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Books on the Nightstand published our final episode in July 2016. This is a place for listeners to find old episodes. 

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  2. BOTNS Podcast #108: Books that surprised us

BOTNS Podcast #108: Books that surprised us

Dec 21, 2010

It's the last holiday-themed episode of the year! Before we head off to celebrate Christmas with our families, we share with you the books we're hoping to receive as gifts, two books that surprised us, and two books that we're wrapping up for family and friends.

 

Books we're hoping to find under our respective Christmas trees:

We've given you holiday gift ideas, and told you about some books that we are giving as gifts, but we haven't yet 'fessed up on what books we're hoping to find wrapped up for us. Michael is hoping for DC Super Heroes: The Ultimate Pop-Up Book by Matthew Reinhart.  I'm hoping that Santa brings me Skippy Dies: A Novel by Paul Murray or Faithful Place: A Novel by Tana French.

Books that surprised us:

I never thought it would be a book that I would want to read, but Decodedby Jay-Z is so powerful and cool, I haven't been able to stop talking about it. I'm not a fan of rap or hip-hop, and barely knew who Jay-Z was, but the reviews were so strong that I had to check it out. It's part memoir, part coffee table book, and a must for any music lover or person interested in cultural history.

Michael's not a big sports fan, but found himself captivated by Ice Time: A Tale of Fathers, Sons, and Hometown Heroes by Jay Atkinson. He so loved this book that he also talked about it in BOTNS episode 23. The story of a high school hockey team goes well beyond the sports category.

Two books we're gifting this year:

Snowmen All YearWar and Peace

Michael loves to give his sons books for Christmas, and this year he is gifting Snowmen All Year by Carolyn Buehner. Buehner's other books are already a hit with the family, and this should be no different.

I'm giving my friend Christine a copy of War and Peace (Vintage Classics)by Leo Tolstoy, translated by Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonsky. I'm hoping that this will inspire her to join my War and Peace Read-Along. You are welcome to join in, too -- see the Facebook page for more details. We kick it off in February.

We'll be back next week with the books that you voted as the Best of 2010.  In the meantime, Merry Christmas!