"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that [books make the best gifts]"

December 4th, 2014 , Posted by Anonymous (not verified)

 

Okay, so
perhaps Jane Austen didn’t quite phrase it that way, but there’s a reason books
make excellent gifts. Their luster doesn’t fade like clothing, diminish quickly
like food, or become obsolete like electronics. Instead, our favorite titles
seem to grow more powerful and poignant with time. So make your shopping
simple—and meaningful—this holiday season. Browse below to find the perfect
literary gift for everyone on your list. Place your orders this week to ensure
their timely arrival!

HollyHollyHolly

Find a book
for:

 

The
Outdoorsman (or woman)

Field Guide
to Oregon Rivers
by Tim Palmer

 FieldGuidetoOregonRivers

The
quintessential reference for all travelers, outdoor enthusiasts and resource
professionals who wish to enjoy Oregon’s breathtaking waterways. Palmer
profiles 120 regional rivers with notes about nature and fish, prospects for
conservation and essential tips about where to see each river, find the be
st
hiking trails and paddle to your heart’s content. With more than 150 vibrant
color photographs, this volume is a vital outdoor companion for Oregonians and
visitors alike.

 

 

The
Semi-Obsessed Scientist

Diary of a
Citizen Scientist
by Sharman Apt Russell

 DiaryOfACitizenScientist

A
timely exploration of the burgeoning phenomenon of citizen science, Sharman Apt
Russell’s book employs the author’s own study of tiger beetles to highlight the
important role that citizen scientists play in global environmental activism
and conservationism. From tracking bird migrations to counting stardust for
NASA, citizen scientists are changing the way research gets done. Who knows,
you might even be inspired to join a cutting edge project yourself!

 

 

The Kid at
Heart

Children and
Other Wild Animals
by Brian Doyle

 ChildrenAndOtherWildAnimals

A
compilation of short vignettes, Children
and Other Wild Animals
weaves the chaotic beauty of nature with the fresh
optimism of youth. Doyle’s exuberant prose is at once lyrical, daring and
refreshing. You’ll find a palpable sense of wonder on every page, bursting with
reflections so startlingly true you’ll pause to reread. Join Doyle on this
unexpected adventure and you just may find yourself celebrating the small
things that are not small in the least.

 

 

The Actual
Kid

Ellie’s Log by Judith L.
Li

 ElliesLog

Bursting
with colored pen-and-ink drawings, Ellie’s
Log
follows the story of ten-year-old Ellie and her new friend, Ricky, who
set out on explorations around the forest near Ellie’s home. Together, they
learn about habitats, the life cycle of forests and the delicate balance of
ecosystems. This interactive book contains pages from Ellie’s field notebook,
as well as tips and tricks for young readers who wish to keep a notebook of
their own. Explore further with games and information online at ellieslog.org.

 

 

The History
Buff

Lincoln and
Oregon Country Politics in the Civil War Era
by Richard W. Etulain

 Lincoln

This
cross-cultural history demonstrates Abraham Lincoln’s strong connections with
the Oregon Country on various political issues—Indian relations, military
policies, civil and legal rights, and North-South ideological conflicts—before
and during the Civil War years. Contrary to the popular opinion that Pacific
Northwest residents were disinterested spectators, Etulain stresses the active
role many Oregonians played in shaping both Lincoln’s policies and the
political future of the region.

 

Oregon’s
Promise
by
David Peterson del Mar

 

A
concise and compelling general history, Oregon’s
Promise
explores familiar and neglected people and movements in the state’s
history, while challenging readers to view Oregon’s past, present and future in
a new way. Peterson del Mar shows there’s more to our beautiful state than just
Lewis and Clark and the Oregon Trail. Examining both the traditional center of
Oregon history and its often overlooked margins, readers will discover that the
state’s settlers were much more varied, contentious, complicated and
interesting than conventional heroic stereotypes would suggest.

 

Breaking
Chains
by
R. Gregory Nokes

 BreakingChains

Follow
the riveting story of the only slavery case ever adjudicated in Oregon
courts—Holmes vs. Ford. Drawing on the court record of this landmark case
between Robin Holmes and the man who had promised him freedom, Nokes offers an
intimate account of the relationship between a slave and his master. Breaking Chains offers an unparalleled
view of the lives of slaves in early Oregon, examining attitudes toward race
and revealing contradictions within the state’s history.

 

 

Your
Daughter

With Grit
and By Grace
by
Betty Roberts

 WithGritAndByGrace

You
really can do it all, ladies. Take a page from Betty Roberts’ book and use a
combination of tenacity, passion and dedication to chase your own dreams. In
her memoir, Justice Roberts reflects on her role as a mother, wife and
political trailblazer. Her story is important to the history of women’s struggles
to challenge prevailing stereotypes, but it is also a deeply personal story of
a life sometimes stark, sometimes humorous, often exhausting, and always
brightened with friendships and family.

 

 

The Geology
Junkie

Living with
Thunder
by
Ellen Morris Bishop

 LivingWithThunder

One
of the most beautiful books we’ve had the pleasure of publishing! In Living with Thunder, Ellen Morris Bishop
offers a fascinating and up-to-date geologic survey of the Northwest. Intended
as an introduction for the general reader, Living
with Thunder
enlivens the regional geological history with engaging writing
and the author’s stunning color photographs. In addition, Bishop explores the
deep connections between modern scientific findings and the rich cultural
traditions of local Native American tribes.

 

 

The Fanatic
Fiction Reader

Mink River by Brian
Doyle

 MinkRiver

Delve
into one of our best-selling titles and fall in love with Brian Doyle’s coastal
village of Neawanaka. In this tiny Oregon town, nestled beneath hills that used
to boast the world’s biggest trees, a lively community thrums with love affairs
and almost-love-affairs, brawls and boats, Irish immigrants and Salish stories,
mud and laughter. You’ll be touched by the humanness and curious beauty of the
town—and undoubtedly be a little sad to leave as you turn the last page.

 

The
Brightwood Stillness
by Mark Pomeroy

 BrightwoodStillness

Two
friends and colleagues, each faced with their own moral dilemma. When Hieu
Nguyen, a Portland high school teacher, is accused of sexual misconduct by two
of his students, his close friend Nate Davis tries to lend support. But Nate
has recently been assaulted by a former student in the school parking lot, an
event that catapults him into a long-deferred quest to find out what happened
to his uncle, a drifter and Vietnam veteran. As Nate copes with his anxiety,
Hieu seeks enough solitude to piece together the story of how he fled war and
arrived in the United States. As their stories unfold, Hieu and Nate must
confront the ways in which their pasts—each so linked to a mysterious far-off
country—have left them isolated men.

 

 

The Wine
Enthusiast

The Grail by Brian
Doyle

 TheGrail

A
self-described “wine doofus,” Brian Doyle set out to spend a year in one
Willamette Valley vineyard, tailing winemaker Jesse Lange and chronicling the
creative and chaotic labor that accompanies the pursuit of the perfect pinot
noir. Doyle serves as a cheerful tour guide through the world of wine, alert to
the colorful and riveting stories that swirl around its creation and
consumption. From the surprising buying habits of tasting room visitors to
Jesse Lange’s assertion one must “get out of the way of great grapes,” Doyle
keeps readers salivating for more of the quirky work—and a glass of pinot noir.

 

Voodoo
Vintners
by
Katherine Cole

VoodooVintners 

Sorry, no donuts--but we are talking wine! In
Voodoo Vintners, wine writer Katherine
Cole reveals the mysteries of biodynamic winegrowing, tracing its practice from
Paleolithic times to the finest domaines in Burgundy today. At the epicenter of
the American biodynamic revolution are the Oregon winemakers who believe that
this spiritual style of farming results in the truest, purest pinot noirs
possible. Cole introduces these “voodoo vintners,” examining their motivations
and rationalizations and explaining why the need to farm biodynamically courses
through their blood.

 

 

The Foodie

Grow Food,
Cook Food, Share Food
by Ken Albala

 GrowFoodCookFoodShareFood

Food
often offers more than just sustenance. Mixing food writing and history with a
dash of cookbook, author and scholar Ken Albala shares the story of what
happened when he embarked on a mission to grow, cook and share food in the ways
people did in the past. Obscure 17th-century Italian farmer-nobles,
Roman statesmen and quirky cheesemakers offer lessons about our relationship
with the food we eat, reminding us of the great pleasures of cooking food and the
joy of sharing with family, friends and even strangers.

 

Pacific
Northwest Cheese
by Tami Parr

PNWCheese 

In
this rich and engaging history, Tami Parr shows how regional cheesemaking found
its way back to the farm. It’s a lively story that begins with the first fur
traders in the Pacific Northwest and ends with modern-day small farmers in
Oregon, Washington, and Idaho. Along with documenting the history of the
region, Parr reveals some of the Pacific Northwest’s untold cheese stories: the
fresh cheese made on the Oregon Trail, the region’s thriving blue and swiss
cheese makers, and the rise of goat’s milk and goat’s milk cheese.

 

 

The Urban
Explorer

An
Architectural Guidebook to Portland
by Bart King

 ArchitecturalGuidebookToPDX

Perhaps
the unofficial “Keep Portland Weird” slogan should be changed to “Keep Portland
Beautiful.” Writing for both layperson and professional, Bart King demonstrates
why this city is one of the most admired in the nation. Portland’s civic
planning, historic preservation and overall attractiveness are all explored in
detailed profiles of structures ranging from 19th-century cast-iron
front buildings to sleek modern skyscrapers. Find a unique piece of Portland
splendor on every page.

 

One City’s
Wilderness
by
Marcy Cottrell Houle

OneCitysWilderness 

Escape
into the magnificent beauty that is Forest Park, only moments away from
bustling downtown Portland. This updated and expanded edition provides
directions to twenty-nine hikes of varying length, difficulty, and scenery,
covering every trail within the 5,100-acre park. Marcy Houle shares the history
of the park, introduces the people who fought to preserve it, and explores the
role stewards play today. One City’s
Wilderness
continues to be the authoritative, full-color guide to
Portland’s greatest natural resource.

 

Wild in the
City
by
Michael C. Houck and M.J. Cody

WildInTheCity 

The
essential guide to the Portland-Vancouver region’s wildlife-rich parks, trails,
and greenspaces. Try your hand at one of the unique excursions suggested to
experience nature from your own backyard to the farthest reaches of the
metropolitan area. Interspersed throughout are essays by an impressive collection
of local naturalists and essayists, including Ursula K. Le Guin and Robert
Michael Pyle.

 

 

The Night
Owl

Up All Night
by
Martha Gies

 UpAllNight

A
baker, a nude dancer, a flower market wholesaler, a longshoreman, a newspaper
distributor, a shelter worker, a zookeper: what do all these men and women have
in common? The night shift. Martha Gies guides readers on a nocturnal tour of
unique workplaces, offering a rare insider’s look at the unseen workers who
keep the city humming after dark. This fascinating collection of voices from
the graveyard shift shows us who is out there in the dark—by choice or by
necessity—while the rest of us sleep.

 

 

The Person
Who Has Everything

How to Live
Longer and Feel Better
by Linus Pauling

 HowToLiveLongerAndFeelBetter

Eminently
readable and challenging, Linus Pauling’s work is as powerful today as when it
first printed in 1986. Since then, the essential tenets of his thesis on the
importance of optimum nutrition remain largely undisputed. Pauling’s simple,
inexpensive plan suggests avoiding sugar, stress and smoking, as well as
finding joy in a career and one’s family. Supplemented by new information from
the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, this reprinted edition
offers readers a unique insight into the lifestyle and successes of one of the
greatest scientists of the twentieth century.

 

--------------------

 

Did you find
what you were looking for? If not, we have dozens of other titles to explore!
Simply click on the “Find Books” tab at the top of your screen to browse our
books by title, author, or subject. Our books are available in local bookstores, through our website, or by calling 1-800-621-2736.Have a wonderful holiday season!

Sign Up for Our Newsletter