3 Great Gift Ideas for Book Lovers

Now that the holiday shopping season has officially begun, we bring you three great new books for the book lovers on your holiday shopping list. We are offering recommendations for the novel reader, Harry Potter fan and history buff. 

These books are available for checkout at the library, too! We hope you enjoy these suggestions.  

The Art of Fielding: A Novel By Chad Harbach.  September 2011, 528 pages.  

In this debut novel, a baseball star at a small college near Lake Michigan launches a routine throw that goes disastrously off course and inadvertently changes the lives of five people, including the college president, a gay teammate and the president's daughter. This new book is an expansive, warmhearted novel about ambition and its limits, about family and friendship and love, and about commitment -- to oneself and to others. It is bound to be a popular new book – especially for those readers who find it reminiscent of the works by John Irving.  

The Greater Journey: Americans in Paris By David McCullough.  May 2011, 558 pages.

McCullough fascinates with the story of the adventurous American artists, writers, doctors, politicians and architects who set off for Paris in the years between 1830 and 1900, determined to learn what Paris had to offer and to succeed in their separate endeavors. McCullough tells this story with power and intimacy, which makes this book truly a masterpiece. History buffs will love the many wonderful anecdotes and intriguing historical detail. 

Harry Potter: Page to Screen, the Complete Filmmaking Journey By Bob McCabe, November 2011, 531 pages.

This new book opens the doors to Hogwarts castle and the wizarding world of Harry Potter to reveal the complete behind-the-scenes secrets, techniques, and over-the-top artistry that brought J.K. Rowling’s acclaimed novels to cinematic life. Developed in collaboration with the creative team behind the celebrated movie series, this deluxe, 500-plus page compendium features exclusive stories from the cast and crew, hundreds of never-before-seen photographs and concept illustrations sourced from the closed film sets and rare memorabilia. This book is the ultimate collectible, perfect for Muggles everywhere.

Reviews brought to you each week by librarians Jennifer Niederhausen, Dona Stein and Heather Timko, Adult Services Division, .