Christmas Eve is celebrated in Iceland with a book swap. Families and friends exchange recently published books, and spend the evening reading together. This Icelandic tradition is called a Jólabókaflód — think Christmas book flood — and dates to 1944. This year on Christmas Eve, my family will be having an Oak Bluffsian version of a Jólabókaflód — think book swap meets Yankee swap.
While I don’t expect the Jólabókaflód to catch on and become as popular here as, say, caroling, I will make a push for gifting books written by Island-connected authors, which can be purchased at both Edgartown Books and Bunch of Grapes, as well as other stores across the Island.
The following recommended titles were written by writers who volunteered their time and talents at last summer’s Islanders Write.
“Seven Secrets to the Perfect Personal Essay” by Nancy Slonim Aronie. Aronie knows how to inspire us to write, and her newest book includes her essays and her advice, and essays written by many of our Vineyard neighbors.
“The Search” by John Battelle. Battelle did a deep dive a decade ago into Google and other search-engine companies, and reveals their influence on just about every facet of our lives.
“Memorial Days” by Geraldine Brooks. While not out quite yet, this book is the perfect preorder gift.
“Rewriting Illness” by Elizabeth Benedict. Benedict will get you to laugh and scream in her fast-paced memoir about finding out she had cancer and navigating a flawed medical system.
“Washed Ashore” by Bill Eville. Eville’s memoir of “family, fatherhood, and finding home on Martha’s Vineyard” is ideal for fans of his essays in the Vineyard Gazette and beyond.
“Unequal: A Story of America” by Marc Favreau and Michael Eric Dyson. The election is over, but I still want every high school student on the Vineyard, and beyond, to read this enlightening and important book about racial inequality and voter repression.
“Morning Pages” by Kate Feiffer. My debut novel for adults is a comedic coming-of-age story about a woman in the sandwich generation.
“Boy” by Nicole Galland. Preorder Galland’s upcoming historical novel so you have it ready for reading when it’s published in February.
“Becoming Gandhi” by Perry Garfinkel. Garfinkel followed Gandhi’s path, and adopted the principles he lived by, or at least tried to, in this insightful, inspiring, and often funny follow-up to “Buddha or Bust.”
“The Write Prescription” by Judith Hannan. If you know someone writing about illness, Hannan’s book will be a useful tool.
“Wings of Red” by James W. Jennings. Jenning’s debut novel takes place on the Vineyard and in New York, and is raw, real, and fascinating.
“A Termination” by Honor Moore. Moore’s searing, intimate, and political memoir recalls her decision in pre–Roe v. Wade times to have an abortion.
“There You Are” by Mathea Morais. This powerful and tender coming-of-age story has a soundtrack that will take you back to the days when teenagers hung out at record stores.
“The Body and the Blood” by Charles M. Sennott. This 2002 book by MV Times Publisher Sennott is a journalistic pilgrimage into the politics and history of the Holy Land.
“A Smoke and a Song” by Sherry Sidoti. In Sidoti’s terrific, breakout memoir, she brings us into her complicated family, her introduction to yoga, love, and heartbreak, and her spiritual awakening.
“Child Bride” by Jennifer Smith Turner. Turner’s debut novel is a richly layered story about a woman who figures out who she really is after being married off at too young an age.
“The Italian Prisoner” by Elisa M. Speranza. Speranza’s first novel is a story of wartime love and the changing roles of women in New Orleans during World War II, where Sicilian POWs were held, and young women were entering the workforce.
“Take Care of Them Like My Own” by Ala Stanford, M.D. Stanford is a powerhouse and an inspiration whose memoir tells the story of her drive, grit, and determination to make sure that underrepresented and vulnerable people in her hometown of Philadelphia could get tested and vaccinated during the early days of the pandemic.
“Rules for Moving” by Nancy Star. Star’s deeply affecting novel is about the truths we hide from others and the lies we tell ourselves.
“Anything Is Good” by Fred Waitzkin. Waitzkin’s powerful and personal novel is a story about the endurance of a complicated friendship and mental illness.
“The Miracle of the Black Leg” by Patricia J. Williams. These fascinating essays are Williams’ brilliant take on issues such as identity, race, art, bioethics, surveillance, and more.
And for children
“Duet” by Elise Broach (ages 9–12). A young goldfinch loves to sing, and dreams of becoming a musical star.
“Sea of Gold” by Gregory Mone (ages 8–12). A young boy who refuses to fight finds himself on a pirate ship.
“One of a Kind” by Richard Michelson (ages 4–8). The groundbreaking story of the life of Sydney Taylor.
We encourage you to shop local and to read local. Happy holidays!
This post was originally published on here
