BEST GIFTS FOR THE HOLIDAY SEASON

KIND, Gretchen Primack's poems  delight admirers of crystalline language and call attention to animal rights in a sweet, sensitive, non-preachy way. I recommend it as a gift that will inspire  readers to renew  their connection with all living things.

HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN, Canadian Louise Penny's  latest mystery novel in the Inspector Gamache series, will please the most fastidious reader. Those who follow Gamache's ups and downs at the Surete' du Quebec will be happy to know that the inspector is back at Three Pines leaning on the love of mad poets and bistro owners and book sellers who inhabit the charming village without ever forgetting that his real aim is to catch bad guys.   Click here for a mini review of the well-plotted, beautifully written book.

IDENTICAL, by Scott Turow. Readers familiar with Turow's brilliant writing will enjoy this Kindle County version of the Castor and Pollux myth.

THE SLEEPING DICTIONARY, by Sujata Massey enlarges the reader's knowledge of life in India under the Raj. Lovingly written, entertaining and informative, this is a book I recommend without reservations.

SAVED BY CAKE, by Marion Keyes will delight experienced and novice bakers alike. Chocful of yummy cake, pie and cupcake recipes, brimming with good humour, this book is a treat you might want to buy in multiples so that you can keep a copy for yourself.

THE SERPENT AND THE PEARL, by Kate Quinn is the perfect gift for readers who like history, romance and good writing. Main characters are Giulia Farnese and her lover, Rodrigo Borgia, who later became Pope Alexandre VI.

THE BAKLAVA CLUB, by Jason Goodwin,  comes out in June 2014. Pre-order from Amazon. You can't go wrong with Goodwin's Yashim series.

STRANGLED IN PARIS  and IN THE SHADOWS OF PARIS,  by Claude Izner,  will please lovers of Paris, mystery and history alike. A good mix, a super read.

TUESDAY IS GONE, by Nicci French is among the best mystery novels i read this year.

BEST GIFTS FOR THE 2011 HOLIDAY SEASON

There are a very  few  among this year's  abundant offerings that I recommend as holiday gifts.  The first is EVIL EYE,  by one of my favourite authors, Jason Goodwin. In  this the fourth in the Investigator Yashim   series, the eponymous eunuch shines a dazzling light on the dark corners of the Ottoman Empire, as he pursues an admiral and former mentor who defected to Egypt. Master of  verbal tapestries embroidered in the silkiest of languages, Goodwin weaves a plot that takes  travellers  through  a  landscape dotted with exotic caravanserais,  quaint yalis, and opulent palaces to meet agas, pashas,  dancing girls, Janissaries and Circassian odalisques.  Charming Polish ambassador Palewski, French Empress Josephine's cousin,  the valide sultan, Greek vegetable merchant George and the enchantress  Preen, reappear  in the cast of characters, bringing the pleasant familiarity of old friendships to the story. Although EVIL EYE stands on its own, the complete series ranks among my choices as one of the best gifts to lovers of good fiction.

My second recommendation is A TRICK OF LIGHT, seventh in the Inspector Gamache series by another of my favourite writers, Canadian   Louise Penny. The adventures of Armand Gamache, of the Surete du Quebec,  unfold in the tiny village of Three Pines, in Quebec, a place of great beauty and magic. There, a group of unforgettable characters--painters Clara and Morrow, vinegary poet Ruth Zardo, jolly innkeepers  Gabri and Olivier, no-nonsense bookseller Myrna Lander--add depth and color to the to elegantly devised plots. Readers have hailed this is a stand-alone book as the best of the series. Penny is  numerous literary prizes---Agatha and Arthur Ellis Awards among others--and it to discover the enchanted world she created is indeed a pleasure.

My third recommendation, LANTERNAS COR DE AURORA, by Brazilian Sanzio de Azevedo, is for Lusophone readers one. This a slender volume of haikus, composed with great skill and grace, highlights  the  imperishable beauty that links  places geographically remote to each other, such as northeast Brazil and Paris. while singing the glories of nature, Azevedo coaxes the sweetest notes from an instrument he has mastereed--the Portuguese language.

Matt Beynon Rees and his son Cai.

Fourth on my list is the present I am getting for myself--MOZART"S LAST ARIA, by  Matt Beynon  Rees. Having followed his evolution from nonfiction to fiction writer, having read his witty blog  I have no reason  doubt    Tasha Alexander when she says that this is  "a stunning combination of mystery and meticulously researched historical fiction."

Equally noteworthy are,

PORTRAIT OF A SPY, by Daniel Silva-- please see review.
THE SILVER BOAT, by Louanne Rice--please see review.
ALICE BLISS--please see review.
CALEB'S CROSSING, by Geraldine brooks--please see interview.