Writers Russell Banks, Ann Patchett and Jeffrey Eugenides all have new novels out. Horror writer Stephen King has a new thriller based on the Kennedy assassination, while notables Glenn Beck, Bill O’Reilly and Chris Matthews tell the true story of Presidents Washington, Lincoln and Kennedy. We’ll look at the books that may be under your Christmas tree this holiday season.
Guests
- Dan Chartrand - owner of Water Street Bookstore in Exeter
- Michael Herrmann - owner of Gibson's Bookstore in Concord
Dan's recommendations:
Fiction
The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen
The Marriage Plot: A Novel by Jeffrey Eugenides
The Angel Makers: A Novel by Jessica Gregson
The Art of Fielding: A Novel by Chad Harbach
11/22/63: A Novel by Stephen King
The Night Circus: A Novel by Erin Morrgenstern
State Of Wonder: A Novel by Ann Patchett
There But For The: A Novel by Ali Smith
Reamde: A Novel by Neal Stephenson
The Submission: A Novel by Amy Waldman
Non-Fiction
Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship by Gail Caldwell
1812: The Navy's War by George C. Daughan
Your Voice in My Head: A Memoir by Emma Forrest
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller
The Swerve: How the World Became Modern by Stephen Greenblatt
War Room: The Legacy of Bill Belichick and the Art of Building the Perfect Team by Michael Holley
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
World Enough and Time: On Creativity and Slowing Down by Christian McEwen
A Train In Winter: An Extraordinary Story of Women, Friendship, and Resistance In Occupied France by Caroline Moorehead
Following Atticus: Forty-Eight Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship by Tom Ryan
Children's Book Of the Year: Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Great Local Books:
Shortcuts To Inner Peace: 70 Paths to Everyday Serenity by Ashley Davis Bush
Beyond the Notches: Stories of Place in New Hampshire's North Country, Edited by John R. Harris, Kay Morgan & Mike Dickerman
The Appetite Connection: Six Steps to Your Delicious Life and the Body You Long For by Denise Lamothe, Psy.D.
America's Privateer: Lynx and the War of 1812 by J. Dennis Robinson
Hero or Coward: The Story of General Fitz John Porter by Alexander, Morrison, Schubart
32 in '44: Building the Portsmouth Submarine Fleet in World War II by Rodney K. Watterson
Michael’s Recommendations:
For kids:
Teen girls: Audition by Stasia Ward Kehoe (a Contoocook native)
Matched and Crossed by Ally Condie
Teen boys: Lost Hero and Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
Middle grades: Diary of a Wimpy Kid series—Cabin Fever
Younger readers: I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
Strega Nona’s Gift by Tomie dePaola (New London)
A Bad Kitty Christmas by Nick Bruel
A Friend for Einstein by Charlie Cantrell
Teens: Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick
Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
Graphic novels: Habibi by Craig Thompson
Sports: The War Room by Michael Holley (football—Patriots)
Fenway 1912 by Glenn Stout (baseball—Red Sox)
Literary Essays: Arguably by Christopher Hitchens
The Ecstasy of Influence by Jonathan Lethem
Non-fiction: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Boomerang by Michael Lewis
History of the World in 100 Objects by Neil MacGregor
The Swerve by Stephen Greenblatt
Biography: Catherine the Great by Robert Massie
Hedy’s Folly by Richard Rhodes
Then Again by Diane Keaton
Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean
New England: Nature of New Hampshire by Dan Sperduto et al.
Beyond the Notches by Mike Dickerman et al.
New England Icons by Bruce Irving
Fiction: Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
IQ84, by Haruki Murakami
Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obrecht (paperback)
Death Comes to Pemberley, by P.D. James
The Affair by Lee Child
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach
When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
Poetry: The Back Chamber by Donald Hall (Wilmot, NH)
The Best of It by Kay Ryan (Pulitzer)
Cookbooks etc.: How Italian Food Conquered the World by John Mariani
Food Rules: An Eater's Manual by Michael Pollan (gift edition illustrated by Maira Kalman)
Flour by Joanne Chang
Cake Pops by "Bakerella" (Angie Dudley)
Art Books: The Louvre: All the Paintings by Vincent Pomarede