Ask the Booksellers
One of our favorite parts of the in-store experience is when a customer comes in with a challenge. "I need the perfect gift for my wife," a gentleman (let's call him Joe) will whisper conspiratorially. "She likes books that make her laugh."
We love to look deep into Joe's eyes and give him exactly what he wants, and so we confidently walk Joe over to Tina Fey's recent book, Bossypants. "Try this," we suggest, and Joe will look it over and smile and say, "Perfect!"
Even better is the next time Joe is in the store, when he tells us how much his wife is enjoying the book. Nothing makes us happier.
We hope we can recreate the experience online, since sometimes it's easier to write us late at night when you're mind is churning and you just need to reach out and ask, "What can I possibly read after I finish the Stieg Larsson trilogy?"
Post your question on our Facebook wall, comment on our store journal, or email us directly with your requests. We'll share questions and answers as we accumulate them, so read on to see what your friends are wondering about. With over 100 years of bookselling experience among us, we can help you find whatever you're looking for.
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Dear Island Books,
Do you carry sea-monkey food?
Yours truly,
A Would-Be Breeder of Aquatic Simians
Dear Ocean Farmer,
Seriously? Wow. We humbly admit defeat. But thanks for thinking of us.
Dear Island Books,
I need a gift book for a very bright six-year-old. He loves adventure stories that teach him things about history or science, like the Magic Treehouse books do, but they're too simple and short--he devours them in what seems like minutes. At the same time, he's a young six-year-old in many other ways, and most books at his reading level have content that's too scary or too sophisticated, with a lot of snarky humor or issues he's not ready for. Any ideas?
Sincerely,
A Bemused Dad
Dear Bemused Dad,
One good rule of thumb for kids like this is to look at older books. Standards of appropriateness have shifted over time, and titles from a few decades back can be very well written while remaining user-friendly for young readers. You might give Detectives in Togas by Henry Winterfeld a try, for example. It's about a gang of schoolkids and their cranky teacher in ancient Rome who have to solve a crime to keep their friend out of jail. It's a great mystery and it paints a wonderful picture of another place and time.
Dear Island Books,
I'm shopping for gifts for my father and my father-in-law who are both in their 80s. My dad is an ex-FBI agent and loves true crime that's not too gory. I swear he's still working out old cases in his mind. My father-in-law was an executive for a big corporation and lives in Ohio. He's a smart man who flies the flag on all the holidays. Can you point me in the right direction?
Warmly,
A Dutiful Daughter
Dear Dutiful Daughter,
We have some suggestions. It sounds like your dad would like Skyjack, an astonishing whodunit in the history of American true crime: how one man extorted $200,000 from an airline, then parachuted into the wilds of the Pacific Northwest and into oblivion. The Greatest Generation, Tom Brokaw's book that tells the stories of America's citizen heroes who came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War and went on to build modern America, would be a good fit for your father-in-law.
Dear Island Books,
What book should I buy for someone who doesn't like to read? I have no idea what he's interested in.
Sincerely,
Shopper Without a Clue
Dear Shopper Without a Clue,
Let's start by asking if you know what movies or television shows the person likes. That's often a good indicator of what kind of books they'd enjoy. If you don't know, we often point people towards the graphic novel section when this question comes up because infrequent readers tend to be more interested in visual images. The pictures will often engage someone who isn't naturally inclined to pick up a book. We think The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt and The Family Storybook Treasury are both good selections.
Dear Island Books,
I need a book for my friend whose dog just died. Help.
Sincerely,
Dog-less in Seattle
Dear Dog-less,
We're sorry to hear about the loss. There are two ways to go on this. The classic Dog Heaven is always recommended by pet lovers of all ages for this occasion. If you just want to make your friend laugh and you think some black humor is appropriate, All My Friends Are Dead is clever too, introducing characters like the lonely dinosaur and the sock whose friends have all gone missing in a funny ode to the inevitable.
Dear Island Books,
I've just finished the last Jan Karon book and I'll read it again if you don't stop me.
Sincerely,
A Book Addict
Dear Addict,
Let us save you from yourself. Try a different small town and uplifting cast of characters with The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Now put down that Karon book and read something new.
Dear Island Books,
My teenager reads scary novels like the Vampire Academy series and anything by Christopher Pike and R.L. Stine. Basically, the scarier, the better. What should she read next?
Best,
A Mom With Wild Teenagers
Dear Mom With Wild Teenagers,
We enjoyed The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. It's about an American teenager who goes to a boarding school in London and gets wrapped up in a murder mystery. We found it chilling and witty at the same time, with lots of suspense that made it hard to put down until the end.
Dear Island Books,
What's the weirdest thing you've been recommending?
From,
A Quirky Reader
Dear Quirky Reader,
If you like something dystopian, we've been recommending When She Woke, which is an interesting take on The Scarlet Letter. There are some creative scenes in the book, like when the main character, wearing the red letter A in a whole new way here--as red skin--is imprisoned under video surveillance and the whole country is watching her 24 hours a day. It's a weird and original journey of self-discovery.
Dear Island Books,
My entire life is a mess. Do you have any recommendations for someone going through a difficult time?
Best,
Sniffles
Dear Sniffles,
This is a very common question because many people turn to books when life gets difficult. One of our favorites is When Things Fall Apart, a collection of talks given by a spiritual teacher. She uses ancient wisdom to help people find solace and cope with the challenges of modern life.
Dear Island Books,
I need some good comfort food cookbooks for the holidays. Do you have any favorites?
Sincerely,
An Ambitious Cook
Dear Ambitious Cook,
You've come to the right place. Browse through Kay's recommendations for tasty and down-to-earth holiday home cooking, including Plenty by Diana Henry and James Beard's American Cookery.
Dear Island Books,
My brother likes biographies, particularly anything about World War II. He recently finished Unbroken and Lost in Shangri-La. Any other suggestions?
A Kid Brother
Dear Kid Brother,
Has he tried In the Garden of Beasts, about an American family in Berlin during the years right before World War II? That's a fantastic read. If he likes secret missions, Operation Mincemeat is an entertaining read about a British espionage plan to divert attention away from D-Day.
