Can’t Find That Last-Minute Gift? Try These Books at Barrett Bookstore

Barrett Bookstore in Darien has something for your friends and family this Christmas, including stocking stuffers. Here’s a baker’s dozen of some recommended books from store owner Sheila Daley (for the children’s books, we also quote from the store’s winter newsletter, where you can find more about each of these books):

[Daley says the store is well-stocked with every one of these books. Barrett Bookstore is open Sunday, Dec. 20 from 12 noon to 5 p.m. and Monday through this Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. On Thursday, Christmas Eve, they’ll probably be closing early, around 4 p.m., she says, “unless somebody’s banging on the door.” Try to get there before that.]

 

For kids:

Pierre the Maze Detective (for ages 8 and up) — “Very intricate mazes,” she warns. The newsletter says: “This beautifully illustrated book features 15 full-spread illustrations of intricate, magical mazes.” By Chihiro Maruyama and Emma Sakamiya

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (for ages 8 and up) — “It’s the full text but has beautiful illustrations accompanying it,” Daley said. “For the first time, J. K. Rowling’s beloved Harry Potter books will be presented in lavishly illustrated, full-color editions. Rowling herself selected artist Jim Kay […],” the newsletter said.

Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know — From the newsletter: “Find out who cleans the floors of the Death Stars and what takes 1,000 years to digest its victims!” By Adam Bray and Cole Horton

Fiction for Adults

Purity — “We find ourselves in a world where the technology we have created, threatens to betray us. It’s character-driven with complicated relationships, themes of betrayal and guilt. It’s the one that I like the best,” Daley said. By Jonathan Franzen

The Strangeness in My Mind — “which I read and loved. The story runs over four decades about a man and his family in Istanbul,” Daley said. By Orhan Pamuk

Biography

Sinatra 100 — “It’s a big coffee-table, illustrated book by his family. It covers his whole career. Some of the pictures have never been published before,” Daley said. By Charles Pignone, Nancy Sinatra and Frank Sinatra Jr.

Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush — “It’s sort of the ‘go-to’ biography for this year” for those who like biographies, Daley said. By John Meacham

The Washingtons: George and Martha, Join’d by Friendship, Crowned by Love — “It’s by Flora Fraser, who is [biographer] Antonia Fraser’s daughter,” Daley said.

Nonfiction for Adults

Three history books:

 

The German War — “It covers the war from the point of view of the German people,” a lesser-known side of World War II, Daley said. By Nicholas Stargardt

Revolution: Mapping the Road to American Independence — “Stunning maps from the collections of King George the III, the Marquis de Lafayette and others. Each map is annotated, and it goes from the French and Indian War to the surrender at Yorktown,” Daley said. By Richard Brown and Paul Cohen

The Witches — “It covers the Salem witch trials. That’s been another go-to book,” Daley said. By Stacy Schiff

Sports

Sports Illustrated Super Bowl Gold: 50 Years of the Big Game — “The book ranks every Super Bowl from worst to best, with commentary on games. It even covers the best commercials,” Daley said. Sports Illustrated, with introduction by Peter King

Gardening

At Home in the Garden — “This is a huge, gorgeous coffee-table book with beautiful photographs of her garden,” Daley said. By Carolyn Roehm

___________

Barrett Bookstore is at 314 Heights Road, in the Noroton Heights Shopping Center — (203) 655-2712