Wondering what to get for Christmas or Hanukkah for relatives, friends, children, teenagers, millennials, parents, grandparents, aunt, uncles, and yourself?  I read many books, and I keep a record of all the books I read, so I am giving you my suggestions below.  I am always happy to suggest titles, so contact me any time you feel a dearth of reading material.  If I haven’t read a particular book or age-appropriate books, I get recommendations from the New York Times Book Review, Bloomsbury Review, Shelf Awareness, local bookstores, other writers, and family and friends.  As always, I encourage you to support your local independent bookstores.  They need us and we need them!

*Children:      Heap House by Edward Carey

El Deafo (graphic novel) by Cece Bell

Egg and Spoon by Gregory Maguire

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

Teens/YA:      Station Eleven Emily St. John Mandel

The Martian by Andy Weir (See the movie, too!)

Seaglass Summer by Anjali Banerjee

Incommunicado by Randall Platt

A Story Like the Wind and A Far-Off Place by Laurens Van Der Post

Millennials:     The Magicians Trilogy by Lev Grossman

Tales of the Otori Trilogy by Lian Hearn

The Amber Spyglass by Phillip Pullman

Other Adults:

Mysteries:       Louise Penny.  Begin with Still Life

Alan Furst.  My favorite is The Polish Officer

Jacqueline Winspear.  Begin with Maisie Dobbs

Craig Johnson.  Begin with Cold Dish

The Good Neighbor by A.J. Banner

Killer Weekend and Killer View by Ridley Pearson

Rock with Wings by Anne Hillerman

And of course, MOONSHADOWS by Julie Weston

WWII:             All the Light You Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

Citizens of London by Lynne Olson (nonfiction)

Balkan Trilogy and Levant Trilogy by Olivia Manning

WWI:              The Steady Running of the Hour by Justin Go

West:              Ivan Doig—All of his books beginning with This House of Sky

Falling from Horses by Molly Gloss

Special:           Craig Childs.  All of his books

H is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald

Walking Nature Home by Susan J. Tweit

Sailing with Impunity by Mary Trimble

Hotel Florida: Truth, Love and Death in the Spanish Civil War by Amanda Vaill

Driving Home by Jonathan Raban

Seattle Justice by Christopher Bayley

When Women were Birds by Terry Tempest Williams

Traveling with Pomegranates by Sue Monk Kidd

* All children’s recommendations courtesy of our granddaughter’s mother

Writing Report:

** I did a signing for my book MOONSHADOWS, at the Barnes & Noble bookstore in Twin Falls on December 5.  It was very successful–lots of people coming through the whole four hours we were there!

** MOONSHADOWS won Best Cover from the Idaho Author Awards!  My husband, Gerry Morrison, took the photograph that Five Star Publishing used for the cover.

** New Millennium Writings awarded my story “Sleeping Horses” Honorable Mention in its 40^th Year Fall Writing Awards.

** Story Circle Network named me a Star Blogger.

** Story Circle Book Reviews chose MOONSHADOWS for a review. Susan J. Tweit, a writer par excellence, wrote it, and it was selected as one of the best reviews at Story Circle Network for November!
http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/reviews/moonshadows.shtml

** I was also interviewed for an on-line publication, about MOONSHADOWS. http://www.digitaleaderhip.com/blog  (Scroll waaaay down!)

SPECIAL DEAL!  SPECIAL DEAL!   SPECIAL DEAL!

If you do not have a local bookstore, buy MOONSHADOWS from me for $25.00, including postage, and I will sign and wrap and send to you or your recipient.  If you live in Idaho, add $1.50.  Email me at juliewweston@gmail.com for your order.