By David Enyeart
Books make great gifts. They provide hours of entertainment. They’re easy to wrap. And you can borrow them and read them yourself in January if you play your cards right.
Next Chapter Booksellers is full of ideas for everyone on your list.
For the reader who reads everything: This fall sees new novels from Celeste Ng, Peter Geye, Frederik Backman, George Saunders and Elizabeth Strout. And don’t miss Jean’s special pick: “The Whalebone Theatre”. She calls it a novel that “touches every human emotion.”
For history buffs: Pulitzer Prize-winner Stacy Schiff is back with a biography of Samuel Adams — and it’s not just about his career as a brewer. Her fellow Pulitzer recipient Jon Meachan has written a definitive biography of Abraham Lincoln. And Pekka Hamalainen’s book “Indigenous Continent: The Epic Contest for North America” is an eye-opening retelling of the continent’s history that upends almost everything you learned in high school.
For political junkies: “Lady Justice: Women, the Law, and the Battle to Save America” by Dahlia Lithwick profiles the women fighting to keep our legal system fair and accountable. Sarah Kendzior shows us the results of our worst impulses in “They Knew: How a Culture of Conspiracy Keeps America Complacent”.
For the nature lover on your list: Karen Armstrong recounts the role of nature in spiritual life — across the centuries as well as today — in her latest book “Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World”. And novelist Annie Proulx turns to nonfiction in “Fen, Bog & Swamp”, looking at wetlands across the northern hemisphere, including Minnesota’s lakes.
For the hostess: “The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters” by Priya Parker is full of practical ways to make the season more meaningful and memorable. And Claire Saffitz’ new cookbook “What’s For Dessert” is packed with decadent recipes that are as easy to make as they are delicious.
For the aspiring organizer: Marie Kondo’s “Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life” focuses not on what to get rid of, but on conscious, mindful choices to help you take advantage of every part of your home and your day.
The shelves at Next Chapter Booksellers are packed with great new books. Come in today while the selection is at its largest, and we’ll help you find a great book for everyone this holiday season.
David Enyeart has worked in the book industry for more than 25 years and is the manager of the Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul.
