A Merry Christmas Young Adult Shopping List

The YA Shopping List 2014

 

It's that time of year again, when the festive masses swarm the malls and shopping districts, looking for those perfect gifts fort the people in their lives. Books are an ambitious gift, with tastes being very personal and reading preferences sometimes being quite surprising.

 

What has become incredibly popular over the lsat few years, across all demographics, is the Young Adult novel. Fast paced, simply structured and full of easily relatable characters, Young Adult as a classification has much to offer both the occasional and the voracious reader.

 

And so, here's a list of some of the best of YA, all of which would make great gifts.

 

 

Etiquette & Espionage

 

 

 

Steampunk is still going strong, and Gail Carriger is a founding author of the new wave. Her adult series, the Parasol Protectorate, is wildly popular and has been spun off into this prequel series. Taking place in a floating finishing school, these young ladies of Quality learn all manners of...finishing.

 

 

Life as We Knew It

 

 

 

Young Adult novels are full of Chosen One characters. These young protagonists end up starting revolutions and leading armies. Miranda of Life as We Knew It is a refreshingly normal girl, simply trying to help her family alife as the world around her falls apart. She is hardly perfect, and all the more endearing and relatable for it.

 

 

The Book Thief

 

Some of the most popular settings in YA fiction are the post-apocalyptic world and the oppressive dictatorship. These settings lend themselves to all sorts of flights of fancy, from zombies to televised battles. But The Book Thief takes place in World War II Germany, and history itself is all the horror the story needs.


Eleanor and Park

While so many books have perfect families and read like adult romance novels, Eleanor and Park is a refreshingly honest look at high school first love. Park is awkward, Eleanor has more to worry about than just her schoolwork, and anyone who remembers being fourteen will find something that rings true.


Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit

People complain that there aren't enough strong female characters in literature, or that the women who are there are just skinned men. Balsa is perhaps the best example of a strong woman who actually acts and thinks like a female. Whether she's fighting off assassins, taking care of her young charge Chagum, or reconnecting with a childhood friend who could have been something more, Balsa is a woman who everyone could aspire to be.


The Midnight Palace

 

 

Magical Realism goes hand in hand with Young Adult, and no one does it better than Carlos Ruiz Zafon in The Midnight Palace. With twins separated at birth, a group of orphans and a villain who might be more than he appears, combined with prose that is an absolute pleasure to read, this is perhaps the best-written of the bunch.

 

 

And that should give you a good start on your holiday book buying. With stories safe enough to hand to most teenagers, and writing compelling enough to hold the attention of a well-read adult, these are some of the hidden gems of the Young Adult field. Good luck with your shopping, and as always, gift receipts are a lifesaver.

A Merry Christmas Horror Shopping List

The Horror Shopping List 2013

  

As people awaken from their turkey-induced comas and head to the malls, one thing is clear: the Christmas shopping rush is upon us. While the post-holiday winter months keep the readers on your shopping list at home, a good scare can really help pass those cold, dark nights. Here's a list of some of the best spine-tingling stories waiting to be left under the tree.

 

World War Z

 

With the release of the blockbuster summer movie, many more people have hopped on the zombie bandwagon. But what those moviegoers might not realize is that the story of Gerry Lane is hardly the focus of the novel.

Recommended for: fans of zombie movies and shows who haven't read much of the genre.

Under a Graveyard Sky

 

 

Zombie books can end up turning silly, with people completely unprepared for disaster striking on on their own with just a shotgun over their shoulder, with no real thought as to where more shells might come from, or what to do when winter hits. John Ringo, more well-known for fantasy and military SF, does a fantastic job at creating a story in which the characters are actually smart enough to keep themselves alive.

Recommended for: people who have read a lot of zombie novels, fans of the TV show 'Doomsday Preppers.'

V Wars

 

 

The zombies have been in the forefront of horror for the past few years, but there are plenty of scares left in the vampire world. The stories in this shared-world collection weave  bloodsucker lore from around the world into into an intriguing tale with plenty to be afraid of.

 

Recommended for: people who like their vampires scary instead of sparkly.

Parasite

 

Since the passing of Michael Crichton, there has been a lack of good medical horror novels. Mira Grant brings that tradition back with her near-future tale of medical science gone horribly, horribly wrong.

Recommended for: People who don't want fantasy mucking up their scares.

Machine Man

 

Another tale of medical science gone wrong, this time it really is the patient's fault. With equal parts dark humor and action, most people reading this book will have someone that the protagonist reminds them of in their life.

 

Recommended for: the techie or Big Bang Theory fan on your list.

 

 

Robopocalypse

 

 

More near-future horror of the apocalypse type, this time it's our own tech toys that turn on us. As self-driving cars and wearable technology becomes more of a reality, stories like this become more and more frightening.

Recommended for: your favorite technophobe.

Another

 

 

An unsettling Japanese schoolgirl, a cursed classroom and an outsider who has no idea what he's wandered into. Japan is known for its excellent horror movies, and this one delivers creepiness in spades.

Recommended for: the anime or manga fan on your list, those bored with traditional scares.

So there you are. Enough shivers to keep anyone busy during the post-holiday slump. As always, make sure to tuck that gift receipt into the front cover, just in case your recipient has had that scare already.

A Merry Christmas Non-Fiction Shopping List

The Non-Fiction Shopping List 2012

It's the beginning of the holiday shopping season, and it's time to start checking peoples' Amazon wish lists and listen for hints. Book readers can be a squirrley bunch, though, and none more so than those who read non-fiction. Some people read non-fiction simply for the desire to learn about the world around them, while others look down at fiction readers as escapists. Whatever the reason, there's plenty of good true stories out there to be given. Here's a few, along with the suggest audience for each.

The Reluctant Communist: My Desertion, Court-Martial, and Forty-Year Imprisonment in North Korea

North Korea's been all over the news this year, with last winter's death of Kim Jong-Il, the rise of Kim Jong-Un and his wife Ri Sol-Ju, and the loosening of some of the restrictions there. This is a rather unique look into the most cloistered country in the world, through the eyes of an American POW.

Recommended for: the current-affairs and news junkies on your list.

A Man With No Talents

This is a rare look into one of the less shiny subcultures in Japan. Writing with the pen name Oyama Shiro, this chronicles the life of a day laborer through the bubble years and following recession in Japan. Unable to fit into the salaryman role laid out for him, the narrator take the more difficult, yet ultimately more freeing life of manual labor. Living in a bunk in a boardinghouse, not only does he blame no one for his fall in status, he thanks his society for giving him the opportunity to live as he wishes, with no responsibilities to anyone but himself.

Recommended for: people struggling with the current American recession, those who believe Japan has no underside.

The Boy who Harnessed the Wind

William Kamkwamba lived through some of the hardest times in Malawi. With his father unable to bring in a harvest, he couldn't afford to go to school. Even when he was young, though, he thought it was a shame that work and study had to end when it got dark. While trying to piece together an advanced science book in the village's library, he put together the bicycle lights he's seen around town and a picture of a windmill, and he brings a light in the darkness to his home for the first time.

Recommended for: with a strong message of self-reliance and a happy ending, this is a safe book for anyone from upper-middle-school to a grandmother.

Okimono Kimono

Almost more of an art book than a real story, one of the women of the CLAMP manga writing group puts together a beautiful collection of both original and traditional kimono. She relates her experiences in wearing kimono in regular life, as well as ways to modernize the style of dress while keeping them feminine and pretty.

Recommended for: most female manga readers would appreciate the art of this book, even if they'd never dress like this themselves.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Known by many aliases since her death, this is the story of the life and family of a poor black woman in Maryland. Treated at Johns Hopkins, the cancerous cells that eventually killed her opened the door to the study of human cells outside of the body. What follows is the history of her family, who never saw a dime of the money that their mother's cells made, the scientists who used her biological material without her consent, and a fascinating look at the fields of bioethics and medical patents.

Recommended for: fans of science, civil rights and biographies alike.

Good Women of China

China has one of the most controlled 'free' presses in the world. And yet, it's still much more relaxed than in decades past. In the 1980s, as radio was slowly able to show the country a more realistic view of itself, Xinran began a late-night call in show for women. Collected here are some of the most memorable stories from those years. Told in plain language, but with a journalist's ear for narrative, the lives of the women in this book will stay with the reader long after she closes the cover.

Recommended for: current events and history buffs, women's rights and civil rights activists, and anyone looking for poignant stories with a thread of hope woven within them.

So there it is. That should cover most of your shopping list. But again, as always, make sure to tuck that gift receipt into the front cover. Book readers are a wily bunch, and sometimes we read even the most obscure title without anyone knowing. 

A Merry Christmas Manga Shopping List

The Manga Christmas Shopping List 2011



It's the holiday season, and no matter what the reason for celebration, gifts generally make an appearance in some form or another.  It's been a great few years for manga, so here's a few suggestions for the manga and anime lovers on your list, or simply anyone who enjoys a good story.

For Shonen Fans:

These are often the type who, and any age, still get up early on Saturday mornings to watch their Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh and Naruto.  They probably enjoy other anime and manga as well, but they still let their inner 7 year old out to play

Dragon Ball Vizbig Volume 1

The casual anime fan in the US might not even know that there is a whole serie before Gohan is even a twinkle in young Goku's eye.  Here, we get to see the origins of our favorite characters, from Goku and Krillin to Turtle Elder and later, even Demon King Piccolo.

Dororo

Before even Dragon Ball, Osamu Tezuka created a series around Hyakkimaru and Dororo.  Hyakkimaru's father made a deal with the demon inhabiting a shrine, promising each demon a piece of his unborn son.  Now Hyakkimaru, abandoned by his father, travels the countryside fighting these demons to win his body back, with a young pickpocket named Dororo tagging along.

For Shojo Fans:

Mainly the domain of the 8-16 year old girl, just like the Shonen manga it appeals to the girl in women of any age.  Not just filled with magical girls in sailor suits anymore, it spans all sorts of eras and topics.

Princess Knight

Another Tezuka classic, this is the manga that set the groundwork for the shojo genre.  Due to some…mischief up in heaven, poor Sapphire is born with both a boy’s heart and a girl’s heart.  And to make things worse, the poor girl has to pretend to be a boy to inherit the kingdom and keep her evil uncle off the throne.  With an ensemble cast including the angel-in-training that caused the problem in the first place, an evil witch trying to steal her girl heart for her own daughter, and a Prince Charming from the kingdom next door, this is an epic fairy tale for girls of any age.

Seinen/Josei

These are the manga that you can give to someone who wouldn’t be amused by the shonen/shojo offerings.  Seinen manga, targeting young men, and Josei manga, targeting young women, have been coming to the US in larger and larger numbers in recent years, and some are of outstanding quality.

Bunny Drop

It sounds like the premise of a terrible sitcom, but the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.  30-year-old Daikichi, at his grandfather’s funeral, is confronted with a bizarre truth: his grandfather has a 6 year old lovechild, whose mother is nowhere to be found.  When the family discusses giving Rin to a children’s home, he impulsively declares that he will take Rin in.  This slice-of-life drama revolves around finding daycare, changing work schedules, and making it through flu season in one piece.  A very sweet, touching story.

Chi’s Sweet Home

It might seem odd that a comic based on a kitten and her family would be found in a seinen magazine, but Chi’s Sweet Home tempers its sweetness with a sense of longing and nostalgia that appeals to both men and women who are growing up and leaving old friends behind, as they are making new ones too. 

A Bride’s Story

The new series by Emma: A Victorian Romance’s Kaoru Mori, this takes place not in Victorian England but in 19^th century Mongolia. The first volume focuses on Amir, the bride of a boy five years her junior.  While the series moves slowly, the meticulously researched and detailed characters and art make this a fantastic success.

So there you have it.  These books should just about cover anyone on your shopping list.  But always remember, since geeks can sometimes have the most surprising items already in their collection; tuck that gift receipt in the front cover.  Just in case.