Treehouse

Caleb Andrew Ward

It’s that time of year again, and regardless of religion, I think we can all agree that that goddamn Wham song needs to go. Last Christmas I gave you my heart, but if I have to hear this one more time I’ll drive to Wham’s house (yes, they all live together like the Partridge Family) and stab them all in the throat. Now that I’ve gotten that out of the way we can get to the topic at hand: books. I love ’em, you love ’em. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t like some form of literature. (That, or you were Googling “How to build a tree house” and somehow ended up on this page.)

Here is a list of five A-list books I suggest you take a look at to distract you from that unnecessary shopping list this “’tis the season” while you’re curled up next to an open fire with that bastard Jack Frost nipping at your nose—by the way when is it cool for anyone to nip at your nose? These aren’t all holiday books so relax and breath easy.

1. Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris. Sedaris in all of his satirical wit has brought us a few tales of his own including “Santaland Diaries” which chronicles Sedaris’s stint as an elf working at Macy’s department store. Fun fact: “Santaland Diaries” was eventually published as a play and has been done several times here, in Wilmington, where I live and breathe.
2. 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami. I’m currently reading this three-part novel in which several characters in Tokyo experience intertwining situations where “Things are not always as they seem.”
3. The Ice Storm by Rick Moody. Alcoholism, escapism, sexual revolution, children using drugs, warring families, and Rick Moody all wrapped up in one Thanksgiving weekend ice storm. Guaranteed to get you in the holiday spirit. The film is also a fine adaptation of this nihilistic novel.
4. Another Bullshit Night in Suck City by Nick Flynn. This memoir by the writer of such poetry collections as Some Ether is written in a brutally fragmented structure. It chronicles Flynn’s time working at a homeless shelter where his own father stayed for some time. The film Being Flynn isn’t too bad either, starring Paul Dano and Robert De Niro.
5. Flatscreen by Adam Wilson. If you’re looking for a lighter way to liven your literary mood this holiday season then sit down with ole Eli Schwartz as he bumbles through a life of sex, drugs, drugs, drugs, sex, and drugs. This first novel from Adam Wilson is a hilarious read that’ll tickle your senses and the weird fantasies you might have cooking up there. The book trailer is definitely worth a look as well.