Books for Christmas

Merry Christmas to all! I hope that you all received lots of books for Christmas. The books that I was fortunate enough to receive today included:

• Leave Me Alone, I'm Reading, by Maureen Corrigan.
• The Little Guide to Your Well-Read Life, by Steve Leveen.
• Mind Game: How the Boston Red Sox Got Smart, Won a World Series, and Created a New Blueprint for Winning, by the writers of Baseball Prospectus, with Steven Goldman as Editor.
• The Read-Aloud Handbook, by Jim Trelease. This is a replacement copy of one of my favorite books of all time, because I gave my old copy away to friends who are expecting their first child.

My wonderful sister also got me a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble, always a favorite gift. I gave more books as gifts this year than ever before, too many to list here. But a few highlights were:

• For my brother Dana, currently serving with the National Guard in Kuwait, A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin. We missed Dana a lot at Christmas this year. I plan to read this book myself, too, and I think that it will make me feel closer to Dana while he's away.
• For my Dad, Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner. I thought that this would be a quick read, and offer fodder for conversation.
• For my brother Steve, Never Eat Alone, by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz. Because this book changed the way that I look at the world, and I thought that Steve could benefit.
• For Mheir, Flashback, by Gary Braver. Relevant because it's a medical thriller, and the author, like Mheir, is Armenian. I met the author at a signing at Barnes and Noble after Thanksgiving, and was able to get this book signed especially for Mheir.
• For my most book-loving niece, The Kingdom Keepers, by Ridley Pearson. I hope that she likes it! I also received many great recommendations on kid's books from this niece, and look forward to sharing those with you in the near future.

I wish you all many books, and a Happy Christmas. More soon! -- Jen