Ho, ho, ho/books

[Jane]

I just bought two great books for Christmas for my Freakishly Brilliant 10-year-old niece, Emma. She is an obsessive animal lover.

"The House of a Million Pets": this is a book for upper-el, jr. high aged kids who love animals.

"Enslaved by Ducks": this is an adult book about a man and his wife who raise a myriad of birds. Funnily enough, he lives not far from us and was actually raised in the same neighborhood where we now live. The book is truly funny. He also wrote "Fowl Weather" and is now working on a book about his cats.

[doctork]

Is this a guilt trip ploy?

I am amazed and in awe of you Jane - you've already started your Christmas shopping!

I have known for decades that if one has school age children, you have to be finished with Christmas preparations by Labor Day or else you are toast. Of course I have never once done anything about it.

The thought did cross my mind a few days ago that if I were thinking of book gifts for anyone on my list, I should call Dan at Jackson Street Books.

[Jane]

I always do my shopping way early, because I hate to be in the stores with people shoving me and Musak carols on the loud speaker. I love to buy presents for people (just ask my husband who keeps trying to restrain me), but I'm not a big fan of Christmas otherwise. Does that mean I'm going to hell?

[SeattleDan]

Shop early, shop often, I always say! You all know where to find me.

Jane, I have a copy of Enslaved by Ducks somewhere around here. I'll have to give it a look.

[slb2]

I bought a book at the Minnesota State Fair, the latest by Krista Tippett, signed even, for Ace. She hosts A Question of Faith, I believe it's called.

And I trotted off to buy and have signed the Pontoon book for my FIL. You-know-who wrote that one.

Both for Christmas.

[michael]

I’m not all “bah-humbug” about Christmas, I just don’t like it. The commercialism is beyond… well, it’s just beyond any words that I can think of at the moment. I don’t buy Christmas gifts for anyone, not even Emi (unless she asks for something, which she rarely does). I do send money at Christmas time to my daughter and her husband to be spent on my two grandchildren because I know that they can use it. But other than that I only send cards to close relatives.

I do fully embrace New Year’s Eve!

Mike

[slb2]

What I like about Christmas are the traditions I've established, or that have been happening in my family since I was young. Off to a thread on this. Or, isn't there already a thread about Christmas traditions?

[BoatBabe]

Some more Christmas ideas.

[booklady]

This is very good, fascinating for both the social and constitutional background (though I agree with the Times that the writing is sometimes bothersome).
www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/books/review/wil-haygoods-showdown-thurgood-marshall-and-the-supreme-court-nomination-that-changed-america.html?_r=0