A Book For Everyone On Your Holiday List

To help narrow down the myriad of choices, bookseller Daniel Goldin of Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee shared his top picks for this season’s holiday gifting.

“I think a good book to gift is one that has the gift receiver in mind, but also the giver,” said Goldin. “There should be a little bit of the giver in the gift.”

For his guide to great books to give this holiday, Goldin selected from multiple genres, both fiction and nonfiction. He also included some selections for kids. Here are 11 of his favorites:

‘Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways To See The World’ by Ian Wright

This is a full-color, oversized book of maps and infographics for a good price, Goldin said. It’s a visual-oriented book full of zany maps like one of the longest non-stop flights in the world or another that maps out the worldwide distribution of lions. It’s a good book for dipping into and coming back to later.

“The less we use maps, the more we find them interesting for our coffee table,” said Goldin.

‘Nothing More Dangerous’ by Allen Eskens

Set in small town, 1970s Missouri, this is a coming-of-age novel about a teenage boy, Boady, who befriends his new neighbors, one of the few African American families in town. After an incident of theft at the town’s local plant is blamed on the African American accounting clerk who has gone missing, Boady is forced to come to terms with the race and class divisions of the town and plenty of secrets hidden in plain sight.

The unfolding mystery might be appealing to readers of author Larry Watson or the book “Crooked Letter” by Tom Franklin, Goldin said.

‘The Movie Musical’ by Jeanine Basinger

Among the many nonfiction, pop culture books published for the holidays, Goldin chose a film book that fascinates him. Author Jeanine Basinger, who lives part-time in Madison, has written a “memory-inducing” comprehensive history of all elements of movie musicals focusing on the 20s through the late 60s.

Basinger will appear at Boswell Books Monday, Dec. 16. You can learn more about the event on their website.

‘The Envious Siblings and Other Morbid Nursery Rhymes’ by Landis Blair

While this book may look like it’s for children at first glance, this is a different kind of nursery rhyme book. Described as “deeply disturbing,” Goldin recommends this graphic novel to fans of Edward Gorey, calling it “a little obsessed with death.”

Author Landis Blair also illustrated the book “From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death,” written by popular author, mortician and death acceptance advocate Caitlin Doughty.

‘Peek-A-Who Too?’ by Elsa Mroziewicz

This triangular-shaped board book for children offers an animal question on each page with a flap that reveals the answer. Children’s board books like this one are a great option to purchase rather than borrow from a library. This book is very sturdy, good for infants to 2- or 3-year-olds when kids are able to handle pages on their own, Goldin said.

“These days a lot of children’s books don’t go into paperback after hardcover,” explained Goldin. “Instead they go into board book.”

“Peek-A-Who Too?” is published only as a board book, but Goldin also recommends the book “Winter is Here“ by Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek, recently republished as a board book.

‘The Bookish Life of Nina Hill’ by Abbi Waxman

Romance novels are making a comeback with some changes for current times, like more diversity, disability inclusion and female agency and empowerment, Goldin said. This romance novel focuses on Nina who works in a struggling bookstore, plays competitive trivia in her free time and, after growing up with just her mom, finds herself inheriting a whole family when her estranged father passes away and puts her in his will.

“This woman’s voice (Nina Hill) really harkens back to ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary,’ or more recently ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine,’ in that the voice so draws you in so that you just love the character and everything else is gravy,” said Goldin.

‘Nothing to See Here’ by Kevin Wilson

In this novel two former, unlikely boarding school roommates find themselves back in touch under unusual circumstances. Madison’s new stepkids are moving in, and she wants Lilian to help her out, mostly because the children burst into fiery, beautiful flames when under stress. A quirky, humorous storyline builds into a complex story of parental love that Goldin said is a bit odd, but you can’t stop reading.

Kevin Wilson’s book has been a big hit, with a front page review in the New York Times and selling out too quickly to keep in stock.

‘The Grammarians’ by Cathleen Schine

This is one of many fiction novels out this year revolving around feuding sisters, said Daniel. These identical twin sisters share an obsession with words, which bonds them as toddlers but is a source of friction as they enter adulthood. The conflict comes to a head over a war of the family’s most-prized possession — a copy of “Merriam Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition.”

Goldin said those who love grammar and syntax books will love it, as will fans of Mary Norris, Anne Tyler or Elinor Lipman.

‘Monkey on The Run’ by Leo Timmers

After Papa Monkey and Little Monkey get stuck in city traffic, Little Monkey grabs onto a firetruck to explore. The pages are filled with where he goes next, from an aquarium bus to a jewel-thief’s getaway car. This is a wordless children’s picture book, which are not always Goldin’s favorite, but this one wins him over with the artistic style and the detail.

“Each car or truck is a story in itself. It reminds me of Richard Scarry too, mostly in that it’s so busy,” Goldin said.

‘The Dutch House’ by Ann Patchett

This book has been named a favorite of the year by many and even deemed Ann Patchett’s best work yet by some critics. It follows a brother and sister who lose their expansive, childhood home when their “wicked” stepmother kicks them out. The memory and meaning of this house hangs over the kids and their bond as siblings helps them survive living on their own, thrown from the riches of their childhood.

“House books are a genre unto themselves,” said Goldin.

‘The Years That Matter Most: How College Makes Or Breaks Us’ by Paul Tough

Goldin loves to read narrative nonfiction with some social impact. He even has an entire shelf in his book case just for education-focused ones.

Author Paul Tough studies what the early moments of college are like for first year and first generation students, from testing to admission to what kind of support they receive that freshman year. This book provides his findings that despite what advocates for meritocracy say, a lot of programs put into place don’t really help first generation students, Goldin said.