Holiday gift guide: Give the gift of books this year

Did you ever notice how the holidays are all about "oy"?

Oy, as in joy: a joyous season for family. Oy, as in toy: what the kids want from Santa.

Oy, as in oy, I don’t have my Christmas shopping done so now what am I going to do?

Yeah, and that last one is the toughie. So why not relax and head to the bookstore. Look for some of these gift ideas and wrap up a book ...

FICTION BOOKS

There’s a little intrigue and lots of small-town flavor in "Cranberry Red," the fourth in the "Ames County" series by Jerry Apps. In this new installment, people are getting sick because of a new chemical added to Wisconsin’s beloved cranberry crop. Can there be a connection?

And more: if your giftee loves a good whodunit, check out "Truthful Moments" by Tom Reed. When a veteran witnesses a killing, it triggers his post-traumatic stress disorder. Separating memory from murder might be a challenge. "Easy As Pie at Bobby’s Diner" by Susan Wingate is another fun mystery with a "Thelma and Louise" flair, and look for "The Shadow Woman" by Ake Edwardson. Set in Sweden, it will make your shiver.

Is your giftee a major fan of "The Office"? Then they’ll love "Russell Wiley Is Out to Lunch" by Richard Hine. Professionally, Russell Wiley’s life stinks and his job at a newspaper is practically causing ulcers. Personally, things are no better. And then it gets worse. Hint: wrap this book up for your budding journalist.

Does someone on your gift list love to bite into things-that-go-bump-in-the-night novels? Then wrap up "Venom" by Jennifer Estep, because this novel – a bit of urban-fantasy-crime-drama and the third in the series – has vamps, dwarves, assassins and more, and it’s partly set in a barbecue joint. What’s not to love, right? And along those same lines, look for "The Vampire Book: Third Edition" by J. Gordon Melton, PhD. This uber-comprehensive "Encyclopedia of the Undead" will surely make your vampire fan show her fangs with happiness this holiday ...

Who doesn’t like a good whodunit for the holidays? If you know your giftee loves intrigue, wrap up "Innocent Monster" by Reed Farrel Coleman. When Moe Prager’s daughter asks for a favor, he dusts off his private investigator’s license and gets to work. Also look for "By Hook or By Crook," edited by Ed Gorman & Martin H. Greenberg. That’s an anthology by more than two dozen of your favorite authors, and it’s a can’t-miss for mystery mavens.

If there’s a Monkeewrench fan on your list (and if there is, you know what I’m talking about), then you’ll get lots of smiles when you give "Shoot to Thrill" by P.J. Tracy. When a floater is found in the Mississippi River, Minneapolis detectives Magozzi and Rolseth are on the case, while the Monkeewrench crew is working with the FBI. Can they, together, stop a killer?

If time is always of the essence for your giftee, then wrap up "Blue Vegas," a quick-to-read anthology of short stories by P. Moss. There’s a seamy side of the city in the desert, and Moss writes about it – and he should know. In his "other life," he’s a gambler himself, as well as a bar owner in Las Vegas. I also liked "As If We Were Prey" by Michael Delp. This skinny book – part of the "Made in Michigan Writers Series" – is filled with short stories and is perfect for the giftee who loves to read but is thin on time.

Novel lovers will relish reading "The Good Daughters" by Joyce Maynard. In this book, two "birthday sisters" with totally different personalities share their love for one’s older brother throughout their lives. This book spans several decades and will put a smile on the face of everyone who embraces love and family. Also try "An Irish Country Courtship" by Patrick Taylor. Set in Ireland, this sweet romance may be just what a wintering leprechaun needs.

Sometimes, you just need a good oater, right? If you’ve got a western fan on your list, you can’t go wrong with "Texas Standoff" by Elmer Kelton. This novel of the Texas Rangers has horses, guns, cowboys – what more could a reader need? Also try "Take Me Home" by Brian Leung. Set in Wyoming in the 1880s, this beautiful novel is about forbidden (but necessarily chaste) friendships, secrets kept and one woman’s quest to stay alive.

Without a doubt, there’s times when nothing else but a good story will do. If you’ve got a novel lover on your list, then take a look at "The Wake of Forgiveness" by Bruce Machart, a book about a young horseman’s life quest to make things right and repair the past. Wrap it up with "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" by Tom Franklin, another book about the past visiting the present with shaky results.

Who among us didn’t struggle to find our place in the world way once upon a time? If your giftee still is, you may want to wrap up "Sometimes We’re Always Real Same-Same" by Mattox Roesch. This book, set in Alaska, is about a boy from Los Angeles who hates living up North but is intrigued by his cousin, who is nothing California-like. And from the other side of the continent comes "Safe from the Sea" by Peter Geye, a book about a son, his father and a long-buried family story.

TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER has been reading since she was 3 years old and never goes anywhere without a book. She lives on a hill in Wisconsin with two dogs and 11,000 books.