There’s something about December that invites lots of reading. It’s like the phrase “curl up with a good book” was invented for this month. Even if you’re not in the reading spirit yourself, a well-chosen book always makes for a fine holiday present. But which books should you get or give? We’ve got several good suggestions, from a book about books to a story about a beginning to a graphic novel about beginnings through endings. So light your fake fireplace and enjoy.
The Remake: Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz
Release: December 9
After 2011’s House of Silk, Anthony Horowitz returns (with the blessing of the Arthur Conan Doyle estate) to the world of Sherlock Holmes. You’ll recognize the title as the iconic detective’s iconic nemesis, criminal mastermind Moriarty. Except, at the beginning of this book, both those guys have just tumbled over a waterfall. Read on to find out what happens after. Or just as a way to pass the time until the next season of BBC’s Sherlock: the definitive retelling of our time.
For discussion: Or is BBC’s show the definitive retelling of our time?
Because WIRED: Startupland by Mikkel Svane
Release: December 8
There’s no shortage of startup origin stories from inside Silicon Valley, believe you us. And often, these narratives are uh, how do we say, punched up so they sound cooler and more Hollywood-ready than they actually are (“kids drop out of prestigious institution to found world-changing company in their garage!”). Refreshingly, Mikkel Svane is not part of that world. Or at least, he wasn’t when he cofounded the software company Zendesk in a loft in Copenhagen. He and two buddies used an old kitchen door as a desk. Sure, Zendesk is now headquartered in San Francisco, but it’s the account of these unusual early days that satisfy our need for something a bit different.
For discussion: Did you read Gideon Lewis-Kraus’ story “No Exit” in WIRED 22.05? Because you should.
The History Lesson: When Books Went to War by Molly Guptill Manning
Release: December 2
No, it’s not about tiny books marching off to battle, though some children’s author should really pitch that. Molly Guptill Manning’s book is a bit more serious. During World War II, we sent millions of books—like The Great Gatsby and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn—to American troops fighting overseas. And, as Manning’s book points out, it wasn’t just to help pass the time—the freedom to read became symbolic in the face of Nazi propaganda.
For discussion: If you’re off fighting in a distant land, which book would remind you most of home?
Just Because: A Conspiracy of Ravens, edited by the Bodleian Library
Release: December 15
When birds of a feather flock together, they’re called by some pretty spectacular names. A group of ravens, for instance, is known as a conspiracy. Awesome, right? (Though, if you actually think about it, pigeons are probably the true government conspirators. They’re everywhere! I call them the FBeyes. Anyway…) Inside this compendium of collective bird nouns, you’ll discover all kinds of classics, like murder of crows, ostentation of peacocks, and murmuration of starlings. Sometimes, language soars.
For discussion: Other than birds, which groups of things deserve poetic collective nouns?
The Graphic Novel: Here by Richard McGuire
Release: December 9
As you sit here reading this, do you wonder who—or what—occupied the space you’re currently occupying, say, 100 years ago? 1,000? 100,000? That’s the premise of Richard McGuire’s graphic novel Here, which we wrote about earlier this month. It features snapshots of the same corner of a room over hundreds of thousands of years, both deep into the past and far into the future. Benjamin Franklin shows up. So do other dinosaurs.
For discussion: Would you rather see the world 1,000 years ago or 1,000 years into future?
Best of the Rest
If you get the pun in the title of Carlos Bueno’s Lauren Ipsum, out Dec. 14, you should probably read it. On the subject of jokes, Andrew Lawler alludes to the oldest one in Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?: The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization. Finally, in Flicker, psychologist Jeffrey Zacks explains your brain on movies. That’s not an invitation to go to the movies—you have too much reading to do. Get going.
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