A few days before Christmas, my sister posted a meme on Facebook about an Icelandic tradition called Jolabokaflod.  I was intrigued with the idea of gifting books and laying around all day reading (which sounds like the perfect day to me), so I had to read up a bit more about it.

According to Jolabokaflod.org here is how the Christmas Book Flood began.

This tradition began during World War II once Iceland had gained its independence for Denmark in 1944. Paper was one of the few commodities not rationed during the war, so Icelanders shared their love of books even more as other types of gifts were short supply. This increase in giving books as presents reinforced Iceland’s culture as a nation of bookaholics – a study conducted by Bifröst University in 2013 found that half the country’s population read at least eight books a year.

Every year since 1944, the Icelandic book trade has published a catalogue – called Bókatíðindi (‘Book Bulletin’, in English) – that is sent to every household in the country in mid-November during the Reykjavik Book Fair. People use the catalogue to order books to give friends and family for Christmas.

During the festive season, gifts are opened on 24 December and, by tradition, everyone reads the books they have been given straight away, often while drinking hot chocolate or alcohol-free Christmas ale called jólabland.

I was down with this idea and decided, at the very last minute and at the expense of Barnes and Nobles expedited shipping, to gift everyone who was gathering around our house for Christmas Eve a book.

With the exception of my kids, I think everyone was excited about their books and we all agreed to continue this tradition each Christmas Eve.

Books Gifted This Year

My friend’s 20-year-old daughter is a history major at Penn State.  Periodically over the years I’ve managed to find a book that she loved.  Many have raved over this book and I thought this might be one that J would enjoy.

I think I found another book she’ll enjoy, especially since I watched her eagerly read the inside flap and announced she was spending Christmas Day reading.

About the Book

In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says goodbye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old girl, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gäetan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.

With courage, grace and powerful insight, bestselling author Kristin Hannah captures the epic panorama of WWII and illuminates an intimate part of history seldom seen: the women’s war. The Nightingale tells the stories of two sisters, separated by years and experience, by ideals, passion and circumstance, each embarking on her own dangerous path toward survival, love, and freedom in German-occupied, war-torn France–a heartbreakingly beautiful novel that celebrates the resilience of the human spirit and the durability of women. It is a novel for everyone, a novel for a lifetime.

S belongs to a book club that always seems to pick the latest literary fiction hit to read, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to be able to find for her.  This is a title that has been popping up on my Amazon feed and it’s one I put on my list to look at later.  But the more I thought about it, I decided this was definitely one that I had to pick up for S.

I’m glad I did.  She was excited and couldn’t wait to start reading it.

About the Book

Set against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, this novel charts the relationship between a young Scottish widow and a French engineer who, despite constraints of class and wealth, fall in love.

In February 1887, Caitriona Wallace and Émile Nouguier meet in a hot air balloon, floating high above Paris, France–a moment of pure possibility. But back on firm ground, their vastly different social strata become clear. Cait is a widow who because of her precarious financial situation is forced to chaperone two wealthy Scottish charges. Émile is expected to take on the bourgeois stability of his family’s business and choose a suitable wife. As the Eiffel Tower rises, a marvel of steel and air and light, the subject of extreme controversy and a symbol of the future, Cait and Émile must decide what their love is worth.

Seamlessly weaving historical detail and vivid invention, Beatrice Colin evokes the revolutionary time in which Cait and Émile live–one of corsets and secret trysts, duels and Bohemian independence, strict tradition and Impressionist experimentation. To Capture What We Cannot Keep, stylish, provocative, and shimmering, raises probing questions about a woman’s place in that world, the overarching reach of class distinctions, and the sacrifices love requires of us all.

My husband isn’t much of a reader, but this was on my Christmas list for him.  He <3 Bruce Springsteen and I knew this was one book (outside of anything to do with the stock market) that he would truly enjoy.  I was right.  He already has his reading plans when we leave in 2 days for our youngest’s outdoor hockey tournament.

About the Book

“Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’ve tried to do this.” —Bruce Springsteen, from the pages of Born to Run

In 2009, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band performed at the Super Bowl’s halftime show. The experience was so exhilarating that Bruce decided to write about it. That’s how this extraordinary autobiography began.

Over the past seven years, Bruce Springsteen has privately devoted himself to writing the story of his life, bringing to these pages the same honesty, humor, and originality found in his songs.

He describes growing up Catholic in Freehold, New Jersey, amid the poetry, danger, and darkness that fueled his imagination, leading up to the moment he refers to as “The Big Bang”: seeing Elvis Presley’s debut on The Ed Sullivan Show. He vividly recounts his relentless drive to become a musician, his early days as a bar band king in Asbury Park, and the rise of the E Street Band. With disarming candor, he also tells for the first time the story of the personal struggles that inspired his best work, and shows us why the song “Born to Run” reveals more than we previously realized.

Born to Run will be revelatory for anyone who has ever enjoyed Bruce Springsteen, but this book is much more than a legendary rock star’s memoir. This is a book for workers and dreamers, parents and children, lovers and loners, artists, freaks, or anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll.

Rarely has a performer told his own story with such force and sweep. Like many of his songs (“Thunder Road,” “Badlands,” “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “The River,” “Born in the U.S.A.,” “The Rising,” and “The Ghost of Tom Joad,” to name just a few), Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography is written with the lyricism of a singular songwriter and the wisdom of a man who has thought deeply about his experiences.

My friend’s husband is a tough person to contemplate buying a book for.  He is a wealth of knowledge on many topics and I was a little leery of what would be a good book for him.  And then I ran across this book.  Bill O’Reilly himself could be a controversial topic, depending on the company, but the premise of this book sounded intriguing.  I figured if I was intrigued, he would be too.

I think he liked it.

About the Book

The powerful and riveting new book in the multimillion-selling Killing series by Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard

Autumn 1944. World War II is nearly over in Europe but is escalating in the Pacific, where American soldiers face an opponent who will go to any length to avoid defeat. The Japanese army follows the samurai code of Bushido, stipulating that surrender is a form of dishonor. Killing the Rising Sun takes readers to the bloody tropical-island battlefields of Peleliu and Iwo Jima and to the embattled Philippines, where General Douglas MacArthur has made a triumphant return and is plotting a full-scale invasion of Japan.

Across the globe in Los Alamos, New Mexico, Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and his team of scientists are preparing to test the deadliest weapon known to mankind. In Washington, DC, FDR dies in office and Harry Truman ascends to the presidency, only to face the most important political decision in history: whether to use that weapon. And in Tokyo, Emperor Hirohito, who is considered a deity by his subjects, refuses to surrender, despite a massive and mounting death toll. Told in the same page-turning style of Killing Lincoln, Killing Kennedy, Killing Jesus, Killing Patton, and Killing Reagan, this epic saga details the final moments of World War II like never before.

My youngest plays hockey.  A lot of hockey.  So why not a hockey book.  He wasn’t amused…but that wasn’t a reflection on the book, just the fact that my teenager doesn’t like to read.  Obviously, he didn’t inherit my <3 of reading.  ‘:(

About the Book

For the casual enthusiast and hockey fanatic alike comes a collection of essays and photographs celebrating the grit and dedication of hockey players to withstand injury and hardship to play the sport they love.

Based on the author’s interviews with key figures and capturing the inside stories of superstars old and new, Hockey Strong is one of a kind: an exploration of the long, dangerous, and often arduous journey of an NHL player. Packed with intimate interviews, exclusive photographs, and iconic moments, it’s a beautifully designed celebration of one of the toughest sports in the world, and the hearts of the athletes who play it.

Featuring figures like Kris Draper, Shjon Podein, Craig Berube, Joey Kocur, Rick Tocchet, Chris Nilan, and even the trainer for the 1980 Winter Olympics USA team, Todd Smith provides unprecedented access to the stories behind famous hits, injuries, and fights, while also revealing the human drive and brotherhood that propels such players forward. With a particular focus on the Original Six franchises of the NHL, Smith interviews players young and old from across North America, and illustrates hockey’s broad appeal to new and lifelong fans.

Unique in its content and design, and appealing to all generations of fans, this is the perfect gift for both the passionate fanatic and the casual follower of hockey.

My oldest is graduating high school in May and for his graduation, my husband and he are traveling to Iceland for 10 days.  Another non-reader in my house, I figured a little guidebook to peruse before his trip was in order.

About the Book

Newly revised, updated, and redesigned for 2016.

True to its name, DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Iceland covers all the country’s major sights and attractions in easy-to-use “top 10” lists that help you plan the vacation that’s right for you.

This newly updated travel guide for Iceland will lead you straight to the best attractions the country has to offer, whether you want to see stunning glaciers and geysers or the bewitching Northern Lights, visit its beautiful national parks, or experience the vibrancy of Reykjavik.

Expert travel writers have fully revised this edition of DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Iceland.

+ Brand-new itineraries help you plan your trip to Iceland.
+ Maps of walking routes show you the best ways to maximize your time.
+ New Top 10 lists feature off-the-beaten-track ideas, along with standbys like the top attractions, shopping, dining options, and more.

You’ll still find DK’s famous full-color photography and museum floor plans, along with just the right amount of coverage of the country’s history and culture.

The perfect travel companion: DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Top 10 Iceland.

My friend Joelle reviews here on Cocktails and Books so what do you give to someone who already gets books from you every month?  My answer to that question was a Susan Mallery book.  You can never go wrong with Susan Mallery.

About the Book

With Joy, Love and a Little Trepidation, Courtney, Sienna and Rachel Invite You to the Most Emotional Wedding of the Year…Their Mother’s 

Courtney

The Misfit

As the awkward one, Courtney Watson may not be as together as her sisters, but she excels at one thing—keeping secrets, including her white-hot affair with a sexy music producer. Planning Mom’s wedding exposes her startling hidden life, changing her family’s view of her—and how she views herself—forever.

Sienna

The Free Spirit

When Sienna’s boyfriend proposes—in front of her mom and sisters, for crying out loud—he takes her by surprise. She already has two broken engagements under her belt. Should she say “I do” even if she’s not sure she does?

Rachel

The Cynic

Rachel thought love would last forever…right up until her divorce. As Mom’s wedding day draws near and her ex begs for a second chance, she’s forced to acknowledge some uncomfortable truths about why her marriage failed, and decide if she’ll let pride stand in the way of her own happily-ever-after.

My friend’s son is a HUGE Los Angeles Dodgers fan.  I figured he needed this book, just to make sure he had these 100 things down.

About the Book

With traditions, records, and team lore, this lively, detailed book explores the personalities, events, and facts every Dodgers fan should know. This guide to all things Dodgers covers the team’s history in Brooklyn and Los Angeles, the incredible legacy of Jackie Robinson, memories from Ebbets Field, Dodger Adult Baseball Camp, and why fans think the Dodgers invented the high-five. This revised and updated edition also features new entries on the team’s ownership change; manager Don Mattingly; and young stars Matt Kemp, Andre Ethier, and Clayton Kershaw. Lifelong Dodgers fan and author Jon Weisman has collected every essential piece of Dodgers knowledge and trivia, as well as must-do activities, and ranks them all from 1 to 100, providing an entertaining and easy-to-follow checklist for fans of all ages.