I’m a great believer in taking mental, as well as physical, holidays. There’s no better gift to give than a good work of fiction, preferably with instructions that advise “Turn off your cell phone, put the lid down on your computer, put up your feet, and spend the day here.” To purchase any of the featured books on Amazon, click on the book’s title in red.
Thrillers seem to be at the top of almost everyone’s book wish list. No one beats David Baldacci for spinning a web of intrigue, and HELL’S CORNER can keep you captivated for hours. Although part of the Camel Club series, it’s not necessary to have read any of the previous chapters of this group’s adventures in order to enjoy this installment.
Likewise, you don’t have to be familiar with Marcia Muller’s other Sharon McCone mysteries as a preparation to reading her latest, COMING BACK. With a San Francisco background, and the question of whether or not the heroine can fully recover from a serious injury, Muller once again provides the perfect escape from a dreary winter day.
If you don’t know who Temperance Brennan is, you’re obviously not watching the hit TV show “Bones.” One of my favorite fun facts about the character is that Brennan, a forensic anthropologist, writes about her alter ego, Kathy Reichs, who shares her profession. In SPIDER BONES, both Reichs, the author, and Brennan, the protagonist, take us on a journey into the murky world of Navy Intelligence. What’s true and what’s been covered up?
Alan M. Dershowitz, lawyer extraordinaire, has written some compelling scholarly non-fiction about the Middle East. With THE TRIALS OF ZION, he covers much of the same territory, but in novel form. The plot revolves around a young Jewish-American attorney who is on the defense team for an arrested, but possibly innocent, Palestinian accused of an act of terrorism.
THE PASSAGE, by Justin Cronin, is a 786 page tome that keeps the reader enthralled for hours on end. Although this is not a brand new book (it was published in June), I’m recommending it for the ability to keep the reader spellbound. I also advise that it be read before the blockbuster movie based on it arrives on the scene. Do take note of the fact that this thriller is classified under “horror” in many listings, so gift accordingly.
It’s sometimes difficult to find suitable reading for young adults. Hilary Duff, the singer and “Lizzie McGuire” actress, presents ELIXIR, a mystery revolving around the disappearance of a 17-year-old girl’s father. There’s also a handsome stranger, which makes this a contender for the perfect gift for the young women on your list.
Definitely marketed specifically to teenage girls, Lauren Kate’s TORMENT follows the phenomenal success of her previous offering, “Fallen.” This sequel continues the saga of Luce and her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel. A prequel to both will be released next spring, and titled “Passion.” If you ever doubted the buying power of the young adult market, rest assured that this franchise takes up where the “Twilight” series left off.
For a more adult take on romance, SAFE HAVEN, the latest from Nicholas Sparks, features the best selling author’s signature elements of tragedy, redemption, and passion. Sparks also takes the opportunity to showcase his beloved North Carolina.
Distant locales can include exotic places, historic times, or both. Susan Fletcher’s CORRAG is an orphan, an herbalist, and possibly a witch. She lives in the year 1692, in wild and wooly Scotland. Based on an actual event, the massacre of the MacDonald clan by the forces of King William III, the unsuccessful Jacobite rebellion is seen through the somewhat spooky eyes of the imprisoned title character.
Phillipa Gregory gained fame with “The Other Boleyn Girl,” which was made into a major motion picture. THE RED QUEEN chronicles the life of the ruthlessly ambitious Margaret Beaufort. Historian Gregory takes what might be, in lesser hands, a dry chronicle of the founder of the Tudor dynasty, and turns it into a novel of intrigue, treachery, and excitement.
If you’d prefer to give a book with a less turbulent scenario, try AN IRISH COUNTRY COURTSHIP, the latest in the series by Patrick Taylor. This doctor-turned-author sets his stories in the Ulster town of Balleybucklebo, and centers the action (such as it is) around a small medical practice. 1964 is turning to 1965; love, and the possibility of love, is in the air. For all those who cherished “All Things Great And Small,” this will be a welcome vacation from modern reality.
There is no better companion than a good book, and no better friend than someone who chooses it thoughtfully and generously to give to a loved one.
Michall Jeffers is an accomplished Cultural Journalist. She writes extensively, both in print and online. Her eponymous cable TV show is syndicated throughout the tri-state area, and features celebrity interviews, reviews, and commentary. Michall is a voting member of National Book Critics Circle.www.michalljeffers.com
