta Stone that hilariously decodes the trends and tendencies of pro basketball.
Submitted by: Niamh McGuigan, Reference Librarian
Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels
By Scott McCloud
Designed as a craftsperson’s overview of the drawing and storytelling decisions and possibilities available to comics artists, covering everything from facial expressions and page layout to the choice of tools and story construction.
Submitted by: David Schmidt, Recall/Search Assistant
Miss Alcott’s Email: Yours For Reforms of All Kinds
By Kit Bakke
Tired of self-proclaimed gurus and self-help books, Kit Bakke turns to her childhood role model — Louisa May Alcott — for direction. She sends an e-mail to Louisa, and is amazed when she receives a reply. Their correspondence becomes a dance of ideas and tales bridging the mid-1800s and the twenty-first century.
Submitted by: Jane Currie, Reference Librarian
My Vocabulary Did This to Me
By Jack Spicer
During his short but prolific life, Spicer troubled the concepts of translation, voice, and the act of poetic composition itself. My Vocabulary Did This to Me is a landmark publication of this essential poet’s life work, and includes poems that have become increasingly hard to find and many published here for the first time.
Submitted by: Steve Pump, Serials Acquisitions Coordinator
The Sixteen Pleasures
by Robert HellengaA young American book conservator’s discovery, while in Florence, of a volume of 16 sensual drawings with equally erotic sonnets leads her to a romantic encounter.
Submitted by: Tracy Ruppman, Reference Librarian
A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future
By Daniel Pink
Drawing on research from around the world, Pink outlines the six fundamentally human abilities that are absolute essentials for professional success and personal fulfillment-and reveals how to master them. A Whole New Mind takes readers to a daring new place, and a provocative and necessary new way of thinking about a future that’s already here.
Submitted by: Taya Franklin, Reference Librarian
*Book descriptions provided by Goodreads.
One thought on “Holiday Gift Ideas”
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Wow! What a great list! This took some time to put together.
Thank you so much.