HOT PICKS [FRIDAY]

Bounty of Books Holiday Gift Guide

December 14, 2007

Fred Herzog: Vancouver Photographs ($45)
Fred Herzog’s pictures of barber shops, secondhand store windows, over-the-top signage, abandoned cars, and the convivial street life of Vancouver in the ‘50s and ‘60s are wonders of ordinary life. But more importantly, they are precious reminders of what this city was like before the powers-that-be decided to make it “world-class” - whatever that means.

Wreck Beach by Carellin Brooks ($19)
Dive into 96 pages - including 27 black and white photos - detailing the history of the place recently named as the 27th runner-up in CBC’s Seven Wonders of Canada contest. From the origins of its name, to pot cookie vendor Watermelon’s arrest, to the continuing struggle between Wreck devotees and developers bent on expanding the UBC campus, Wreck leaves no pebble unturned in its quest to chronicle the colourful story of Canada’s most famous beach.

Spook Country by William Gibson ($25.95)
Tune out the everyday and tune into sci-fi author William Gibson’s latest offering that examines how technology affects society. This time the father of cyberpunk presents us with an unsettling novel of political paranoia set in post-9-11 New York. Spook is the follow-up to Pattern Recognition, Gibson’s critically acclaimed novel that earned him a top spot on the New York Times Best Seller List.

Asper Nation by Marc Edge ($21)
It’s a good thing Marc Edge found a teaching job in Texas. Otherwise, the former reporter for the Vancouver Province could have a hard time finding media work this side of the border after writing Asper Nation, his critique of the family that runs Canada’s biggest news conglomerate. Edge pulls no punches in his examination of how CanWest Global - which owns more than 130 Canadian newspapers as well as numerous radio and TV stations - is a threat to democracy.

Mamajee’s Kitchen by Lella S. Umedaly & Muneera U. Spence ($29.95)
Man, that Indian food is tasty - not to mention fattening and arduous to prepare, right? Right. But now there is a beautiful, full-colour cookbook offering both traditional recipes and variations complete with low-fat ingredients, preparation shortcuts, and shorter cooking times. Mamajee’s Kitchen is that book, offering Indian recipes from not only the Subcontinent, but Africa and North America besides. Start drooling.

Today’s Hot Picks is brought to you by Red Galleria: We bring home décor to a new level. New Arrivals are in store now, just in time for the holidays!  We have lots of unique gift items for Christmas. Special Christmas hours begin November 15th. Come by and see us today at 2152 Main Street, or check us out online at www.redgalleria.net

Looking for the perfect eco-friendly present for the Holidays? See yesterday's Go Green Holiday Gift Guide. Have you entered this week's Contest yet? You could win a $100 Gift Certificate to Rogers Chocolates - just in time for the Holidays.

Previous Holiday Gift Guides:

• Get Cookin' Holiday Gift Guide
• Go Green Holiday Gift Guide