Read This!
Here are six new books you might want to give as Christmas gifts (maybe even to yourself).
A Certain Idea of America by Peggy Noonan. This is a selection of Noonan’s Wall Street Journal columns from the past several years.
The Last Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison. The first two entries in this three-volume series of short stories, Dangerous Visions and Again, Dangerous Visions, came out over 50 years ago, and this last volume was delayed for five decades for various reasons (a big controversy in the science fiction community). Now Ellison friend and writer J. Michael Straczynski has completed the book and written a lengthy foreword.
Havoc by Christopher Bollen. This psychological thriller is about a troublemaking 81-year-old woman who decides to interfere in the life of a young mother and her 8-year-old son staying at the same hotel and realizes the kid is more than her equal. How can you resist that plot?
Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook by Barry W. Enderwick. The creator of the popular YouTube channel with the same name gives us 100 recipes for sandwiches you may have forgotten about. Or ones you never knew existed, like Gene Kelly’s favorite (French bread, heavily buttered, topped with mashed potatoes, lots of salt and pepper, onions, and mayo, then put under the broiler to brown).
Martha: The Cookbook by Martha Stewart. This is both a memoir, with photos and stories from Martha’s life, and also her selection of 100 of her best recipes.
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Okay, this isn’t a new book, but it’s a Christmas classic and you can get this beautiful leather, illustrated edition from the folks at Graphic Image.
And if you’re looking for more, here are Best Books of 2024 lists from The New York Times, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, and The Guardian.
These Are the Ten Most Expensive Zip Codes
Do you live in Atherton, California, Sagaponack, New York, or Medina, Washington? If so, can I come live with you?
Dictionary.com’s Word of the Year
What word do you think Dictionary.com picked as the top word of 2024? Go ahead, I’ll give you 7,000 guesses.
I think it’s a bold choice to pick a word that was popular for 15 minutes for your word of the year.
It beat out “brain rot,” which is actually Oxford’s word of the year (and was first used by Henry David Thoreau in 1854).
Christmas Gift of the Week
The Ouija Cutting Board. For the person in your life who loves contacting the dead and also finely chopped vegetables.
RIP Helen Gallagher, Marshall Brickman, Adam Somner, Wayne Northrup, Lance Morrow, Scott Schwartz, Kiki Håkansson, and Robert Dixon
Helen Gallagher won three Emmys for playing Maeve Ryan on Ryan’s Hope and Tony Awards for Pal Joey and No, No, Nanette. She also appeared in such musicals as Sweet Charity and Brigadoon. She died last month at the age of 98.
Marshall Brickman won an Oscar for co-writing Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. He was also the former head writer on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. He also co-wrote Sleeper and played on the “Dueling Banjos” song from Deliverance. He died last week at the age of 85.
Adam Somner was an assistant director on such Steven Spielberg films as Lincoln, Bridge of Spies, Munich, War of the Worlds, and Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, as well as on Gladiator, The Mummy, and There Will Be Blood. He died last week at the age of 57.
Wayne Northrup was the original Roman Brady on Days of Our Lives and later played Alex North on the show. He died last week at the age of 77.
Lance Morrow was a veteran essayist and reporter who wrote for Time, The Wall Street Journal, and City Journal. He also published several books of essays, political writings, and a memoir of his career in journalism, and was a former professor at Boston University. Morrow’s father, Hugh Morrow, was an associate editor of The Saturday Evening Post in the 1940s and 50s. He died last week at the age of 85.
Scott Schwartz was an actor and wrestler known for his role as Bruiser in the Ocean’s movies. He died last week at the age of 65.
Kiki Håkansson was the first Miss World. She died last month at the age of 95.
Robert Dixon was the last known surviving Buffalo Soldier, the all-black World War II regiment. He died last month at the age of 103.
This Week in History
Dr Pepper Introduced (December 1, 1885)
That’s right, “Dr” does not have a period. It was dropped in the 1950s.
Martin Van Buren Born (December 5, 1782)
The eighth president was the first one actually born a U.S. citizen.
This Week in Saturday Evening Post History: Amana Radarange (November 30, 1968 – page 26)
Can you really cook a whole turkey in a microwave?
Today Is National Microwave Oven Day
Hey, turns out you can cook a turkey in a microwave, according to The Kitchn! (Though maybe not in 1968.)
More things to make in your microwave:
From Good Food: a Microwave Mug Omelette
From Cook Anyday: a One-Dish Turkey Chili
From Allrecipes: Cindy’s Microwave Chicken Parmesan
From Food Network: a Microwave Chocolate Pudding Cake
And here’s a piece about the evolution of the microwave, how it went from exotic gadget to ho-hum appliance.
Next Week’s Holidays and Events
National Letter Writing Day (December 7)
If your friends and family would be surprised to get an actual Christmas card from you, imagine how shocked they’ll be if you send them an old-fashioned letter.
Christmas Card Day (December 9)
Please don’t send anyone an ecard.
Poinsettia Day (December 12)
Yup, they’re named after a real person, John Roberts Poinsett.
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Comments
So National Letter Writing Day was today, and Christmas Card Day is Monday. Well okay then. It’s good I dove head first after Thanksgiving into getting my out-of-state cards all ready AND mailed on the 6th, probably arriving by Tuesday. All with handwritten messages inside too. That’s what really counts, but the envelopes ain’t too shabby.
Love the 1968 Amana Radarange ad. I have the 11/30/68 issue (know that date well), a longtime favorite, in a clear plastic oversized magazine envelope on a shelf (just feet away) to keep it as new as possible. As for the microwave otherwise, it’s great to heat things up that have already been cooked or baked.
Surprisingly, I wasn’t familiar with Atherton, Ca. A lot of nook and cranny cities/towns in northern Ca. One of the most expensive zips in the country. Silicon adjacent, I’m sure. I wonder how long it’ll stay nice, or even still is under our slimy, greasy filth of a governor. The Justin Trudeau of California.