The Celadon team share their holiday reading lists, including Ocean Vuong’s fiction debut, a book set in a childhood hometown, and a classic novel recently re-adapted for the big screen.
By the Celadon Team
Jamie Raab
Publisher & President
The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
I am curling up with two of my favorite novelists over the holidays. I'll be reading The Dutch House by Ann Patchett. I've read all her novels, and this one has special interest to me because it is set in Elkins Park, the town where I spent most of my childhood. To my knowledge, no one has ever set a novel here. Fans of Elizabeth Strout or Alice Hoffman are likely to be Ann Patchett fans as well.
Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Speaking of Elizabeth Strout, the other novel I will definitely read during the holiday season is Strout's Olive, Again. This is a must read for anyone who loved Olive Kitteridge, the author's previous novel, and is interested in seeing what has gone on in Olive's life since the end of the first novel. I can't wait to see how the years have treated Olive.
Deb Futter
Co-Publisher & Senior Vice President
Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson
Looking forward to reading Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson. The reviews have been amazing, and it looks like a jolly holiday read.
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Following this on my list is On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. Again, the reviews have been amazing, and after my jolly holiday read, I'll need to come back to earth. Moral of the story: reviews still sell books!
Ryan Doherty
Executive Editor
Say Nothing: A True Story Of Murder And Memory In Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe
On my pile for the holidays is Patrick Radden Keefe's Say Nothing: A True Story Of Murder And Memory In Northern Ireland. A lot of very trusted friends and readers adore the book, and I can't wait to learn about The Troubles through the murder of this one young woman.
Nothing To See Here by Kevin Wilson
Also on my list is Kevin Wilson's Nothing To See Here. I really liked his last novel, his books always have a big heart, and after that rave review in The New York Times by Taffy Brodesser-Akner, I can't wait to dig in. He is the author of The Family Fang, which became a movie, so I expect a quirky look at what makes a modern family.
Jaime Noven
Marketing Manager
Jerusalem by Alan Moore
This holiday season, I'm reading Jerusalem by Alan Moore. I've wanted to read it all year, but if I did read this 1,280-page book, I knew I'd never achieve my Goodreads 2019 Reading Challenge. Now that I have, I can reward myself with this massive end-of-the-year read. I've never read any Alan Moore, but I was intrigued after hearing a podcast interview with the author about how the book is both supernatural fiction and based on his life at the same time.
Randi Kramer
Editorial Assistant
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I will be reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. I loved Daisy Jones & The Six by the same author, and have been meaning to read this one ever since! Seems like the right kind of old-world glamor to immerse myself in during the holiday break. Fans of Daisy Jones & The Six and Cape May might enjoy this.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
My book club will be re-reading Little Women by Louisa May Alcott over the holidays, so we can all see the movie (comes out Christmas Day!) and discuss how we felt about a 2019 adaptation.
Heather Orlando-Jerabek
Publicity Assistant
Costalegre by Courtney Maum and Flights by Olga Tokarczuk
This holiday I'm planning to read Costalegre by Courtney Maum and Flights by Olga Tokarczuk.
First and foremost, the covers are beautiful — and beauty is always called for during the holidays. I have also been incredibly excited to read both of these titles for some time; Olga Tokarczuk is vivid and sardonic in the best possible way.
The Costalegre synopsis completely intrigues me. Neither of these are particularly holiday-centric titles, but I can imagine myself curled up with a giant mug of hot tea devouring them both. And isn't that what holiday reading is all about? These books are definitely for fans of Colson Whitehead and David Szalay.
Lauren Dooley
Marketing Assistant
What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi
Over the break, I am planning on reading Helen Oyeyemi’s What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours. I recently finished Mr. Fox — not to be confused with the fantastic one — by the same author and am currently working my way through her books. Her writing is clever, unsettling, and elusive, forcing you to keep on your toes and figure out what is really going on.
