lifestyles | book roundup
Winter Reading Roundup Cozy up with recent releases, from political tell-alls to fictional escapes. By Erica Moody
VANITY FAIR DIARIES By Tina Brown The drama and triumphs of resurrecting a failing “Vanity Fair” in the 1980s are described in delicious detail by longtime editor in chief Tina Brown. (Henry Holt & Co.) THE WARBIRD By Tara Copp Military Times’ Pentagon bureau chief Tara Copp’s book details her grandfather and grand uncle’s experiences during World War II as well as her own experiences in Iraq. She journeys to recover the details of her grandfather’s war story while revealing her own story of life in a warzone. (Squadron Books
THE WEDDING DATE By Jasmine Guillory Two high-powered young professionals find themselves as each other’s wedding dates after being stuck on an elevator together. The first novel by Stanford Law grad Guillory is hilarious, heartfelt and romantic. (Berkley) STICKY FINGERS By Joe Hagan Rolling Stone founder Jean Wenner’s biography is an indepth and at times brutally honest portrait of the man who revolutionized music journalism. (Alfred A. Knopf)
fresh complaint By Jeffrey Eugenides Pulitzer-Pr ize-winning author Jeffrey Eugenides’ first collection of short stories is a treat. Two new tales join older ones from 1989 on (including one that informed his novel “Middlesex”) that treat themes of greed, obsession and money. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux)
UNCOMMON TYPE By Tom Hanks Is there anything Tom Hanks can’t do? It doesn’t seem so. His debut book of short stories reveals the actor’s talents on the page, with original, humorous, intelligent tales in an easy-toread style. Vintage typewriters make an appearance throughout and connect the stories. (Knopf Canada)
THE NAUGHTY NINETIES By David Friend The 1990s marked the dawn of reality TV, when scandal was everywhere and the “tabloidization of pop culture” was just beginning. Vanity Fair writer David Friend’s cultural study of the decade includes first-person accounts from scandalous key players including Monica Lewinsky and the inventor of Viagra. (Hachette Book Group)
LEONARDO DA VINCI By Walter Isaacson This 600-plus page, #1 New York Times bestseller has been hailed as a masterpiece. You’ll learn everything you ever wanted to know about one of the most famous and influential artists of all time written by one of the country’s most celebrated biographers. The secret behind Mona Lisa’s smile remains unsolved. (Simon & Schuster)
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the leavers By Lisa Ko Lisa Ko’s debut novel received the PEN/Bellwether Prize for Socially Engaged Fiction and was a finalist for the National Book Award for Fiction. She tackles both the immigrant and the adoptee experience in alternating narratives of an undocumented Chinese woman and her American-born son. (Algonquin) no time to spare By Ursula K. Le Guin Science fiction heavyweight Ur sula Le Guin shares wisdom on topics ranging from aging, literature and the state of the nation in her new collection of essays. It’s like reading the best of her personal blog. (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) HIDDENSEE By Gregory Maguire The bestselling author of “Wicked” and “After Alice” has penned an enchanting tale to get you in the holiday spirit. Maguire blends the origin legend of the famous Nutcracker with Drosselmeier, the curious toymaker who carves him to bring the story to life. (William Morrow) THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF GUCCI MANE By Gucci Mane and Neil Martinez-Belkin Gucci Mane, the prolific hip-hop artist from rural Alabama tells the compelling story of his radical transformation from incarcerated drug dealer to rap superstar. His sense of humor keeps it from becoming overly earnest. (Simon & Schuster)
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| holi d ay
2017
| washingtonlife.com