gift picks from vromans bookstore

Yesterday I attended an event with the buyers at Vroman's Bookstore. Initially I was the only attendee - there were three buyers! Thankfully two more people joined us, so it was at least equal.

The idea was to spend your lunch hour at the bookstore and learn about what the buyer's think are good bets for the holiday season. There were books, gifts, and stationary. All of the buyers were enthisiastic about their picks. And unlike what the chain bookstores offer up in their newsletters, most all of these titles were new to me. There were actually some great ideas for those hard to shop for - namely older men.

Here are the books that were recommended:

Great Military Leaders and Their Campaigns by Jeremy Black: This is a beautiful coffee table book. It contains concise and beautifully illustrated biographies of great military leaders from Cyrus the Great in the sixth century BC to Vo Nguyen Giap in the twentieth century. Perfect for the military buff on your list.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson: The author of this book recently died, but he left behind three mystery novels. This is the first. All three books will be published. Also each book is self-contained, so no cliff hangers to wait for the next book. This would make a great gift for a mystery lover, although the buyer noted that she wasn't a fan of mysteries, yet enjoyed this book greatly - it was hard to put down. You can read an excerpt here.

What Makes a Child Lucky by Gioia Timpanelli: This beautifully told novella is set in rural Sicily is about survival. A boy is kidnapped by the murderers of his best friend. A good gift choice for the women on your list that enjoy reading.

Obsessed with Star Wars by Benjamin Harper: This is a must-have for any Star Wars fan. With over 2000 trivia questions about the movies, books, comics, and games, even the biggest fan is sure to be stumped. There is a gizmo contained in the book that lets you select your answer and alerts you if you are correct (or not). In addition to the trivia questions there are photos and information about everything Star Wars.

Birdscapes: A Pop-Up Celebration of Bird Songs in Stereo Sound by Miyoko Chu and Cornell Lab of Omithology: This was the most impressive book I have seen in a while. The pop-up scenes are amazing. When you open a page, the birds sing. A pull out on the page explains which birds you are hearing. Great gift for bird and nature lovers.

National Geographic Society's Exploration Experience: The Heroic Exploits of the World's Greatest Explorers by Beau Riffenburgh: Another beautiful book. This one comes in a case and contains replicas of letters and maps tucked within its pages. Nice idea for a family with school aged children. It is like having a tiny history museum at your disposal.

The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket: Last year Lemony Snicket told us about latkes (see above). This year it is the story of a lump of coal. This is a very funny story about a lump of coal that escapes from a bag of charcoal who tries to find a brighter future. Great for all ages. This year's format is small enough to fit into a stocking.

Outliers: The Story of Success by Malcolm Gladwell: This book is sure to make it onto many lists. Gladwell is also the author of Tipping Points and Blink. He was recently interviewed on NPR. His ties Asian math prowess to growing rice and plane crashes to cultural norms.

A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes by David Tanis and Alice Waters (forward): David Tanis spends six months of the year in the kitchens of Chez Panisse, and the remainder of the year in France. This cookbook is filled with beautiful photographs and recipes that are simple to make and encourage the use of seasonal ingredients. This is a book any food lover would appreciate.

Next up: Non-book ideas!