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Hot reads to catch up on this Winter Break

By Gaveliers, The Gavel Media Team, on December 7, 2009 7:05 PM

By Matthew Gavin, Culture Editor

For most students, pleasure reading becomes a distant memory with the return to school — time previously devoted to it is quickly taken over by classes, homework assignments and extracurricular activities. As the end of the semester looms, winter break presents the perfect opportunity to catch up on some of this fall’s notable releases.

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

In his first nonfiction book since Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom returns with a poignant story of two men — one an elderly, suburban rabbi; the other a young, inner-city pastor — whose different faiths unite them in the search for life’s great meaning. Like Albom’s previous work, Have a Little Faith will no doubt serve as a reminder to savor life’s every moment after a busy semester.

The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is once again caught up in complex tale of secret societies, sacred artifacts, and unexpected twists when a mysterious object appears in the Capitol building. Fans of The Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons won’t want to pass up Brown’s latest thriller.

The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire That Saved America by Timothy Egan

Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Timothy Egan tells the unbelievable story of a raging forest fire that engulfed three million acres of land across Washington, Idaho and Montana in 1910. In this compelling true story, Egan interweaves the personal accounts of rangers that battled the blaze with the story of President Roosevelt’s commitment to preserving natural resources and the development of the United States Forest Service. The Big Burn is a must-read for history buffs and those interested in the evolution of America’s conservation efforts.

What the Dog Saw by Malcom Gladwell

Following up on the success he’s had with his previous three works — The Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers — Gladwell compiles the best of his writing from The New Yorker in What the Dog Saw. Addressing such topics as why ketchup has stayed the same when mustard comes in dozens of varieties and what pit bulls can teach us about crime, Gladwell continues to provide readers with his unique insight and commentary on American culture.

Ford Country by John Grisham

In his foray into short fiction, John Grisham returns to the rural Mississippi haunts that were the setting for his first novel, A Time to Kill. Featuring such stories as a hard-drinking divorce lawyer’s chance to reinvigorate his career with a class-action lawsuit, readers of Grisham’s previous work will find familiar legal undertones in this collection of character-driven tales.

The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba

As a youth in southern Africa, William Kamkwamba dreamed about building a windmill to provide his family with electricity and running water. His inspirational journey to make his vision a reality with scrap materials — including clothesline and tractor parts — is especially telling for those with an interest in sustainable energy.

True Compass: A Memoir by Edward M. Kennedy

Published just a month after his death, Kennedy’s memoir reveals the man behind the political legacy. True Compass presents a moving, intimate portrait of the late “Liberal Lion” through Kennedy’s reflections on the deaths of his brothers, his diagnosis with a malignant brain tumor, and his lifelong commitment to social justice.

Under the Dome by Stephen King

A small town in Maine is suddenly enclosed by an invisible force field in King’s latest supernatural thriller. Cut off from the outside world, tensions arise as power factions form within the town between politicians and residents, leading to violent consequences. Under the Dome is the finished product of a novel King tried to write twice before, and it’s surely worth the wait.

The Lacuna: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

In her first novel in nine years, Kingsolver presents a moving tale of personal and national identity through the experiences of protagonist, Harrison William Sheperd. Born to an American father and Mexican mother, Sheperd’s journey to find himself traverses 1930s leftist Mexico and America in the midst of the Red Scare to reveal a gloomy era largely forgotten in public memory.

Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson

In his follow up to Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time, humanitarian Greg Mortenson chronicles his efforts to create schools for girls in Afghanistan —— a promise he made in 1999 —— while also touching on his work following the Kashmir earthquake of 2005 and his experience of being held captive by the Taliban. Mortenson’s noble journey to promote peace through education and literacy conveys a hopeful message that will certainly resonate with readers.