The Sunday Salon and Four Days before Christmas... Last Minute Bookish Gifts!

It's Four Days Before Christmas and all through the house... Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the day of the week we kick back and relax, and virtually talk books with all of our bookish friends. So, grab a cup of joe, find a comfy chair and let's chat...

It's almost Christmas! Do you have all your gifts hidden away or wrapped and put under the tree? I love wrapping presents and putting them under the tree.With the twinkling of the Christmas tree lights and the sounds of Christmas music floating through the air, it always puts me in the Christmas Spirit.

Are you scrambling for last minute bookish gifts? Well, here are a few suggestions for the readers in your life...

How about a Pillow Tray?  I purchased a pillow tray for one of the readers in my life so they could sit up in bed or on the sofa with their book or eReader and a drink comfortably on their lap. Now, the pillow tray I bought also doubles as an animal pillow when it's all closed up. It is so cute! The animal pillow trays are really made for kids, but would be big enough for you and your eReader and beverage. I actually was able to put my 17 inch apple laptop on it turned diagonally to be able to also have a bottle of water in the beverage holder. The animal trays I bought at QVC.com, but there are other pillow trays available if the animal pillow is not your thing. Price range from $30 for kids pillow tray to around $49 for adults pillow tray. There should be a lot of different trays at different prices out there though.

Personal Library Kit... Not that I like to "deface" my books with bookplates, but this is just too cute. If your bookish friend tends to lend out her book, this little kit is like the old fashion checkout's from the library, with a self adhesive checkout card pocket and checkout cards, with a date stamper to let the person borrowing the book know when the "return" date is. I might attach the card pocket with something removable, so as not to damage the book, but otherwise I love this kit!  Average price about $16.


Book Lover's Calendar! I love this calendar! Every day you get a new book to discover and I'm always learning something new! Either about a book or author. This year my public library was selling these as a fund raiser for $6! The list price is normally $14.

Other ideas.... Mugs, bookmarks, book totes... and always appreciated for a book lover is a gift certificate to their local bookstore! Picking out books is nice too, but if you're not sure if the person has a particular book, save the receipt (just in case). And if you are thinking about eReaders, the basic Kindle starts at just $59! And the Nook GlowLight sells for $99.

Merry Christmas to you and your family! I hope you enjoy Christmas! And when all the presents are unwrapped and you've received bookish gifts, come back here and share what bookish delights came your way!

Next week... back to finding your next great read right here! Lots of new books to share!

Happy reading... Suzanne

The Sunday Salon... Great Gifts for the Book Lovers on Your list BESIDES Books!

Good Morning Everyone! Welcome to The Sunday Salon! It's the day of the week where we all gather to chat about the great books we've read, books we're looking forward to and all sorts of bookish things. Grab a cup of joe, relax and let's chat about those last minute gifts for the bookish person on your gift list! Sometimes you just want to give someone something bookish, but not a book. What's a girl to do?! Well, it is less than a week before Christmas, and if you're still scratching your head, here's some suggestions...

How about a magazine subscription? One of my all-time favorite bookish magazines is Bookmarks Magazine. I devour this beautiful full-color magazine every time it appears in my mailbox (Which is 6 times a year). There are a ton of book reviews, usually an in depth article on a particular author and their work, coverage of a particular genre (this month is "Coming of Age" novels), coverage on what's coming out soon in paperback, and more. Right now a 1 year, 6 issue subscription is $27 to US address, $37 to Canada, and $57.95 International. Go to Bookmarks Magazine to learn more about this great magazine and to subscribe. If you decide to give a gift subscription, you can usually find Bookmarks magazine at the magazine rack at most bookstores, so you can wrap up a copy for under the tree, but if not you can always print out a page from Bookmarks magazine website and wrap that up.

For a magazine with a more literary bend, The Paris Review is another great magazine. Usually with a great interview or two from some of today's great authors (this month Jonathan Frazen talks about the art of fiction and Louise Erdrich talks about her heritage and being pigeonholed), poetry, original fiction and coverage of some great art. What The Paris Review is known for are it's amazing interviews that seem to get to the heart of the writer. This magazine comes out 4 times a year and it $40 for a US one year subscription, $45 for Canada, and $55 for International. Check it out at The Paris Review.

Book lights are a perfect gift! What reader doesn't like to cuddle up in bed with a good book?! Or in a comfy chair that doesn't necessarily have a great reading lamp nearby?! You can find book lights at your local bookstore, or retail store. The Octovo Solis eReader lights are my favorite book lights for Kindles and Nooks! You might be able to get one in time for Christmas, but only if you order ASAP. Octovo says they have a 3-4 day transit time, and if you order by 4pm Sunday, orders should ship out on Monday. No guarantee though. Check out the lights at Octovo. Right now the book light is sold out for the Kindle 2's (those are the older Kindles), but are available for Kindle 3's and Noooks.

Bookmarks! Bookmarks are a gift that any reader can appreciate! And there are plenty of beautiful bookmarks to choose from. For the younger people on your gift list, there is the Mark-my-Time Bookmark, which is this digital bookmark that can keep track of the amount of time read or if your young reader has a specific amount of required reading, it can act like an alarm to let them know when they have finished their reading time. I've seen these at Borders, and they should be available at Barnes & Noble too. They retail for $8.95 for the regular digital bookmark, or for $14.95 you can get one with a booklight too! You can learn more about them out at Mark-My-Time. They can keep track of 99 hours 59 minutes of reading!

How about a great T-Shirt?! Out of Print co. "celebrates the world’s great stories through fashion. Our shirts feature iconic and often out of print book covers." I love these t-shirts! My local Borders just started carrying them. Adult sizes range from small - 2X Large depending on availability. They retail for $28. Check out all the great t-shirts at Out of Print.

How about a Book Holder! The BookGem is a neat little holder that works great for books as well as eReaders. And this particularly makes a great cookbook holder . This has feet on the back and tabs on the front that hold your book open. It retails for $14.95 and they've added 2 day express shipping as an option. Read more about it and how it works at The BookGem.

What else?... Tote bag for books, book covers, lap desk, or how about a magnifier for the person with vision problems. How about an iTunes gift card so they can treat themselves to an audiobook? Journals, nice writing pen, or maybe a nice pair of readers (reading glasses)? If all else fails, think chocolate!

Can you think of any other bookish gifts?! Share your ideas here! Hope you found a great idea! And hope you find that perfect gift for your bookish friends!

*Julie from Reading without Restraint shares another great gift idea- The Book Lovers 2011 Calendar! "I won The Booklovers Calendar last month and it is a great calendar for book lovers." It's a 28 page wall calendar that measures 12 x 24 and is filled with all sorts of bookish stuff. It retails for $13.99 and part of the proceeds is donated to First Book, "the organization that gets books into the hands of children in need!" Go to Book Lovers Stuff to get yours, and while you're there check out the other bookish gifts they carry. Thanks Julie for sharing this great gift idea!

Happy reading! And if you only stop by on Sundays, have a wonderful Christmas!

The Sunday Salon... Great Books for the Book lovers on Your Christmas List

Hey, it's Sunday! Pull up a chair, grab a cup of joe and let's talk about books! With less than 2 weeks left before Christmas, have you gotten all your book shopping done? Do you usually buy books for your friends and relatives? Giving a book that you loved to someone is usually a sure thing (unless of course you're shopping for someone who might not enjoy Knight of Passion as much as you did!) A few sundays ago The Sunday Salon was about the "Best Books" of 2010 lists, which usually are filled with great suggestions. But what about some of the books that weren't on "a list" that you really enjoyed? Here are some of my favorite books from this year that I think would make great gifts, and a few books that are favorites from years past that also would be welcome in someone's stocking...

Great Fiction...

The Help by Kathryn Stockett... "Three ordinary women are about to take one extraordinary step." The story takes place in the deep south, it's 1962 and a few brave women are about to cross the clearly divided racial line of the times. I read this and loved it! You will laugh and cry. (I still have to "officially" review it!) The popularity of this book took off with very little publicity, but I think you have to almost be living under a rock not to have heard about it. A great book for any girl on your Christmas list! If you haven't heard about The Help, go to Kathryn Stockett's Website and learn more!

The Artof Devotion by Samantha Bruce-Benjamin... "the dark side of human nature as four women share the poignant tale of love, obsession, and ultimate betrayal that binds them forever. Filled with secrets, love, betrayal, obsession, and deceit." Loved this book! Great book show casing complex relationships between women. Great characters, intriguing story (with a surprise twist) and uniquely told by all 4 women, as the chapters alternate between them. Here's my review from last June.

Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon... A thriller, a murder mystery and a ghost story all wrapped up in one! I am never disappointed in Jennifer McMahon. Her stories are always so well written & compelling and Dismantled is no different. I really enjoyed this and the twist at the end was great! Here's my review from last June.

The Fa

vorites

b

y M

ary Yukari Waters... "

Kyot

o 1978. Fourteen-year-old Sar

ah

Rexford feels like an ou

tsid

er when she retu

rns to Japan for the first time in f

ive

yea

rs,

to sta

y

wit

h h

er mother's fam

ily

..."

It's about mothers & daughters and the three generations of women i

n 14 yr. old Sarah's family; There are family secrets; It's about the struggle to fit in. I love books that take place in Japan. There is always the background of traditions and the surrou

nding beauty. In this case there the time frame is such that there is a struggle between tradition and new Western wa

ys. This book drew me in immediately. The writing is wonderful, and Mary Yukari Waters really was

able to capture the complex relationship between the women of the novel perfectly. Here's m

y o

rigina

l review in March. A great book for your BFF, but also a great reading group choice!

Suga

r by

Berni

ce McF

adden...

W

h

en

a young prostitute comes to

Bi

gelow, Arkansas, to start over, far

from her haunting past. Su

gar

moves next door to Pearl, who is s

till grie

ving for the daughter who was m

urdered fifteen years before. Ov

er s

weet-potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins, transforming both wom

en'

s live

s--

a

nd

the

lif

e

of

an entire town..

This boo

k has wo

nderful strong female characters! And the plot centers around them and small town life wit

h a

murder and

a good dose of secrets that when they are finally revealed will leave you in awe. Loved this book! Bernice McFadden's prose is wonderful. Here's my original review of Sugar.

The

Fir

st Grand Prairie Rabbit Festival by Ken Wheaton... Welcome to the sleepy little backwoods town of Grand Prairie, Louisiana... Father

Steve Sibille has taken over the parish in Grand

Prairie where the most excitement comes f

rom lis

t

ening to confessions involving little old ladies taking nips out of their husbands Wild Turkey and trying not to get caught. But things are stirring a little in Grand Prairie..

This book was so much

fun!

The characters were quirky and the story itself was just perfect. This was a book club read for my readi

ng group this year and everyone loved it! Here's myoriginal review back in April.

Great Thrillers with Spies...

The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith... "Soviet Union, 1956. Stalin is dead, and a violent regime is

beginning to fracture-leaving behind a society where the police are the criminals, and the criminals are innocent. A secret speech composed by Stalin's successor Khrushchev is distributed to the entire nation. Its message: Stalin was a tyrant. Its promise: The Soviet Union will change." Gripping, intense and a heck of a good read. Perfect choice for reader who loves historical thrillers set in WWII. This was a great read! Here's my review from last May.

The Rembrandt Affair by Daniel Silva... "

Determined to sever his ties with the Office, Gabriel Allon has retreated to the windswept cliffs of Cornwall with his beautiful Venetian-born wife Chiara. But once again his seclusion is interrupted by a visitor from his tangled past: the endearingly eccentric London art dealer, Julian Isherwood. As usual, Isherwood has a problem. And it is one only Gabriel can solve." Daniel Silva writes great spy novels, and Gabriel Allon is his man. Exciting, gripping, and always a great maze of intrigue. If your book lover craves secret alleyways, this is the book for them! I loved it! Here's my review from last August.

Favorite Memoirs...

The Sound of Wild Snails Eating by Elisabeth Tova Bailey... suffering from a debilitating unknown illness that left her with severe neurological symptoms and virtually bedridden all the time, Elisabeth Tova Bailey passes the time with a snail she was given by chance by a visiting friend in a pot of flowers. This is a wonderful book about nature. A slim book that is the perfect size for a stocking! Here's my review from November.

Dewey:

The Small-Town Li

brary Cat Who Touched the

World by Vicki Myr

on...

This is the sweetest book, and will touch any

ani

mal

lo

ve

rs

heart. Dewey is the kitten that

was thrown away one very cold night in the library book deposit, and found the next morning by Vicki Myron. It's the story of saving Dewey and his life as the most po

pul

ar l

ibrar

y c

a

t known nation wide. Here's

m

y r

evi

ew from last Sept.

Life by

Kelly Corrigan... "Written as a letter to her chil

dren, Kelly rel

ays her deepe

st fears, frus

tratio

ns and fierce love thr

ough the weaving of th

ree

relevant stories from her life. "

A beautiful heartfelt memoir that would make a wonderful gif

t t

o any daughter. It's a slim book wi

th a beautiful cover. Her

e's m

y

r

eview from last March.

For the Book Lover on your list...

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett..."this novella sends Queen Elizabeth II into a mobile library van in pursuit of her runaway corgis and into the reflective, observant life of an avid reader." I loved this book! Queen Elizabeth II becomes an obsessed reader! Sound like anyone you know! It's a slim 120 pages, great writing and so much fun! Any reader would love this book!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak... It's WWII Germany, a 9 yr. old little girl named Liesel loves books. Her father lulls her to sleep by reading the only books available - the ones she's stolen. The story takes you to the horrors of the war as seen through both Liesels young eyes and Death, who is actually telling the story. Loved this book! Originally promoted as a YA book, many adult book clubs loved reading this! Mine did!

Great YA Dystopian fiction...

The Maze Runner by James Dashner ... "When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls." The Glade is terrifying, surreal and an adventure! The world is believable and the way the kids work together to survive their world without adults is well developed. It's a bit of sci-fi for grades 4-10. I enjoyed it, read it the end of last year, and just picked up the 2nd book in this trilogy called The Scorch Trials. If you've read the Hunger Games already, give this a try. Not quite as good as the Hunger Games, but should be enjoyable for any YA dystopian lover! Here's my review from last November of 2009.

The Uglies by Scott Westerfield... A world where at age 16 you are turned into the perfect and beautiful person you were always meant to be. What if you don't want to be beautiful? What if you like yourself just the way you are? If you haven't read this series or the first book in the series, I would highly recommend it to YA (and adults) who love this genre. Scott Westerfield gives us a wonderful strong female protagonist, Tally Youngblood, who could be any teenage girl. A wonderful story and adventure. Meant for YA's Grade 6 up. Here's my review from last December.

Great Dystopian Adult Fiction...

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist... "The Unit is a gripping exploration of a society in the throes of an experiment, in which the “dispensable” ones are convinced under gentle coercion of the importance of sacrificing for the “necessary” ones." This is another one of my all time favorite reads, and hails from last year. I still remember this story like yesterday. It was haunting. Entering your twilight years in "The Unit" is when you turn 50 for a woman, 60 for a man. If you're childless, you'll be living like a queen until they need something from you (and we aren't talking about money here!) A great read for any sci-fi lover or anyone who loves the genre of dystopian fiction. Here's my review from November '09.

Great Romances...

Dracula in Love by Karen Essex... It's the story of the woman behind the man. Mina was the woman Dracula coveted and tried to seduce in the original Bram Stoker story. In the hands of author Karen Essex we learn the love story that transcended time between Mina and Count Dracula. A Victorian love story with a big dose of SPICE! Erotic and sexy, you'll never view Dracula the same. I loved the writing and the story swept me away. Here's my review from last July.

Knight of Passion by Margaret Mallory... A hunky knight, a feisty heroine, and a great love story. Margaret Mallory never dissappoints me when it comes to historical romance. This is the third book in her All The Kings Men series. All three books in this series are worth a read when you want to escape. A perfect gift for the historical romance reader on your list! Here's my review from last June.

Now maybe your list includes someone who loves audiobooks!? Here are my favorites from this year...

Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Graham-Smith... Great Historical Fiction with Vampires. This story is just great! If you love the "real" kind of vampires, the not so sweet and hunky kind, and love history this is for you! I loved it! The story blends everything together so beautifully you'll wonder yourself whether it's fiction or not. The unabridged audiobook was read by Scott Holst who has a great voice and did a great job. A gre

at choicefor the history loving guy on your list. Here's my review from last April.

Backyard Saints by Joshilyn Jackson... I loved this audiobook! I haven't reviewed it yet, but trust me it's a great story, and the audiobook was wonderful. "Rose is living under the thumb of her abusive husband and his domineering father. A Gypsy in an airport who reads her tarot cards turns Rose’s life upside down when she tells Rose that if she doesn’t kill her husband, he will surely kill her." Rose's mother left her with her alcoholic abusive father when Rose was very young. Her story starts there and as the story grows, so does Rose. A story of abuse, of redemption, and the complicated relationships we sometimes have. You will be rooting for Rose all the way through the book. Very memorable characters and a story that will haunt you. For the southern fiction lover.

The Swan Thieves by Elisabeth Kostova... It's a love story that spans time, it's a mystery, it's about art, and ultimately about betrayal. It was wonderful! The unabridged audiobook of The Swan Thieves has five readers, which really makes it come alive. This audiobook is perfect for anyone who loves the impressionists, and who loves romance. It swept me away! Here's my review from May.

These books are only some of the great titles I've read earlier this year, but I've tried to highlight some of the titles you may not have seen on "The Best of" lists, that are definitely worth a read. What have you read this year that you would give as a gift? Books aren't the only gift for a book lover, but that's for next Sundays post...

Happy reading... Suzanne