Staff Picks - 2016 Adults Holiday

Atlas Obscura: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Hidden Wonders by Joshua Foer, Dylan Thuras and Ella Morton. The Great Pyramid of Giza is NOT in here. But Scotland's Garden of Cosmic Speculation is, as well as over 600 other curious, practically unheard of destinations all over the world. Illustrated armchair travel doesn't get more obscure or fun. ~ Stan Hynds

Letters of Note: Volume 2: An Eclectic Collection of Correspondence Deserving of a Wider Audience by Shaun Usher. Like its predecessor, this sensational book contains letters to and from famous people. Others are between ordinary folks. But every page is a wonder to behold. Must be seen and browsed to appreciate. ~ Stan Hynds

The Lyrics: 1961-2012 by Bob Dylan. From the winner of the 2016 Nobel Prize for Literature, there is this: all of his lyrics. Devotees and casual fans alike will appreciate this beautiful, comprehensive volume. Dylan edited dozens of songs for the book which are appearing publicly for the first time here. ~ Stan Hynds

Speaking American: How Y'all, Youse, and You Guys Talk: A Visual Guide by Josh Katz. Remember malfunction junction right outside the Manchester Center store? Now we have a...well, what do you call it? Depends on where you're from. And that's what this wonderfully fun book is about. Tag sale or yard sale? Sprinkles or jimmies? With maps! ~ Stan Hynds

@Natgeo: The Most Popular Instagram Photos by National Geographic. Three hundred of the most liked and commented on photos from National Geographic's Instagram account, with 46 million followers worldwide. Yes, really. Wonderful pictures of everything from exotic places to intricate mosaic designs. A terrific gift for anyone on your holiday list and best of all, it's affordable. ~ Sarah Knight

People Knitting: A Century of Photographs by Barbara Levine. We all know at least one serious knitter but would you buy that person a book of patterns? Too risky. This book is perfect. A wonderful collection of photos dating from the 1860s to the 1960s of all kinds of people in the act of knitting. ~ Stan Hynds

The African Svelte: Ingenious Misspellings That Make Surprising Sense by Daniel Menaker & Roz Chast. The former fiction editor at the New Yorker collected these funny and unintentionally insightful misspellings throughout his career. Whether you're checking your "cholesteroil" or making a "last-stitch effort" you'd have to be "vast asleep" not to get a kick out of this. ~ Stan Hynds

In the Company of Women: Inspiration and Advice from Over 100 Makers, Artists, and Entrepreneurs by Grace Bonney. Eloquent, provocative, thoughtful – a diverse group of exceptional women, from potters and chefs to business owners and musicians, relate insights into their creativity and successes. A great gift for women of all ages. With stunning photographs. ~ Louise Jones

Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History by Molly Schiot. We've all heard of Billy Jean King and Lindsey Vonn. But Fanny Bullock Workman and Kinue Hitomi? Read their personal stories in this book of trail-blazing women athletes (Hitomi won Olympic Gold in 1928, Workman climbed the Himalayas in 1906 in a skirt!). With rarely-seen photographs. ~ Louise Jones

Dead Feminists: Historic Heroines in Living Color by Chandler O'Leary. Based on the letterpress poster series of the same name, this is a splendid, colorful, not-putdownable feminist history of 27 women who made a difference - Sappho to Annie Oakley to Marie Curie to Shirley Chisholm. With inspirational stories and amazing art. ~ Louise Jones

Liberty Cat Figurine Reading. This statue of a thoughtful cat wearing glasses and reading to a wee kitty is a delightful addition to any bookcase. ~ Jessica Wood

Three LP by Phantogram. The Saratoga Springs hometown heroes return with another fantastic album. Recorded during a tumultuous period, this is a bit darker than previous releases but still features their trademark beats and stunning vocals. ~ Chris Linendoll

Chapter and Verse LP by Bruce Springsteen. Released as an audio companion to the blockbuster memoir Born to Run, this twodisc set features classic songs from his long career. The real draw here for devoted fans is the previously unreleased early tracks. ~ Chris Linendoll

Faithful by Alice Hoffman. A teenager carries the guilt of being the driver in a car accident that left her best friend in a coma into her adult life. Shelby Richmond refuses to accept the good things that present themselves to her, pushing them away because she feels undeserving of happiness. Ms. Hoffman's novel about the price of guilt is an absorbing and ultimately uplifting experience, with the author's penchant for injecting her books with quirky characters who inhabit a slightly skewered world very much in evidence. ~ Alden Graves

The Terranauts by T. C. Boyle. In the Arizona desert, four men and four women embark on a two-year experiment to survive in a sealed-off biodome. In this wildly imaginative story of a makeshift society pushed to the edge, Boyle remarkably details the comical failings, irrational desires, and idealistic (yet often misdirected) ambitions of humankind. ~ Cathy Taylor

Swing Time by Zadie Smith. After meeting in a dance studio, two girls from working class London form a friendship that deeply shapes their adolescence. Though their paths diverge as young women, the effects of their early bond reverberate throughout their adulthood. Music, dance, art, and identity all form strong themes in this compellingly narrated story. ~ Cathy Taylor

I'll Take You There by Wally Lamb. Film buff Felix Funicello runs a small town movie club where the specter of old Hollywood also attend the meetings. Lamb's somewhat unexpected detour into magical realism allows Felix to revisit his past, learning to appreciate the women in his life, as well as the silent film actresses guiding his journey. ~ Chris Linendoll

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult. In this powerful, raw and often unsettling look at racism, Ruth Wilson, an African American nurse, is blamed for a newborn's death. Picoult shows how the color of their skin shapes the lives, attitudes and actions of Ruth, her white public defender and the baby's white supremacist father ~ Sue Rice

Jerusalem by Alan Moore. The year's most rewarding novel - a massive treasure chest that defies description. A time-hopping family saga? A people's history of Moore's hometown? A map of the universe? The author of Watchmen and V for Vendetta sets fiction head-spinning with relentless innovation - a must-read for Neil Gaiman and Howard Zinn fans alike. ~ Charles Bottomley

Winter Evening Snow Globe. This gorgeous snow globe embodies the stillness of a midwinter walk in the woods on a moonlit night. ~ Jessica Wood

Body of Water: A Sage, a Seeker, and the World's Most Elusive Fish by Chris Dombrowski. The history of bonefishing in the Bahamas, from its early days in the 1950s and the role of legendary guide David Pinder Sr. to the mythical allure of this challenging sport. Natural history at its finest for flyfishers and armchair travelers alike. ~ Stan Hynds

Genghis Khan and the Quest for God: How the World's Greatest Conqueror Gave Us Religious Freedom by Jack Weatherford. Mongols believed individuals were responsible for their spiritual, moral path. Genghis codified this into law (1215), bestowing religious freedom on his empire. Washington, Jefferson and Franklin owned copies of a 17th century Genghis Khan biography. A fascinating, timely read of Genghis Khan's search for firm rule. ~ Maeve Noonan

Hero of the Empire: The Boer War, a Daring Escape, and the Making of Winston Churchill by Candice Millard. Churchill saw his path to power through fearless exploits in the British Army and as a war correspondent. England's brutal war in Africa would prove to be his crucible. His dreams of glory proved to be a self-fulfilling prophecy. ~ Alden Graves

Unconditional: Older Dogs, Deeper Love by Jane Sobel Klonsky. For dog lovers everywhere, this photographic collection portrays the powerful and heartwarming relationship between people and their older dogs. The photographs are accompanied by stories celebrating this special bond. Jane Klonsky, a renowned Vermont-based photographer, has combined her dual passion for dogs and photography into a beautiful tribute. ~ Barbara Morrow

Being a Dog: Following the Dog Into a World of Smell by Alexandra Horowitz. How important is the sense of smell to a dog? After reading how a dog's nose works you'll want to improve your own ability to smell - and you'll never look at a dog the same way again! ~ Sue Rice

Myriorama: A Collection of Many Thousand Landscapes Cards. A fascinating landscape puzzle, based on a painting from 1824, with 16 panels that can be used to configure more than 20 million different landscapes. ~ Jessica Wood

Cook's Science: How to Unlock Flavor in 50 of Our Favorite Ingredients by The Editors at Cook's Illustrated. This is science you can taste from a very trusted source. No fussy molecular gastronomy here. Just lots of ingredients you use all the time, good recipes and "how the science works." Great value for a beautiful cookbook. ~ Stan Hynds

Appetites: A Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain brings us the recipes he makes for his friends and family, each introduced by his hilarious prose. With a detailed plan of attack for Thanksgiving preparation as well as rants about problems with certain foods, this book will be devoured by Bourdain fans in more ways than one. ~ Adriana Gómez Piccolo

The Red Rooster Cookbook: The Story of Food and Hustle in Harlem by Marcus Samuelsson. The James Beard Award-winning chef offers up Southern recipes (with the occasional Ethiopian-Scandinavian hints you'd expect!?) from his iconic Harlem restaurant. Chicken and waffles. Check. Killer collards. Yes, please. Slow Baked Blueberry Bread with Spiced Maple Syrup. On my way. ~ Stan Hynds

A Recipe for Cooking by Cal Peternell. The follow-up to the IACP award-winning and bestselling Twelve Recipes which provided the basic techniques for essential home cooking. The Chez Panisse chef now takes home cooks to the next level. "Everything you need to cook for big get-togethers, holiday feasts, family occasions, and for a special dinner for two." ~ Stan Hynds

Curate: Authentic Spanish Food from an American Kitchen by Katie Burton. Rich Spanish cuisine from a prestigious Asheville, NC-based chef who worked both at elBulli and with Jean-Georges. The recipes are doable and delicious and the photos are gorgeous. It has everything--starters, salads, meat, veg, desserts and drinks. A stand-out! ~ Stan Hynds

Porcelain Guinea Pig Salt & Pepper Shaker Set. These are adorable additions to the dinner table, guaranteed to perk up breakfast, lunch and dinner. ~ Jessica Wood

The Trespasser by Tana French. Another brilliant mystery from the queen of Irish crime fiction. Two detectives, the misfits of their department, investigate a woman’s death that superficially seems a straightforward domestic murder. French is a master at crafting distinctive characters and a tense, eerie atmosphere. You’ll stay up late reading and wake up early to finish. ~ Cathy Taylor

The Wrong Side of Goodbye by Michael Connelly. Hooray! Harry Bosch is back – investigating two complex but disparate cases. Retired from the LAPD, Harry’s a private detective, hired by a reclusive millionaire to find a possible heir; he’s also a volunteer investigator at a small, underfunded police department, tracking a terrifying serial rapist. One of Connelly’s very best. ~ Louise Jones

Night Watch by Iris & Roy Johansen. Born blind Kendra Michaels eyesight is restored at twenty by Dr Waldridge of Night Watch Project. Unexpectedly the doctor contacts Kendra then disappears before he can tell her something important. Why are Night Watch doctors being murdered and what is the terrible secret of the project. Kendra investigates. Highly entertaining. ~ Sarah Knight

The Mayakovsky Tapes by Robert Littell. In 1953 four women meet at a deluxe Moscow hotel to talk about their relationships with a now dead paragon of the Soviet Union, the poet Mayakovsky. Their memories of him are conflicting but portray a complex man who went from idealist to a critic of the Stalinist era. Excellent. ~ Sarah Knight

Conclave by Robert Harris. The follow-up to the IACP award-winning and bestselling Twelve Recipes which provided the basic techniques for essential home cooking. The Chez Panisse chef now takes home cooks to the next level. "Everything you need to cook for big get-togethers, holiday feasts, family occasions, and for a special dinner for two." ~ Sarah Knight

The Girl from Venice by Martin Cruz Smith. A stand alone suspenseful novel set in 1945 Venice just as the war was about to end. A fisherman finds a young Jewish woman floating in the lagoon. While the Nazis are looking for her the fisherman decides to protect her. The two encounter Nazis, Partisans, explosions, random killings, gold, intrigue and love. A wonderful story. ~ Sarah Knight

Presumption of Guilt by Archer Mayor. Joe’s Vermont Bureau of Investigation is called in when a decades-old skeleton is excavated at a closed nuclear energy site. The cold case turns hot after the skeleton’s former partner is murdered. Fast-paced, multi-layered – and thank Mayor for the return of the Tag Man. ~ Louise Jones

LooHoo Wool Dryer Balls 3-Pack. LooHoo dryer balls are lovely, tactile, rounded, felted wool to use in your dryer for fluffy clothing without wasteful sheets. ~ Jessica Wood

Doctor Who: The Whoniverse: The Untold History of Space and Time by George Mann. Human history as seen by the Doctor starting with the formation of the Earth to the explosion of the Sun. Also includes history of some of the alien races that have had contact with humans like the Daleks and Time Lords. ~ Ben Parker

Star Wars Propaganda: A History of Persuasive Art in the Galaxy by Pablo Hidalgo. How would the Empire and Rebellion try to recruit? See a collection of 50 stunning pieces of “historical” propaganda celebrating all seven movies. ~ Ben Parker

A Game of Thrones: The Illustrated Edition by George R. R. Martin. The 20th anniversary edition of A Song of Ice and Fire: Book One of Martin’s epic series. Includes fullpage artwork and black & white illustrations in each chapter. ~ Ben Parker

Doctor Who Disappearing Tardis Mug by The Unemployed Philosophers Guild. No respectable Doctor Who fan should be drinking tea, coffee or hot chocolate from any other mug! ~ Jessica Wood

Neil Gaiman's Troll Bridge by Neil Gaiman. A striking illustrated edition of Gaiman’s coming-of-age fantasy masterpiece. A young boy, whose world is full of ghosts, ghouls and, particularly, a hideous troll, must find the courage to face the monster. ~ Ben Parker

We Told You So: Comics as Art by Tom Spurgeon & Michael Dean. An exploration of Fantagraphic’s role in the movement to accept Comics as an art form. An anecdotal account from some of the leading artists of the past 40 years. ~ Ben Parker

Brighter Than You Think: 10 Short Works by Alan Moore: With Critical Essays by Marc Sobel by Marc Sobel & Alan Moore. A look by comic critic Marc Sobel at ten of Alan Moore’s harder to find short stories. Drawn by a collection of artists including Steven Bissette, Rick Veitch and Peter Bagge. ~ Ben Parker

Rolling Blackouts: Dispatches from Turkey, Syria, and Iraq by Sarah Glidden. To understand how journalism works, cartoonist Glidden hitched a ride to Iraq with the Seattle Globalist writer/activists. She observes refugees, suspected terrorists, even an American soldier searching for himself. An enlightening depiction of a war-torn region - but also the post-9/11 generation trying to comprehend the ruins. ~ Charles Bottomley

Walk Through Walls: A Memoir by Marina Abramovic. One expects the life behind peformance artist Abramović's stunning work to be as exciting and provocative – but this biography exceeds expectations. From childhood in Yugoslavia to worldwide acclaim, she traces her life and work with inviting frankness: you can both admire the artist and chat with the woman. ~ Katelynne Shimkus

A Revolution in Color: The World of John Singleton Copley by Jane Kamensky. In a singular word: Revolutionary. This book defies category and beautifully renders a complicated man in a very complicated world (18th century Colonies and England) in vivid terms. Kamensky wrings every hue of vermilion out of politics, emotions and artistic endeavor. Brava! ~ Maeve Noonan

Krazy: George Herriman, a Life in Black and White by Michael Tisserand. Before The Far Side, Doonesbury and Pearls Before Swine, Krazy Kat was the hippest comic strip around. This brilliant biography is the saga of its enigmatic creator, George Herriman. An African-American who “passed” as white, he fashioned a work of art on a weekly basis as surreal, hilarious, touching and ultimately American as jazz. ~ Charles Bottomley

Landscapes: John Berger on Art by John Berger. This nearly half-century’s worth of essays is a portrait of the man in full: art - Cubism, drawing, the Renaissance; writers - Joyce, Garcia Marquez; reports from Palestine and other travels; and some of the most electric prose you’ll ever read, crackling with intellectual energy. ~ Charles Bottomley

Turner: The Extraordinary Life and Momentous Times of J.M.W. Turner by Franny Moyle. A sparkling, engrossing personal and political biography rather than a technical analysis. Turner was an iconoclast, a self-promoter, an innovator; many thought him a genius, others a madman. Well-known, commercially successful, his secret personal life was tumultuous and distressing. With 51 illustrations. ~ Louise Jones

Absolutely on Music: Conversations by Haruki Murakami, Seiji Ozawa, & Jay Rubin (trans). Music has long been a pivotal component of Murakami’s novels. Here, he sits down with Seiji Ozawa, legendary conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and it’s like sitting in on an intimate conversation between friends and a privilege to eavesdrop on these two legends. ~ Chris Linendoll

A History of Pictures: From the Cave to the Computer Screen by David Hockney & Martin Gayford. An immersive conversation between an artist and an art critic about how we see the world around us and how artists compress that three-dimensional, moving world onto a flat surface. Covering painting, film, photographs, this lavishly illustrated book is a revelation. ~ Stan Hynds

Paint by Sticker Masterpieces: Re-Create 12 Iconic Artworks One Sticker at a Time!. A compelling activity for crafters & artists. Examine 12 iconic works of art through the process of “sticker-painting” ~ Jessica Wood

Alfred Hitchcock: A Brief Life by Peter Ackroyd. As the jacket states, this "brief life" Alfred Hitchcock provides the perfect introduction to the complex personal and professional history of the iconic filmmaker. Incidents experienced on the long road from his self-imposed isolation as a child to his status as the most recognized and celebrated movie director in the world provide clues to a mystery that is as fascinating as the stories he explored on the screen. ~ Alden Graves

Young Frankenstein: A Mel Brooks Book: The Story of the Making of the Film by Mel Brooks. In the year that we mark the passing of Gene Wilder, we celebrate the mad brilliance of Mel Brooks’ iconic 1974 film. With interviews, commentary and more than 200 photos, this is the perfect gift for every film lover from Equinox Mountain to Camel’s Hump. What hump? ~ Stan Hynds

Testimony by Robbie Robertson. Robertson was always considered the coolest member of The Band, the legendary group that backed Bob Dylan before taking off on their own. This soul-baring memoir is a revelation: the usual hijinks and Dylan tales, a passionate valentine to the saving grace of rock ‘n’ roll and the remarkable brotherhood formed by five disparate individuals. ~ Charles Bottomley

Envelope Poems by Emily Dickinson. A slim, beautiful collection pairing fullcolor reproductions of envelopes bearing Dickinson’s handwritten poems with their transcriptions. Fans and non-poetry readers alike will find pleasure in these pages, so intimate and visually arresting they feel as though Dickinson were writing across time, directly to you. ~ Cathy Taylor

The Rain in Portugal: Poems by Billy Collins. Collins, master of delivering humor and heartbreak in deceptively simple terms, has another collection that will delight you. His poems softly celebrate the brief, unadorned moments when inspiration or revelation might strike any of us: sitting in traffic, passing a cigarette or considering the defiance of a cat. ~ Cathy Taylor

Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver. An astonishing, quietly powerful collection of essays from the Pulitzer-prize winning poet. In them she reflects on a life well-made and the saving gifts of nature and art. Few writers have created work so deeply felt and beautifully formed. Read it; you’ll be more observant, alive, and human for it.~ Cathy Taylor