Don’t look now, but 2024’s been a knockout of a year for books. If you’ve been neglectful of your reading (confession: This year saw me slip a little, from “voracious” to merely “avid”), we’re here to tell you there’s a bounty out there waiting to be scarfed up — fiction, non-, bios, memoirs, graphic novels, even cookbooks. And oh yeah: Here in late September, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention that a book is a perfect, timeless holiday gift, one you can grab now, check off and forget till wrapping day comes.
Is there such a thing as a “carefully curated grab bag”? Cuz that’s what you’re about to peruse. I sifted through hundreds of titles and heeded the recommendations of some of my fellow Yahoo folk (thanks, guys!) to compile a rundown of books we’ve read, books we can’t wait to read, books we’ve earmarked for loved ones on our gift lists — with an eye toward the edifying, the enlightening, the pulse-quickening and, well, the sheerly entertaining. Now, step away from that cell phone and get reading!
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We do love a cultural history, especially one that’s practically drenched in glamour. In telling the stories of three visionaries, Hortense Odlum (Bonwit Teller), Dorothy Shaver (Lord & Taylor), Geraldine Stutz (Henri Bendel), Satow also tells a tale of proto-feminism that illuminates the social as well as stylistic importance of the golden-age department store as well as the evolution of retail. Put on your white kid gloves and tuck in!
“Trailblazers, visionaries, the original glass-ceiling breakers,” said one ever-so slightly rueful reviewer of its protagonists. “I wish I had bought in hard cover vs. Kindle, as I’d love to go back and highlight some historical fun facts.”
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Aka I Can’t Believe It’s Not a Novel. If you’ve read Larson before (I’m still thinking about his gobsmacking Devil in the White City from 2004), you know that he’s just about unparalleled in his ability to turn history into gripping narrative.
Here, he turns his gaze to the fraught period between the election of Abraham Lincoln and the shelling of Fort Sumter, which set the Civil War in motion. Settle in for a suspenseful ride.
Or to put it another way: what this guy said! “This thorough and brilliantly researched book makes the larger-than-life characters of the months leading up to the opening of hostilities human, real and believable in their emotions, beliefs, causes and hatreds. If ever anyone wonders what EXACTLY the war was about, this book answers that unequivocally, in the very words of those who said them or wrote them.”
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Most people know that Fleming the novelist was the creator of James Bond; what many don’t know is that that was well after he distinguished himself in Britain’s Naval Intelligence during World War II, lending his 007 thrillers a considerable ring of truth. Got a movie, espionage or fiction fan in your life? This bio may well leave them both shaken and stirred.
“The famous book review blurb page-turner is rarely used to describe exhaustive bios, but in this case that description fits like a finely crafted Dents glove made of peccary leather,” observed this erudite shopper. “Having read several Fleming bios as well as his remarkable “letters” volume I thought I knew it all. Wow, was I wrong.”
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That matter-of-fact title belies one of the richest, sauciest memoirs in recent history. After enduring 16 shut-in months courtesy of the Covid pandemic, single 46-year-old Manhattanite MacNichol took off for Paris determined to let loose, in more ways than one. What follows is a thoughtful yet rollicking, decadent yet life-affirming adventure.
“This book excited my brain, but quietly, and was paced in a way that was compelling, yet relaxed,” said this astute observer. “I am invigorated by MacNicol’s sharp, informed mind and ability to pull in feminist theory amidst the memoir structure, to publish even knowing the trolls would go wild with her truth.”
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Got a graphic-novel aficianado in your circle, or been hankering to explore the genre yourself? You won’t do better than this hot-off-the-presses offering from the masterful Burns, whose 2008 epic, Black Hole, was a landmark achievement. Here, four young men and women venture into the woods to make a horror movie. Sound familiar? Predictable? Don’t count on it.
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You know what big Ina fans we are around here, so this pick was a no-brainer. Aside from that, though: Garten’s story is one of a modern self-made businesswoman but also a loving if conflicted wife. You’ll learn plenty about both journeys, and some others, with stops at the White House (she worked there!) and the Hamptons (the site of the first Barefoot Contessa store) along the way. It’s pubbing on 10/1 … but available for pre-order now.
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You weren’t the only one inspired by the Covid lockdown to explore your culinary talent. The Colberts relate their kitchen adventures along with stories of their family’s fave feasts with, of course, recipes —and wit — galore.
Said one sated shopper: “Stephen and Evie Colbert bring this beautiful book … and I do mean Bring It! From its touching dedication to Evie’s Mom, Patti, to the wonderfully warm and funny stories connected to these lovely (and largely Southern) recipes, to the delicious recipes themselves, this book is as fun to read as it is enjoyable to cook from. Perfect for gifting or just to grace your cookbook shelf!”
The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.