The undisputed king of Spotty Sales is Byrne Fone, with his Historic Hudson once again solidly walloping the competition. Coming up second, however, is a newcomer to the list, itself a tome of local history. Tom Lewis’ The Hudson: A History is a panoramic must-read for anyone whose ever spent time living on the banks of the lordly Hudson. Investigating the river’s influence on history (and vice versa), Lewis’ lively and comprehensive study never sags, and offers ample springboard for further study.
Diamond Street, Bruce Edward Hall’s favorite dirty little tell-all about Hudson’s own Red Light District, comes in third, with Hudson Talbott’s River of Dreams, a pictorial ode to the glories of the Hudson, taking fifth place. Taking a breather from the local, Stieg Larsson’s mystery-thriller The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo dominated our fiction sales, mirroring the book’s international success. Samuel Shem places in sixth with his own paean to Hudson, The Spirit of the Place, one spot below 2008’s fifth-place finish.
Mega-blockbuster sequel The Lost Symbol placed next, followed closely by Tony Fletcher’s compulsive, dishy All Hopped Up and Ready To Go: A History of Music from the Streets of New York, 1927-1977. A must for any serious music fan, Fletcher’s depth of knowledge is unparalleled, and matched well by his lively prose and expansive cultural understanding. Following Fletcher, perennial favorite Michael Pollan’s The Omnivore’s Dilemma crept back into the spotlight despite having been released in 2006. Amy Bloom’s Away was the definitive sleeper hit of the year, and her devotees will be happy to know that we have her latest collection, Where The God of Love Hangs Out, available for all.
Other notables included Rebecca Wolff’s searing collection , The King, as well as Jene Luciani’s The Bra Book. Miranda July’s 2007 collection of short fiction, No One Belongs Here More Than You, continued with quietly strong sales throughout the year, and of course Twilight and the ilk also fared well.
Among the scores of books that leave an indelible imprint on nearly all who have read them, Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl stands near the forefront as a compelling artifact and literary accomplishment. A wellspring of inspiration, both enduring in its complexity while accessible enough to be grasped by elementary school students, her Diary has inspired pop musicians, Broadway musicals, and a whole young adult literature subgenre. To that end, I remember having encountered Anne Frank only after having read Lois Lowry’s Number the Stars as a fourth grade student. While an excellent book for young people in its own right, particularly for the slightly younger crowd upon whom the subtler touches of Frank’s record might be lost, Lowry (appropriately) offers a slightly less harrowing narrative of the Holocaust. Anne came next, then the blistering Night, by Elie Wiesel, which I devoured after school in one sitting, and have not been able to shake since. A more recent entry into the field is John Boyne’s The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which has been adapted into a film by the same name.
Daniel Nester is a forever Spotty favorite. His new book How to be Inappropriate is laugh-out-loud funny and will hold an especially warm fuzzy spot for those children of the 80s such as myself. I perked up when I was able to pick myself out of the inappropriate timeline as attending the same David Lee Roth concert as the author, albeit in a different venue.
. . . or the chef who wishes they could globe trot, how about a feast of many cultures prepared from this delightful array of cookbooks:
How about a change of pace (but not too much of one) with a book about pixies? Yes, but not those cutsey, little-girl pixies. Same dark edge and romance as Twilight, different day, so to speak. The first in the series, Need by Carrie Jones, is out in paperback in early December, just in time for gift-giving. And should the recipient become addicted, number two in the series, Captivate, comes out in January.
The following books are great for the hard-to-buy-for teens (boys or girls) on your list, and by teens I mean 14+ as these titles may contain violence, sex, and other difficult themes, but are done well, in my humble opinion.
You know the ones - you think you are carrying on a conversation with them until you notice the furrowed brow and intense stare that have shut down the ability to hear. They are focused on a soduku or a crossword puzzle and nothing else exists at that moment. Is there any question what makes a great gift for them? Only if you have to decide amongst our many puzzle books. We have easy ones, hard ones, page-a-day calendars, Will Shortz-penned, New York Times branded, pocket-sized, fancy-covered, crossword dictionaries, Scrabble dictionaries, world’s longest crossword puzzles, and kid-appropriate. Great as stocking-stuffers or bundled together as a generous gift.
My Nana II (that’s a great grandma for those not in my family) was a great writer of journals. We still have her writings about daily life that have inspired me to take up pen and journal in the past, only to fail miserably at following through after a couple of weeks. Luckily, the solution has arrived at The Spotty in the form of Keel’s Simple Diary, a quickie journal that still allows you to detail your everyday life but keeps the time investment and brain power required to a minimum. Each day (or whenever you feel like it) you choose a page with a set of questions and prompts. Fill out the page and Voila! You’re keeping a journal. Six different cover colors allow even further expression of your mood. As Philipp Keel, internationally acclaimed artist, writer, and creator of the diary explains, “(It’s) an assistant for life, a book for any occasion, for any person at any age. On every page you will discover a taste of philosophy, a pinch of psychology and a twist of insight.” And priced at just $15.00, you can get one for all the people of all ages on your list for whatever occasion you have upcoming this month. Simple.
Melissa and Doug toys are well made, timeless and great for hours and hours of imaginative play. If the young royalty in your house seek refuge for their alter egos, how about castles? These play sets are portable, come in pink for the ladies or traditional castle colors for those keepin’ it real, and come with a cast of characters to act out all their fairytale fantasies. Or, if you want to go the traditional route, we have the ultimate dollhouse, too. Dolls for that one are sold separately or can be taken home without the burden of a giant house to maintain.
Need help finding that perfect gift? Look no further than The Spotty Blog! Throughout the season, we will have great suggestions for everyone on your list, even those that defy gifting logic or “have everything.” Do they have a copy of Russian Criminal Tattoos Volume IV? I thought not! So stay tuned.
