CityView Magazine

52 December 2020 GOOD READS G iving books for Christmas is always a good idea. For children, you will be instilling a love and respect for reading. For young adults, you will be cultivating their interest in a wide range of subjects. For the adults, a good book will give them something to dig into aer all the food has been eaten, the family has gone home, and the other gis have been put away for awhile. With the pandemic still keeping many people from big holiday gatherings, a good book can sure help fill that void. Books are easy to wrap; they don't need batteries; and they can be opened over and over again. e key is to find just the right book for each person on your list, and I hope some of these suggestions will help. 1/"THE WONDERFUL THINGS YOU WILL BE" BY EMILY WINFIELD MARTIN For the new baby in the family, this humorous and beautifully illustrated book expresses all the loving things parents think about when they look at their children. Children love to hear the same story over and over again and grown-ups will love reading it to their kids young and old. 2/"THE PENGUIN BOOK OF CHRISTMAS STORIES: FROM HANS CHRISTIAN ANDERSEN TO ANGELA CARTER" EDITED BY JESSICA HARRISON It is always a delight to learn how people in other countries celebrate Christmas. is collection brings together some of the most magical Christmas stories from around the world. We read about Santas, ghosts, trolls, unexpected guests, and miracles of Christmas as told by some of the greatest story tellers of all times. 8 By Diane Parfitt BOOK S TO PU T U NDER T HE T R EE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 3/"A TREASURY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHRISTMAS STORIES" BY BETTYE COLLIER-THOMAS is marvelous collection of stories by well-known black writers has been out of print for years. e stories were originally published in African American newspapers, periodicals and journals between 1880 and 1953 and featured enchanting Christmas tales that are part of the black literary tradition that flourished aer the Civil War. Bettye Collier-omas put together many of the original stories with new material for this newly released edition. e short stories and poems feature family and romantic love and faith as well as more serious topics such as racial identity and poverty. 4/"ANXIOUS PEOPLE" BY FREDRIK BACKMAN is is my new favorite book! I found myself laughing out loud so many times, only to have my heart wrapped in the beauty of humanity shown by the "anxious people." Right before New Year's Eve, a distraught parent, short on rent money and afraid of losing child custody, decides to rob a bank. When that goes badly (it's a cashless bank), the would-be robber, still wearing a ski mask and carrying a toy gun, attempts to hide out in an empty apartment, only to find that it is actually hosting an open house. e perplexed perpetrator now has a hostage situation. As police close in, the failed bank robber sobs and apologizes, "I'm having quite a complicated day here." 5/"D (A TALE OF TWO WORLDS) A MODERN-DAY DICKENSIAN FABLE" BY MICHAEL FABER A modern-day Dickensian fable and a celebration of friendship and humanity, this is a young adult novel that readers of all ages will enjoy. e story begins one day when the letter D disappears from the language. It vanishes from conversation, then from road signs, and soon the local dentist and a neighbor's Dalmatian are missing. is story of friendship and bravery in an uncertain M Y BEST FR IEND IS A PER SON W HO W ILL GI V E ME A BOOK I H AV E NOT R E A D. ~ A BR A H A M LINCOLN

• Cover