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Last year, we offered the none-too-shocking revelation that we live in a world where people are willing to stand in line for a week just to get a new video game system. We then countered by suggesting that we begin our own revolution by getting back to basics and just plain kicking back with a good book. This holiday season, the revolution continues unabated. Reading is still just as fundamental as it ever was, so here’s a list of suggestions for your own Christmas list, as well as for your friends and family who don’t necessarily require pretty pictures in their reading material.
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For the punk rock dad |
"Punk Rock Dad: No Rules, Just Real Life," by Jim Lindberg
As the lead singer of the punk band Pennywise, you wouldn’t necessarily think of Jim Lindberg as the best guy to offer parental advice. As it happens, he’s actually pretty well-versed in the subject, with three little girls of his own. This might not replace Dr. Spock as your go-to guide for how to raise your young ones, but Lindberg takes a casual style and reminds the reader that it’s possible to rock out even while you’re helping to get the next generation off to a good start.
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Alternadad, by Neal Pollack |
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For the fed-up mom |
"Really, You've Done Enough: A Parent's Guide to Stop Parenting Their Adult Child Who Still Needs Their Money but Not Their Advice," by Sarah Walker
Well, I wouldn’t want to suggest that I’ve ever met anyone to whom this book would apply (let alone that there’s anyone in my family who might wish they’d had this on their shelf a decade or two ago). Uh, actually, I should probably head a different direction with this write-up. If you’ve got a kid – or know someone who does – who, despite all possible efforts, is rapidly turning into a real deadbeat, it could be worth flipping through this gem. Written by Sarah Walker, a regular scribe for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” it provides a clever wit with worthy advice that, fingers crossed, could result in getting that lazy lump out of the house.
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“I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood,” by Trisha Ashworth |
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For parents who get a kick out of faking out their kids |
"Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food," by Jessica Seinfeld
It isn’t the most original idea in the world (as Seinfeld found out, when she was kinda-sorta accused of plagiarism shortly after this cookbook was released) but it works. If your kids don’t like to eat vegetables (and really, what kind of self-respecting kid does?), you resort to trickery and deceit, chiefly by taking said vegetables, pureeing them, and sneaking the puree into various Deceptively Delicious recipes. Sounds perfectly disgusting, but hey, if it’s good enough for Jerry Seinfeld, it’s good enough for your kids – and good enough for your fat ass, for that matter. Give it to your wife as a way of tacitly admitting that your disgusting eating habits are driving you to an early grave and you’re willing to seek help – but cut out the page with the recipe for macaroni and cheese with cauliflower puree. That’s just sacrilegious.
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“The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids Favorite Meals,” Missy Chase Lapine |
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For the sports aficionado -- or anyone else, for that matter -- in search |
"Get In the Game," by Cal Ripken, Jr.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a baseball fan, or even a sports fan. You’ve got to respect the way Cal Ripken, Jr. played the game -- how he persevered every day and played in a record 2,632 consecutive games. Ripken was not the most talented player, but he had a work ethic unlike most players, save for maybe Lou Gehrig, whose career is shown in this book to mirror Ripken’s. If you want to teach your kids about the values of hard work and dedication to playing sports (or to anything in life), you should give them this book for the holidays. Heck, if you haven’t read it and need inspiration in your own life or career, you might ask your significant other to put this book on your holiday wish list this year.
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“Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life,” by Tony Dungy |
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For the political junkie with a sense of humor |
"Our Dumb World: The Onion's Atlas of the Planet Earth, 73rd Edition"
“The Daily Show” and “The Colbert Report” might get all the buzz these days, but the folks at the Onion were the first to perfect the fake-news game, and even if their rise to full-fledged media empire status seems to have stalled (where’s that Onion movie, anyway?), they’ve never stopped doing what they do best, and this piss-taking atlas is the latest proof. It starts off with 13 pages on the United States, helpfully pointing out everything that’s wrong with all 50 of ‘em (“Minnesota: Land of 10,000 Retards”), then moves on to nations of the world both well-known (“Afghanistan: Allah’s Cat Box”) and perhaps not-so-well-known (“Mauritania: Holy Living Fuck – They Still Have Slaves Here”). Hilarious for you, educational for the halfwit in your family who wouldn’t be able to find New Jersey on a map. Get two copies – one for your kid, and one for him to slip onto his history teacher’s class bookshelf.
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“I Am America (And So Can You!),” by Stephen Colbert |
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For that friend who’s recently developed a taste for braaaaaaains |
"World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War," by Max Brooks
When Mel Brooks’ son, Max, released his “Zombie Survival Guide” in 2003, it was no surprise, given both its title and his parentage, that it’d be an amusing, entertaining read. Max has returned to the wellspring with more zombie-related writings, but this time, it’s not so funny…and that’s a good thing. In “World War Z,” he offers a fictional but frightening oral history of a worldwide zombie outbreak, including how it began, why it expanded in such a fashion, and what the ramifications were. Forget thinking how it could never happen, just let yourself get wrapped up in the tale. But, uh, you might want to leave the reading light on even after you’re finished, just in case.
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“Marvel Zombies vs. Army of Darkness” |
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For the sci-fi/comic geek who wants to start their kids on the right path right away |
"Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy," by Matthew Reinhart
They say you’re never too young or too old to appreciate the wonders of “Star Wars,” but, frankly, that might be overstating things a bit. Frankly, until they get to a certain age, most kids just don’t have the attention span to put up with a feature-length film. If you’re feeling twitchy that you’re losing valuable time in getting your children started on the road to The Force, however, here’s the perfect place to start. From the disconcerting Darth Vader cover shot to the climactic light-saber battle between Lord Vader and his estranged son, Luke Skywalker, at the end, it’s a fun flip through the “Star Wars” saga. Beware, though, parents: only you know if your child is mature enough to be able to look beneath Vader’s mask. Yes, the option is there.
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“X-Men Pop-Up: Marvel True Believers Retro Collection” |
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For the axe-man in your life |
"Clapton: The Autobiography," by Eric Clapton
As anyone who has interviewed more than a few celebrities can tell you, fame doesn’t necessarily make a person interesting. But it does guarantee them a book deal, which is why bookstore shelves have been lined with dishwater-dull biographies and autobiographies of the rich and famous for as long as there have been bookstores. Clapton – who has made more than his share of boring music – proves the exception here, breezily leading readers through his early childhood and into his days with Cream and John Mayall, without falling back on any of the mundane filler that tends to bog down the first halves of books like these. Before you know it, he’s playing to stadiums, trying to steal his best friend’s wife, and killing himself with drugs and booze. The end result is a book that should prove fascinating even for non-Clapton fans – and perhaps even a somewhat ruefully constructive reminder for anyone who has struggled with addiction. His albums might be hit or miss, but as this book proves, that isn’t for a lack of life experience behind the songs.
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“Slash,” by Slash |
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For fans of ‘70s punk |
"Redemption Song: The Ballad of Joe Strummer," by Chris Salewicz
There have been plenty of great books written about The Clash over the years (most notably Marcus Gray’s “Last Gang in Town”), but none have provided the level of penetration into the life of Joe Strummer that “Redemption Song” does. This can be attributed to the fact that its author, Chris Salewicz, was a close friend of the Clash frontman, which resulted in him being granted unparalleled access to Strummer’s life, times and family history, including conversations with virtually everyone who’d crossed his path over the years. Most unique, however, is Salewicz’s occasional tendency to drift into the first person, which adds a level of poignancy that you just don’t find in your average biography. But, then, Joe Strummer was in no way an average guy, so I guess it’s only appropriate.
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“The Official Punk Rock Book of Lists,” by Amy Wallace and “Handsome” by Dick Manitoba |
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For the aspiring music journalist |
"CREEM: America's Only Rock 'N' Roll Magazine," by Robert Matheu and Brian J. Bowe
There will never be another CREEM, and, boy, do the magazine’s fans love to tell you so. You can’t really blame them, though, given the state of rock journalism in America. Rolling Stone permanently lost all musical credibility when it doled out five stars to Mick Jagger’s Goddess in the Doorway, and Spin always spent most of its ink trying to show how cool their taste in music is. CREEM always cut through all the bullshit. Writers like Dave Marsh, Lester Bangs, Greil Marcus and Robert Christgau, they burst through the door and basically said, “This is the music that will change your world, and you’ll listen to it if you know what’s good for you.” They didn’t really care whether or not what they listened to was cool, they just knew that it mattered to them. And with their writing, they made it matter to you, too. Reading this book will show you what you missed, and it’ll show you what’s missing from today’s music rags: heart.
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“The Rolling Stone Interviews,” edited by Jann Wenner and Joe Levy |
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When TV viewers and comic book geeks collide |
NBC really went all out to promote their superhero-themed drama, “Heroes,” when it first premiered, but none of the gestures proved more impressive than the show’s ongoing “graphic novel,” which appeared on the show’s website. Teaming with some of the comic book industry’s most notable artists, the show’s writers were able to provide back stories and off-camera tales that couldn’t fit into the show itself. The result expands on the mythos of the series far more than any deleted scenes on a DVD would.
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“Astro City: Life in the Big City” |
"Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight, Volume 1: The Long Way Home"
Joss Whedon is kind of the sci-fi equivalent of Kevin Smith: when he creates characters that he loves, he’s loath to just let them go gently into that good night. In the case of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Whedon had plenty more to say and do with characters Buffy and Dawn Summers, Willow Rosenberg, Xander Harris and Rupert “Ripper” Giles, but when Sarah Michelle Gellar opted to pursue other acting opportunities, the series came to an end with Season Seven. Thank God for comic books. Whedon took pen to paper and began writing a Season Eight, and the result is so good that you just know Gellar is thinking, “Wow, I did ‘Southland Tales’ when I could’ve been doing this?” Yep. Your bad, Sarah Michelle.
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“Angel: Old Friends” |
Speaking of TV...
If you want to buy a book for a friend and you don’t know what they like to read, but you do know what their favorite movie or TV show is, the following suggestions might help.
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If they like "Scrubs" or "House" |
"Mütter Museum Historic Medical Photographs," by the College of Physicians of Philadelphia
A book of medical photographs? Yep, it’s just as disconcerting as you’d expect it to be, but it’s also rather fascinating. This is the second volume of photos from the Mütter Museum, but whereas the first volume was more artistic, this one goes on a historical bent, providing shots dating back to the Civil War. The older material proves the most unique, showing the ravages of diseases which, while readily treatable now, were excruciatingly difficult to tackle in the 1800s. Beyond the straightforward photography, however, also included are X-rays, micrography and the very old school daguerreotypes. But it’s definitely not for the 6-year-old who says, “I wanna be a doctor when I grow up.” Well, unless you can’t afford to send the kid to medical school, that is. But if that’s the case, then it’s perfect.
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“The Two-headed Boy and Other Medical Marvels,” by Jan Bondeson |
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If they like "Reaper" |
"I, Lucifer: Finally, the Other Side of the Story," by Glen Duncan
I have to wonder if the producers of “Reaper” will ever consider integrating elements from this book into the show. The premise involves God giving Satan a human body for a month, providing him with the opportunity to stick with it longer if he chooses. The body, however, belongs to a writer named Declan Gunn, who’s on the verge of suicide, which wouldn’t be such a big deal if Satan hadn’t also been given Gunn’s memories and conscience to deal with as well. This doesn’t always sit well with Satan’s preferred levels of debauchery in his lifestyle. The book provides a look at Ol’ Scratch that is almost as much of a sinfully enjoyable pleasure as Ray Wise’s portrayal of the character on TV, but it’s surprisingly thoughtful and, less surprisingly, highly theological at times.
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“Good Omens,” by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman |
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If they like Monty Python's "Flying Circus" |
"Diaries 1969-1979: The Python Years," by Michael Palin
Michael Palin has long since proven himself to be far more than just a comedian, serving as one of the BBC’s great documentarians with his exploits as a world traveler. With the publication of his diaries from the Python years, however, he shows what a talented and enthusiastic writer he is as well. He offers up reminiscences of the comedy troupe’s glory days, along with his own personal experiences along the way. Except for the coffee-table book about the Pythons from a few years ago, the only thing close to this to have emerged from any of the other members was Graham Chapman’s “A Liar’s Autobiography, Volume VI,” but this is, shall we say, a bit more straightforward. (It’s still damned funny, though.)
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“Terry Jones' Medieval Lives,” by Terry Jones |
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If they like "Weeds" |
"Marijuana Buds for Less: Grow 8 oz. of Bud for Less Than $100," by SeeMoreBuds
We are absolutely, positively, unequivocally not suggesting that you follow any of the instructions within this book. That would be wrong. But, still, admit it: you saw this and laughed. Of course, we realize that, right now, you’re probably thinking, “Wow, can you imagine how much harder I would’ve laughed if I’d been stoned?” But, hey, you can’t blame us for that. (We checked.)
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“Smuggler's Blues: The Saga of a Marijuana Importer,” by Jay Carter Brown |
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If they like "Entourage" |
"Where's My F*cking Latte? (and Other Stories About Being an Assistant in Hollywood)," by Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff
The words “underling” and “peon” don’t really do justice to just how low on the totem pole the average Hollywood assistant sits. You might view it as an entry level position that you’ll use to work your way up the ladder of success, but let’s be honest: statistically speaking, your spirit will be crushed long before you make it up even a single rung. If Mark Yoshimoto Nemcoff’s book of interviews with various former and current Hollywood assistants does anything for you (other than make you laugh out loud), let it help show you that it’s a long way to the top. Despite all the eventual perks – like, say, having your very own Hollywood assistant – it might not be worth the trouble. Okay, we’re lying: it’d totally be worth the trouble. But just remember that when your boss says, “Here come the cops; hide my stash in your boxers.”
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“Who Stole the Funny?: A Novel of Hollywood,” by Robby Benson |
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If they like "SportsCenter" |
"Total Access: A Journey to the Center of the NFL Universe," by Rich Eisen
Okay, so he’s not actually on “SportsCenter” now. But as a regular member of the NFL Network’s crack squad of commentators, Rich Eisen is still speaking to the same demographic who watches “SportsCenter.” (Plus, he’s married to “ESPN on ABC” reporter Suzy Shuster, which ought to count for something, too.) In the blurb for “Total Access,” Eisen proclaims that his book takes readers on his journey in front of the camera (interviewing league MVPs and former Presidents of the United States), and behind the scenes with some of the game’s all-time greats like Deion Sanders, Ray Lewis and Brett Favre, just to name a few. He adds, “I mean, Rich Eisen doesn’t want to name-drop. In all seriousness, Rich Eisen doesn’t have an ego problem.” It’s okay if you do, Rich; that kind of thing tends to make for better reading, anyway.
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“The Paolantonio Report: The Most Overrated and Underrated Players, Teams, Coaches, and Moments in NFL History,” by Sal Paolantonio |
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If they like "Clerks" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back" |
"My Boring Ass Life: The Uncomfortably Candid Diary of Kevin Smith," by Kevin Smith
Not to venture into hyperbole, but it’s possible that there hasn’t been a more accurately titled book since “War and Peace.” Kevin Smith’s diary is nothing if not candid, like, to the point where if an entry doesn’t begin with him taking a big dump, you begin to worry about his health. Of course, you also might find yourself wondering about how normal your sex life is, ‘cause this guy is “gettin’ some” from his wife on virtually every page. As to the accuracy of the “boring ass” portion of the title, well, to be fair, it might be mildly depressing to find that a major Hollywood player like Smith ends almost every night by falling asleep to TiVo’ed “Simpsons” episodes. For me, though, it just made me think, “Hey, cool! I’m even more like Kevin Smith than I thought I was!”
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“Silent Bob Speaks: The Collected Writings of Kevin Smith,” by Kevin Smith |
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If they like "The Golden Compass" and "The Seeker" |
"Cirque Du Freak," by Darren Shan
In an attempt to get that “Harry Potter” lightning to strike twice, Hollywood has tried and tried again to get film franchises based on young adult novels off the ground, but it never seems to work out for them. The most notable failures: “A Series of Unfortunate Events” didn’t live up to expectations, and “Alex Rider” bombed outright. If you want to get in on a series of books that both kids and adults can embrace, however, here’s the one that needs to be filmed as soon as possible: Darren Shan’s “Cirque Du Freak” novels. Rather like Anne Rice for the younger set, the books follow the exploits of a young lad named Darren – wow, what a coincidence! – who is bitten by a vampire and becomes that vampire’s assistant. Darren wanders through mountains, forests and sewers, encounters werewolves and a rather spooky freak show. There’s been a flick in development for a while, but after reading this set, which includes the first four books in the 12-volume saga, you’ll be demanding to know why it’s taking so long.
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“The Demonata Collection,” by Darren Shan |