From cooking to music to the desert living, the staff at Vroman’s has designed their list of holiday books with well-read readers in mind. These nine titles are sure to delight everyone on your list.
“AT HOME IN JOSHUA TREE: A FIELD GUIDE TO DESERT LIVING” BY SARA AND RICH COMBS
Now that living in the desert is finally hip, you can enjoy this rich, luxurious celebration of gorgeous, outer limits lifestyles. The perfect gift for the wasteland hipster.
“EVERYDAY DORIE: THE WAY I COOK” BY DORIE GREENSPAN
This collection is filled with fun and adaptable recipes that will become kitchen staples. The ever-dependable “Everyday Dorie” is an essential companion for any homegrown cook.
“BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS” BY STEPHEN HAWKING
Known for his groundbreaking work in physics and cosmology, this final entry by the late renowned scientist asks such questions as: Will humanity survive? Should we colonize space? Does God exist? These are just a few of the questions Hawking addresses in the wide-ranging, passionately argued book.
“THESE TRUTHS: A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES” BY JILL LEPORE
Political equality, natural rights and the sovereignty of the people – these are the truths upon which the United States was founded. The reality is far more complex, and Lepore illuminates the dilemmas that have shaped our nation in this ambitious chronicle of America’s history.
“THE FABULOUS BOUVIER SISTERS: THE TRAGIC AND GLAMOROUS LIVES OF JACKIE AND LEE” BY SAM KASHNER AND NANCY SCHOENBERGER
Vanity Fair contributing editor Sam Kashner and acclaimed biographer Nancy Schoenberger tell the story of these larger-than-life sisters, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Caroline Lee Radziwill, both neé Bouvier. Drawing on new information and extensive interviews with Radziwill, now 84, this dual biography sheds light on the public and private lives of two extraordinary women who lived through immense tragedy in enormous glamour. A poignant, evocative and wonderfully gossipy account of sisters who represented style and class above all else.
“GARDENS OF THE ARTS & CRAFTS MOVEMENT” BY JUDITH B. TANKARD
Originally published in 2004, Judith Tankard has fully revised this spectacular book. Gardeners and homeowners will cherish the nearly 300 illustrations and photographs as the landscape scholar discusses both British and North American gardens and designers.
“LET’S GO (SO WE CAN GET BACK): A MEMOIR OF RECORDING AND DISCORDING WITH WILCO, ETC.” BY JEFF TWEEDY
You may know Jeff Tweedy as the brain, hands and voice behind the Chicago band Wilco. In this memoir, Tweedy dives into his musical upbringing, influences and artistic process, revealing an intimate self-portrait filled with the same wit and pathos that inform his songwriting.
“TAKING THE ARROW OUT OF THE HEART” BY ALICE WALKER
Does Alice Walker really need an introduction? The author of the National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “The Color Purple” returns with a bilingual book of new poetry. Written in Spanish and English, the poems here are full of Walker’s characteristic insight, deep feeling and resolute activism.
“FAMILY TRUST” BY KATHY WANG
Stanley Huang has been diagnosed with cancer and his family members are anxiously awaiting the details of his estate in this debut novel. A compelling portrayal of familial relationships and American ambition.
