2024 Holiday Recommendation Show, Part the Second

Summary

Podcast Summary: Book Riot - The Podcast
Episode: 2024 Holiday Recommendation Show, Part the Second
Release Date: December 2, 2024

In the second part of Book Riot’s annual Holiday Recommendation Show, hosts Jeff O'Neill and Rebecca Schinsky delve into a myriad of listener inquiries, providing thoughtful and diverse book suggestions to enrich the holiday season. This detailed summary captures the essence of their discussions, featuring key recommendations, insightful conversations, and memorable quotes with timestamps.

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1. Introduction

The episode kicks off with a brief acknowledgment of the absence of new updates since the last recording, setting the stage for an in-depth focus on holiday book recommendations.

Jeff O'Neill (00:56):

"For part two of our holiday recommendation show. I don't know what to say."

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2. Listener Requests and Recommendations

A. Gender Identity in Literary Fiction

Listener Request:
A partner who has recently begun transitioning and is interested in exploring literary fiction with gender identity themes beyond genre fiction or memoirs.

Recommendations:

• "The Argonauts" by Maggie Nelson
  Rebecca highlights this hybrid memoir that intricately explores sexuality and gender identity, making it a must-read for those delving into these themes.

  Rebecca Schinsky (02:04):

  "The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson really bends what we think of as memoir and infuses elements of a lot of other genres with it."

• "Freshwater" by Ekweke Emezi
  Noted for its speculative elements and queer themes, offering a unique narrative on gender identity.

• "Nevada" by Imogen Benny
  Recommended for its strong exploration of non-cisgender identities within a literary framework.

Jeff O'Neill (03:21):

"The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara... It's very painful. But there's also moments of real humor and beauty and pathos here."

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B. Books for Outdoor-Loving Fathers

Listener Request:
A book for a dad who enjoys outdoorsy, page-turner novels, recently read "Barkskins" by Annie Proulx.

Recommendations:

• "The Overstory" by Richard Powers
  Jeff suggests this multi-generational novel focusing on trees and nature, aligning with the listener’s interests.

  Jeff O'Neill (05:49):

  "Pachinko is a modern classic by Min Jin Lee. Multi-generation historical fiction short on trees for my taste."

• "Gentlemen in Moscow" by Amor Towles
  Rebecca praises this book for its masterful historical world-building and engaging characters.

  Rebecca Schinsky (06:46):

  "A Gentleman in Moscow is just charming as all get out."

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C. Creating Gift Wish Lists Supporting Independent Bookstores

Listener Request:
Tools for creating book wish lists that support independent bookstores, especially when gifting to relatives unlikely to use specialized links.

Recommendations:

• Bookshop.org
  Jeff endorses this platform as a user-friendly solution that supports a wide range of independent bookstores.

  Jeff O'Neill (16:29):

  "Bookshop.org is going to be the most generally approachable. It is very clean looking. Check out."

• Direct Bookstore Gift Cards
  Rebecca suggests directly requesting gift cards to specific indie bookstores, ensuring support stays local.

  Rebecca Schinsky (17:43):

  "You might just say, as part of your gift to me, it would be great if this purchase could support an independent bookstore."

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D. Building a Baby’s Library

Listener Request:
Recommendations for children's books suitable for a growing library, spanning various age groups.

Recommendations:

• "Little Blue Truck" Series
  Jeff emphasizes the series' timeless appeal and engaging stories for young readers.

  Jeff O'Neill (21:31):

  "Little Blue Truck is a classic for a reason."

• "House on the Cerulean Sea" by TJ Klune
  Rebecca highlights this for its wonderful audiobook narration and heartwarming story.

  Jeff O'Neill (22:00):

  "It's about a couple of kids from a black family and there is a bit of a treasure hunt that they discover."

• "Winnie the Pooh" by A.A. Milne
  Recommended for its enduring charm and suitability for read-aloud sessions.

  Jeff O'Neill (23:56):

  "Have a good time. It is kind of hard, but those are the ones that really stuck out to me."

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E. Spooky and Gothic Reads

Listener Request:
Suggestions for recent spooky or gothic books to get into the holiday spirit without crossing into horror.

Recommendations:

• "Ghost Roots" by Pemi Ogudai
  Jeff discusses its eerie portrayal of a house with a life of its own, earning a finalist spot for the National Book Award.

  Jeff O'Neill (24:55):

  "It is an awesome creepy story."

• "Hacienda" by Isabel Kanasi
  Rebecca describes it as a haunting narrative set in the Dominican Republic, delving into family history through a sinister house.

  Rebecca Schinsky (24:55):

  "It's expressing that history. Creepy as hell, but still pretty amazing."

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F. Balancing Adult and Children's Interests in Book Gifts

Listener Request:
Suggestions for books suitable for both adult and child readers, particularly for a three-and-a-half-year-old who enjoys soccer, Pokémon, and dinosaurs.

Recommendations:

• "What People Do All Day" by Richard Scarry
  Jeff recommends this for its engaging illustrations and educational content about various professions.

  Jeff O'Neill (51:29):

  "It's kind of amazing actually for a three and a half year old."

• "The Book with No Pictures" by BJ Novak
  Rebecca highlights this as a fun read-aloud that entertains both children and adults with its humorous instructions.

  Jeff O'Neill (52:35):

  "It's a read aloud and it's meant to be read aloud and it makes fun of the person reading it."

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G. Classics for 2025 Reading Goals

Listener Request:
Aiming to read more classics in the upcoming year with personal favorites and flexibility in definition.

Recommendations:

• "The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas
  Jeff suggests this adventurous classic as an engaging starting point.

  Jeff O'Neill (38:22):

  "The Count of Monte Cristo... rips. It's so cool and so fun."

• "House of Mirth" by Edith Wharton
  Rebecca commends its sharp social commentary and timeless relevance.

  Rebecca Schinsky (38:22):

  "It feels current in its own kind of way."

• Shakespeare’s Works and The Bible
  Both hosts emphasize reading foundational texts that frequently appear in contemporary literature references.

  Rebecca Schinsky (40:44):

  "Read the Bible as literature. Read Dante... Read some Dickens and some Hemingway."

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H. Comfort Reads for Grieving During Holidays

Listener Request:
Books that provide comfort and a sense of warmth without centering on family gatherings, ideally fostering a holiday spirit.

Recommendations:

• "Legends and Lattes" by Travis Baldree
  Jeff introduces this cozy fantasy novel about an Orcish warrior opening a coffee shop, blending warmth and magical elements.

  Jeff O'Neill (45:28):

  "It's kind of amazing. There's a prequel called 'Bookshops and Bone Dust.'"

• "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern
  Rebecca and Jeff discuss its magical and ethereal qualities, perfect for evoking holiday enchantment.

  Jeff O'Neill (46:36):

  "It's the literary equivalent of like White Christmas Lights... magical and affirming all at the same time."

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I. Multi-Generational Family Stories

Listener Request:
Seeking novels that explore multi-generational family dynamics similar to "Pachinko" and "Go Tell It on the Mountain."

Recommendations:

• "The Sympathizer" by Viet Thanh Nguyen
  Jeff describes this as a sharp, satirical novel blending literary fiction with a deep exploration of identity and conflict.

  Jeff O'Neill (56:38):

  "The Sympathizer is an unbelievably great book. It's written as an anonymous confession from a North Viet Vietnamese spy."

• "Nothing" by Ann Patchett
  Jeff recommends this for its compelling characters and satisfying narrative structure.

  Jeff O'Neill (54:19):

  "The original 'Brooklyn' is terrific. Also, if there's an adaptation... it's beautiful and heartbreaking and tender all at the same time."

• "Small World" by Jonathan Evison
  Rebecca praises it for its exploration of multiple generations and interconnected lives across American history.

  Rebecca Schinsky (60:42):

  "It's multi-generational... how their lives are connected to each other."

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J. Recommendations for Loved Ones with Specific Tastes

Listener Request:
Suggestions for an 81-year-old who enjoys Jane Austen, historical fiction, and mysteries but is seeking something beyond gentle mysteries.

Recommendations:

• "The Thursday Murder Club" by Richard Osman
  Rebecca recommends this charming mystery featuring a group of retirees solving crimes, blending humor with intrigue.

  Rebecca Schinsky (63:32):

  "They get together because the police don't take seriously the case that they're working on."

• "A Gentleman in Moscow" by Amor Towles
  Jeff reiterates the charm and depth of this novel, perfect for readers seeking historical richness.

  Jeff O'Neill (12:21):

  "A Gentleman in Moscow is just charming as all get out."

• "The Book with No Pictures" by BJ Novak
  While primarily for children, this humorous read-aloud can also entertain older readers with its clever narrative.

  Jeff O'Neill (52:35):

  "It's a read aloud and it's meant to be read aloud."

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3. Insights and Discussions

Throughout the episode, Jeff and Rebecca engage in lively discussions, often sharing personal anecdotes related to the books they recommend. They emphasize the importance of diversity in reading selections, the emotional impact of literature, and the joy of discovering new authors and stories.

Rebecca Schinsky (42:41):

"Read some Langston Hughes... Read some Toni Morrison. Read some Faulkner."

Jeff O'Neill (37:08):

"You won't go wrong with a Brit Bennett... Zadie Smith Pick it up."

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4. Conclusion

As the episode wraps up, Jeff and Rebecca extend warm holiday wishes to all listeners, encouraging them to find time for personal reading and reflection amidst the festive season.

Jeff O'Neill (70:06):

"Happy holidays to you all. Whatever holidays you celebrate. And if you celebrate none of them, happy Tuesday or Wednesday, whichever day."

Rebecca Schinsky (70:11):

"We hope you find some time for yourself."

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jeff O'Neill (00:56):

  "For part two of our holiday recommendation show...nothing happened in the last 30 seconds."

• Rebecca Schinsky (02:04):

  "The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson really bends what we think of as memoir..."

• Jeff O'Neill (12:39):

  "That's what we mean by Marvel games."

• Rebecca Schinsky (24:28):

  "We have covered a ton of cozy things, from fantasy to historical cozy books by BIPOC authors."

• Jeff O'Neill (37:08):

  "You won't go wrong with a Brit Bennett."

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Book Riot’s Holiday Recommendation Show offers a treasure trove of book suggestions tailored to diverse reader interests, ensuring that every listener can find something meaningful and enjoyable for the holiday season. Through their engaging dialogue and thoughtful recommendations, Jeff and Rebecca foster a sense of community and shared passion for literature.

Transcript

[Jeff O'Neill]

The holidays are about spending time with your loved ones and creating magical memories.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That will last a lifetime.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So whether it's family and friends you haven't seen in a while or those who you see all the time, share holiday magic this season with an ice cold Coca Cola. Copyright 2024 the Coca Cola Company.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

This episode is brought to you by Dutch Bros. Big smiles, rocking tunes and epic drinks. Dutch Bros. Is all about you choose from a variety of custom handcrafted beverages like our Rebel energy drinks, coffees, teas and more. Download the Dutch Bros app for a free medium drink. Plus find your nearest shop, order ahead and start earning rewards offer valid for.

[Jeff O'Neill]

New app users only.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Free medium drink reward upon registration. 14 day expiration terms apply.

[Jeff O'Neill]

See Dutchbros.com this is the Book Riot podcast. I'm Jeff O'Neill.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

And I'm Rebecca Schinsky and we're back.

[Jeff O'Neill]

For part two of our holiday recommendation show. I don't know what to say. That's what we're doing now. We just stopped recording the other one. There's no other things that are happening. No news. Nothing happened in the last 30 seconds. You were just hearing us a week.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Later talk about if any news has broken. That's worth talking about between last week's episode and this one. We're not talking about.

[Jeff O'Neill]

We're not talking about it.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

End of year Magic friends.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yes. All right. With that we're gonna get right into it. My read, my read. It doesn't matter. No one's keeping track from last time. Jillian Literary fiction with gender identity as a theme. Anywhere in it. Question mark. I'm looking for a holiday gift for my partner who has recently begun transitioning as interested in reading litfic to explore his gender identity even as a side theme. But Internet searches for this kind of novel veer either veer into genre fiction. Fantasy seems to be a haven for queer and trans themes. Very cool. Or memoirs. Essay collections. Yes, he has read Detransition Baby. You know what? We know that would have been a. That's kind of a go to there at this point.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Thank you for telling us.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Is a trans man but happy to read anything with non cisgender vibes.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Would you come up with okay here just in case. Like if he's reading literary. This is a memoir kind of. But the Argonauts by Maggie Nelson really bends what we think of as memoir and infuses elements of a lot of other genres with it and I think a really robust exploration of sexuality as she and her partner are on a journey to try to become parents is if this has just not crossed your transom yet. As a book that deals with gender identity, I know the request here is specifically about literary fiction like the Argonauts is just not to be missed. Maggie Nelson is excellent. Also, Freshwater by Ekweka Emezi does have some like kind of speculative elements, if I'm remembering correctly. The Emezi books have all blurred together in my head. But Emezi is a queer writer, deals with gender issues pretty frequently and I have not read this last one but it came up several times as I was looking for recommendations. Nevada by Imogen Benny B I N N I E might also be a place to go and this is a great one for listeners if you have suggestions. This request comes from a Patreon member, so Patreon folks, if you have other ideas you can comment on the episode on Patreon and share them this I'm.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Going into the Wayback Machine a little bit. Let's see, when did this book come out? I don't even see a date from where I'm so 2018. The book is called the House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Casara. It is a fictionalized it's historical fiction but based on the characters depicted in a 1990 film called Paris is Burning, which depicts sort of the underground drag scene in New York in the 1980s. It's an amazing documentary and it's an amazing book and it's taking on these characters lives. So AIDS is going on at this time. The conversation around drag and trans identity is in a different place. It is. So all things having said a lot of these people come to unfortunate ends. It's very painful. But there's also moments of real humor and beauty and pathos here. The the documentary itself I guess is a bit of a cult classic. The New York ball scene of the 80s. There was a book about it that came out this year that's really interesting too is a non fiction book but I cannot. I cannot think of the name off the top of my head. But I was looking for fiction here and this is ones I happen to read. I'm interested in the world of 80s New York especially. I think I read this right when it came out so it's not heavy. There's trigger warning stuff in it. But I didn't see anything here that suggests that your partner is averse to the realities manifold possibilities of these kinds of experiences. Quite beautiful, quite moving. And that's my pick. The House of Impossible Beauties by Joe Joseph Cassara My read Then I have two requests. No, this is your read.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Oh, this is my read. Sorry. Yeah. One is for this from Chloe. Chloe's looking for a book for dad who blazed through four Peter Heller books since August Trees. He likes something that is page turnery and lets him wind down, preferably about the outdoors. He liked Bark Skins by Annie Proulx. So yeah, just hop up to Jeff's tree themed recommendations in the last episode. Episode also likes the Heaven and Earth grocery store, but thinks that was probably the limit of his literariness and the page count that he will go for. The other request is for Chloe herself found herself drawn to what she's been calling high craft historical fiction. Hilary Mantel's Wolf hall books, the Colson Whitehead Ray Carney books, Lauren Groff's last two books, the Sympathizer James and Hamnet. Hopefully that's enough to get the vibe. She says. She also loved Northwoods and the Fraud.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Pachinko is a modern classic by Min Jin Lee. Multi generation historical fiction short on trees for my taste.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I'm just gonna sit here going trees.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Another James, but it just scratches so many of the itches that you're looking for here. Also Gentlemen in Moscow by Amor Tals. Rebecca got turned around on it. She was so skeptical and I got to recommend it before her. Unlike erotic stories for Punjabi women, it's a master class in historical world building and the pleasure of chapter and chapter and character. The adaptation, I'm sorry to say, does not work to the main, even though it should. You know, it feels. But there's something writerly about this. These are notes I have for interior Chinatown, I should say at some level, but the reading experience of both these are enveloping and moving and pleasurable all at the same time. And what else do you want from commercial market literary historical fiction?

[Rebecca Schinsky]

A Gentleman in Moscow is just charming as all get out.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It is the most charming.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

It's wonderful. I'm glad I got turned around on it. Speaking about things that I've kind of gotten turned around on.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Did you do this before you finished Playground? Where were you on your playground adventure when you put this?

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I was done with my playground journey because I seem to be in the like the very small minority on being cranky about anything that has to do with playground. I think pick your dad up some Richard Powers. The overstory might be the more straightforward one, especially with the Bark skins mentioned here and Peter Heller. But Peter Heller's like In All Kinds of Nature and Playground is in the ocean, which is the biggest component of Nature.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So it's the forest, but water. So it counts. I'm allowing it.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Go for it. Yes, the ocean, the forest, but water.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Look, either one will eat you up.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Speak out for you, I think. Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead. High craft historical fiction that weaves across like several decades, maybe even centuries, about a woman who, when she is a young girl, decides that she wants to learn how to fly planes. And this is in a time where that is not a thing that girls are allowed to do, but she forges her own path in several ways. I loved it. I've been talking about it for years. All the pieces weave together really wonderfully. And pick up some Tommy Orange there. There is like much nearer term. Wandering Stars feels more traditionally historical fiction to me. But you put the words high craft in front of the words historical fiction, and it's hard not to think about Tommy Orange as well.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Man, I'm just looking at Richard Powers back catalog because Overstore was so popular and Playground is recent. I'm stuck on those. But Bewilderment's awesome. Orpheo's awesome. The Echo Maker is awesome. It's almost like, don't. So go to richardpowers.net I'm serious. For everyone who said Richard Powers to go look at the books. The synopsis are very straightforward. And go mix it. Go put a checker on it which one sounds like the person. Because there's all kinds of stuff. Some of it veers more a little bit into sci fi like Galatea 2.2 and some is much more nature. But they're all kind of on that. Are they virtual trees or real trees? Those are your two choices in a Richard Powers novel to go there. But I don't want to get stuck on just those two.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Is coral just underground trees?

[Jeff O'Neill]

That's a water moss coral. Yeah.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Somewhere Robin Wall Kimmerer is also like, wondering why her ears are burning.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. Kelp is just sweet grass. That's all that is. It's water. Sweetgrass. All right. My read. Hi, Jeff and Rebecca. So fun to be writing after listening for years and years. Thank you so much for all you do. Oh, you're so welcome, Emily.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

We're glad you're here.

[Jeff O'Neill]

A few years ago, we started the Icelandic Christmas book Flood. Thank you so much for the translation, Emily. I'm bad at other languages in general and on the fly especially. So I get everybody a new book and some chocolate to open enjoy on Christmas Eve, including myself. I hope everyone includes you, Emily. Come on. I'm looking for recommendations for my husband. This year. He's not a huge reader, but he's read and enjoyed 1984 and everything by Margaret Atwood. He also reads a lot of business books. He keep extra copies of Multipliers on hand to give people. I like Multipliers. Multipliers is quite good. Since he's pretty good at finding dystopian and business stuff all his own, I like to try to pick something a little lighter. Some of the books I've gotten him in the past that he's enjoyed include Nick Offerman's where the Deer and Antelope Play, how to Be Perfect by Michael Schurman. Audiobook Pick Mount Rushmore for those of you great audiobook. We love Good Place in Parks and Rec and the Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells. Mostly based off recommendations for your show. Oh, that's so nice of you to say. Fiction and nonfiction are fine, but definitely looking for something with a sense of humor. Page count that would meet with Jeff's approval would be preferable. This is a bit, this is a bit that's become part of my identity. And you know what? I'm here for it. Everybody knows 350 to hear what you can come up with with.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

All right. I think Kevin Wilson is a great idea. Up the alley here. There's a sense of humor. They all read like a house on fire. Maybe for your fellas interests, I would go with Perfect Little World, which is, has like kind of a dystopian flavor, but it's about families trying to raise their kids in an, like in a, in the experiment towards a utopian society. You can imagine that does not exactly go the way they think it's going to go. And his most recent one, Now Is not the Time to Panic, is about adult people who, in the 90s, when they were teenagers, accidentally set off a satanic panic in a small town in Tennessee that ran across the whole world. And now, 30 years later, a writer, a big journalist has uncovered that these are the people who, like, they've managed to keep it a secret for 30 years and now their secret is going to come out and what are they going to do? You get nice back and forth between that 90s timeline where they are unintentionally making people think that there's like a cult in their small town. Kevin Wilson is just like so zany and so much fun, but there's also, like, stuff to chew on. There is substance and things to think about in his fiction. And I, I, I'm just going to keep him on my underappreciated authors list until yeah hopefully he wins some stuff and really some bestseller records. He's great. He's so great and under read I.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Think I like I said before and we actually got some email confirming or at least agreeing with my assessment that he Kevin Wilson's too name I suggest he change his name to Lumberjack Wilson because trees sell and axes are sexy. Lumberjack Wilson. No one would not know that that book was written by Lumberjack Wilson.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Lumberjack Wilson is also a believable title for a Kevin Wilson book.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Lumberjack Wilson could also be the name of a character in my pick that I didn't put on here because I forgot to. I got some others but my main pick is the sellout by Paul Beatty which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2015. So it's not dystopian. When we say dystopian we often mean dystopian for white people. Right.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That's what we mean by Marvel games.

[Jeff O'Neill]

But like dystopias are all around us. Right. That's another you know, depending on where you are and one thing that the sellout is about is how screwed up race relations are. So it's speculative fiction. Go read the I'm not going to try to. It's not going to try to to summarize it here but it's funny, it's satirical, it's sharp and I think it's a bit of if you know, you know book. Even though it won a big prize. It still doesn't have he doesn't hadn't had a big follow on. There's not been a big adaptation or anything like that. But it's really funny, it's really sharp and it's a good sort of like dystopia things are kind of weird and bad and look at it. And here's taking an idea to its logical conclusion which a lot of these 1984 and Margaret Atwood do all those things. This is just doing it from the point of view of black folks in America. Another funny thing that does the same thing. Super sad. True Love Story is so was so ahead of its time. It's do it's still super relevant. So Gary Stingart's near future story Love Story but in a world in which dating technology has taken over like it's embedded on us all the time matchmaking and everything's and the things that go on beyond that razor sharp. I haven't read it in a while but my memory of it is that you could read it today and feel like not it's not just that it's, it's not. It hasn't aged, become more clarifying, more relevant and more germane as we've gone. And then just for the dad book, you like some fun? You like to learn some stuff. Brief History of Nearly Everything is sort of the Genesis, the first book in the Bible for approachable. Did you know dad reading? Go read your classics. Go get your fundamentals right with Bill Bryson's A Brief History of Nearly Everything.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Oh, man, Steingart is such a national treasure. I'm so glad that you brought him out here. And folks, if you're listening and you have not read his Atlantic article from earlier this year, Gary Steingart got commissioned by some genius editor at the Atlantic to cover a week on the biggest cruise ship that has ever been built. It is on. I have read it like, okay, I am not a person who has like a folder of things I go to when I need a lift.

[Jeff O'Neill]

You bookmarked it, Rebecca?

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, yeah. Like I didn't even bookmark it, but it's like every couple of months I'm like, you know what? I could use a really good laugh. And the thing I want to do is reread Gary Steingart on this cruise book came out.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Do we have like a 10 year anniversary we could peg something to? This would be good one.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Oh, that would be fun.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Maybe come talk to us. When did this come out? 2010. God damn it. It's right in the middle.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Okay, 15 years next year.

[Jeff O'Neill]

We can make it up.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

We've made it 15 years when it's convenient to our purposes.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, Superset True Love Story can get its learner's permit. That's what's going to be hooked before this is going to be.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I think Steingart would be on board with this premise.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Oh, no. 2010. 2010.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

So it'll be 15 years old next year.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, okay, I guess. All right, we'll allow it. If we can do the 35 year anniversary of When Harry Met Sally, we can certainly we can do anything.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

We're in charge.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, right.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Okay.

[Jeff O'Neill]

18 years. The book can vote.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

This next one is from Tom, who is also obsessed with the Jola Bokeflod. Good lord. Icelandic tradition of giving books as holiday gifts. And he says he learned about it last year and has shifted his approach to making gift requests for himself. So he's wondering what tools people use to create wish lists for books that family members can use but that also will support independent bookstores. He says it's very important to me to give and receive books from Independence. So I List. I send a list of links to my local in hopes that they will use those links to purchase. But is there an ideal way to ask for books that support independence even from relatives who may not live near us and who traditionally may use use the big online companies that I'm less interested in supporting?

[Jeff O'Neill]

I mean, I mean bookshop.org you have here, right? So bookshop.org is a. I don't know, once one solution for a bunch of independent bookstores that have signed on for it. It can be a little difficult to know how much of your purchase is going to a specific indie because if you click through your independent bookstores shop on bookshop.org get a higher percentage of the purchase price if you go. If you do any purchasing for books or some percentage does go to independent bookstores. So you could certainly do that. You could also just do pals. Pals.com gift card. A higher percentage of the purchase price will go to Powell's. But then it's just Pals. And I don't. That's just what is. You could do the Strand. Those Pals in the Strand have professional like serious e commerce platforms. I can. I don't know that about every single individual independent bookstore. So bookshop.org is going to be the most generally approachable. That is very clean looking. Check out. I bought many gift cards and books for it myself as I have on the others. It's kind of pick your poison, right? Whichever. Not pick your poison, pick your elixir. I guess would be the opposite. Those would be the ones to do there. Yeah, there's nothing just to say.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, I don't know either. I'd be curious to hear from listeners about how y'all approach this in your life. If you're hoping that people will make purchases from a specific business or a specific type of business. A bookshop was obviously what I thought of first as well. I think as Jeff was saying, like the quality of online retail from independent bookstores can really vary. So you might, you might like take yourself through the online ordering process for some of the bookstores that you're thinking about linking to and determine if those seem accessible to the people that you're going to be sending your list to. And then I just reached for what we would say at Book Riot as. Say it with your mouth words.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yes, say it with your mouth words.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Rather than just including links to local bookstores and hoping that your folks that you're sending these to will use those links to purchase rather than going to Amazon or somewhere else. Maybe just Specifically state that it would be really meaningful to you if they'd be open to doing that. You know, like, obviously we can't control how people are doing it. But like something I can imagine myself saying, something is like as part of your gift to me, it be great if this purchase could support an independent bookstore. And so that's why I've linked to it. Like just in case you have not made it explicit. Sometimes just making the thing explicit is all you need to do. But if, if other listeners have ideas, you can shout them out in the comments on Patreon or you can send us an email for follow up for Tom here. But Bookshop is the best solution that I know of and I think I would default to that. Yep. Because the interface is professional and slick and really easy to use. Even if a, a smaller percentage of the sale might be staying at the bookstore. So you do have to decide what's more important to you there.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And you do get a bit of a discount. They do discount a little bit. I think it's 10% on most frontless titles. The shipping I think is free, depending on what you hit there, you know. Yeah. I think Rebecca's right. If you're going to email these people with titles, you might just say, and if you can please consider buying these books for bookshop.org and explain them. Maybe they want to buy through it. Yeah.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Maybe they just don't know.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Like they've. I think Bookshop, one of the reasons they've done well as a company and succeeded more than I certainly thought they would is that the experience of shopping is super easy and the, the people who use it do find it easy. Compelling. Yeah. So good. And I wouldn't try to get them to go through the link to mom and pop down the streets. Bookshop. I just, it's going to be too confusing for them most of the time for that. Why don't you read the next one? Just because I want to be the answer.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. It also occurred to me for this one you could just ask for a gift card to your local indie.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yep.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

If that is the thing that your family is open to.

[Jeff O'Neill]

But if they live somewhere else, you got to order it there. And like I get. Yeah.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That can be a whole shenanigan.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Also, like one time I bought a gift card from my mom at Rainy Day Books in Kansas City and I had it there for her to pick up, which is kind of fun. But then you gotta, like, I'm just saying, like, it's easy to buy, make it. And bookshop.org is going to be the easiest. Does everything Swiss Army. Way to do this.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

All right, this is a question for Jeff. It's coming from Jess. Partner and Jess are expecting their first baby in May. They're both huge readers, so for Christmas, they're getting a lot of asks about what they'd like for the baby. They don't want to overlap with baby shower requests. So for Christmas, they are prioritizing, asking for books specifically to build the baby's library. They're looking for recommendations on really good kids books across the age span. They've got some of the older picks they remember from childhood, but want to round things out with recommendations from Jeff. Some newer titles that might not be on their radar.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I don't know if they're not. What's on anyone's radar. So Little Blue Truck. I'm going basically through the time they can understand words. So board books, picture books, it's all the same. You could give them the back of a cereal. I mean, I'm not kidding about this. Like, it's fine. It's fun. But once they can actually understand and you can read to them, that's when it gets more interesting. So Little Blue Truck. It's become a juggernaut in the children's book space. There's Little Blue Truck, Halloween and Christmas and all these kinds of things, but the original is a classic for a reason. Hornwind, beep, engine purred. Friendliest sound you ever heard. It's right there. It's wonderful.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

How many times have you read that?

[Jeff O'Neill]

So many times. So that's good. Pizza. Pizza. So this is a fun one. I don't know how we came across it, but the story here is Pete is a kid and he wants to go outside and play, but it starts raining. So to take his mind off it, his dad pretends to make him a pizza and, like, rolls him out and, like, bundles them up and puts pepperoni on him.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Oh, that pretends to make him into a pizza.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Into a pizza.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Like, pretend makes him into a pizza, which is fun. But then I do this to my kids too. Like, I, like, mess with them. Like, pick aims. Now, like, he weighs 110 pounds. Like, I throw him on the bed and, like, run around. Now I'm kneading the dough and I'm putting in the O. Come in. We got to serve you up. It's a lot of fun. So those are sound, like, interactive when they're. When you are getting a little bit older and they might want to read. You want to read together. Do audiobooks the vander beakers of 141st street by Carinion Glazer. My family's personal favorite book series of all time. Moving, sad, heartbreaking. It's a mixed race family in Harlem and the trials and tribulations. Lower stakes, but there are, you know, a friend of the family dies and things happen and it doesn't shy away from the realities of living in the world we live in, but it does sand the edges off them a little bit. Very moving. House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. Our favorite audiobook, listening experience. Singularly. The narration is wonderful. We're listening in bits and fits and starts to the sequel right now, the Parker Inheritance, which maybe is one people don't know about as much. This is a good read along or for when they're in like fourth, fifth or sixth grade. It's about a couple of kids and they. A couple of kids and they come from a black family and there is a bit of a treasure hunt that they. They discover. But it's also connected to the racial history of the town they live in. And there's a lot of history in it. It's also very exciting. The characterization is extremely good. And we blew through this on audiobook on our way to Yellowstone and still talk about it together. That's called the Parker Inheritance. And then I gotta tell you, when they're like 5, 6, 7, you're reading to them. Winnie the Pooh is elite. It's just unbelievably fun to read along. Do not read the last one a full stop. Just don't ever read the last one where Christopher Robbins says, I gotta go, just don't. I can't even talk about it. It's so moving and heartbreaking. But you know, have them read it when you're dead. Just don't read it. There's a chapter in what to Expect when youn're Expecting that says don't read this unless you have one of the problems described therein. And I read it and my first recommendation to every new parent is seriously, do not make my mistake. Do not read that last chapter. Do not read the end of Winnie the Pooh. The last chapter. There's a nice big. It's got like a light blue cover omnibus with the ribbon that you can put into it. Mark it. We get it out from sometimes I do a wonderful series of voices for Rue and Owl especially. Those are well known in my household. Have a good time. It is kind of hard, but those are the ones that really stuck out to me, I didn't try to. I didn't get off the shelf. It's like what came to my head. Those are what they are. Enjoy yourselves. Have a good time out there.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That's great.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right, I'll read this one. Can you recommend a recent spooky book, ideally a haunted house or gothic to talk into before. Before things get really scary in the new year. That's Rachel. You got some links. We'll put them in the show notes.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, I was out of my depth, but luckily we got other experts at book riot. So I've got a link in here for you for eight books about houses that are haunted by more than ghosts and 20 must read stories of eerie cabins and haunted houses. So you got 28 options there.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Between those two links, I've got two quick picks. Ghost Roots by Pemi Ogudai. Talked about, I think. Was it off? Anyway, I really liked it. It was a finalist for the National Book Award last night. I read it just to read it because I was curious. It's a collection of short stories. Some of them have horror spooky specific elements. There is one of these stories in here. It's about a house that has a life of its own. And initially it feels like the house is protecting the family that lives in it. But things aren't that simple. It's an awesome creepy story. So I'm just a reason to talk about that particular book there. I read two years ago Hacienda by Isabel Kanas that is set. Is it in Dominican Republic? I think it is. This young woman marries into a family and the house, wealthy family and the house she's moving into has a history and the house is expressing that history. Creepy as hell. Scarier than I would like, but still pretty amazing.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I know we're both kind of weenies. We don't usually have recommendations for the scary stuff.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. So those are my two.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Okay, next question is from Zara. Looking for herself and a friend for fiction about people in their upper 20s and 30s dealing with aging parents and other significant family members considering moving back closer to family or other ways their life might change as a result of aging family. Could be contemporary or genre fiction both of them will read. Any genre does not have to perfectly match the brief. But something along those lines would be much appreciated.

[Jeff O'Neill]

The only thing I think of the back half of the Swimmers by Julietsuka has a story about a woman who is taking care of her mother, who's in a assisted living facility who has. I don't know if it's called Alzheimer's, but it's some sort of mental dementia.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And it's a pretty harrowing depiction thereof. And then you get the first half of the story for free, which is about a crack that develops in the bottom of a public swimming pool that'll freak your shit out.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

It's one of the weirder and also more delightful books I've read in a while.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So you get a little. You get a little twofer there. So it's a way of trying out something. But yeah, you had a couple. Here you do yours. One of my favorites.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, I've got a couple. I had been racking my brain trying to remember. Good Vibe. Goodbye Vitamin by Rachel Collins, who wrote the Real Americans. That came out earlier this year. It kind of is right the middle for this request. Youngish woman is taking care of aging parents. Really excellent. I think it's better than the Real Americans. Great. And just a great debut. Thank you to one of our contributors who reminded me that that is a book, the title of which I was trying to pull out of my brain. I have also seen lots of chatter about Sandwich by Kathryn Newman, which came out this year. The main characters are a little older and they are in that sandwich generation where they are raising their kids and dealing with aging parents. They're probably closer to my age and they're 40s or maybe like early 50s. To be honest. That is way too close to my lived experience right now for me to pick this book up. But I've heard really wonderful things from people who are like, yeah, this is exactly what it's like. And then two other books that our contributors recommended, all the Right Notes by Dominic Lim and Unlikely Animals by Annie.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Hartnett, which I really liked, by the way. That's what I did. I really liked Unlikely. It's strange in the blurb, actually. On Amazon, it says one of Book Riot's best of the year. So good for us. So I. It's hard to describe, but the main character comes back that she her dad is sick and her mom is not dealing with it well. But she's had up to this point the ability to like, heal people. But it's gone away. So there's a spec. But then like, the ghosts in the cemetery start talking to her.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Oh.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Or they start talking, but maybe she can or can't hear them. But it is very strange. It's like Gilmore girls with like 11 of like a Stephen King short story. Interesting. It's an unusual pie chart for how these things normally go. It doesn't turn horror. It's weird, but it, yeah, it sticks in your brain. I, I really would recommend it. It's, it's terrific. Very weird book. But I'm interested. I think that's a library. I think that's a liberty favorite.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I think that is a liberty if I remember myself.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right. Looking for a recommendation for myself after following the suggested pace of meditation for mortals, I've been trying to maintain the practice, reading a chapter every day before work. I lucked out that my next book, welcome to the Hinum Dong Bookshop, happened to have a short and self contained chapters. I'd love any recommendations you have on short enough chapters for five to ten minutes of reading to keep up the consistency. I'm clearly open to multiple genres, but I think the inspirational feel good vibes of both have been helpful and think they're keeping the practice up even on stressful and rushed mornings. Thank you, Emily.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

All right, I'm gonna start with Life is Meals by James and Kay Salter. Because I'm contractually obligated to talk about Life is Meals on one recommendation show every year. Salter, of course, is one of our favorite now passed away literary writers. But he and his wife kept a notebook, this like leather bound notebook in their kitchen for their entire married life for decades and decades where they would put in, you know, like information about the dinner party that they hosted, a great meal that they went out to eat, recipes for their favorite things, and they pull this all together into Life as Meals. And I believe it is structured as like month by month so you can just dip in and out of it. I really think the perfect recommendation for this request though is the Ross Gay catalog. You want the book of delights and the book of More Delights. You got like a three to four page essay right in that five to ten minute zone. They are not all straightforwardly feel good, but neither is Oliver Berkman.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Nope.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Like Ross Gay is a nice match for Oliver Berkman because they are all invitations to think about your life in a deeper way and to explore. Like Gay and Berkman are about meaning they're not about let's all be happy because happiness is a kind of fruitless thing to pursue. Also the research says you should care more about meaningfulness and that that leads to happiness. And Ross Gay on board. Yeah, obviously trees. Get some trees.

[Jeff O'Neill]

That's right.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

So I think, yeah, I would start with Ross Gay here, those very good ones.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I've got a couple of ideas. Year of Wonder by Clemency Burton Hill. I gave this to my mom for Christmas last year, she went on to give it to her sister and brother. What it is, is I don't know if you're into classical music or music at all, but each of them, each. I think it's a little chapter vignette, talks about a piece of music and why it's cool and important. And then you. The idea is then you listen to it or I don't know if you do. So it's kind of. You get a little bit of culture into your life and I think there's one for every day. So it's dated and that makes it very easy. But mom has thanked me several times for that. So there you go. It's a recommendation by proxy. Another one that just came to me as maybe an interesting idea is Pig Years by Ellen Goidos. So this is her account memoir of work over the course of one year. You're working at a organic small farm in New England. And it's not set up like a die or anything like that, but there's certain vignettes and it goes by season. And so you could read a chapter as the year goes on or just over the course of several days. It's contemplative, it's really beautiful, very down to earth in its own way. But I think what you're kind of looking for is here, something do some grounding right in your day, like, how can I bring myself into my body, into my mind, and like, this is the world we live in and there's something about like your food comes from somewhere and those people there have to make it can keep you out of your head and off of Twitter and all these other kinds of places. So if that's what you're looking for, I think Pig Ears by Ellen Goidos might be an interesting idea.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Nice. I've been thinking about wanting to learn more about classical music. So I'm going to be picking myself here of wonder.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, let me know. That'd be cool.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That's great. This next request is from Charlotte. So recently Victorious Thompson, who is the author of the long running Gaslight historical mystery series, passed away. And Charlotte is very sad, you know, for obvious reasons, because one of their favorite authors died, but especially because the series was ongoing and, you know, like you're saying goodbye to old friends unexpectedly. Charlotte's an avid reader of historical mysteries and is following several series at the moment. Some of the faves are the Sebastian St. Cyr series by C.S. harris, Lady Darby by Annaleigh Huber and Rexford and Sloane by Andrea Penrose. The Death of Victoria Thompson got Charlotte thinking. What other historical mystery series are out there that might have not come onto their radar because the author has died? But that would perfectly fit with Charlotte's reading preferences. So we're looking for recommendations for historical mystery series that are similar to the Gaslight series and are no longer being published because the author died or stopped writing. Doesn't really matter if they're in print or available digitally anymore because Charlotte is at the highest level of thrift books, rewards will buy the out of print copies. I didn't have a good one for this. It was also pretty hard to Google. So my prompt was going to be let's turn this one over to listeners who will definitely be able to help. But it looks like you have.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Well, I can't speak for this personally and it's kind of a, it's a weird one because I remember when I was in grad school, a friend of mine loved this series. It's. I don't know how you refer to this, so it's so confusing. The author on the COVID is Amanda Cross, but that's a pseudonym for Carolyn Heilbrun. And Carolyn Heilbrun was a scholar and like a pioneer feminist in the 60s, but she had an AKA as Amanda Cross writing a mystery sellers. There's series, there's 15, 15 of them. The first one's 1964, so talk about being ahead of your time. And Last one's in 2002, so she's passed away, but the main character is like a feminist English professor and they're solving like she's like solving academic mysteries. And most of the time it's not like it was that guy with a knife. It's like the system or the man or the process or something like this. And it's supposed to be great and I've always kind of wanted to pick one up, but time, fortune, I don't know, but maybe check that one out. It's. That's all I got.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Maybe Charlotte can be our correspondent on historical mystery series that are, you know, no longer available. Let us know how that goes.

[Jeff O'Neill]

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[Rebecca Schinsky]

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[Jeff O'Neill]

There's a request for myself. I typically read Burma genre. I know what genre is. I'm not going to read all that, but I'm looking to pick up some literary fiction next year. Kind of a lot of that too. Not a lot of people looking for genre, but a lot of people like I want to get into it.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, that's right.

[Jeff O'Neill]

LitFic. Full disclosure, I read largely for escapism due to some mental health struggles and postpartum issues. That's fine, you don't have to tell us. But I appreciate that. I'm looking for some author recommendations that run lick fit but still have some underarching plot line. Nikki, have you heard of upmarket commercial literary fiction? Cannot afford to spend 300 pages in full existential crisis mode.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Fair? Fair.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Any suggestions? Authors I could explore would be greatly appreciated. Love the shows. You guys are just okay. That's actually not what she says, but I'm embarrassed.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I will run back my Kevin Wilson.

[Jeff O'Neill]

You're just gonna go back to Lumber Kevin the Lumberjack Wilson.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

But also I'm gonna do authors instead of a specific book. Yeah, that's probably you can't go wrong with a Kevin Wilson. You won't go wrong with a Brit Bennett. I have not read the Luminaries by Eleanor Catton, but I'm sure it's good and burnable.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It's too long though. This is like 300 times 9 or something.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, but it's not 300 pages of existential crisis. It pays off. Zadie Smith Pick it up. The fraud will keep you occupied and so will Coulson Whitehead.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, I just picked one. Louise Erdrich. The sentence, which we read and I think we talked together as a book.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, we did.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Kind of a situation. It is a haunted bookstore set during the time of COVID but not scary really. It's cool and it's like a good group of characters. Very satisfying. I think maybe exactly what you're looking in terms of vibe, where it's plotty, there's something happening, the characters carry each other, but there's also other layers that you can get involved with if you need to. There. All right, Rebecca, I think the next one is then yours.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. This next one is from Elizabeth, who wants to read more Classics in 2025. Elizabeth's not working with a tight definition of what a classic is, but is wondering some of our favorite fiction and nonfiction classics.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I was just thinking of like my son is now, I think, ready, much like I was at his age, to get into more sophisticated stuff, but we're not ready to go full litfic navel gazing experiment like the real hardcore art writing stuff. So we still plot is helpful characters like it always is, but we just a little bit more. And I was thinking what I was reading around this time, and I've got to say, the Alexandre Dumas, the Count of Monte Cristo, all that stuff rips. It's so cool and so fun. Also, the House of Mirth by Edith Wharton is very sharp and feels current in its own kind of way. There's a reason that people love Pride and Prejudice if you've never done it. The language is great, the characterization is wonderful, sharper than you as any excuse being. And then their eyes are watching. God. I think if you've read any literary fiction over the last 20 years and you go, it's going to be a little bit like watching Pulp Fiction when you were. If it came out when you were a kid. Because I think so much of contemporary literary fiction of a kind that deals with race and class and geography. This was contemporary at a time it's now going to feel. It feels like this could be published today as historical fiction. And people like, yeah, that feels contemporary to me. So those are kind of my. I'm not sure if they're weighting you in, but there's a little bit more to hold onto from a pleasure and plot point of view.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I like that approach. I was thinking about how, like, I have not really read many classics since I got out of school, but I'm glad that I have all that background primarily because the classics are referred to in so much contemporary fiction. And if you don't know that that thing you're reading is a reference to something from a classic work, you've just missed part of it. So I wanted to take the tack of, like, I don't know why you're on this classics, Elizabeth, but if I were starting this project, it would be like, how do I fill in some gaps so that I can pick up more in what's happening in my contemporary reading? So I would plug the gaps that you think you have. And I was thinking about some of the things that are most. Like, the themes or ideas come up most frequently. So, like, read your Homer. Do the Iliad and the Odyssey. Read some Shakespeare. Like, you will be astonished how many lines you come across.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Oh, my God, it's amazing, right?

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Like, if you read Macbeth and Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet and maybe Much Ado About Nothing, you're gonna, like, come across so many lines that are just things we say in conversation now or titles of other books like Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow is a line from Hamlet.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Like, even other classics like the Sun Also Rises and For Whom the Bell.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Tolls, there's, like, there. There's all this, like, you know, internal referential stuff. Read the Bible as literature. Read Dante. Read the Bible.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Genesis in the Gospel. Just Genesis in the Gospel.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yes. Read some Dickens and some Hemingway. Read some Austin Gatsby.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Like, if you had to, like, that'd be a. Maybe a good Patreon. Like, if you've got to do 10 classes. I used to do this. Yeah, I did it twice. Zero to. Well, read in 100 books. Say you're an alien who had dropped into culture and you wanted to read 100 books to capture, catch up as fast as you can. You know, Great Gatsby is one of those. Walt Newman's Song of Myself. You don't read all of these and.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Do, like, your Harlem Renaissance folks. Do some Langston Hughes.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Read Invisible man by Ralph Ellison.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. Do Ellison. Do Richard Wright. Do James Baldwin. Read some Toni Morrison. Read some Faulkner. Because Morrison draws on Faulkner. Yeah. Like, this is now. We've given you, like, years worth of homework.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. I don't know what you're looking for.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Like, I think that the prime, for me at least, the primary reason that a reader in the land of 2024, with the rich literary options that we have available to us, would go to the classics is to deepen your perspective as a reader and like, so reach for the things that are most Likely to come up in other places. Like, it made me think about. I took a. A great American Novels course in college, and my professor was pretty young, like, probably fresh out of grad school, and was mispronouncing Gethsemane when we were reading Faulkner because he grew up in a religious tradition that was not Christian. And, like, why would you know what Gethsemane is? Like, these are some reasons to. And he didn't know what it was. So, like, these are some reasons to, like, do your Bible as literature as well.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Okay. I can't remember who read. What do you.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I think I read that one. So you read this one.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right. Heading on a family trip to Ireland now, summer. And I'm just about to finish this is Happiness by Niall Williams, which is, let's say, a beautiful slot. I have say Nothing up next. Say Nothing is amazing.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Trees.

[Jeff O'Neill]

The book and the adaptation, which I just inhaled over the weekend, are both terrific, but open to any other Irish or Northern Irish books in the zone. Ann.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

All right. My first one off the Dome was Instructions for a Heat wave by Maggie O'Farrell. Came out several years ago. It is about a family, like, during a heat wave, a historic heat wave in Ireland. And, like, the world is melting down and maybe so is the family. Everybody's losing their shit. Secrets come out. Long held, you know, resentments that you just can't tolerate anymore because it's too hot to do anything. Those kinds of things come out. It's a great time and a perfect. It's a. It's a great summer read. But like, any time of year, really.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I had the, the. The two most recent Tana French duology, because they're about an American in Ireland. So if you're an American in Ireland, you're kind of seeing through their eyes. French is trying to. If the cop is from Chicago, no one cares. It doesn't matter that there's not one salient detail about Chicago. This is one of my ongoing bits that I kind of.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, this is one of your hobby horses.

[Jeff O'Neill]

He could be Chicago, Indiana, Miami, sure. Whatever else, it could be pretty good time, I gotta say. The Rooneyverse. There's a reason.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Great idea.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Irish people, they're into it. I think you've got. And then again, it's not set in Ireland, but Brooklyn by Colm Toibin is this American Irish thing. It's so beautiful and wonderful. You can skip the sequel. Nothing. You don't get anything you need in Long Island. But the original Brooklyn is terrific. Also, if there's an adaptation that your family can watch later if you're that 1 of people like to do that. Cersei Ronan gives an unbelievable performance, but it's beautiful and heartbreaking and tender all at the same time. So those are a few ideas for me.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

All right, next request is from Kristen. Kristen says, oh, you're having a tough time too. Kristin. They've had a number of deaths in the family around Thanksgiving and Christmas, which has put a pall on the holidays. Kristen needs a book or several that feel like a warm hug and that maybe does not center on having the family all together during the season. Bonus points if it can put her in the holiday spirit, but that certainly isn't required. Sci fi and fantasy are usually my jam, but open to lit, fic, commercial fiction, and any genre except horror.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I'll just give you two. So I've I don't know if you've gotten into the cozy fantasy genre. I've barely tipped a toe and I'm like only scratching the very, very most popular ones. But Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldrey is what if at the end of a fantasy story, one of the characters on the quest retired to a small village and opened a coffee shop?

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I just love this premise so much.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So great. The main character, she's an Orcish warrior and settles down because she tried coffee and like, we need to bring this to the people. She has to have gnomes build her an espresso machine.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Amazing.

[Jeff O'Neill]

It's kind of amazing. There's a prequel called Bookshops and Bone Dust, which is about a bookstore in a small fantasy village. Not as good, but also it wasn't sometimes the first one is just such an interesting premise that the second one can never really. But that's really cozy. The Night Circus I've talked about before. Michelle listens to this one. She's sick on audiobooks. It is the literary equivalent of like White Christmas Lights. Like, it's just sort of eerie and magical and ethereal and affirming all at the same time. So the plot, the story is there's two magicians. There's not. The magicians aren't all over the place, but it's not unknown. But there's like these two magicians and they're sort of immortal, it seems like. And every now and again they enter into a contest with each other to, I don't know. It's a wand.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Measuring context just for something to do.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Is one way of understanding what's happening there. And in this particular challenge, they've each chosen to adopt an Orphan train them up. And then ultimately they will have to battle those two orphans. Well, things don't go all according to plan for the wizards. And the Night Circus is this traveling, magical circus that sort of pops up. It's only at night, and magic happens. It's called the Cirque de Rev. It's set mostly in France, and there's a whole fandom around this book because it's so enveloping. And Michelle will just. She was. She's had a really bad sort of sinus thing, and she's just like. She'll just turn it on, like, right in the middle and listen to just whatever part it's narrated by the incandescently great Jim Dale, the greatest audiobook narrator I have ever heard.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

This was like Michelle's audiobook conversion moment.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And she's been doing this for 10. I mean, it's not a joke. Like, this is one of the things she turns to. And it's when things get toughest, honestly. Yeah.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

It's like, impossible to overstate what a big deal the Night Circus was if you were not, like an adult reader at the time that it came out and you just didn't live through that period. It was everywhere. It was huge. And it remains an impossible comp. Like, for the first few years that we did these episodes, we got people looking for something like the Night Circus and we were just like, tell us if you find one, folks, because it's really singular and it remains really singular.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So the only deal, Kristen, is if you read the Night Circus and love it, you cannot ask us for Rita likes. It's forbidden.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. But come back and tell us if you find one. I also will drop some links into the show notes. This is outside of what I usually read, but we have covered a ton of cozy things, from fantasy to historical cozy books by bipoc authors. So those will be in the show.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Notes in the water at large. You're not the only one, Kristin. A lot of people. And we've written towards. We've had people write towards this.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, yeah. Cozy is kind of all over the place right now. This one, this next one comes from Mandy, who has a nephew by choice. She has a present for him, but it's a little small, so she's looking to include a book to bulk it it out. He's three and a half and likes soccer, Pokemon and dinosaurs. She said, I did great with a stomp rocket for his birthday. I don't have kids of my own, so I'd also appreciate a sense of, like, what kinds of books should one get for a three and a half year old? Like not chapter books and probably not board books, but what else? So I will seed the floor.

[Jeff O'Neill]

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[Rebecca Schinsky]

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Visit lifelock.com podcast terms apply this year Santa's bringing the power of Energizer into his workshop. Whoa.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

The Energizer bunnies got so much power. Wait, he's powered up all the toys. I think that means we're done for the year. I love this bunny.

[Jeff O'Neill]

He's the hardest working helper the North.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Pole has ever seen.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And he wants all your gifts to have the power of the number one longest lasting AA battery. So this holiday season, stock up on Santa's and the elves favorite battery, Energizer Ultimate Lithium. I've got a quick point of order. Do you see the name in there that I have for this first one is my Spidey sense that there might have been something about this person I don't remember.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

So let's mention it with an asterisk.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, I did a little quick googling, but again, caveat aside. But this is a fun read. Three and a half. They're not reading yet. So you've got two choices. Something you're going to read to them. I'll take the second one first. Rebecca, it looks like you might be googling for me.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I'm Googling.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Let's see what you can find. So there's. They're not going to be reading unless they're super precocious, which they can recommend me books if they're reading at three and a half. Half. So they're either going to be sort of picture booking by themselves, just flipping through something or you're going to read to them. So if they're flipping through by themselves at three and a half, that's about the age they start like realizing the world is out there, you know, and the busy town stuff by Richard Scarry is are elite for a reason. What People Do All Day by Richard Scarry is a big sort of picture book and they're animals. But there's people, you know, the mailman and the firefighter and it's sort of there's like even a key. Like what are these people doing in this busy town and what are their profession and how to. It's kind of amazing actually for a three and a half year old because then you're out in the world and they can start connecting to. That's the, the person who checks out at the grocery store. That's the person, you know, handling the gardening or that's our lawyer, whatever else thing going on right there. So that's going to be really good. And they can open that and you know, once you've walked them through that they can start asking questions and actually can, they can ask questions you may not understand. Like, like. So why do they do this? Well, to get money. Well, why do they need money? Well, we live in a fiat currency. Okay, then you're talking then, then you.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Gather round kids, let's talk about capitalism.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Let's, let's talk about it that way. Did you find anything or am I okay?

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I didn't. I think you're clear. I tell you that I found no, me too. Allegations. And I know now that this person was recently pardoned for a prank he did at Yale in 1997.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Well, maybe that's what I was thinking of. There was some story and I apologize. I mean this is. No, I'm not apologizing for anything. I'm trying to do my homework. But the book, the book with no Pictures by BJ Novak was a phenomenon when it came out. It's a read aloud and it's meant to be read aloud and it makes fun of the person reading it and they have to do all sorts of ridiculous things and noises and it is a riot. It really is a riot. It was. It's super clever. Yeah. And it's, it's a terrific. I know. Story times. It's a staple at Story Times as a local public library Here if you are of the cohort where you have, you have other kids in your friend group or family circle, you can get on the book with no pictures, trained first and recommended to other people and then get sort of the refracted credit for discovering it to them and say, oh yeah, isn't that so great? I'm so glad you're like, yeah, you're so welcome. Book with no Pictures by BJ Novak. I'll read the next one.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

You gotta make sure you get the glory.

[Jeff O'Neill]

That's absolutely right. I'm looking for my suggestion for my mother in law, her fave genre style, historical fiction with split timelines a la Kate Morton. I got her the Berry Pickers last year and she enjoyed it. She also really liked the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, probably her favorite debut novel of all time. Am I right? That's actually. That's actually some joke like that is in there. Thank you so much Madeline. She doesn't keep a goodreads or anything. How dare she. So I can never be entirely sure of what she has or has not read in back list. Because of that I like to be on the lookout for a front list especially anything that may not have been. May have received all the attention I think she would have likely seen on display at a B and N table.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Okay.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Any recs would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Heidi, you.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Your last pick is one that I wish I had thought of here.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Well you know I saw this again though because the display on the BNN table is unfair. Heidi, how dare you. But anyway, go. We'll do the best.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

I went and talked to the contributors because Kate Morton is. Is historical fiction. I got nothing for you. So our contributors recommended Wayward by Amelia Hart, under the Tamarind Tree by Niger Alam and the seven or eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grimes.

[Jeff O'Neill]

So all of mine probably you could have seen on a table, but I don't know. So Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. It's more of a frame story than a split timeline. I'm not really sure the terms of art because it's a woman telling her kids a story about her when she was younger but it does come back to the present moment. But the current moments plot doesn't matter that much anyway. I don't know. And also it's Ann Patchett which I think they actually get issued it at Barnes and Noble. Like with a table. It comes with a table.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

You could do the Dutch house here also if we were in the anet zone.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Real Americans by Rachel Kong which came out this year. I mean that hasn't sold as crazy amount so maybe you can slip it in. It has a. It's a. It's a family story. There's a bit of a little magical realism specific thing that goes on. And like you said, I think Goodbye vitamin is better but it has a sort of. It kind of gets pincher attacked towards the middle of the plot so you find out some stuff that happens there. And then of course Pachinko which is now on our, you know, top 20 recommended of all time set in multiple. Multiple times. All in this family sort of from Korea. Really too. Well, almost like the Japan of the 1980s frankly. Wonderful, moving, heartbreaking. All the things this is as close to melodrama as historical fiction can get without getting there and still be literary fiction, which I love by the way. I just finished the second season of the adaptation. Moving, beautiful. I can't believe we got it. Only I think only in the streaming war golden age would we have gotten this kind of sumptuous. Clearly cared about the details. I didn't ever think I'd find myself crying over a depiction of someone eating a bowl of white rice. But here I am watching Pachinko.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. And people are still discovering both the book and the adaptation. They are. I'm like recently back in touch with a friend from high school who texted me two weeks ago and was like, do you know about this book, pachinko?

[Jeff O'Neill]

And I said, oh my sweet summer.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Child, I can't wait for you to watch the adaptation. And she, she was like, there's an adaptation?

[Jeff O'Neill]

Apple tv, they don't like to tell us that they make stuff. I don't know what, it's like a tax write off or something.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

And like a week later I just got a text that was a bunch of crying emojis and I was like, oh, I see you made it to pachinko.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I see you made it to the rice.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. Oh, great picks. Those are great picks. Let's see, next one is from Lynn. Lynn's own TBR is overflowing but looking for a gift for their partner. It says I do well with offhand wrecks but tend to overthink the gifts. Last year Lynn bought it Prophet Song, which he liked but thought was too bleak. He stuttered literature but doesn't exclusively read highbrow. Recent and all time favorites include the Fraud, Rabbit Hutch, My Brilliant Friend, the Vaster Wilds, Anything by Pynchon, anything by Spofford. He has a keen interest in history and politics and reads a lot of nonfiction. And most recently G Man tends to pick those out himself. So Lyn wants to focus on fiction.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I'm zagging a little bit, but I had a better idea. I think the lesser adaptations of greater works could be a whole. That's the story of the late 20, you know, the last 10 years. But the Sympathizer by Vietnam, which came out in 2015, is an unbelievably great book. It's written as a anonymous confession from a North Viet Vietnamese spy as the Vietnam War is ending. It's kind of like if Hunter S. Thompson written from the other side, it feels like a little bit. It has a gonzo zany almost like hyper kinetic energy that I think is amazing and wonderful and has a metafictional element that then Robert Downey Jr got his greasy paws on, I think kind of ruined because restraint is needed here. And I think on screen you can do too much of it. It becomes too broad, whereas fiction has a really hard time being too broad. This is. This is one of my working theories. And Interior Chinatown is getting me thinking about this. But the Sympathizer is one that I think if you just like interesting reading that has some teeth to it. Get it on there. It's, you know, it hasn't. Probably hasn't read it. Honestly. Most people haven't. Most people listen to Joe and let Gilead and we've only mentioned 5,000 times over 13 years.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

We're never doing that survey again. I don't need to know.

[Jeff O'Neill]

You know, they're going to read all these damn tree books, but they're not going to read Gilead.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Has your partner read Jasmine Ward?

[Jeff O'Neill]

Which one do you think this is a good idea? But which do you have a sense.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That's a good question. What is the one that's like a play on the Odyssey, the, like, middle novel of hers.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Salvage the Bones.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, Salvage the Bones. And then the one after that. I would do those before. Yeah, Salvage the Bones and Sing Unburied Sing. I would start with Sing Unburied Sing. I think that's the best one. But Salvage the Bones is also incredible. I really liked Let Us Descend, but I think the responses were more mixed to that. But get this man into Jesmyn Ward. It just sounds like he's ready for it. And north woods by Daniel Wilson.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Daniel Wilson Trees has a lot of trees in it.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. The vaster wilds does have a lot of trees. But Northwoods, when I read it last year, was one of those experiences where you're like, oh, this reminds me what books can do.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Sympathizer, I feel like, is similar, actually, from a different point of view, clearly.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

But it's similar to be surprised by the direction and the shape that a book takes and to just feel like you're hanging out in the kind of imagination you haven't been with in a while. Northwest woods is so excellent. So I would. I'd go there.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I. I'll read the next one and just kick it to you for a recommendation. I'm just gonna say this person had a best friend who had something very traumatic happen in their life.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And I'm. This is also for other readers, just. Just to keep some of the details out. They spent two days Canvassing looking for someone it just just as bad as I can possibly imagine. But is looking for some romantic he picks for this person too. Not this is not where you want to be in your head. Escapism, release, little dissociation or forgetting about your troubles is one of the great uses of art.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Absolutely.

[Jeff O'Neill]

And there's 23 of the best in Sweden's romantic series is a link we have. We'll put it in the show notes.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, yeah. They've asked. Yeah. Person we're shopping for here has read acotar and read 4th Wing and our listener doesn't read any romanticy. So you're in the boat with us. We don't know how to recommend for this. So I have just gathered up some of Book Riot's recommendations for Romantasy. But listeners, if you have suggestions, this also is a Patreon member so you could drop a comment here on Patreon and say like this is for the Romantasy person and they can see it and get there and gosh, I hope things get better for your family and your friends. Next one is from Beth, who recently read Go Tell it on the Mountain and liked it for the same reason that they liked Pachinko, a multi generational story. More of that please.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Zoe Kazan is apparently literally going to make an east of Eden adaptation starring Florence Pugh and which is cool and wild, but it also may be a reason to pick up east of Eden by John Steinbeck, which is a not quite as multi generational as Pachinko, but a family saga has one of the great endings of all time. Especially good if you're interested in Brother's story. But get on that trip. It's also a classic that is worth reading. I prefer it myself to Grapes of Wrath, maybe because I read it on my own organically versus being assigned it, which I do like Grapes of Wrath, but east of Eden, yeah, it is. It's something else. So anyway, that's my, that's my suggestion here.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That's great. I have Small World by Jonathan Evison. Not quite multi generational family, but multi generations of. Well, some of them are family, but multiple generations over decades through American history of people from like different families and different backgrounds, but who discover over the course of those generations how their lives are connected to each other. And maybe for a more straightforward one, Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson about an adult brother and sister whose mother has died, I believe in Jamaica and she left behind audio tapes where she is like revealing secrets to them about her life. And then there are some remaining mysteries. And they have got to go and try to figure out what are these? What are the rest of the secrets about their mother's lives? What are the gaps in their family's history that they've never known about? So you're moving between those multiple generations. All right, maybe like one or two more. I gotta get out soon.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, okay. Help. My mom is impossible to buy for. She likes something, she just gets it for herself. Leaving her family with zero ideas come the holiday season. Season. She's a quiet 81 year old who spends most of her days sewing clothes for herself, her kids and her grandkids. While she was sewing. She's almost listening to a mystery. She's lately complained that those were starting to bore her into looking for something outside her gentlest mysteries. Her other go to's are Jane Austen, historical fiction, Bridgerton, Mashwi, seated, blah blah, blah, blah, blah, blah blah. Any ideas, Rebecca?

[Rebecca Schinsky]

This feels like maybe the time to reach for Frederick Backman, for the Man Called Ova and whatever else. Sort of like crotchety older people discovering warmer feelings. Also maybe Amer Tolls is the place here. And this listener also noted that honestly, if you have a favorite toothbrush that you recommend to all your friends, we would even take that recommendation. So I didn't go for toothbrush, but I do know that there are these really beloved like luxurious throw blankets from Anthropologie that look a lot fancier and feel a lot fancier than their price point is. So I have dropped a link in here while grandma is sewing clothes for everybody else and reading her mysteries. Like just let her wrap up in a really great throw blanket. Be very cozy.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I think the Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osmond might be written for people who are sick or not sick. They've. They've done standard mysteries for a long time. If in case you haven't listened to us talk about it before. It's a group of old people that are retired and they get together because the police don't take seriously the case that they're working on. There's a series of them. They're great fun to listen to you also, you've heard me talk about Sipsworth by Sam Van Boy. There's an older woman in England who her kids. But she's living on her own for reasons you'll discover there. And her life is changed eventually for the better when a mouse becomes a part of her life. And if that sounds too saccharine, it almost is, but not quite. Still's got a little edge to It. But that's a pretty fun one too. I don't know how she's going to feel about recommending books to her with old people in them, but it sounds like you're at wits end, so maybe you'll give anything a whirl.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

If you're really out of ideas, you can buy her a nugget ice maker, which Jeff is a big fan of.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Nugget ice makers are the best. All right, let's do two more.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Okay.

[Jeff O'Neill]

You read, I read. We're not going to read all these.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah. This person's looking for a request for themselves. Please and thank you. They prefer literary fiction and literary mystery. They gave us a nice long list of things they recently read and liked and also things they DNF'd and we're not gonna get into those. We're just gonna jump right in. You'll know who you are.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah. So there's this little known author that Rebecca champions that you may not have heard of, named Barbara Kingsolver. I think is generally. The Poisonwood Bible is most popular, but I think there's a case to be made that the lacuna is. Was the high watermark. It was the most ambitious. But it's a very like 20th century novel. It's not a Forrest Gum story, but it has this globe trotting hitting some of the high points. This character finds themselves in Mexico City with Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo happens to be in Pearl harbor during. You know what it's even getting at here? Like if this person finds himself and it's really great. And I think it's the kind of thing you might. Might really like. Yeah, there's. There's two stories of it. Anyway, I, I thought it was great. Some people hate it. You know, it's. It's not quite. I guess it's. I don't know if epistolary encompasses journal entries, but there's a journal entry sort of structure to it. People can go different ways on this. I tend to like it. Yeah, it's. It's really pretty amazing. So that's it. Lacuna. I don't want us to say it's cool. Read it. Give it a shot.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Okay. I think Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner is one to reach for. One of our favorites of the year. Someone Like Us by dinamongastu. Entitlement by Ramana Lam, I think fits in with what you're looking for here. And then I did notice that State of Wonder by Ann Patchett is one of your favorites. And you noted that It's a weird page turner. If you have not read that, you do need to read the People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara, which is a similar concept. Researchers discovering an element in a tree in a very remote place that they believe can be a groundbreaking scientific discovery. But now we're also also being there are complications with the indigenous people and with the impact of doing that research. And in Hanya Yanagihara's very propulsive page turnery writing style.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, yeah. Cool. Good idea. Last one. Is it my read then? Yeah, I guess so. My mom adores reading the beach. Just not what you can do to beach read. She is tepid on a low stakes book. She wants to build out her beach library in Florida. The book she has not yet read. I would like a picture of this once it's built out. Thank you you and please. But that she could also lend out to visiting friends. Sounds like the beginning of a mystery. Maybe they need to solve crimes. Grandma's Ellie Grandma Ellie's Beach Murder Library I we can get a hundred thousand dollar advance for you right now, Julia. Well I would love to help her. I think my taste runs. What she would say is too weird. Translate that from Mom Speak as any book with speculative elements. So Beeline, Sourdough, Thistlefooter, the Thing in the Snow of which I adored would be out. I classify her as a devastating literary tome fan. She loves Gone with the Wind, the Thornbuds, the Joy Luck Club, the Overstory, Prodigal Summer and the like. Most beach reads are too light. You probably have listened and heard. But like Pachinko would go on this list. I've said that a million times. But Rebecca has a couple of other ideas.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

Yeah, Intermezzo. Like I saw Intermezzo by Sally Rooney, described as a weeper earlier this year. Also a big tome about romantic relationships, but not a romance. The stakes feel higher but the pages do turn. I think that's good and beachy. I really loved the Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich this year. Not nearly as much conversation about that as I'd like to have seen. Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid. Super fun to read. It's a few years old now, so we don't talk about it as much, but also digs into meaty contemporary issues dealing with race and class. So if somehow this person has not read that, that would be a fun one because it feels beachy but it has has stakes and real world implications. And then maybe just throw her in. Glynis McNichols memoir I'm mostly Here to enjoy myself about spending the summer in Paris, coming out of COVID eating a lot of cheese, drinking a lot of wine, having some sex. Good thing to read on the beach.

[Jeff O'Neill]

I just had an idea just like to kind of beef it up a little bit. This is a mystery that I think it could be qualified as a mystery. It's propulsive, but it also has some other things going on. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. It the story is twin sisters. This is multi generational work. I think it goes from the 40s to the 60s. Is that the.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

That seems right frame?

[Jeff O'Neill]

Something like that. You get their background and then I guess the formative, the inciting action. Well, I don't know. I guess the easiest one to understand is they. They run away to New Orleans as teenagers and then one of them starts to pass as white. Right. And then one doesn't. And then what happens in their whole lives into it. So it has good. It's so, so good. And easily. I think it could also. If you've been listening to now these two complete. You could probably hear. This could also tick a lot of boxes that we haven't talked about at this point. That might be another way of doing this. Like we. We pick a list of like rstnles and then for each of them we could say, okay, which of our standard recommendations could fit in? We could just be like A, B, C, 9, 12 and giraffe. Those all can go on here. And then we have to come up with something off of that list. List.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

We are doing an episode in a week or two about the best gift books of the year. So it's kind of rstl, but it's just this year's releases. Yeah, that's one to think about for next time.

[Jeff O'Neill]

All right, well, thanks everybody. Happy holidays to you all. Whatever holidays you celebrate. And if you celebrate none of them, happy Tuesday or Wednesday, whichever day. We hope you find some time for yourself.

[Rebecca Schinsky]

We will try to clean up. We have a couple more that we just can't get to today and we'll try to get those in over the next few weeks.

[Jeff O'Neill]

Yeah, thanks so much for writing in and happy reading.