The Book Report by Rebecca Traver - Our Online Bookshop Curator
Welcome to the Book Report! This month I am delighted to feature books from our gifts lists – not only because of the holidays, but also because gift giving is a special way to share what moves, intrigues, teaches, inspires, and amazes us any time of year. When we give a gift to someone we care about, we are telling them as much about ourselves as we are hoping it connects with its recipient. And, while I lead off these selections with a book that places a dog at the center of its story, I have sprinkled in a few cat books – mostly because I am a brand new kitty mommy to Brutus, the most wonderful cat I have had the pleasure to know, love, and be loved by.
Also included in this report is a selection of New + Newly Discovered titles; a special group of Books for Young and Young at Heart Readers; and a couple of Just Because + Just for Fun offerings.
I hope you enjoy what you find here and know that, as always,
I am honored by the privilege of taking up space in your inbox.
FEATURED LISTS – ART, TRAVEL & GIFT BOOKS + GIFTS TO INSPIRE, DELIGHT & AMUSE
“We all have our own path, but what I've seen work for many people has basically been a practice of allowing.”
~Henry Shukman
The Dog Who Followed the Moon by James Norbury tells the story of a young pup named Amaya who wanders lost and alone until an aging wolf rescues her from a terrifying encounter with his vicious pack. To try and reunite Amaya with her parents, the unlikely pair embark on a journey to follow the moon. This is one of those stories that will speak to the hearts of all, regardless of age.
The Art of Play: Designing the World's Great Playscapes from Emmy Watts is a gorgeous photographic exploration of the world’s most imaginative and surprising playscapes, including artist-designed play sculptures. picturesque soft play spaces and wildly creative conceptual playgrounds from around the globe.
Inkubator Crosswords: 100 Audacious Puzzles by Women and Nonbinary Creators edited by Julaina Tringali Golden, Laura Braunstein, and Tracy Bennett is an entertaining collection of witty feminist crosswords from some of today’s best woman and nonbinary puzzle-makers. Crossword fans of all levels are sure to love tackling these playful mind-twisters.
A Book Lover's Christmas 1000 Piece Puzzle illustrated by Michael Kirkham is a slam dunk choice for all the Christmas loving bibliophiles on your list.
How Sondheim Can Change Your Life by Richard Schoch brings us the powerful and universal lessons from the music and lyrics of Stephen Sondheim, the creative genius behind such musical theater masterworks as Company, West Side Story, and Into the Woods.
Quicktionary: A Game of Lightning-Fast Wordplay is a new, fast-paced card game for word lovers and anyone who loves to think on their feet. Simple to learn, with nearly endless possibilities, this free-for-all game is a fun addition to any game night.
Heroes’ Feast: The Deck of Many Morsels: 50 Cards for Conjuring Snacks, Libations, and Sweets from Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson, Michael Witwer, and Sam Witwer is an oversize deck bringing to life festive foods and drinks that span the vast multiverse of Dungeons & Dragons – culled from the menus of taverns and markets to the recipe books of halflings and night hags. What’s not to like?
A Book Lover's Box: Paper Goodies to Celebrate Your Inner Bookworm illustrated by Louise Pretzel is a unique stationery box filled with delightful treasures designed exclusively for people who love books – people like us.
Mood Map: 60 Cards to Help Us Define and Explain Our Emotions from The School of Life folks offers us a way to help understand and communicate an emotion we are feeling without being able to pin it down exactly. Use with a friend, a partner, a therapist, a child or a parent. With charm and ease, we become clearer to ourselves and others.
“It takes a lot of courage to show your dreams to someone else.”
~Erma Bombeck
For browsing through our entire lists of gift books click here and here!
“Terror melting into wonder, then slipping into peace.”
~Gregory Boyle
New + Newly Discovered
Cherished Belonging: The Healing Power of Love in Divided Times from American Jesuit priest Gregory Boyle invites us to see the world through a new lens of connection and build the loving community that we long for. Boyle believes that “the answer to every question is, indeed, compassion.” Through colorful and profound stories brimming with wisdom, humor, and inspiration, we understand that love is the light inside everything.
The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing by former editor of New York magazine Adam Moss is a collection of illuminating conversations examining the very personal, rigorous, complex, and elusive work of making art. Moss breaks down the work – the tortuous paths and artistic decisions – that led to great art. From first glimmers to second thoughts, roads not taken, crises, breakthroughs, on to one triumphant finish after another.
Women Living Deliciously is a bold, illustrated guide from bestselling author and podcaster Florence Given encouraging women to rediscover their joy, reject toxic wellness culture, and redefine feminism for themselves. Imagine what it would be like to feel free enough to come closer to the wildly expansive life that you FULLY deserve – not in the future when you’re perfect, not when you’re prettier or wealthier – but right now.
No One Gets to Fall Apart: A Memoir by Sarah Labrie takes on the conflict between the love that binds us to home and the desire to escape it for good. Spanning the globe from Houston’s Third Ward to Paris to Tallinn, and New York to Los Angeles, this is an unflinching chronicle of one woman’s attempt to forge a new future through a better understanding of the past.
The Art of Crying: The Healing Power of Tears from Pepita Sandwich explores the healing, transformative power of shedding tears in this vibrant illustrated study of crying, one of the most profoundly human things we do.
And We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson tells the story of a woman born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest – one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s – as she navigates the path from indigenous healer and storyteller, to studying with an evangelical missionary group at age fourteen, and then to emerge as an activist for her people and for global climate change.
Water, Water: Poems by former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins is a collection of sixty new poems about the beauties and ironies of everyday experience. A poem is best, the author feels, when it begins in clarity but ends with a whiff of mystery.
Ancient Goddess Magic: Invoking the Queens of the Heavens from Vanessa Lavallée connects us the celestial powers of ancient goddesses. Offering modern adaptations of magic rituals from the past, Lavallée explains how to perform rituals for healing, protections, and purification and how to create divine amulets and figurines blessed with the goddesses’ powers.
The Book of Yokai by Michael Dylan Foster, illustrated by Shinonome Kijin, features a lively excursion into Japanese folklore and its increasing influence within global popular culture.
Seeding Consciousness: Plant Medicine, Ancestral Wisdom, and Psychedelic Initiation by Tricia Eastman reveals how psychedelics can help us plant new beliefs, awaken latent talents, and cultivate individual and collective change.
River of Books from Donna Seaman is a wonderful memoir of reading and working with books by the renowned Booklist editor. Seaman makes palpable the power and self-recognition that she discovered in a life dedicated to reading.
The Interpretation of Cats: Understanding the Psychology of Our Feline Companions by Claude Béata, translated from the original French by David Watson, explores the relationship between humans and cats while acknowledging and celebrating the mysteries of cat life. Charming, surprising, and offering illuminating insight into a range of issues, Béata’s book calls for greater compassion and provides a new way of understanding cat behavior so we can care for the mental and physical well-being of our beloved furry friends.
"when I am feeling
low
all I have to do is
watch my cats
and my
courage
returns"
~Charles Bukowski
For the entire list of new discoveries, click here!
Books for Young Readers + the People Who Love Them
The Bakery Dragon from Devin Elle Kurtz tells the heroic tale of a tiny dragon with a heart of gold and a taste for treats! A scrumptious picture book for fans of funny fairytales and fantastic beasts.
Thank You by Jarvis spans the gamut from the silly to the sublime and opens the endless possibilities for giving thanks. Strikingly illustrated in bright, clear colors, this uplifting picture book is poised to make a thoughtful gift to your favorite little readers and their families.
Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah is presented in the tradition of The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse, bringing us a gorgeously illustrated fable about a young child’s journey into the world beyond the shadow of home, a magical landscape where he discovers the secrets of sharing, connection, and finding peace with the people we love.
Alice in a Winter Wonderland from the brilliant Jan Brett is a striking rendition of Alice in Wonderland transporting us to a shimmering Alaskan turndra. Favorite characters like Cheshire Cat and the Duchess and King and Queen come to life as vibrant animals native to Alaska, making this classic tale shine brightly through a fresh lens, certain to appeal to readers of all ages.
No Cats in the Library by Lauren Emmons brings us the story of a stray cat who follows her love of books all the way to the wonderful world of the library. There’s just one problem: NO CATS are allowed in the library! That’s not going to stop her, though. Once she sneaks in, she stumbles on exciting new stories and even helps a little girl practice reading aloud. But when the librarian comes looking, will she be allowed to stay?
I Know How to Draw an Owl from Hilary Horder Hippely, illustrated by Matt James, introduces us to Bella, who draws the best owl in class, but she doesn’t say why – she sees them in the park, where she and her mother sleep. Neither flinching nor sensationalizing, this is a deeply empathetic and age-appropriate portrayal of a family experiencing housing insecurity.
Nose to Nose by Thyra Heder is a hilarious and insightful picture book about trying to make new friends as the new dog in town and the courage it takes to face a problem “nose to nose”.
This Land by Ashley Fairbanks with illustrations by Bridget George teaches readers that American lands, from our backyards to our schools to Disney World, are the traditional homelands of many indigenous nations. This is a book that will spark curiosity and encourage us to explore the history of the places they live and the people who have lived there throughout time and today.
For more books for young readers click here!
Para libros para lectores jóvenes en Español haga clic aqui!
“Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.”
~Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
Just Because + Just for Fun
Lateral - Based on the Hit Podcast: Wonderful Answers to Weird Questions by Tom Scott and David Bodycombe invites us to unlock a world of mind-bending brainteasers. Figuring them out will require you to challenge your assumptions and find new perspectives.
Next, I offer Letters to the Human Race...from the Cat: Feline Frustrations About Inferior Species by Vicky Halls. Here, we have a delightful and hilarious collection of letters from cats to their beloved humans, unveiling the inner thoughts and musings of our feline friends. Whether decoding the mysteries of a tail twitch or unravelling the enigma behind the cardboard box obsession, this book is an absolute necessity for any owner seeking to unpack the inner-thoughts of their cat – one comical letter at a time
“I believe cats to be spirits come to earth. A cat, I am sure, could
walk on a cloud without coming through.”
~Jules Verne
Please visit our online Bookshop to see our full selection of lists and titles.
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May you be inspired, supported, and enriched by what you find here.
