It's QUIET. The gifts are gone from beneath the tree, the wrapping paper all tidied away, the dishwasher finished with multiple cycles. After the mad rush leading up to Christmas, there is time for a cup of tea and a bit of contemplation.
And there is time to enjoy my new books! To paraphrase Jo March, Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without any books!
From my daughter, a cookbook, Carla Lalli Music's (food editor of Bon Appetit) newest, called WHERE COOKING BEGINS. She's my new favorite food writer, and I'll enjoy this one as much for the prose as the recipes.
And from Santa hubby, the first of the Harry Potter books illustrated by Jim Kay. I had been swooning over these (THE GOBLET OF FIRE was just recently released) since I read an interview with Jim Kay while I was in London.
And it is gorgeous!! A book to be savored--and in a few years, read with granddaughter Wren, but in the meantime it's very much a book to be enjoyed a chapter at a time with the aforementioned cup of tea.
REDs and readers, were there books in your Christmas? Please share you faves, or tell us if there was something on your list that you are still pining for. We promise we will pass it along to Santa!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas . . . spending the day with family is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteAh, books. Yes, indeed, there were books under the tree. “The Rise of the Magicks,” the last in Nora Roberts’s trilogy; a STAR TREK “Shipyards” book [with a model of the Enterprise!]; Carol Wyer’s “The Blossom Twins;” and “The Overstory” by Richard Powers . . . .
I got a couple of mysteries, including a couple I learned about from Jungle Reds.
ReplyDeleteFrank gave me a signed copy of Craig Johnson’s latest Longmire book and a gift card for Barnes & Noble. My longtime book buddy in Arizona sent me The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel and The Jean Harlow Bombshell by Mollie Cox Bryan.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I did not receive any books (as if I needed to add to my TBR collection anyway), however I took such joy in seeing my teen grandnephews and grandnieces open and swoon over the books they received. And not light stuff either. One grandnephew got genuinely excited over receiving a copy of The Odyssey! It gives me hope for the future!
ReplyDeleteFrom my historian daughter-in-law, a book about California women in politics from the Civil War through the Great Depression. I'm delighted. And of course I have the five books I got myself last week...
ReplyDeleteI got a fabulously illustrated tome called The Botanical Bible: Plants, Flowers, Art, Recipes, and Other Home Remedies, by Sonya Patel Ellis. It's science, with amazing pictures. Can't wait to sink into it. (Although I totally envy Deb's Harry Potter book!)
ReplyDeleteOooh, I want to see the botanical book, Gigi. That sounds wonderful.
DeleteOf course. I got it at the Texas Discovery Garden gift shop, naturally.
DeleteMartin Walker's latest Inspector Bruno, The Body in the Castle Well, the DK Paris 2020 guide, and Stepping Stones: A Journey through the ice age caves of the Dordogne. Planning our next trip!
ReplyDeleteI love DK books— Lucky you!
DeleteMargaret, I visited the Dordogne in 2013 on the traces of my ancestor. So many interesting places to see: caves, old cities, museum of prehistoric artifacts. I'll have to check for Stepping Stones: A Journey...
DeleteI'm sure that you'll enjoy your trip.
We were in the Perigord in 2016, and it may be my favorite part of France. We looked high and low for Bruno, and finally we found him when we got turn around going the wrong way in a parking lot. He was charming and helped us find our way out.
DeleteI[ recommend staying in Sarlet-la-Caneda and renting a car. You won't be disappointed.
I gave 8 books for Christmas. Three from the ever wonderful Maddie Day! Two of them haven't been opened yet due to a real world emergency room visit but I know they will be greatly appreciated. The other one that was opened brought a thank you, but then when she saw that it was signed there was a "ohhhhhh, that's so sweet!" added to the mix. Jay Done Good!
ReplyDeleteI received the one book I asked for, Archer Mayor's new Joe Gunther book 'Bomber's Moon'. And while there were no other books on my list to continue pining over, the release of Suspense Magazine's Best of 2019 issue did add a couple books to my normal want list: Tori Eldridge's 'The Ninja Daughter' and Bonnie Macbird's The Devil's Due.
But Santa is done for season so those will be acquired either through borrowing it from the library or purchasing them as money allows.
Maddie and I thank you, Jay!
DeleteHappy Books and Boxing Day! None received here, but my mother’s “mad money” gift will likely be transformed into books via a trip to our fabulous local indie book store. Enjoy your day, Reds!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful haul all around! A few I received were Sally Rooney's NORMAL PEOPLE, Kent Kreuger's THIS TENDER LAND, and SJ Rozan's PAPER SON. I'm so far behind on my stack but happy to add these...
ReplyDeleteNo books in my gifts, but 4-year-old grandnephew received Dr. Seuss's Oh, The Places You'll Go! And I hope it proves true for a bright little guy! Happy Boxing Day to all!
ReplyDeleteThe only books under my tree this year were the ones I gave my 12-year-old grand-nephew. He's an avid reader and always gives me direction about his current interests so I know what to look for, although I usually add something else too. No new books for me, but that's okay -- the TBR pile has plenty in it already.
ReplyDeleteFrom the author herself, I got a book called “every menu is a love story,” by the chef Marisa Iocco. She is fabulously Italian, and owns one of our favorite restaurants ever, and recipes Include,for instance, mushroom bread pudding with parmigiano cream— and risotto with Italian sparkling wine and strawberries— and Montepulciano poached pears. You can see why I am thrilled! .
ReplyDeleteYummy holidays, everyone!
Hank, I'm drooling with envy here!
DeleteI can see why you're thrilled.
DeleteI cannot see why you're thin.
Pftt
xox
Let us know how the pears come out!
DeleteI got books for Christmas! Some past cozies from favorite authors and a doughnut cookbook. 2020 will be the year I master doughnuts.
ReplyDeleteBooks all around the tree. Books blessed us, every one.
ReplyDeleteI asked for and received The Testaments. Of course, I could have bought it 3 months ago when it was brand new, but since my daughter always gives me Margaret Atwood for Xmas, I figured this year should be no exception.
No books for me as yet but gave one of my favorite children's books to my cousin's little girl...Alexander and the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. I always loved it and she did too.
ReplyDeleteYou notice I did not get any crime fiction books. My TBR pile is beginning to tower threateningly! I did get myself a new novel, however, which arrived Christmas Eve--the 2019 Booker Prize winner, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo.
ReplyDeleteThe granddaughter got a lovely illustrated Nutcracker, a Caldecott book called Sleep Like a Tiger (wonderful!) and Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. Lots of good reading in store for us all in the New Year!
Lots of wonderful books for Christmas. In our family, we share the Icelandic tradition of Jolabokflod, the book flood.
ReplyDeleteBooks included the Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde, Christmas Keeper by Jenn McKInlay, Nordicana, a Vintage paperback of The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear, A Season of Celebrations (a cookbook) and a book by the Queen's dresser, Angela Kelly.
We didn't exchange gifts, so no book for me. Except for the part when I buy another one every day or so! I just finished reading THE SACRAMENT BY Olaf Olafsson. I will be working my way through all his book in January. And Kristopher has his best of the decade out. I've read half them, so I'll have a look at the other half.
ReplyDeleteHappy Boxing Day to all the Reds.
This year there were no books in my gift pile... everyone knows I have a teetering TBR pile so it would be like bringing coals to Newcastle. In in the peaceful moments (not many here with grandkids visiting) I'm finishing the wonderful Paula Munier's forthcoming BLIND SEARCH. And munching holiday cookies and candies which we made by the pound.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder! Enjoyed the first in that series. Just put Blind Search on my request list at the library.
DeleteI took a peek at the Jim Kay illustrations. Amazon's Kindle version have a thing called "Kindle in Motion" where some of the illustrations are actually animations. Whoa.
ReplyDeleteI gift myself a Christmas bag of books every year. This year, my haul includes the Harry Potter Illustrated Goblet of Fire (I've gotten myself and younger granddaughter one since they started coming out); My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite; Lost You by Haylen Beck; The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate; and, The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides. There are two other books, which I wanted to mention separately because they are my whimsey books that I came across for fun. The first is the Pop-Up and Build National Parks book that has five pop-up parks to assemble (I got one of these for my son-in-law, too). The second is a lovely illustrated book entitled Hidden Villages of Britain: Histories and Tradition Past and Present put out by Batsford. I also included in my book bag a card game from Book Riot called Lit Chat, Conversation Starters about Books and Life. So, with all my other books waiting to be read, I have a great start to the New Year on reading. Today though, we will be going back to my daughter's to celebrate her 36th birthday. How did that happen, that my daughter is already 36?
ReplyDeleteA book worth mentioning here is a juvenile or young adult book by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley About a young girl and her brother evacuated from London during World War II. I do enjoy well written juvenile literature from time to time. This one reads like both a good story and historical fiction. It was a 2016 Newberry honor book.
ReplyDeleteSo many books! Always a treat but my favorite was a knitting book from the Hub. Nancy Marchant's Knitting Brioche Lace. I will be getting my crafting game on -- as soon as I hit my deadline!
ReplyDeleteAnn's comment to Hank made me laugh.
ReplyDeleteI gave books to almost every person on my list this year, but no one gave me any. Chocolates, yes, but no books.
I think everyone is afraid I already have them all!
I didn’t get books for Christmas but I am reading through an advanced copy of “Hid from Our Eyes,” by our dear Julia Spencer Fleming, which I won. I am in heaven, savoring every moment and every word!
ReplyDelete