Finally, the Holiday season is upon us! For me, the Holidays have always been a time to stop and think about what I am grateful for: friends, family, my cats… However, they can always be a little stressful, especially the gift-giving part. There is no feeling quite like the nail-biting apprehension of watching someone you love unwrapping their present. You most likely spent hours looking online, trying to find something inspiring and original to give to your loved-one. For me, the best present is always a good book. It makes the soul travel, and it is memorable. You may throw away that knitted sweater your mom gave you, but you will always remember the story of a good book. Thankfully, I got you covered! Here is a gift-guide for (literally) everyone you might encounter during this Holiday season. Hope you all have fun, and stay safe! Happy Holidays! 1. The person in your life My pick: Mara Dyer #1 The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer French translation: Qui est Mara Dyer? Probably the most stressful gift you will give this year. The goal is to pick a book that has romance, but is not too cliché and still trendy. The world is currently loving mystery novels and psychological thrillers with books like Gone Girl, and The Girl on the Train. However, since everyone has read both of those, my pick is The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. The trilogy is absolutely fantastic, and will make you feel all the sueurs froides while gushing over the romance. It has a little bit of everything for everyone. Summary Mara Dyer believes life can't get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there. It can. She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her strangely unharmed. There is. She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love. She's wrong. 2. Your mother My pick: Suzanne by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette French (original): La femme qui fuit Prizes: Prix France-Québec, Prix des libraires du Québec Suzanne came as a huge surprise. It will undoubtedly be one of my top5 picks for best book of the year. This beautiful story is a recollection of the author’s grandmother’s story as a poet starting during the economic crisis of 1929, through the Grande Noirceur, passing by the American civil rights movement and the Refus Global manifesto. It is a story of passion and heartbreak of a woman who decided to drop her family to live free. You might disagree with the actions of the main character, even despise her, but you will be moved by the writing and storyline. Your mother will surely relate to some aspects of motherhood like the difficulties of raising a child, and maybe recognize some events of her childhood or her mother’s childhood. Summary Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette never knew her mother's mother. Curious to understand why her grandmother, Suzanne, a sometime painter and poet associated with Les Automatistes, a movement of dissident artists that included Paul-Émile Borduas, abandoned her husband and young family, Barbeau-Lavalette hired a private detective to piece together Suzanne's life. Suzanne, winner of the Prix des libraires du Québec and a bestseller in French, is a fictionalized account of Suzanne's life over eighty-five years, from Montreal to New York to Brussels, from lover to lover, through an abortion, alcoholism, Buddhism, and an asylum. It takes readers through the Great Depression, Québec's Quiet Revolution, women's liberation, and the American civil rights movement, offering a portrait of a volatile, fascinating woman on the margins of history. And it's a granddaughter's search for a past for herself, for understanding and forgiveness. 3. Your father My pick: The Martian by Andy Weir French: Le Martien Awards: Goodreads choice award (2014), Green Mountain Book Award (2014), John W. Campbell Memorial Award for Best Novel (2015) etc. I don’t know about you, but the only thing that my dad reads is sci-fi or high fantasy which really narrows down the field of possibilities. Last year, I gave him The Martian and he absolutely loved it. With dads, I think it is better to aim for consistency than with originality. They tend to like what they know, and that is not necessarily a bad thing especially when it truly simplifies gift-giving. Narrated by a scientist stuck on Mars, The Martian is highly technical in language while remaining sarcastic and funny. The Martian was a huge hit with the public, and it most likely will with your dad too. (Also the movie is with Matt Damon was pretty great). Summary Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first person to die there.After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive — and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won’t have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old “human error” are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn’t ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills — and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit — he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him? 4. Your sibling My pick: The Lunar Chronicles #1 Cinder by Marissa Meyer French translation: Cinder Awards: Goodreads award nominee (2012), Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award Nominee (2014), Lincoln Award Nominee (2014) etc. Whether younger or older, every sibling can the wondrous story of Cinder and Peony. While Cinder is not only about family, the best part of the series was definitely seeing the sisters’ relationship grow. Cinder is a crazy space odyssey inspired by the Grimm fairytales. The first novel starts in a New Beijing as a new form of plague ravages the country. Cinder, a cyborg, gets tangled up in royal and intergalactic affairs. It is a story of sacrifice and hardship, and perfectly illustrates the power of family. Summary Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future. 5. Your cousin that you haven't seen in 5 years and is coming over for Christmas dinner My pick: Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather by Pierre Szalowski French (original): Le froid modifie la trajectoire des poissons Award: Grand Prix littéraire Archambault (2009) This is an awkward one. Your cousin is coming over for brunch, but you have not seen or heard about them in a long time. You don’t know what they like or how exactly old they are. You want to avoid all kinds of potentially awkward situations giving a romance-heavy novel or a sci-fi only to learn they hate love and they don’t like Star Wars. In this situation, I would opt for a feel-good book that everyone will love. Fish Change Direction in Cold Weather is one such book. Set during the 1998 Montreal blizzard, the novel focuses on various perspectives like a little boy’s dealing with his parent’s divorce and an awkward mathematician rooming with a pole dancer. This story makes you feel all warm inside and carries a powerful message of solidarity. Summary When his parents split up, and his dad leaves home, a ten-year-old boy begs the sky to help him. The next day an ice storm covers his city. When the power goes out and the temperature drops, people must turn to each other to survive. But for one neighbourhood the catastrophe brings surprising new beginnings. Julie, the dancer who lives across the street, helps Boris, an eccentric Russian mathematician, save his fish from the cold weather. And the urbane Michel and Simon open their door to Alexis, their embittered neighbour, and his son. But will the ice storm bring the boy's parents back together? 6. Your best friend My pick: Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling French: Harry Potter Awards: British Book Award (1998), American Booksellers Book of the Year Award (1999), Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature (2012) etc. Do I even need to explain? If your friend has not this iconic series, it is the time they do. And if they already have, give them the new illustrated editions which are absolutely gorgeous and make for great coffee table book or a collectible. Summary Harry Potter's life is miserable. His parents are dead and he's stuck with his heartless relatives, who force him to live in a tiny closet under the stairs. But his fortune changes when he receives a letter that tells him the truth about himself: he's a wizard. A mysterious visitor rescues him from his relatives and takes him to his new home, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 7. Your boss/teacher/crush My pick: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas French (original): Le comte de Monte Cristo What do those three people have in common? You desperately want to impress them and make a good impression. The key here is to show you off, and what better way to do that than with a classic. Who cares if they have already read it? They will simply be impressed that you thought about them, and by the fact that you read (or not, but that’s a secret) a 1000-page novel. However, for teachers and bosses, you might want to be sure that giving a gift is appropriate since that can be tricky. The Count of Monte Cristo is my favourite classic. It’s a story about a vengeance and adventure which no one will remain indifferent to. Summary Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. 8. The kid My pick: The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen French translation: Le journal malgré lui de Henry K. Larsen Awards: CLA Book of the Year for Children Award (2013), Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award for Middle Award Reader (2013), Snow Willow Award (2013) etc. Aged between five and ten years old, the kid in your entourage is most likely to have an IPad and be more into Candy Crush than books. However, reading books is a critically important to develop your imagination and creativity which is why all kids should read. They might be surprised at first, but I have never met a kid that has not been captured by the fantastic stories of dragons and princesses when they were given the chance. However, my pick touches a personal issue which is bullying. To me, it’s important to show children that they are not alone when facing such a difficult situation. The Journal of Henry K. Larsen is a beautiful story that will move you to tears about a little boy dealing with bullying and with a difficult family situation. It shows a beautiful and resilient side of human nature. Summary Darker than her previous novels, Susin peoples this novel about the ultimate cost of bullying with a cast of fabulous characters, dark humour, and a lovable, difficult protagonist struggling to come to terms with the horrible crime his brother has committed. 9. The teen My pick: Chaos Walking #1 The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness French translation: Le Chaos en marche #1 La voix du couteau Awards: Guardian Children's Fiction Prize (2008), James Triptree Jr. Award (2008), Manchester Book Award Nominee for Longlist (2009) etc. Ahhh the teenager… Like the kid, they are most likely to be found scrolling on their phone than reading a good book. However, reading a book is kind of like reading a long Buzzfeed post, right? Either way, every teen needs a way to escape the struggles of those difficult teenage years. I have recommended The Knife of Never Letting Go to multiple teens, and have gifted it multiple times as well, and it is always a huge success. I am a huge fan of Ness’s writing, and this series is by far his most glorious piece of work. This action-packed adventure novel with amazing character development is sure to transport teens to a far-away earth. Summary Prentisstown isn't like other towns. Everyone can hear everyone else's thoughts in an overwhelming, never-ending stream of Noise. Just a month away from the birthday that will make him a man, Todd and his dog, Manchee -- whose thoughts Todd can hear too, whether he wants to or not -- stumble upon an area of complete silence. They find that in a town where privacy is impossible, something terrible has been hidden -- a secret so awful that Todd and Manchee must run for their lives. But how do you escape when your pursuers can hear your every thought? 10. The millennial My English pick: What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton Award: Goodreads Choice Award for Memoir & Autobiography (2017) My French pick: Des femmes savantes by Chloé Savoie-Bernard As a millennial myself, I tend to think that we are living in very special times. The boom of social media and the news media currently surrounds us in our ripped jeans pockets. We are more political and aware of world issues than ever before which is why I picked two books to reflect that. There is one French and English pick simply because they both have not yet been translated into the other language since they are both relatively recent publications. They both target issues of feminism and the role of woman which have recently been put in the spotlight following the #metoo movement. Summary/résumé What Happened: For the first time, Hillary Rodham Clinton reveals what she was thinking and feeling during one of the most controversial and unpredictable presidential elections in history. Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules. This is her most personal memoir yet. Des femmes savantes: Ces femmes ont bien appris la leçon. Les règles, elles les connaissent. Est-ce donc leur faute si, au dernier moment, ça coince? La ligne de khôl, les vœux du Nouvel An, un coiffeur qui vous prend pour Courtney Love, une fin de soirée sans condom, ce plan si simple pour faire renvoyer la vendeuse détestée de toutes… Prises entre désir de plaire et souci d’authenticité, les femmes et les filles mises en scène par Chloé Savoie-Bernard se délectent de leur solitude jusqu'à l'écoeurement. Quelles parts de soi faut-il enjamber pour atteindre l’autre? Certaines arriveront à faire le grand écart, d’autres non. Habitées par les sons et les langues de Montréal, par la musique pop et la poésie, ces nouvelles sont portées par un souffle aussi lyrique qu’impur. La contamination est amorcée. 11. The awkward person at work/school you picked during secret Santa My pick: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin French translation: L’histoire épatante de M. Fikry et autres trésors Award: Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Fiction (2014) This one is like the far-away cousin. You don’t really know anything about them, and you especially don’t want to creep them out by giving something sexual or out of the box that might not be appropriate in a school or work context. You need something that feels universally good and puts you in the Christmas spirit. The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry is a beautiful and moving testament to the power of books, solidarity and the role of family. Summary A. J. Fikry's life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died; his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history; and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Chief Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who's always felt kindly toward him; from Ismay, his sister-in-law, who is hell-bent on saving A.J. from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who persists in taking the ferry to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.'s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, he can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly. And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It's a small package, though large in weight—an unexpected arrival that gives A.J. the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn't take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J., for the determined sales rep Amelia to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light, for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.'s world. Or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn't see coming. 12. The nerd My pick: Ready Player One by Ernest Cline French translation: Player One Awards: Prometheus Award for Best Novel (2012), ALA Alex Award (2012), Lincoln Award Nominee (2014) etc. Whether you have a nerdy friend or sibling, they are sure to love Ready Player One. This is another one of those books that I have recommend or gifted to a bunch of people who loved it. Ernest Cline himself is a huge nerd who’s obsession with video games heavily inspired Ready Player One. The nerd will recognize elements of video games and gaming culture which is currently exploding. Fans of the anime Sword Art Online will also absolutely find similar elements between the TV show and this book. (Also, the movie directed by Steven Spielberg is coming out in March 2018, so you better read the book before you watch the movie!) Summary In the year 2044, reality is an ugly place. The only time teenage Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the virtual utopia known as the OASIS. Wade's devoted his life to studying the puzzles hidden within this world's digital confines, puzzles that are based on their creator's obsession with the pop culture of decades past and that promise massive power and fortune to whoever can unlock them. When Wade stumbles upon the first clue, he finds himself beset by players willing to kill to take this ultimate prize. The race is on, and if Wade's going to survive, he'll have to win—and confront the real world he's always been so desperate to escape. 13. The "I only read classics" reader My pick: Vango #1 Between Sky and Earth by Timothée de Fombelle French (original): Vango #1 Entre ciel et terre Awards: Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Jugendbuch (2012), Prix Ados Nominee (2012), Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas for Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga (2015). We all know someone who thinks modern littérature is doomed and not worthy of the great French or Russian writers like Hugo, Molière, Tolstoï etc. Unfortunately for you, they probably have read ALL the classics, and there is nothing more disappointing than receiving a book you already own. Vango is one of those modern classics. It combines the refined wording of classics with an adventure based in WW2. Timothée de Fombelle’s plume is recognized especially in Europe, having won multiple French and German awards, however, it remains pretty unknown in North America. Vango is sure to please even the pickiest reader. Summary In a world between wars, a young man on the cusp of taking priestly vows is suddenly made a fugitive. Fleeing the accusations of police who blame him for a murder, as well as more sinister forces with darker intentions, Vango attempts to trace the secrets of his shrouded past and prove his innocence before all is lost. As he crisscrosses the continent via train, boat, and even the Graf Zeppelin airship, his adventures take him from Parisian rooftops to Mediterranean islands to Scottish forests. A mysterious, unforgettable, and romantic protagonist, Vango tells a thrilling story sure to captivate lovers of daring escapades and subversive heroes. 14. The book lover My pick: The Cemetery of Forgotten Books #1 The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón French translation: Le cimetière des livres oubliés #1 L’ombre du vent Awards: Barry Award for Best First Novel (2005), Borders Original Voices Award for Fiction (2004), Dilys Award Nominee (2005) etc. I sincerely hope there is a book lover in your life that you could gift The Shadow of the Wind too. There is nothing more than a book lover loves than books (try saying that 10 times). The Shadow of the Wind is an ode to the glorious world of books. Based after the Spanish civil war, Zafón makes the reader travel through a mystical, almost supernatural, quest for love and closure. It is undoubtedly one of my favourite books of the year, and I still think about it every time I look at my collection. Summary Barcelona, 1945 - just after the war, a great world city lies in shadow, nursing its wounds, and a boy named Daniel awakes on his eleventh birthday to find that he can no longer remember his mother’s face. To console his only child, Daniel’s widowed father, an antiquarian book dealer, initiates him into the secret of the Cemetery of Forgotten Books, a library tended by Barcelona’s guild of rare-book dealers as a repository for books forgotten by the world, waiting for someone who will care about them again. Daniel’s father coaxes him to choose a volume from the spiraling labyrinth of shelves, one that, it is said, will have a special meaning for him. And Daniel so loves the novel he selects, The Shadow of the Wind by one Julian Carax, that he sets out to find the rest of Carax’s work. To his shock, he discovers that someone has been systematically destroying every copy of every book this author has written. In fact, he may have the last one in existence. Before Daniel knows it his seemingly innocent quest has opened a door into one of Barcelona’s darkest secrets, an epic story of murder, magic, madness and doomed love. And before long he realizes that if he doesn’t find out the truth about Julian Carax, he and those closest to him will suffer horribly.
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