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Happy holidays from all of us at
WORD!
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Hello!
Here we are, ready to help you with your holiday. We've got our
Christmas lights up and our personal shopper hats on and a whole
long list of damn good books. Read on for some of our
recommendations this season. For every book we've listed here,
there are five more we love just as much, so if you're still
stumped on a good book for somebody, stop by the store and we'll
help you out. If you already know which section you'd like to start
with, click below to skip down---and remember that each book cover
and title link will take you to our website, where all orders over
$50 get free shipping:
FICTION: The meat and potatoes of
WORD. Hardcovers and paperbacks.
NON-FICTION: Biography, history, NYC,
and so on.
GRAPHIC NOVELS: The funny books with
the pictures in 'em.
KIDS' BOOKS: From picture books up to
young adult.
GIFT BOOKS & COOKBOOKS: Star
Wars, trivia, and too many cookies.
AND OTHER FUN STUFF: Capes, sock
monsters, pens, postcards.
We'd also like to introduce what could be the perfect gift for the
avid readers on your list (or for yourself): a brand-new WORD To
Your Mailbox program exclusively for adults. You might be familiar
with our program for kids: you subscribe a young reader, and they
get a new book from us in the mail every month. Well, now we're
doing the same thing for grown-up readers too, and we're going to
send subscribers not only the newest and best paperback books, but
also a little something extra. Go to our WORD To Your Mailbox page for more information
and to sign up.
Just in case these recommendations aren't quite what you needed, we
have a whole passel of authors coming in next weekend to be guest
booksellers and help us out in the store. Make sure you drop by the
store on Saturday, December 11 or Sunday, December 12 to meet our
authors, have some nibbles from some local restaurants, and get in
the holiday spirit. We've got an all-star list of authors,
including Peter Brown, Julie Powell, Rachel Shukert, and many more!
Click here for the
full list and to see when they'll be coming (and keep an eye on
our Facebook and Twitter for last-minute
additions).
As a final note, we'd like to remind you about the two charitable
organizations WORD supports in the hopes that you'll help them out
this holiday season. The first is just down the street from us: the
Greenpoint Reformed Church Hunger Program. The
soup kitchen and food pantry are very much in need of funds to keep
their good works in the neighborhood going. You can donate to their efforts via PayPal using
this link, and be sure to drop your extra change in our
donation basket when you stop by the store this month.
We've also been happy this year to work with local literacy
organization ReadThis to help get classroom sets
of books to children and schools in need. We're currently trying to
outfit PS 376A in Bushwick with a number of small group reading
sets to help boost the number of children in that school reading at
grade level. Some of the books are as cheap as $3.99 each--can you
help out by buying one or two? You can see and buy the requested
books at this link, or drop by the store to buy a book in
person.
Best wishes from the entire WORD staff for a happy &
book-filled holiday season!
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FICTION
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Best European Fiction 2011
edited by Aleksander Hemon. Last year's collection was one of our
surprise holiday bestsellers and this year's seems poised to do the
same thing. For: that friend who has always already read
the book you try to tell them about.
How To Live Safely In A Science
Fictional Universe by Charles Yu. Are we done telling people to
read this book yet? No, we are not. Read it already. Limited signed
copies available. For: the sci-fi fan in your life, and
also the ABD Ph.D. candidate.
The New Yorker Stories by Ann
Beattie. Let Beattie show you or some lucky gift recipient just
what a short story can do. For: short story aficionados,
lifelong New Yorkers.
Dogfight, A Love Story by Matt
Burgess. A solid debut novel that is hilarious and heartwrenching
by turns as Alfredo Batista rambles all over Queens looking for a
dog to start a dogfight to welcome his brother home from jail (and
distract him from the fact that while he was gone, Alfredo knocked
up his girlfriend). For: Fans of Richard Price and proud
residents of Queens County.
God On The Rocks by Jane
Gardam. Finally available in the US, Gardam's Booker
Prize-nominated 1978 release. For: everybody to whom we
already sold a copy of Old Filth and people who like
to fake having a British accent sometimes.
The Instructions by Adam Levin.
A doorstopper and a half of a novel that is, indeed, worth plowing
through. For: cultural Jews, fiction devotees, David
Foster Wallace obsessives.
A Visit From the Goon Squad by
Jennifer Egan. Look, everyone has their own opinions about the
National Book Awards and we're sure it's very hard to only pick
five books and that's fine, but Egan WUZ ROBBED by not even being
nominated for this masterpiece. This book is her finest yet, which
is really saying something. For: you, your mom, anyone who
likes a good book.
The Singer's Gun by Emily St.
John Mandel. We're huge supporters of Mandel here, mostly because
she's one of the clearest new literary voices in fiction. This, her
latest, takes a turn for the thriller but retains her beautiful
style. For: people for whom it is hard to buy books.
The Melting Season by Jami
Attenberg. We love this book. We would say that even if Jami didn't
work here. Limited signed copies available (heck, we can probably
get her to personalize them, too). For: Midwesterners and
road trips.
Room by Emma Donoghue. Haven't
met a person yet who didn't devour this book. A very deserving
member of the Booker Prize shortlist. Limited signed copies
available. For: moms, fans of true crime, folks with a
long trip ahead of them.
Skippy Dies by Paul Murray.
You've really got to admire a book that gives away its primary plot
point in the title, yeah? A gripping novel of teenage love, adult
disappointment, and donuts. Limited signed copies will probably be
available after his event on 12/5, or
order now to have signed on that day. For:
twenty-somethings, people who like good book design.
Ten Ways To Be Adored When Landing
A Lord by Sarah MacLean. Yeah, yeah, we know, you're too cool
to read romance novels. It's a shame for you, because you'll never
know the joy of reading this book so eagerly that you turn the
pages before you quite finish them. Just in case you change your
mind, though, order it before 12/18 so that you
can get your copy personalized by the author. For:
anyone you know who needs a guilty pleasure this holiday
season.
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NON-FICTION
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K Blows Top: A Cold War Comic
Interlude, Starring Nikita Khrushchev, America's Most Unlikely
Tourist by Peter Carlson. This is one of the most
joyfully readable non-fiction books to come out in years, and best
of all, it doesn't lean on the author's experience researching the
story to tell an engaging tale. Rather, Carlson steps back and lets
the all-too-insane, all-too-real experience of Nikita Kkrushchev's
three visits to the United States wash over you. For:
people who are normally fiction readers who want to try
non-fiction, history buffs.
Ghosthunting New York City by
L'Aura Hladik. Ghosthunter L'Aura documents the Big Apple's most
haunted locations, from the Brooklyn Inn to the White Horse Tavern
to Washington Square Park, and not only gives you the skinny on
their ghosts but tells you how and when to go yourself. Limited
signed copies available. For: visitors and locals
alike.
Bound to Last: 30 Writers on Their
Most Cherished Book edited by Sean Manning. A who's who of
authors (Francine Prose, Nick Flynn, Julia Glass, Jim Shephard, and
26 more) write about their favorite book -- and why a digital
version will never replace it. For: all book-lovers, but
especially those who want nothing to do with narrative on a screen
(NOT THAT THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH THAT).
FreeDarko Presents: The Undisputed
Guide to Pro Basketball History. As the only bookstore in the
country with its own basketball league, we are contractually
obligated to promote this book; luckily, it more than deserves the
promotion. For: people who like sports, people who pretend
they don't like sports for intellectual insecurity reasons but
secretly do.
Colonel Roosevelt by Edmund
Morris. We've all got a presidental biography lover on our gift
lists, and this is the book they're craving. The final novel in the
Pulitzer-Prize-winning author's trilogy about one of our finest, or
at the very least most fascinating, presidents, and chronicling his
life after his presidency. For: aforementioned presidental
biography lovers.
Fifty Places To Hike Before You
Die by Chris Santella and Bob Peixotto. Alternately, if you're
not much for hiking, you can just sit in a comfortable chair, look
at all the pretty pictures and think about hiking. For:
hikers. Duh.
This Is NPR: The First Forty
Years. A history of the beloved radio station from the folks
who were there. For: judging by the number of questions we
get every week that start with "I heard about this book on NPR,"
pretty much everybody reading this email.
And The Pursuit of Happiness by
Maira Kalman. A collection of Kalman's beautiful contemplations on
the nature of American democracy, created in the year after the
last presidental election. For: history buffs, art buffs,
writers, artists, dreamers.
Zinester's Guide to New York
City by Ayun Halliday. We would adore this lively guide to New
York even if we weren't mentioned in it! As good a guide for locals
to rediscover their city as we've ever seen, but just as good to
hand to friends just visiting for the weekend. For: anyone
in New York, or dreaming of being in New York.
A Skeptic's Guide to Writers'
Houses by Anne Trubek. What makes us travel across the country
to see where Mark Twain used to live? Trubek takes us on a tour of
writers' houses across the country (including the many haunts of
the peripatetic Poe). For: anyone who has actually structured a
vacation around stopping by a writers' house.
The Emperor of All Maladies: A
Biography of Cancer by Siddartha Mukerjee. Oncologist Mukerjee
tells the history of cancer and humans with intelligence and grace,
starting in ancient Egypt and winging across the globe and forward
in time. For: your family's resident doctor and/or ER
fan.
Earth From Above by Yann
Arthus-Bertrand. This tenth anniversary edition of the classic book
of beautiful photographs of our planet is accompanied by a number
of essays from leading environmentalists. For: the good people of
the world who never forget to bring their reusable bags to the
grocery store.
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GRAPHIC NOVELS
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How to Understand Israel in 60 Days
or Less by Sarah Glidden. Williamsburg resident Glidden, a
bright, inquisitive young woman, explores Israel through a
birthright tour, in this thoughtful graphic novel debut.
For: a Hannakuh gift for those interested in better
understanding the nuanced history of Israel from a fresh
perspective.
Drinking at the Movies by Julia
Wertz. Whip-smart cartoonist Wertz, best known for her hilarious
The Fart Party collections, moved to Greenpoint from San
Francisco and spent a year documenting her new life here, in this
bittersweet, funny, and substantive graphic novel. For:
Greenpoint residents who want to play "hey, I know where that
is!"
Make Me A Woman by Vanessa
Davis. This gorgeously designed and illustrated (in both watercolor
and pencil) collection of comic strips details the coming-of-age of
Davis, the talented author of cult favorite Spaniel Rage.
The book spans from her bat mitzvah, to her single life in Brooklyn
where she ill-advisedly dates stand-up comedians, to her new life
on the West Coast. For: fans of autobiographical comix
and/or R. Crumb.
Asterios Polyp by David
Mazzucchelli. We probably mentioned this in last year's gift guide,
but even more WORD staffers have discovered it since then, so we're
mentioning it again. It's still brilliant. For: anyone who
still hasn't read it, for heaven's sake.
Alec: The Years Have Pants (a
Life-Sized Omnibus) by Eddie Campbell. Finally, all of the Alec
comics are collected in one, beautiful, mind-blowing, masterpiece
of a book. Not recommended for commuting. Highly recommended for
aspiring artists of all genres. Truly. "How To Be An Artist,"
included in this collection, is itself worth the price of
admission. For: writers, artists, people who don't like
how fast they blow through graphic novels.
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KIDS' BOOKS
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Mad at Mommy by Kamako
Sakai. Some moms are really mean! They always want to sleep in on
the weekends and they never have your favorite shirt ready and they
talk on the phone too much. For: any kid who has to put up
with such an insensitive mother.
Subway by Christoph Niemann.
There are a lot of kids' books about the subway, but this one, with
its fantastic paintings, perfectly captures the excitement of
moving around underground, minus the trash and the weekend service
changes. For: people for whom getting on the G is still a
thrilling experience.
10 Little Penguins: A Pop-Up
Book by Joelle Jolivet and Jean-Luc Fromental. From the
creators of WORD favorite 365 Penguins. This book doesn't
have quite so many penguins as the other, but it has a lot more
drama, and is a great introduction to numbers for the younger set.
For: penguin lovers, anyone who needs a refresher on how
to count.
Llama Llama Holiday Drama by
Anna Dewdney. The star of Llama Llama Red Pajama in a
story about how looooooooooooooooooooooooong it takes for Christmas
to get here. For a limited time, we have cute little Llama Llama
plushie dolls (just $5.50) to go with the book. For:
llamas and their fans.
Perfect Piggies! Book and Plush
Set by Sandra Boynton. The Boynton, the Boynton, she can do no
wrong. Super cute; includes a free download of the song.
For: anybody who noticed that the last two sentences there
rhymed! (You can hang out at the bookstore any old time.)
Children Make Terrible Pets by
Peter Brown. It's true, they do. They make a mess all over
everything and they're super loud, and the worst part is, the pound
won't ever take them back. Another fantastic book from WORD crush
object Peter Brown. For: a great bedtime read-aloud.
Socksquatch by Frank W. Dormer.
Jenn loves this book so much that if you come in and ask nicely,
she'll read it aloud to you just to prove how fantastic it is. Try
it! For: even the youngest listeners, and kids just
learning to read to themselves.
The Unsinkable Walker Bean by
Aaron Reiner. One of our favorite graphic novels for kids of the
year (though it's equally good for adults). Anybody who's ever
become a pirate by accident in order to defend his or her family
and life as they know it will be able to identify. For: pirate
wannabees, lovers of old-school comix.
Archvillain by Barry Lyga.
Another great book from Lyga about a kid who has to become a
villain to save his town. Limited signed copies available.
For: boys who swear they don't like to read.
Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson.
Anderson's sequel to National Book Award-nominated Chains,
set primarily in the 1777 winter at Valley Forge in the heart of
the American Revolution, is just the right levels of scary and
captivating. Limited signed copies available. For:
historical fiction and thriller lovers.
Herbert's Wormhole by Peter
Nelson and Rohitash Rao. A joy of a story in which two video-game
addicted kids use their skills after finding a wormhole that allows
them to go through time. Great illustrations. For: kids
who get impatient waiting for the next Wimpy Kid book.
Penny Dreadful by Laurel
Snyder. One of our favorite new chapter books of the year! After
Penny wishes for something interesting to happen, her dad quits his
job, and her family runs out of money and loses their house. Can
Penny make more wishes to make things right? Penny's strong voice
and Snyder's writing carry this delightful story. For:
smart young readers who aren't quite ready for teen books but want
something a little meatier.
Mostly Good Girls by Leila
Sales. A great new YA author along the lines of one of WORD's
patron saints of YA fiction, E. Lockhart. The funny and thoughtful
story of what happens when your best friend changes and you don't
change, or even want to. For: teenage girls and women
still recovering from being teenage girls.
Last Summer of the Death
Warriors by Francisco X. Stork. This book, much like Stork's
first book, Marcelo in the Real World, is true and
awe-inspiring. The next time someone tells you YA fiction can't
ever be as good as fiction for adults, smack them in the jaw with
this. For: boys who read, boys who don't read, adults who
should read more.
Pretty Monsters by Kelly Link.
Finally, a quick and easy way to expose the teens in your life to
Link's post-modern reality-bending fever dreams of short stories.
For: those who are weary of paranormal in their fiction but that
doesn't mean they just want to read about real life all the
time.
Please Ignore Vera Dietz by
A.S. King. Dark, funny, and not at all what you think it's going to
be. King is quickly becoming one of the most surprising authors in
YA lit. For: teens, their teachers, and aspiring writers
(King will be leading a writing workshop here in 2011, so read her
book now so you can suck up properly!)
Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by
Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. It's a question for the ages,
right? And finally, in this collection, authors like Meg Cabot,
Libba Bray, and Scott Westerfeld take sides and go at it.
For: members of Team Zombie AND Team Unicorn.
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GIFT BOOKS &
COOKBOOKS
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Sounds of Star Wars by
J. W. Rinzler and Ben Burtt. Look, we know you all want this,
because we have heard you not-so-secretly playing with it in the
back of the store. This is just a reminder to put it on your list
for Santa. For: NERDS. (We kid, we kid.) (Sort of.)
Apples I Have Eaten by Jonathan
Gerken. A beautiful little stocking stuffer that is just pictures
of pretty apples. That's it. Sometimes simple is best.
For: farmers' market devotees, apple lovers,
photographers, chefs.
Silhouette Art by Vana Chupp.
Silhouettes are going to be the new knitting, people. Get on board
while you still can. For: artists, people who want to do
DIY holiday gifts this year but can't figure out anything cool
enough.
Quadrivium: The Four Classical
Liberal Arts of Number, Geometry, Music & Cosmology. You
might have gotten a 1600 (or a 2400) on your SAT, but do you know
about cosmology's relationship to time? Hmmmm? For:
smarty-pantses, trivia contest addicts.
Take 100: The Future of Film: 100
New Directors. A big beautiful coffee table book curated by the
directors of some of the world's most prominent film festivals.
For: film dorks, trivia contest addicts.
Fanzines by Teal Triggs.
Because, though it is nearly impossible to imagine, there was a
time before blogs, and people still had opinions about bands back
then, and needed to distribute them somehow. For: design
freaks, paper lovers, music lovers, people with opinions.
The Frankies Spuntino Kitchen
Companion & Cooking Manual by Frank Falcinelli, Frank
Castronovo, and Peter Meehan. It's our bestselling cookbook of the
year, and with good reason. Not only is it gorgeous, but you can
finally learn how to make their meatballs (that alone is worth
getting this book). For: chefs, cooks, Italians, someone
who you wish would make dinner more often.
The Essential New York Times
Cookbook by Amanda Hesser. Recipes from the entire history of
the paper, thankfully updated with modern measurements and a little
bit of context. Helpful meal planners and very detailed index in
the back. For: the history buff/foodie combo.
Old Man Drinks by Robert
Schnakenberg and Michael E. Reali. Actual old men probably won't
need this book, but plenty of old-men-in-training probably do.
For: those in need of an Old Fashioned recipe, basic life
advice, or both.
Baked Explorations: Classic
American Desserts Reinvented by Matt Lewis, Renato Poliafito,
and Tina Rupp. Not that the whoopie pie needed much in the way of
renovation, as it is one of God's chosen foods, but if anybody
should be allowed to do it, it's these geniuses. For:
bakers, your mom.
Chewy Gooey Crispy Crunchy
Melt-In-Your-Mouth Cookies by Alice Medrich. WORD's official
winner in the Book Title Most Likely To Make You Drool On Yourself
category! For: those faced regularly with bake sales
and/or dinner parties.
Alice's Tea Cup: Delectable Recipes
for Scones, Cakes, Sandwiches, and More from New York's Most
Whimsical Tea Spot by Haley Fox and Lauren Fox. We think all
the reasons to buy this book are pretty clearly stated in the
title, there. Limited signed copies available. For: anyone
who needs more things to put jam on.
The New Brooklyn Cookbook by
Melissa Vaughan, Brendan Vaughan, and Michael Harlan Turkell.
Including the recipe for Dumont's Dumac and Cheese AND Five Leaves'
Five Leaves Burger AND a Q&A with Annie Novak of Greenpoint's
own Eagle Street Rooftop Farms. For: all Brooklyn
cooks.
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AND OTHER FUN STUFF
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Now,
there are a bunch of things you will have to come into the
bookstore to check out and buy, like our brand new line of Kameco
pens, our table full of boxes of holiday cards, a line of capes for your favorite
mini-superhero, and most importantly, our new favorite sock
critters. We've also still got our silly line of post-it notes
(including these rude
fellows), our exclusive totebag, and Greenpoint's beloved
Bananagrams. But we've also got a few other cool things that aren't
books:
For starters, there's the sexy, fun 2011 I Heart Brooklyn
Girls calendar: twelve months of photos in the style of
mid-century queer pulp fiction novels, shot here in Brooklyn of
some gorgeous Brooklyn dames. (To the left, see February's image
from the calendar). We've got practically every Moleskine 2011
planner that they printed this year, along with some wall and box
calendars. We also love the Postcards From Penguin set: 100 postcards
printed with classic Penguin bookcovers.
Of course, for the pickiest of readers, we have gift
certificates in any amount. But the greatest gift of
all for the book lover in your life is a membership in our WORD To
Your Mailbox program. Don't forget to check out all the
details on how you can sign up your favorite name on the list for
months of reading bliss. We're taking what we do
best--introducing you to your new favorite book--and delivering it
straight to your front door. (Of course, you can always send the
link to Santa on your behalf and hope for the best...)
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Join our list |
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WORD
126 Franklin
St Brooklyn NY 11222
11am-9pm
seven days a week
718.383.0096
www.wordbrooklyn.com
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