Holiday book list 2015

I love books. I love the lure of a new story, visiting places I haven't been, finding hope in the promise for better ever-afters, and discovering new itineraries to self-discovery and connections with the wider world of people around me. If I enter a book store, time drifts; and I can browse for hours, marveling at the creativity that's sprung forth from fellow authors. At the holidays I am especially susceptible to becoming lost in the shelves, whether they belong to a library, a store, or happen to be my own.

Here are a few titles I've been drawn to for those on my gift list this year.

How to Catch Santa by Jean Reagan. Illustrated by Lee Wildish 

This is a fun delight, focusing on holiday traditions of wonder and magic.

Giraffes Can't Dance by Giles Andreae. Illustrated by Guy Parker-Rees. The rhyme works and the story is heart-felt, which means that this will be one that will be read again and again.

The Lightning Queen by Laura Resau. A story inspired by interactions between characters from different cultures. This one is set in Mexico about friendship that spans generations.

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger. This book is sure to please my sailor-dad, although I wish I had more time to spend reading it before I have to give it away. What is it about? The subtitle reads, "The forgotten war that changed American History."

And lastly, what am I reading now?

Glow by Jessica Maria Tuccelli. Set in Tennessee, this is another story that mingles two worlds into one through examining bonds between nations and families of the Scots-Irish and Cherokee descent. Since my father's side of my family is descended from marriage between Scots-Irish and Cherokee of Tennessee, I was drawn to this story.

Happy Holidays! Happy Reading! Happy Feasting!

  

Coat of Many Colors - Tis the Season

Without a doubt, I am no expert on the culture of film. When I find I have a little free time to burn, I'll check out the latest offerings available. Lately however, I'd found myself lamenting at the lack of movies and TV shows that offered any sort of meaningful dialogue that extended beyond people simply talking AT each other, or issuing commands. I guess I have missed shows or films that offer displays of human connection and companionship. I guess I have grown tired the endless barrage of dystopian stories hinged on awful leaders and the results of poor decisions.

Just when I thought I would forever leave the television off and avoid the theater altogether, along came Dolly Parton's Coat of Many Colors. It seems silly to think that someone my age finally felt happy over the fact that she had a film to look forward to, but it's true.

And as I watch it, it's apparent that I was right. Finally, I was lucky to stumble across entertainment that meant something other than one side winning or losing. Finally, I was lucky to be able to sit down to enjoy a real story about real people. Isn't that what life is about?