Gift guide for adults2015 holiday edition

staff recommendations

fictionThe Turner House by Angela Flournoy (April 14, 2015)National Book Award FinalistThe Turners have lived on Yarrow Street for over fifty years. Their house has seen thirteen children grown and gone--and some returned; it has seen the arrival of grandchildren, the fall of Detroit’s East Side, and the loss of a father. When the family matriarch is forced to leave her home, the children return home to reckon with how each of their pasts haunts and shapes the family’s future.

City on Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg (October 13, 2015)New York City, 1976. Meet Regan and William Hamilton-Sweeney, estranged heirs to one of the city’s great fortunes; Keith and Mercer, the men who, for better or worse, love them; Charlie and Samantha, two suburban teenagers seduced by downtown’s punk scene; an obsessive magazine reporter and his idealistic neighbor--and the detective trying to figure out what any

of them have to do with a shooting in Central Park on New Year’s Eve.

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (February 3, 2015) 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.

The Girl on the Trainby Paula Hawkins (January 13, 2015)Obsessively watching a breakfasting couple every day to escape the pain of her losses, Rachel witnesses a shocking event that inextricably entangles her in the lives of strangers.

fictionTrigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbancesby Neil Gaiman (October 27, 2015)In this new anthology, Neil Gaiman pierces the veil of reality to reveal the enigmatic, shadowy world that lies beneath. Trigger Warning includes previously published pieces of short fiction--stories, verse, and a very special Doctor Who story that was written for the fiftieth anniversary of the beloved series in 2013--as well “Black Dog,” a new tale that revisits the world of American Gods, exclusive to this collection.

Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff (September 15, 2015) National Book Award Finalist Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two perspectives. And sometimes, it turns out, the key to a great marriage is not its truths but its secrets. At the core of this rich, expansive, layered novel, Lauren Groff presents the story of one such marriage over the course of twenty-four years.

Circling the Sun by Paula McClain (July 28, 2015)The story of Beryl Markham, a record-setting aviator caught up in a passionate love triangle with safari hunter Denys Finch Hatton and Karen Blixen, author of the classic memoir Out of Africa. Beryl’s unconventional upbringing transforms her into a bold young woman. Beryl forges her own path as a horse trainer, and her uncommon style attracts the eye of a bohemian community of European expats who live and love by their own set of rules.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik (May 19, 2015)Agnieszka loves her valley home with her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted Wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, driven wizard known only as the Dragon to keep its powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman handed over to serve him for ten years.

fiction

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: The Illustrated Edition by J.K. Rowling (October 6, 2015)The story of the boy who lived, beautifully illustrated by artist Jim Kay. A perfect gift for Harry Potter fans of any age.

Seveneves by Neal Stephenson (May 19, 2015)Five thousand years after a catastrophic event rendered the Earth a ticking time bomb, the progeny of a handful of outer space explorers--seven distinct races now three billion strong--embark on yet another audacious journey: to return to Earth.

A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler (February 10, 2015)Brimming with the luminous insight, humor, and compassion that are Anne Tyler’s hallmarks, this capacious novel takes us across three generations of the Whitshank family, their shared stories and long-held secrets, all the unguarded and richly lived moments that combine to define who and what they are as a family.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (March 10, 2015)National Book Award FinalistMan Booker Prize NomineeWhen four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride.

fiction Non-fictionModern Romanceby Aziz Ansari and Eric Klinenberg (June 16, 2015) The acclaimed comedian teams up with a New York University sociologist to explore the nature of modern relationships, evaluating how technology is shaping contemporary relationships and considering the differences between courtships of the past and present.

The Residence: Inside the Private World of the White Houseby Kate Andersen Brower (April 7, 2015)An intimate account of White House life from the perspectives of the service staff from the Kennedys through the Obamas details their friendships, marriages, everyday activities, and elaborate state dinners.

German Village: Stories Behind the Bricksby John M. Clark (June 22, 2015)Longtime resident and tour guide John M. Clark goes behind the bricks of more than seventy German Village properties to explore the places and people who helped make this South Side neighborhood a Columbus treasure.

Between the World and Meby Ta-Nehisi Coates (July 14, 2015)National Book Award WinnerIn a profound work that pivots from the biggest questions about American history and ideals to the most intimate concerns of a father for his son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation’s history of racial tensions and current crisis.

Non-fictionNegroland: A Memoirby Margo Jefferson (September 8, 2015)A deeply felt meditation on race, sex, and American culture through the prism of the author’s rarefied upbringing and education among the black elite. This memoir is concerned to distance itself from whites and the black generality, while tirelessly measuring itself against both.

Dead Wakeby Erik Larson (March 10, 2015)Erik Larson (In the Garden of Beasts, Devil in the White City) presents a 100th-anniversary chronicle of the sinking of the Lusitania that discusses the factors that led to the tragedy and the contributions of such figures as President Wilson, bookseller Charles Lauriat and architect Theodate Pope Riddle.

The Wright Brothersby David McCullough (May 5, 2015)On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot. David McCullough draws on the immense riches of the Wright Papers to tell the human side of the Wright brothers’ story.

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bushby Jon Meacham (November 10, 2015)Written with Meacham’s trademark compelling narration, historical depth, and contemporary insight, this biography reveals the unusual self-reflections, as well as the distinctive American life of a man from the Greatest Generation who pursued a life of service.

Non-fiction non-fictionAbove the Line: Lessons in Leadership and Life from a Championship Season by Urban Meyer & Wayne Coffey (October 27, 2015)In Above the Line, Urban Meyer shares with readers OSU’s groundbreaking game plan--the game plan he followed every day in the Buckeyes’ historic 2014 season--for creating a culture of success that engages and inspires the people around them.

Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America’s Gutsiest Troublemakersby Nick Offerman (May 26, 2015)The star of Parks and Recreation and author of the New York Times bestseller Paddle Your Own Canoe returns with a second book that humorously highlights twenty-five figures from our nation’s history, from its inception to present day--Nick’s personal pantheon of “great Americans.”

Humans of New York: Storiesby Brandon Stanton (October 13, 2015)In the summer of 2010, photographer Brandon Stanton began an ambitious project--to single-handedly create a photographic census of New York City. Ever since Brandon began interviewing people on the streets of New York, the dialogue he’s had with them has increasingly become as in-depth, intriguing and moving as the photos themselves.

My Kitchen Year: 136 Recipes That Saved My Lifeby Ruth Reichl (September 29, 2015)My Kitchen Year follows the change of seasons--and Reichl’s emotions--as she slowly heals through the simple pleasures of cooking after the abrupt closing of Gourmet magazine. Over the course of this challenging year, each dish Reichl prepares becomes a kind of stepping stone to finding joy again in ordinary things.

moviesFOR THE KIDS

Aladdin: Diamond Edition (Rated G)In the heat of an enchanted city, a commoner named Aladdin and his mischievous monkey, Abu, battle to save the free-spirited Princess Jasmine from the schemes of the evil sorcerer, Jafar.

Inside Out (Rated PG)Growing up can be a bumpy road, and it’s no exception for Riley, who is uprooted from her Midwest life when her father starts a new job in San Francisco. Like all of us, Riley is guided by her emotions: Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness. The emotions live in Headquarters, the control center inside Riley’s mind, where they help advise her through everyday life.

FOREIGN FILM

Timbuktu (Rated PG-13)Academy Award Nominee- Best Foreign Language FilmA cattle herder and his family who reside in the dunes of Timbuktu find their quiet lives abruptly disturbed when they are forced to follow the new laws of the religious fundamentalist rulers.

TV SERIES

Outlander: Season One Claire Randall is a married combat nurse from 1945 who is mysteriously swept back in time to 1743, thrown into an unknown world where her life is threatened. When she is forced to marry a chivalrous and romantic young Scottish warrior, a passionate affair is ignited that tears Claire’s heart between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

movies moviesFOR THE GROWN-UPS

Mad Max: Fury Road (Rated R)Haunted by his turbulent past, Max Rockatansky believes the best way to survive is to wander alone. Nevertheless, he becomes swept up with a group fleeing across the Wasteland in a War Rig driven by an elite Imperator, Furiosa. They are escaping the Immortan Joe as he and his gang ruthlessly pursue the rebels in the high-octane Road War that follows.

Selma (Rated PG-13)The story of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s historic struggle to secure voting rights for all people, a dangerous and terrifying campaign that culminated with an epic march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama in 1964.

DOCUMENTARIES

Amy (Rated R)The incredible story of six-time Grammy winner Amy Winehouse - in her own words. Featuring extensive unseen archival footage and previously unheard tracks, this strikingly modern, moving, and vital film shines a light on our culture and the world we live in today.

He Named Me Malala (Rated PG-13)An intimate portrait of Malala Yousafzai, who was wounded when Taliban gunmen opened fire on her in Pakistan’s Swat Valley. The shooting of the then fifteen-year-old teenager sparked international media outrage. An educational activist in Pakistan, Yousafzai has since emerged as a leading campaigner for the rights of children worldwide and in December 2014, became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

music25 | AdeleGenre: Pop, Soul, R&BAdele’s latest release marks a conscious shift in approach, both lyrically and musically. Thematically, 25 deals with accepting adulthood, nostalgia, and motherhood. Musically, it attempts to be more modern, with the inclusion of electronics such as synthesizers and drum pads. However, fans of her previous releases will

find that Adele’s unmistakable vocal stylings are still front and center.

Sound & Color | Alabama ShakesGenre: Soul, Rock, AmericanaLed by a truly dynamic performance from vocalist and guitarist Brittany Howard, the Alabama Shakes successfully capture a soulful, retro rock sound without ever sounding like a cheap imitation.

To Pimp a Butterfly | Kendrick Lamar (Explicit)Genre: Rap, Hip HopWith the help of industry heavyweights such as Dr. Dre and Pharrell, To Pimp a Butterfly sees Kendrick confronting the issue of racial inequality in America head-on atop diverse beats, often featuring a heavy jazz influence and live musicians.

Hamilton: Original Broadway Cast Recording Lin-Manuel Miranda (Explicit)Genre: Musical Soundtrack, Rap, R&B, Hip HopIn Lin-Manuel Miranda’s groundbreaking musical, he tells the story of Alexander Hamilton, a young immigrant who rises to serve as our nation’s first Secretary of the Treasury, and then is killed in a duel by Aaron Burr. This musical blends together a diverse range of musical styles

with a more traditional musical theater sound. It’s the story of America “then” told by America “the way it is now.”

music musicThe Phosphorescent Blues | Punch BrothersGenre: Progressive BluegrassIn this new album, the Punch Brothers explore classical inspirations (Debussy, Scriabin) alongside blues, pop, and traditional bluegrass stylings. Lyrically, mandolinist and singer Chris Thile focuses on the realities of life in our always-connected world- how it affects our culture, our music, our relationships, and ultimately us.

Songs from the Trees | Carly Simon Genre: Pop, FolkReleased as a companion album for her memoir, Boys in the Trees, this career-spanning collection includes Simon’s early days performing as half of the Simon Sisters duo as well as her thirteen top 40 hits as a solo artist.

A Voice On Air (1935-1955) | Frank SinatraGenre: Jazz, PopCelebrating the 100th birthday of the legendary singer, this box set includes over 100 restored and remastered tracks showcasing the evolution of Sinatra’s vocal work, including his first radio performance in 1935.

Traveller | Chris StapletonGenre: CountryChris Stapleton’s debut album is a throwback country/southern rock album with gritty lyrical themes. Launched into the limelight by Stapleton’s performance with Justin Timberlake at the Country Music Association Awards, Traveller became the first debut country album to reach Number 1 on the Billboard 200 in over four years.

Carrie & Lowell | Sufjan StevensGenre: Indie FolkInspired by childhood family trips to Oregon with his mother and stepfather, Carrie & Lowell is a return to form for Sufjan, with his unique brand of indie folk supported by sparse acoustic instrumentation.

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