With Thanksgiving behind us now, it is time to begin making our lists, maybe even checking them twice.
The first of our year-end holidays is less than two weeks away β Hanukkah begins Dec. 7 β but there is still time to buy for the book-lovers on your holiday gift list β¦ even if the book-lover is you.
Looking for something new? Trying to stay current with Southern Arizona authors? As always, volunteers with the Tucson Festival of Books have some suggestions:
βThe Spectacularβ by Fiona Davis takes us backstage at Radio City Music Hall, where the Rockettes are preparing for their annual Christmas Spectacular. There, we meet 19-year-old Marion Brooks, who is pursuing her dream rather than becoming a typical 1950s housewife. As usual, Davis weaves New York history into the tale. β Pamela Treadwell-Rubin
βThree Holidays and a Weddingβ by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley is set in 2000 when Christmas, Hanukkah and Ramadan all overlapped. Stir two budding romances, four families and a snowstorm into a small town during the holidays, and you get a wintry mix of romance that will warm even the most coal-heavy hearts. β Jessica Pryde
βMy Art Book of Adventureβ by Shana Gozansky is a board book for children 2-5 that playfully introduces young readers to 35 famous works of art. Chances are, parents will learn something about the art and artists, too! β Karyn Prechtel-Altman
βOh No, The Aunts are Hereβ is the latest from Tucsonβs Adam Rex. Illustrated by Lian Cho, this fun-filled picture book offers a childβs-eye view of a family reunion. We meet all the relatives, each overly enthusiastic, overwhelming β¦ and hilarious. β Kathy Short
βBrave the Wild Riverβ by Melissa L. Sevigny is the story of two pioneering botanists, both women, who did the first full botanic survey of the Grand Canyon. In 1938. In a raft. Sevigny, who grew up in Bisbee, is a science reporter for KNAU β the NPR station in Flagstaff. Her book won the 2023 National Outdoor Book Award for History-Biography. β Thea Chalow
βThe Fiction Writerβ by Tucsonan Jillian Cantor will be released Tuesday, Nov. 28, by Park Row Books. No, it is not a memoir. Cantorβs novel features Olivia Fitzgerald, a one-time bestselling author whose latest book is a flop. She is suffering from writerβs block. Her boyfriend has left her, so she is delighted to receive a ghostwriting offer from a sexy billionaire. β Bill Finley
βLight As Lightβ by Simon J. Ortiz will be the Indigenous poetβs first collection in 20 years when it is released Dec. 12. Ortiz is one of Native American literatureβs most important voices, and he shows his range here. He touches on life, love and loss, with stories from Tucson, New Mexico, California and Beijing. β Abby Mogollon
βPicturing Sabinoβ by David Wentworth Lazaroff is a remarkable collection of photos and stories that capture the human history of Sabino Canyon. Lazaroff worked in the canyon for decades, but he lets the words and photographs by park visitors tell much of the story here. The book was published by University of Arizona Press in April. β Margie Trujillo-Farmer
βThe Comfort of Crowsβ by Margaret Renkl is a literary devotional or 52 chapters that follow the plants and creatures that frequent her backyard over a year. The pace of the book gives Renkl β and her readers β plenty of time to muse about other things. Barnes & Noble listed βThe Comfort of Crowsβ as one of its books of the year for 2023. β Lindy Mullinax
βAn Impossible Thing to Sayβ by Arya Shahi is a novel for young teens that features Omid, whose Iranian family now lives in Tucson. Determined to find the right words to express himself, both to his grandfather and a new friend, he turns to music. β Kathy Short
βWhy We Love Baseballβ by Joe Posnanski is perfect for the sports fan in the family. Posnanski counts down baseballβs 50 most memorable moments, from Babe Ruthβs called shot to Willie Maysβ catch in center field to β¦ well, you fill in the blank! β Jack Siry
βA Wrinkle in Time,β written originally by Madeleine LβEngle, has now been adapted and illustrated into a graphic novel by Hope Larson. The story has also been made into a major motion picture. Here, a teenage girl is transported on an adventure through time and space. She and her younger brother are on a mission to rescue their father, a scientist now being held captive on another planet. β Thea Chalow
βThe Longmire Defenseβ by book-festival regular Craig Johnson is the latest of 19 installments in the Walt Longmire series. It returns to several themes Longmire fans love, with a few new twists, as well. The story centers around a rifle that may or may not have been used in a long-ago cold case. One thing we do know: the rifle belonged to Waltβs father. β Pamela Treadwell-Rubin
