The devoted Mortal Reader might recall about this time last year I introduced a new word to our collective lexicon: jubilibre. For those of you who don’t remember, here is a definition:
Jubilibre: (noun): A book that brings joy, most often presented as a gift. Related to Jubilibren (noun): The joy one feels from giving books. From the English jubilant and the Latin libre.
Katrina Mendrey
I’m not certain this new vernacular has caught on quite yet, but because giving books and even better helping people give books is one of my greatest joys, I’m going to keep trying. You see, jubilibres have always been my favorite gifts to give. You know your efforts are successful when the book fills them with the joy of feeling seen and loved, hence you are filled with jubilibren. But to give a book that truly brings joy to both parties, one must be careful. We must truly look deeply at our gifting intentions and think carefully about the person we are buying for, not just pass along what we like. After all, book giving is an act of love. It’s best selfless.
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With so many great books out there, I’m a believer in our ability to pick one, the hard part is in picking just one. For example, for my adventurous niece who loves scuba diving and motorcycles I can think of too many options. For fiction she’s getting “Playground” by Richard Powers who you might recall is the author of “The Overstory.” Powers returns to his gift for storytelling to help us realize, digest and cope with some of the harder truths about our current existence. Themes of humanity, technology, wealth and environmental exploitation meet head on with the mystical wonder of the natural world, in this case the ocean. Powers once again provides us with a story that teaches us about the world around us but more importantly about ourselves. But since I have a hard time giving just one book, she’ll also get “The Blue Machine” by oceanographer and physicist Helen Czerski who explains how the ocean works like an engine fueled by sunlight to keep life both in the depths of the sea and the tops of our land-locked mountains going. Definitely one I’ll read before giving, shhhhhh, don’t tell! And because she’s young and exploring life on a motorcycle, I’m adding Amanda Zito’s “The Motorcylce Camp Cookbook” to her stack. This delightfully written, photographed and illustrated cookbook is all about camp cooking for one! It’s a great book for the solo adventurer, motorcycle or not. It’s so on point I am bursting with jubilibren just thinking about it.
For all my nieces and nephews under the age of 12, they’ll be getting “The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science” by SNL comedian Kate McKinnon. A hilarious tale of three girls banished from the last proper school of etiquette in town, they must now enroll at Millicent Quibb’s school. The book is filled with shenanigans sure to garner belly laughs out of adults and children alike. Definitely one to read aloud to the younger kids but a fully engaging read alone for the middle reader.
For the nature loving mom, aunt, uncle, dad, sibling, or friend it’s truly a toss up between “The Science of Last Things” by Ellen Wayland-Smith and “The Language of Trees” by Katie Holten. Both books draw the reader into the spiritual virtues of curiosity and wonder about the natural world. In “The Language of Trees” Holten creates her own forest from words as she draws together authors across genres in this collection of arboreal poetry, philosophy and science but also humanity. Beautiful both in the words it contains, the images within, the feelings and thoughts it conjures, this book is a treasure. Similarly Wayland-Smith crafts essays that probe at the bigger questions of life while demonstrating through science, religion, philosophy and literature that from the beginning we have all been connected and at the core still are. Her breadth of knowledge is astounding as she thoughtfully ponders the life of both the breathing beings and their immortal parts, the stardust and rock from hence we came.
Lastly, “Small Things Like These” is a little stocking stuffer of a book that will end up in my dad’s suitcase as he travels to visit friends and family this holiday season. Short, sweet and easily packable, this little book is great for the intrepid reader or that person on your list that loves to feel the spirit of Christmas. Irish author Claire Keegan has a knack for telling simple heartwarming stories that remind us of the rippling nature of a simple act of kindness. This portable book is one you’ll want to pass on so buy a little stack and keep sharing the love. Jubilibren to all!
This post was originally published on here
