May I humbly suggest these titles as holiday gifts this year?
"Bird on a Blade" by Rosanne Cash and Dan Rizzie
With an iconic sound that transcends country, pop, rock, and blues, Rosanne Cash’s voice and vision have captured American life for generations of fans. Over the same time span, internationally acclaimed artist Dan Rizzie has wowed collectors with his evocative paintings, prints, and collages. Now, in a book that is as unique as their artistry, Cash and her longtime friend Rizzie have teamed up to create an extraordinary hybrid. Blending images created by Rizzie with strands of lyrics from a variety of Cash’s songs (including new material from her latest album, "She Remembers Everything," as well as her beloved classics), "Bird on a Blade" is a mosaic designed to inspire the imagination and soothe the heart.
"FlabberGassed: A Mister Puss Mystery" by Michael Craft
In the idyllic little town of Dumont, Wisconsin, wealthy widow Mary Questman adopts an exotic stray cat, Mister Puss, who begins to talk to her. At least she thinks so. Mary's young friend, gay architect Brody Norris, soon finds another reason to worry about Mary's judgment when she decides to help finance a bizarre weight-loss enterprise called FlabberGas, the invention of a flamboyant local dermatologist, Dr. Francis Frumpkin. Brody's skepticism is partially overcome when Dr. Frumpkin commissions him to design the first of a planned chain of FlabberGas clinics. But then, during a public demonstration of Frumpkin's gimmicky new treatment, a volunteer is gassed to death in a hideous mishap that turns out to be no accident. It was murder, all right. Suspects abound. And Brody is drawn into the role of amateur sleuth, assisting Sheriff Thomas Simms.
"Mlvc60: Madonna's Most Amazing Magazine Covers: A Visual Record" by Matthew Rettenmund
Madonna has been a force to be reckoned with in popular culture for nearly 40 years. As she turns 60 (b. August 16, 1958), "MLVC60" documents over 1,000 of her most incredible magazine covers, using them to chronicle her rise to fame and her impact on the world.
"100 Christmas Wishes: Vintage Holiday Cards from the New York Public Library"
As Rosanne Cash, a patron and friend of the Library as well as a devoted fan of Christmas cards, says in her introduction “This collection of early Christmas postcards, housed for a century in the New York Public Library archives, distills those abiding wishes for the holidays from revelers from long ago and faraway, in a wish for peace, joy, magic, bounty, family, and for light to be shone ‘round the world at Christmas, past and future."
"Driven: A Daughter's Odyssey" by Julie Heldman
In the mid-20th century, the Heldmans were tennis royalty. Julie was a volatile and gutsy tennis star, twice ranked number 5 in the world. Her mother, Gladys, was broadly admired for her unique magazine, World Tennis, and for engineering the women's tennis revolution. No one guessed that Gladys's hidden emotional abuse was the source of Julie's powerful drive. "Driven" is a highly readable insider's account of a pivotal time in women's tennis history; an in-depth look at Gladys's complex character; and the revealing story of Julie's interior journey, both on and off the court.
"My Life as a Goddess" by Guy Branum
From a young age, Guy Branum always felt as if he were on the outside looking in. Self-taught, introspective, and from a stiflingly boring farm town, he couldn’t relate to his neighbors. While other boys played outside, he stayed indoors reading Greek mythology. And being gay and overweight, he got used to diminishing himself. But little by little, he started learning from all the sad, strange, lonely outcasts in history who had come before him, and he started to feel hope. In this collection of personal essays, Guy talks about finding a sense of belonging at Berkeley -- and stirring up controversy in a newspaper column that led to a run‑in with the Secret Service. He recounts the pitfalls of being typecast as the “Sassy Gay Friend,” and how, after taking a wrong turn in life (i.e. law school), he found stand‑up comedy and artistic freedom. He analyzes society’s calculated deprivation of personhood from fat people, and how, though it’s taken him a while to accept who he is, he has learned that with a little patience and a lot of humor, self-acceptance is possible. Written with Guy’s characteristic blend of wit, guile, and rumination, "My Life as a Goddess" is an unforgettable and deeply moving book by one of today’s most endearing and galvanizing voices in comedy.
"Excuse Me While I Slip Into Someone More Comfortable" by Eric Poole
In 1977, Eric Poole is a talented high school trumpet player with one working ear, the height-to-weight ratio of a hat rack, a series of annoyingly handsome bullies, and a mother irrationally devoted to Lemon Pledge. But who he wants to be is a star…ANY star. With equal parts imagination, flair, and delusion, Eric proceeds to emulate a series of his favorite celebrities, like Barry Manilow, Halston, Tommy Tune, and Shirley MacLaine, in an effort to become the man he’s meant to be -- that is, anyone but himself. As he moves through his late teens and early twenties in suburban St. Louis, he casts about for an appropriate outlet for his talents. Will he be a trumpet soloist? A triple-threat actor/singer/dancer? A fashion designer in gritty New York City? Striving to become the son who can finally make his parents proud, Eric begins to suspect that discovering his personal and creative identities can only be accomplished by admitting who he really is. Picking up at the end of his first acclaimed memoir, "Where’s My Wand?," Poole’s journey from self-delusion to acceptance is simultaneously hysterical, heartfelt, and inspiring.
"U.S. Open: 50 Years of Championship Tennis"
Timed to coincide with the U.S. Open’s 50th anniversary, this exquisitely produced book celebrates the most electrifying event in tennis. All of the key moments and unforgettable personalities from the competition’s 50-year history are brought to life by vibrant, exclusive photography. This book provides a comprehensive look at the tournament, from the early years of tennis legends such as Billie Jean King and Arthur Ashe to iconic players such as Roger Federer and Serena Williams. Original contributions from journalists, players, coaches, and notable fans stand alongside gorgeous photography of the many household names who have made their mark competing on the game’s biggest stage. A perfect gift for any tennis fan, this book is a richly visual tribute to the sport, its fans, and its champions.
"Joan Rivers Confidential" by Melissa Rivers and Scott Currie
Joan Rivers is an enduring icon of the 20th century, and her wildly popular humor has appealed to generations of fans. With a career that began in the late 1950s, Joan kept mementos over the course of her entire working life, and "Joan Rivers Confidential" is a compilation of never-before-seen personal archives. Assembled by her daughter Melissa with Scott Currie, the book contains scripts and monologues, letters from famous friends, exchanges with fans, rare photographs, as well as classic and never-before-heard jokes—many simply scribbled on everything from hotel stationery to airplane boarding passes. Touching on subjects from her 50 years in show business ("The Tonight Show," Las Vegas, Elizabeth Taylor, Heidi Abromowitz, the red carpet, and "Fashion Police"), this is a revelatory and humor-filled insider look at the popular, multitalented comedian.
"Calypso" by David Sedaris
With "Calypso," Sedaris sets his formidable powers of observation toward middle age and mortality. Make no mistake: these stories are very, very funny--it's a book that can make you laugh 'til you snort, the way only family can. Sedaris's powers of observation have never been sharper, and his ability to shock readers into laughter unparalleled. But much of the comedy here is born out of that vertiginous moment when your own body betrays you and you realize that the story of your life is made up of more past than future.
Bonus idea!
"Wasn't Tomorrow Wonderful: A Memoir" by Kenneth M. Walsh
In the summer of ’77, while other boys in the Midwest were busy playing Little League and flocking to see "Star Wars," young Kenny Walsh was obsessed with Chris Evert and Woody Allen movies -- and daydreamed about moving to New York City. But when his family headed west from the suburbs of Detroit to Phoenix, it was the first in a series of events that set his Big Apple ambitions on the wrong course. In this funny and moving memoir, Walsh recounts an idiosyncratic childhood that included an attempt to track down a crazed serial killer, a First Amendment battle with his fourth-grade principal, running the local KKK (that’s Kenny’s Kid Kare) babysitting service -- and the mysterious disappearance of his father. Post-college jobs took him to Hollywood and Washington, D.C. -- where trouble followed (porn stars, celebrity doppelgängers, anxiety disorders) -- yet he still didn’t feel at home. Walsh finally arrived in Manhattan the week of his thirty-first birthday … but was tomorrow as wonderful as he dreamed it would be?
