Making a (Book) List and Checking it Twice — Books We're Giving this Holiday Season

SUSAN ELIA MACNEAL: One of my favorite books from childhood is Louisa May Alcott's Little Women. It isn't a Christmas book per se, but the first sentence is " 'Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents,' grumbled Jo.'

And I agree with Jo March. Giving people presents —preferably books — as gifts is one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. And, even though my life is somewhat head over feet with family and work these days, I'm actually on top of shopping this year! 

Here are some of the books I'm giving this year:

The Hubby — Nutcracker by E.T.A. Hoffmann, Maurice Sendak and Ralph Manheim. Not only are we both huge Sendak fans (both books and artwork), Noel MacNeal's newest show: Mouse King: The Untold Story of the Nutcracker is making its debut this holiday season in Miami. The book will make a great remembrance of this very Nutcracker-y and Mouse-y year.

The Kiddo — The current obsession is Adam Gidwiz's A Tale Dark And Grimm, and the last book in the trilogy, The Grimm Conclusion, will definitely be under the tree. It?s a fantastic series and one we've enjoyed reading together as a family. It's funny and irreverent, even while staying close to the original Grimm brothers' fairy tales. Not for the faint-of-heart, but perfect for kids who want a little humor and gore with their adventures.

The Mother-in-law — Miss Edna, aka Grandmama, reads mysteries and thrillers from the library voraciously on her e-reader, so I?m not going to get her books. But I think the perfect gift for a crime aficionado is Mystery Scene Magazine. 

Established in 1985, Mystery Scene Magazine is the oldest, largest, and most authoritative guide to the crime fiction genre. Our lively, expert coverage ranges from past mystery masters to today's top talents and tomorrow's bright new stars. We report on novels, of course, but also films, TV shows, audio-books, kid's mysteries, short stories, reference works, and much more.

Can't wait to see what great reads it inspires throughout the year!

LUCY BURDETTE: Books are my favorite thing to give and get. I'm not going to give the particulars for fear SOMEONE might be reading, but here are a few I'm giving: Sujata Massey's THE SLEEPING DICTIONARY, Kristan Higgins, THE RIGHT MATCH, AN ASTRONAUT'S GUIDE TO LIFE ON EARTH, ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK. There are others that I can't remember... and I'm hoping for the new Wally Lamb and Donna Tartt--oh the list could go on and on! Luckily my birthday comes in January so I can make another list:)

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: This is SO HARD. First, you're assuming I'm organized enough to have figured this out by now, which is--wrong.  I did get a signed Ken Follett for my step-son Paul. (He and Jonathan love to read spy books, who doesn't? So now they each have their own copy.)  For my Dad. I think I'll get that book on Beethoven's Ninth--even though my Dad probable knows just as much about it!  I'm drawn to the new Doris Kearns Goodwin book about Teddy Roosevelt..maybe for Jonathan? (Yeah, exactly, then I'll sneak it.) (In my spare time.) And I'm trying to decide just how pushy it is to send THE WRONG GIRL to far-flung relatives.  And I'm tempt to get that One Hundred Things That Changed the World book--is that cool? Or holiday hype?

HALLIE EPHRON: Books are a big part of every season at our house -- in fact, our collection of books is rapidly pushing us OUT of the house. My husband is the book buyer. He came back last weekend with the most gorgeous coffee table book of Steve McCurry's photographs of South and Southeast Asia. Spectacular color pictures fill each page. It's hard to get mad at him when he brings back a book like that. For him, best buys are beautiful illustrated children's books or anything about Brooklyn. And for my son-in-law, anything Star Wars or Hobbity-y. For my daughters, chewy women's fiction. Then I get to borrow them back.

RHYS BOWEN: I am a great re-reader of old favorites--all the Agatha Christies, The Lord of the Rings, Kate Morton... any book that gave me pleasure the first time around I will re-read when life gets stressful. I love giving and receiving books but I have to be quite specific if I ask John to put a book under the tree for me. Or I'll find the military history of WW II or something that HE'd like on the shelf.  Last year as a stocking stuffer I started my son-in-law Tom on Daniel Silva and he's read everything Silva has written, so this year I want to find a new writer to hook him on. Any suggestions?

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Rhys, he might like Robert Ludlum/Eric Van Lustbader. Classic spy novels brought up to date for the post-Cold War world. Or, for a different twist, how about Barry Eisler's John Rain series? Lots of action, moral ambiguity and exotic locations.

As for what I'm giving - well, Ross and the Smithie read this site, so I can't give anything away for this year. In years past, I've often given Ross a matched series - for his birthday, I found an almost complete set of Winston Churchill's History of WWII in the original 1951 Book-of-the-Month club edition (yes, collectors, I know it doesn't count for collecting purposes.) For the Smithie, I tend to get a stack of paperbacks for fun reads or that One Special Book she wanted, signed. One year I got her the latest Sookie Stackhouse mystery signed by Charlaine Harris.

For The Boy, who rows for Trinity College (Hartford), a signed copy of FLAT WATER TUESDAY by Ron Irwin, who once rowed for Trinity College. Not a vanity project - the book was blurbed by Nobel Prize-winner J.M. Coetzee. For my sister's little boys, some fun science books from National Geographic (20% off when you buy three or more!) Finally, for my newest nephew, who joined the family by adoption after a long, long wait by his parents, THE SEA CHEST by Maine author Toni Buzzeo, illustrated by Mary GrandPre. It's a beautiful tale of a baby who arrives at a lonely lighthouse station floating in a sea chest and who becomes one of the family.

DEBORAH CROMBIE: Julia, I highly recommend Blood Over Water by James Livingston and David Livingston, for The Boy.  The brothers rowed in the Boat Race the same year, one for Oxford and one for Cambridge. Fascinating story.  I later found out that my English agent's husband rowed for Oxford the same year.

And, oh, Susan, I have the Sendak Nutcracker! It's one of my treasures (a bit battered, but well-loved.) That's a nice reminder that it would make a lovely gift. 

Last year (not for Christmas) a friend gave me the 75th Anniversary edition of The Hobbit--Rhys, if you don't own it, put it on your Christmas list.  It's gorgeous, and has the original Tolkien drawings. 

I love to give books--last year everyone who reads got The Twelve Clues of Christmas! This year I haven't made up my mind what I'm giving, but I think the new C.C. Bennison Father Tom Christmas book may go on my want list…

Are books a big part of your holiday season? Which ones do you like to reread? Give as gifts? Buy for yourself?

THRILLERS TO MOVIES

DEBORAH CROMBIE: It's THRILLER WEEK here at Jungle Red! We have some great thriller writers coming up--Jeff Abbott, James Rollins, and Jon Land, so stay tuned.

And since we're talking thrillers, and all these authors' books are certainly candidates for movies, I thought it would be fun to think about what thrillers HAVE made the best translation into film.

Although I write very talky books with only the occasional action scene, I freely admit to being an action movie junkie.  I love spies and suspense and chase scenes and, honestly, things blowing up.  All these things seem so much easier to do on film than on the page, so my hat is off to those of you who write them well.

My fave books-to-movies choice is easy. BOURNE, BOURNE, AND BOURNE. I think I'm cheating a bit, because I haven't read the Robert Ludlum books in years, so I can't honestly make a comparison as to how well the stories translated from medium to medium. (I suspect that the movies are considerably better than the books...)  But I'm so geeky about these movies that I've not only watched them multiple times, I've seen all the extras, AND I love the director's commentaries. I think this is my frustrated film-maker persona coming out. (Of course it has nothing to do with Matt Damon....)

And you can bet I'll be in the theater in August to see THE BOURNE LEGACY. I do like Jeremy Renner, so am trying to keep an open mind about Damon's absence.

What about you, REDS? What are your picks for thriller movies based on books? And are there any must-sees on your list this summer?

HALLIE EPHRON: Tip top of my list: SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, based on Thomas Harris's novel by the same name. It's brilliantly structured, you can't look away; it's got humor and soul and a brilliant title that resonates throughout. Could there be a more memorable villain than the charming Hannibal Lecter? Or a more vulnerable hero than Jodie Foster's as the flinty former farm girl, bent on proving herself, Clarice Starling. Could Harris name characters of what?

Based on a Philip K Dick novel, I love-love-loved TOTAL RECALL. Made me a permanent Arnold fan until, well, you know. I see a remake with Colin Farrell is coming out in August. Definitely a must-see on the big screen.

RHYS BOWEN: I'm not a big action-movie fan, but I still remember THE DAY OF THE CONDOR, (the book was called Three Days of the Condor, but one has to compress things for movies). Also THE IPCRESS FILE with a young Michael Caine. Maybe I just like gorgeous blond men!

LUCY BURDETTE: I admit, I'm a wuss--much much more likely to go see a romantic comedy than a thriller. I really don't enjoy being scared. (I suppose that's strange for a mystery writer!) Could not go to see SILENCE OF THE LAMBS...I did think the adaptation of Harlan Coben's TELL NO ONE made an excellent movie--though the French probably helped! And Hallie, I think they did an excellent job of making AND BABY WILL FALL from your NEVER TELL A LIE. Obviously, as a movie they couldn't replicate the nuances from the book, but the concept was well done, don't you think? 

HANK PHILLIPI RYAN: Oh, if you haven't seen it, go back and find DAY OF THE JACKAL. The real one, with Edward Fox, not the doepy one with Tom Cruise. It is--fantastic, perfectly done, and the suspense is incredible. You KNOW that the assassin WILL not succeed. You know it from moment one. And yet you STILL think--Maaayyybeeeee this time it'll work. And you are rooting for the bad guy! The whole way! I've seen it a million times and I am still mesmerized.

Runners up--THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR. (Which is based on the iconic James Grady's Six Days of the Condor. That they cut it to three always makes me laugh.) Robert Redford as the original "everyman" whose jb is to read books for the CIA to see if there are any plots the spooks could use...and is literally out ot lunch when the bad guys come. Faye Dunaway has one of the best lines ever--anyone remember? And it ends brilliantly ambiguously.

I love thrillers. Oh--EYE OF THE NEEDLE. And does A FEW GOOD MEN count? Oh, and THE TAKING OF PELHAM ONE TWO THREE. (The old one.) And AIR FORCE ONE. DIEHARD! The one in National airport. Oh, my favorite kind of movie. Okay, I'm stopping now.






DEBS: Okay, I'm making my summer (um, make that post manuscript) movie list. Some of these I haven't seen, some I'd forgotten and would love to watch again.  Hallie, I actually like MANHUNTER, the adaptation of Thomas Harris's novel Red Dragon, better than Silence of the Lambs. But neither Harris nor William Peterson were famous when it was released, so it didn't get much notice then.  A cult classic now, just brilliant.

Loved THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR, but never read the novel on which it was based.  Books to add to the list, too. 


Ooh, and Hank, now I have to watch THE DAY OF THE JACKAL again! And THREE DAYS OF THE CONDOR because I don't remember Faye Dunaway's line!!!!


What about you, readers? Did we leave out any of your faves?









And what are you going to see this summer?