Compelling, fun books to read during the holidays

An early book list for the coming holiday! 

As promised, three non-fiction options: 

"The Zorg" by Siddharth Kara. The Zorg was one of thousands of slave ships carrying humans from Africa to the West. The owners purchased insurance on the lives of the people they were taking to sell. If they run into trouble and throw the people off to their death (yes, that is what they did, including a mother and her newborn), are they eligible to be paid for the “loss of cargo?” That was an actual legal battle in the 1780s, meticulously articulated by Kara in this book. Compelling and horrifying. 

"The Uncool" by Cameron Crowe. Crowe, of "Almost Famous," shares more of his hilarious mother and his early career as a music writer. If you are taking a driving trip, this is an excellent audiobook. Crowe is an animated and entertaining narrator. 

"When All the Men Wore Hats" by Susan Cheever. An accomplished writer on her own, Cheever unpacks the origin of her father, John Cheever, and his renown short stories, as well as his writing career. Deeply personal, honest, and revealing, but also descriptive of the writing process. A must-read for language lovers and New Yorker devotees. 

On to fiction: 

"Workhorse" by Caroline Palmer. "The Devil Wears Prada" meets "The Talented Mr. Ripley." The author is the former editor of Vogue.com, which gives her credibility. Worker bee versus nepo baby at a fashion magazine. Couture, glamour, swag, alcohol, drugs, and deception. A delicious tale. 

"Wreck" by Catherine Newman. While reading this on a plane, I was giggling so hard I had to hide my face. Newman writes about relatable people and says things most of us think but would never utter aloud! Do yourself a favor and pick this up. 

"The Correspondent" by Virginia Evans. A truly delightful epistolary novel. A retired attorney conducts much of her life via correspondence. As she moves through her 70s, she comes to terms with many of the personal and professional choices she made along her illustrious career. 

"The Glass Eel" by J.J. Viertel. A thriller set on the coast of Maine among the oysters, lobsters, and the remarkably profitable glass eels. Fast-paced, well-constructed story with gritty characters. Enjoy the ride. 

"A Wooded Shore" by Thomas McGuane. A collection of tragic-comic stories by McGuane, who is widely lauded as a short-form master.