Popular books make popular gifts

Published 9:14 pm Saturday, December 17, 2005

Most of us generally don’t read the dictionary for pleasure. But “Jeff Foxworthy’s Red Neck Dictionary: Words You Thought You Knew The Meaning Of” might be a bit different.

Denise Miner, manager of Bookland in the Walnut Square Mall, says the Georgia comedian’s latest book ($16.95) will likely be found under many local Christmas trees this year.

“It’s selling very well,” she said.

Speaking of Georgia authors, Jimmy Carter has just released “Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis” ($25). Miner says she’s selling “a lot” of that one as well. But she didn’t say if the same people are buying both books.

Miner says she has also had many advance orders for Stephen King’s latest novel “Cell” ($26.95), although it won’t be released until January.

At The Book Nook in downtown Dalton, manager Becky Thornton didn’t cite any particular titles, but she said several genres are selling particularly well.

“People are buying a lot of Civil War books,” she said.

Thornton said Christian inspirational works are also selling well, as are the novels of Jan Karon, such as “At Home in Mitford” ($14.99).

Local readers say there are plenty of other good gift ideas out there.

Mary Nielsen, chairman of the humanities division at Dalton State College, says lovers of mystery novels may like the work of Harlan Coben.

“He’s just a fun read,” she said.

Coben’s latest novel is “The Innocent” ($26.95).

Nielsen also recommends “Cat on the Edge” ($6.99) by Shirley Murphy, the first in a series of novels about crime-solving cat Joe Grey.

“Cat lovers will especially like it,” she said.

Nielsen says mystery lovers may like “Over Her Dead Body” ($24.95), the latest by novelist Kate White.

Meanwhile, Pam Partain, director of DSC’s center for continuing education, recommends two new nonfiction works: “The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century” ($27.50) by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, and “Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking” ($25.95) by Malcolm Gladwell.

And David Elrod, DSC’s director of institutional advancement, recommends “Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln” ($35) by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin.