Four Books I’ve Asked Santa For This Year

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday is “Top Ten Books I Wouldn’t Mind Santa Bringing This Year”. Since my family does a Kris Kringle-style gift-giving, and these four are actually on my wish list, I’m hopeful I’ll get at least one of them. Whatever I don’t get I have no doubt I’ll buy in short order. Because I have a credit card and poor impulse control.

The first two are non-fiction (well, sort of), which has got to be a first for this blog.

My Story by Julia Gillard

Warning: this summary contains politics. If the subject makes you want to tear your eyes out, maybe skip to the next one.

For those who aren’t in Australia and/or don’t follow our politics, Julia Gillard was Australia’s first female prime minister, from the Labor Party (our equivalent of the Democrats…sort of). The way she came to power was controversial, in that she was the deputy PM for a year, and the then-PM was basically bollocksing everything up (yeah, I’m showing my political stripes here). He lost the support of the party, and so she was appointed in his stead. Those who weren’t paying attention to politics at the time — which, let’s be honest, was most of the country! — basically got whiplash because it seemed to happen out of the blue, and a lot of people never forgave her (assisted by the far right opposition and the Murdoch press). I’m really keen to hear Gillard’s side of things, especially as I basically think she was brilliant.

Except at giving pre-written speeches. She sucked at those.  (See, I can do “fair and balanced”.)

Choose Your Own Autobiography by Neil Patrick Harris

I have a bit of a celebrity crush on Neil Patrick Harris — the kind of celebrity crush that is more futile than most. 😉 But still, you can’t figh these things.

I’m going to let the blurb speak for itself here. Because I’d read this book regardless, but with this premise I NEED it.

Tired of memoirs that only tell you what really happened?

Sick of deeply personal accounts written in the first person? Seeking an exciting, interactive read that puts the “u” back in “aUtobiography”? Then look no further than Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography! In this revolutionary, Joycean experiment in light celebrity narrative, actor/personality/carbon-based life-form Neil Patrick Harris lets you, the reader, live his life. You will be born in New Mexico. You will get your big break at an acting camp. You will get into a bizarre confrontation outside a nightclub with actor Scott Caan. Even better, at each critical juncture of your life, you will choose how to proceed. You will decide whether to try out for Doogie Howser, M.D. You will decide whether to spend years struggling with your sexuality. You will decide what kind of caviar you want to eat on board Elton John’s yacht.

Choose correctly and you’ll find fame, fortune, and true love. Choose incorrectly and you’ll find misery, heartbreak, and a hideous death by piranhas. All this, plus magic tricks, cocktail recipes, embarrassing pictures from your time as a child actor, and even a closing song. Yes, if you buy one book this year, congratulations on being above the American average, but make that book Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography!

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

The only Maggie Stiefvater book I’ve read is The Raven Boys, which I loved. But whenever I mention this fact — here or anywhere else on the interwebs — the response is overwhelmingly “OMG YOU HAVE TO READ THE SCORPIO RACES RIGHT NOW”! Alright, alright, already!

I gather from the reviews I’ve skimmed on Goodreads that it’s a 1950s-ish alternate Earth with the mythical kelpie as a feature. And that does sound pretty awesome. And since I already know that Stiefvater has serious game, I figure I’ll give it a shot.

White Cat by Holly Black

I know basically nothing about this book, and I can’t even remember how it caught my eye … although it may have been Cait’s rather enthusiastic review. She does make it sound wonderful: “It’s Supernatural meets the mafia. It is. You don’t need me to say anymore. THAT ALONE SHOULD SELL YOU.”

I haven’t even seen more than an episode or two of Supernatural, but that worked. 🙂

What books are on your Christmas list?