Memorial Hall Library

2020 MHL Gift Guide

Looking for a gift for that hard-to-shop-for someone? We might be biased but we think books are the perfect gift for anyone! Here are some suggestions from us--of course, you can also just check them out from the library if you want to read any of these yourself. You can also fill out a Giftmatch form to get customized suggestions from our staff. 

These books are all recommended gifts for adults or older teens. Our 2020 gift guide for young readers is available here.

Spirit run : a 6,000-mile marathon through North America's stolen land
Spirit run : a 6,000-mile marathon through North America's stolen land
by Noe Alvarez
 
For the long distance runner who is missing in-person group runs:
 
A debut memoir by the son of working-class Mexican immigrants describes his upbringing in Washington State, membership in the Peace and Dignity Journeys movement and competition in the Native American cultural marathon from Canada to Guatemala.
One to watch
One to watch
by Kate Stayman-London
 
For The Bachelor fan In your life:
 
Frustrated by a lack of body diversity on her favorite reality show, a plus-sized fashion blogger uses an unexpected invitation to star in the show to bolster her career, before unexpected romance complicates her prospects. 
The rise : black cooks and the soul of American food
The rise : black cooks and the soul of American food
by Marcus Samuelsson

For the chef who likes a story with their meal:
 
Celebrates the culinary contributions of black chefs and cooks to American cuisine including recipes such as chilled corn and tomato soup, saffron tapioca pudding, and steak frites with plantain chips and green vinaigrette.
Ring shout : or, Hunting Ku Kluxes in the end times
Ring shout : or, Hunting Ku Kluxes in the end times
by P. Djèlí Clark
 
For the Lovecraft Country fan:
 
A dark-fantasy, historical novella from the award-winning author of The Black God’s Drums follows a foul-mouthed sharpshooter and a Harlem Hellfighter as they fight a supernatural Ku Klux Klan in Macon, Georgia in the early 20th century. 
Dessert person : recipes and guidance for baking with confidence
Dessert person : recipes and guidance for baking with confidence
by Claire Saffitz
 
For the Bon Appetit fan (who you hope might send you extra baked goods):
 
A first cookbook by the host of Bon Appétit’s Baking School shares professional tips and troubleshooting strategies for more than 100 recipes that feature Saffitz’s signature twists, including Babkallah, Crispy Mushroom Galette and Malted Forever Brownies. 
The new one : painfully true stories from a reluctant dad
The new one : painfully true stories from a reluctant dad
by Mike Birbiglia
 
For the new parent:
 
With humorous parenting observations, a New York Times best-selling author and award-winning comedian delivers a book for anyone who has ever raised a child, been a child, or refuses to stop acting like one.
The best of me
The best of me
by David Sedaris
 
For the casual observer who celebrates the quirky and the ordinary in life: 
 
The American humorist, author and radio contributor presents shares his most memorable work in a collection of stories and essays that feature him shopping for rare taxidermy, hitchhiking with a quadriplegic and hand-feeding a carnivorous bird. 
Harrow the ninth
Harrow the ninth
by Tamsyn Muir
 
For the necromancer who likes puns:
 
A sequel to the best-selling Gideon the Ninth continues the story of Harrowhark Nonagesimus, whose failing health and uncooperative magic are complicated by the schemes of a would-be assassin in the twisted halls of the Emperor. 
Solutions and other problems
Solutions and other problems
by Allie Brosh
 
For the comics fan who likes a little sadness mixed in with their humor
 
The creator of the award-winning Hyperbole and a Half presents a new collection of comedic, autobiographical and deceptively illustrated essays on topics ranging from childhood and very bad pets to grief, loneliness and powerlessness in modern life. 
The Goode guide to wine : a manifesto of sorts
The Goode guide to wine : a manifesto of sorts
by Jamie Goode

For the cultured friend who had to cancel their trip to Napa this year:
 
Who will have the last word on wine, if not Jamie Goode? Over the last decade, Goode has embarked on almost nonstop travel through the world's vineyards in an effort to understand the beautifully diverse and complicated world of wine. His hard-nosed pursuit of the most interesting stories to tell about wine has led us here, to The Goode Guide to Wine. This book--a sort of manifesto--distills many of the observations, lessons, and opinions that have made Jamie Goode a renowned voice within the wine world. In a series of short, pithy, and often rather blunt chapters, he celebrates what is exciting and interesting about wine, asks how we could do things better, and points out some of the absurdities of wine culture. Jamie Goode has a distinct philosophy when it comes to wine, and he knows you may disagree; if you do, that means it's working. The Goode Guide to Wine is a book designed to provoke and inspire in equal measure, encouraging the reader to be critical and to see the world of wine through fresh eyes.
Action Park : fast times, wild rides, and the untold story of America's most dangerous amusement park
Action Park : fast times, wild rides, and the untold story of America's most dangerous amusement park
by Andy Mulvihill
 
For a Gen Xer feeling nostalgic about the carefree 80s:
 
The outlandish, hilarious, terrifying, and almost impossible-to-believe story of the legendary, dangerous amusement park where millions were entertained and almost as many bruises were sustained, told through the eyes of the founder's son Often called "Accident Park," "Class Action Park," or "Traction Park," Action Park was an American icon. Entertaining more than a million people a year in the 1980s, the New Jersey-based amusement playland placed no limits on danger or fun, a monument to the anything-goes spirit of the era that left guests in control of their own adventures--sometimes with tragic results. Action Park is the first-ever unvarnished look at the history of this DIY Disneyland, as seen through the eyes of Andy Mulvihill, the son of the park's idiosyncratic founder, Gene Mulvihill. 
We ride upon sticks
We ride upon sticks
by Quan Barry
 
For a witchy Gen Xer feeling nostalgic about the carefree 80s:
 
Nearly three centuries after their coastal community’s witch trials, the women athletes of the 1989 Danvers Falcons hockey team combine individual and collective talents with 1980s iconography to storm their way to the state finals.
Legendary children : the first decade of RuPaul's drag race and the last century of queer life
 
For the Drag Race superfan (Not the NASCAR kind):
 
A definitive deep-dive into queer history and culture with hit reality show RuPaul's Drag Race as a touchstone, by the creators of the popular pop culture blog Tom and Lorenzo.
The vanishing half
The vanishing half
by Brit Bennett

For the eager reader who's still on the library wait list for this popular title:
 
Separated by their embrace of different racial identities, two mixed-race identical twins reevaluate their choices as one raises a black daughter in their southern hometown while the other passes for white with a husband who is unaware of her heritage.
The Mexican home kitchen : traditional home-style recipes that capture the flavors and memories of Mexico
 
Bring the authentic flavors of Mexico to your own home with The Mexican Home Kitchen, featuring 75+ recipes for every meal and occasion.
Bruce Springsteen : All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
Bruce Springsteen : All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track
by Philippe Margotin
 
For your relatives in Jersey:
 
Spanning nearly 50 years of albums, Eps, B-sides and more, this latest book in the bestselling All Songs series presents the full story behind every single song that The Boss has ever released. 
The house in the cerulean sea
The house in the cerulean sea
by TJ Klune
 
For the goody-two-shoes who's ready to break some rules:
 
Given a curious classified assignment to evaluate the potential risks posed by six supernatural orphans, a case worker at the Department in Charge of Magical Youth bonds with an enigmatic caregiver who hides dangerous secrets.
Xi'an Famous Foods : the cuisine of Western China, from New York's favorite noodle shop
Xi'an Famous Foods : the cuisine of Western China, from New York's favorite noodle shop
by Jason Wang

For the family who wants to stop spending so much money on takeout:
 
The CEO of Xi’an Famous Foods describes how he grew his successful restaurant to 14 locations throughout New York and offers his never-before-published recipes including Fried Chicken Wings with XFF Spices and Hot Oil-Seared Biang-Biang Noodles.
She come by it natural : Dolly Parton and the women who lived her songs
She come by it natural : Dolly Parton and the women who lived her songs
by Sarah Smarsh
 
For your favorite (not so) Dumb Blonde:
 
The National Book Award-finalist author of Heartland explores how the music of Dolly Parton and other prominent women country artists has both reflected and validated the harsh realities of rural working-class American women. 
Good husbandry : growing food, love, and family on Essex farm
Good husbandry : growing food, love, and family on Essex farm
by Kristin Kimball

For the mid-career middle-management mid-life set who let 2020 set them close to the edge of decamping for rural America or Canada (before the borders closed):
 
The best-selling author of The Dirty Life evocatively describes her family’s highs and lows throughout five years on Essex Farm that were marked by injury, difficult weather, financial setbacks and renewed commitments.
Agent Sonya : Moscow's most daring wartime spy
Agent Sonya : Moscow's most daring wartime spy
by Ben Macintyre
 
For the cousin you never see and suspect might actually be a spy:
 
The New York Times best-selling author of The Spy and the Traitor reveals the story of the female spy hidden in plain sight who set the stage for the Cold War—one of the last great intelligence secrets of the 20th century.
The Southern book club's guide to slaying vampires
The Southern book club's guide to slaying vampires
by Grady Hendrix
 
For the millennial who's read Twilight 5 times:
 
When her hectic but predictable life is upended by a vicious attack by an elderly local, Patricia unexpectedly bonds with a well-read neighbor who her senile mother-in-law claims to have known herself when she was a girl.
Moon New England Hiking : Best Hikes Plus Beer, Bites, and Campgrounds Nearby
Moon New England Hiking : Best Hikes Plus Beer, Bites, and Campgrounds Nearby
by Kelsey Perrett

For the New Englander who broke in their first hiking shoes in 2020:
 
 Whether you're a veteran or a first-time hiker, Moon's comprehensive coverage and local expertise will have you gearing up for your next adventure.
The butterfly effect : how Kendrick Lamar ignited the soul of black America
The butterfly effect : how Kendrick Lamar ignited the soul of black America
by Marcus J. Moore
 
For Fly Guys:
 
A cultural portrait of the 13-time Grammy Award- and Pulitzer Prize-winning rap superstar documents his coming-of-age as an artist, his genius as a lyricist and his profound impact on today’s racially fraught America. 
The king of confidence : a tale of utopian dreamers, frontier schemers, true believers, false prophets, and the murder of an American monarch
The king of confidence : a tale of utopian dreamers, frontier schemers, true believers, false prophets, and the murder of an American monarch
by Miles Harvey
 
For the aspiring con artist in your life:
 
In 1843, James Strang vanished from a rural town in New York. Months later he reappeared on the Midwestern frontier and converted to Mormonism. In the wake of the murder of the sect's leader, Joseph Smith, Strang unveiled a letter purportedly from the prophet naming him successor, and persuaded hundreds of fellow converts to follow him to an island in Lake Michigan, where he declared himself a divine king.
The Dutch house : a novel
The Dutch house : a novel
by Ann Patchett

For the functional older sister who "borrows" issues of Architectural Digest form the dentist office:
 
A tale set over the course of five decades traces a young man’s rise from poverty to wealth and back again as his prospects center around his family’s lavish Philadelphia estate.
In the waves : my quest to solve the mystery of a Civil War submarine
In the waves : my quest to solve the mystery of a Civil War submarine
by Rachel Lance
 
For the 20,000 Leagues under the Sea fan:
 
An inventive woman scientist recounts the 1864 sinking of the Confederate submarine, H.L. Hunley, recounting her efforts to uncover what actually happened when the sub was discovered 131 years later with its hull and victims still intact.