How to pick the perfect book gift

This being "Black Friday", book shopping may be on your mind. Here is a copy of what I wrote for the December issue of Pleasant Hill Community Focus. (by the way, feel free to click on the amazon.com links on the sides and bottom of the page) (was that too shameless?) (maybe I should make a poll about that) (anyway, enjoy the article)



Every year it seems more and more publications are releasing their top 10 book gifts to help people pick out a book for a family member, friend, co-worker, etc. The truth of the matter is that picking out a book for someone is incredibly simple to do. Just pick one of these three options.

Option One:
If you know this person (their interests, their hobbies, their sense of humor) you don’t need any advice. Just go to the book store, browse for about 30 minutes, and you will find a book that they will like.

Just two quick catches to this however. Do not buy them a book related to their job. As a teacher, I hate getting books about teaching. I’m sure ‘Waiting for Superman’ is going to make a wonderful book one day, but please don’t buy it for me. The last thing I want to do after a full day of work is to come home and read about what I just spent the last 10 hours doing.

Next, if you are buying a book for someone who shops at Barnes & Noble or Borders a lot you may want to avoid the clearance shelf. It kind of de-values that great book on ancient Egypt or collection of Poe short stories a bit if they go to the book store a week later and see that you spent $1.99 on it. Not everyone will care, but some will.

Option Two:
If you do not know the person who you are getting a gift for very well you have two ways you can go. The first thing you can try is to see if they have an amazon.com wish list. You can then either get them a book from this list or something very similar to an item on this list.

If they do not have an amazon.com wish list or you cannot find it because they have too common a name (i.e. John Smith, etc.), or you have no idea what amazon.com is then you have one final recourse. Buy them a gift card. Trust me, its the best thing for everyone. A card of $15-$20 dollars will buy them any paperback they could want and you avoid the embarrassment of showing the person how little you know about them.

Option Three:
This is the best option. Get them a book you love. Write them a personal note on the inside explaining why you loved this book and why you think they will too.

Hopefully these tips help you. Happy holidays!

Shock and Awe!

It's the day after Thanksgiving and the library is...OPEN!! I know, I know...take a deep breath. Even though they were closed Wednesday, and one would assume it would just take the rest of the week off and open again on Tuesday, they have actually done the right thing and re-opened today. Thanksgiving indeed!

November Book Of the Month: Room by Emma Donoghue

To five-year-old Jack, Room is the entire world. It is where he was born and grew up; it's where he lives with his Ma as they learn and read and eat and sleep and play. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits.

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma, it is the prison where Old Nick has held her captive for seven years. Through determination, ingenuity, and fierce motherly love, Ma has created a life for Jack. But she knows it's not enough...not for her or for him. She devises a bold escape plan, one that relies on her young son's bravery and a lot of luck. What she does not realize is just how unprepared she is for the plan to actually work.

Told entirely in the language of the energetic, pragmatic five-year-old Jack, ROOM is a celebration of resilience and the limitless bond between parent and child, a brilliantly executed novel about what it means to journey from one world to another.

The Results Are In

I know its kind of late, but in case you were still wondering, Jack Weir and Michael Harris won. Good news with Weir (hopefully) and bad news with Harris. Especially since measure T didn't pass, now Harris has all his excuses in order to increase library cuts. At least we got rid of one of the incumbents, hopefully this will get the ball rolling in the right direction.