print or E,” books transport you to places you never imagined!
Gift Books are the best solutions for giving those on your holiday list.
But they’re not one size fits all. Wow someone with a great gift book!
Here are 7 gift-able books for Holiday 2017 that inspire and delight!
Put them on your holiday list or use the links in this review and get your shopping done early!
Reviews by Alison Blackman, Editor in Chief, advicesisters.com
For the Cocktail Hour Devotee:
Craft Beer?Meh? Cider? eh? But cocktails are trendy and The Cocktail Galaxy by Andy Heidel (St.Martins Press September 2017) brings over 100 “sci-fi”-themed cocktail recipes to your planet …um…home.
The author is the owner of The Way Station, a bar and music venue in Brooklyn, NY. who was also a book publicist in a former life.
But “the guide” is going to make a great gift for the difficult to gift person and the booze fan who is seeking new worlds of cocktail inspiration.
Of course, it’s also good for yourself to add new life to your gatherings.
Some of the cocktail recipes include liquors you might not normally stock, but mostly the ingredients are easily accessible and come with cute quips to make you smile as you sip!
Enjoy a Sonic Screwdriver (Doctor Who) or the Shirley Temple of Doom (Indiana Jones-not for kids!) or my favorite, the Jameson T. Kirk (Star Trek)!
For the Experimental/Adventurous Cook:
Do you plan to eat healthier in 2018? Don’t wait and get Can It and Ferment It: More Than 75 Satisfying Small-Batch Canning and Fermentation Recipes for the Whole Year By Stephanie Thurow (Skyhorse Publishing July 2017)/
If you haven’t tried fermenting food, you are missing out not just on a tasty treat, but a way to eat that is full of probiotics (read the advicesisters.com feature on the benefits of fermenting).
Fermented food is not just kimchi. Check out recipes for strawberry chutney, the perfect garlic dill pickle and there are some canning recipes as well such as rhubarb apple jam.
Some of this may take a bit of time to master and frankly, there could be a bit more details on the canning and fermenting processes (you can get more information online anyway) but while you’re learning you’ll have lots of “great eats.”
Give this colorful and interesting cookbook as a gift, and inspire health in their life, too.
For the Nostalgia Fan
Addicted to Americana: A Colofrul Kaleidoscope of Retro Pop Culture (October 2017 Prospect Park Books) is a nostalgic look (or if you are too young to remember, new view) of things retro and unique and quintessentially American.
Author Charles Phoenix is a collector or all things retro, mostly from the 50’s and 60’s.
His retro slide shows (yes slides) were inspired by a box of slides from the 1950’s of a tour across America he found in a thrift shop!
From cars with fins that look like they could rocket to the stars to roadside rests that were designed to show optimism for the future, to truly futuristic designs and more, you’ll be fascinated.
For $29.95 this is a great gift idea but you’ll want someone to give this book to you.
For the Vegan/Vegetarian Gourmet
The Moosewood Restaurant Table: 250 Brand-New Recipes from The Natural Foods Restaurant That Revolutionized Eating in America by he Moosewood Collective (St. Martins Press September 2017)/
The title is long enough to give you a clue that these recipes are not for those who “grab and go.”
However, if you’re into natural foods, especially if you are vegan or vegetarian, and/or you loved the original Moosewood cookbook and restaurant, this new and hefty cookbook will delight you.
If I have any issues with the recipes, it’s that most of them really do take some time to prepare and/or have multiple steps.
For a weekend dinner or party, that’s fine, but if you’re busy and need quick and easy menu ideas you might have to do these when you have time and freeze them.
It’s an exciting book of modern recipes from a beloved gastropub but a lot of the recipes might not appeal to meat eaters (e.g. nori rolls with kale or “faux” meatballs).
For just $35, this beautiful hardcover book will be a welcome holiday gift for those who are vegan or vegetarian and want to eat gourmet all year long.
For the Mystical!
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Are you or someone you know into crystals? Crystal Bliss: Attract Love. Feed Your Spirit. Manifest Your Dreams by Author Devi Brown (Adams Media 2017) is new book chock-full of information on the topic of crystals and how to use them.
Those who don’t believe in the innate energy and vibrations of crystals will still find the book interesting while reading what Mother Nature’s little miracles can do for those who do believe that crystals can help them with issues in life, love, and career.
This is a lovely, comprehensive guide to help you choose specific crystals for specific things, including cleaning and preparing them for use.
Nice too, are “Mantras” that you can use to help unlock and affirm the power of each gemstone or mineral.
This could be a great gift for anyone, but I especially like it as a gift for a disgruntled young person who needs a focus and (perhaps) a hobby.
For the Jet Setter
Francophiles have seen enough guidebooks and read enough literary “love letters” to the beautiful “City of Lights” but Why LA? Pourquoi Paris?: An Artistic Pairing of Two Iconic Cities by Diane Ratican with illustrations by Eric Girat & Nick Lu Illustre Books; Sew edition 2014) is a bit different.
Ratican, who spent plenty of time in each of these cities, somehow creates a link between them (in 7 topic areas from landmarks to leisure to communicating ideas).
The illustrations are darling (you can buy them separately online) making this a book to enjoy visually as well as for its text content.
I don’t personally see Los Angeles and Paris as that harmonious, but the author points out that each City has its own charm.
Buy this for fans of either Paris, or Los Angeles, or both. It’s definitely “coffee table” worthy, and just delightful!
For the Music Fan
Were you or are you a fan of the Punk Rock scene?
We Were Going to Change the World: Interviews With Women from the 1970s & 1980s California Punk Rock Scene by Stacy Russo (Santa Monica Press, 2017) is a newly-minted book with profiles of women who rocked on through their (mostly) teenage years.
What’s most interesting (to me) about the many personal profiles/interviews is why and how these ladies who were then very young become so entranced by and entrenched in this punk rock scene on the West Coast.
The interviews offer an authentic with a no-holds-barred view of the rebelliousness, anger and need to belong that so fueled the punk rock scene. e girls found in the music scene.
While the girls were sometimes marginalized by the men of punk rock, they seemed to be empowered when they altered their physical image, sporting a mohawk, Doc Martens, or other trappings of the punk rock scene. kaye trinakaye@tkopr.com
This also altered the way others viewed them, sometimes for the better, sometimes not.
The book will be a nostalgic view that time for those who were there, or who want to know more about it.
