If you’re a fan of dry wit and humorous situations, then guess what! I’ve got the perfect book for you. Vacationland by John Hodgman is the book you need to take with you when you go home for the holidays. You may not have heard of John Hodgman’s name, but you’re probably already familiar with him. Hodgman is an author, comedian, and actor who is arguably most famous for his Apple commercials where he portrayed the PC. Hodgman also has a big presence on Twitter, which I would recommend taking a gander at because he’s hilarious while also being socially conscious.
Vacationland is a collection of nonfiction essays and reflections about things that happened to Hodgman. I was hooked from the first paragraph when he says “Many people have asked me why I grew [my beard], and most of those people are my wife, and to them and to her I say: I don’t know. I’m sorry.” This almost self deprecating humor is a theme throughout his stories. In his first story, “Dump Jail,” he describes the anxiety his father put upon him when he was told to lie to the men that work at the city dump about where he lived. He wonders what would happen if he was caught in the lie; is there a dump jail that he would have to go to? In “Mongering,” he tells about the “loathsome affectations” he cultivated as a teenager such as playing the viola because it was less popular than the violin.
John Hodgman will have you ready for Thanksgiving
Some of the stories, while still funny, are more poignant than others. In “Daddy Pitchfork,” Hodgman gets a little introspective towards the end of the story. He has just woken up after a night of drinking too much bourbon at a party thrown haphazardly in his honor and feels like he could find a new life waiting outside the door for him. The titular essay “Vacationland” made me tear up, but the story immediately following had me laughing deep belly laughs on the first page.
Here’s where I tell you that I’m a bad bookseller because I don’t really read short pieces. However! I couldn’t resist picking up Vacationland, and I’m so glad I did! I love books that make me laugh out loud, then look up in embarrassment to see if anybody heard. That’s exactly what John Hodgman made me do. Christmas is coming up and if you’re like me, you’ll want a distraction from the all of the family togetherness. This is the distraction you need! I’m terrible at ending blogs so if you still need convincing, come visit me at Lemuria, and I’ll extol the virtues of Vacationland in person.
That being said, Artemis is not just for fans of Science Fiction. In a literary landscape dominated by seriousness, Artemis offers something different; a fun adventure with a backdrop that still touches on many social issues, but doesn’t allow them to overtake the story. It is an escape into a future that may not be necessarily bright, but is certainly exciting and has the reader, consistently curious as to what would happen next.
Our Souls at Night is now 
Turtles All the Way Down tells the story of Aza Holmes as she hangs out with her over-the-top friend Daisy, is awkwardly romanced bt her childhood friend Davis Pickett, and searches for clues as to what happened to the missing, 
Speaking of madcap hi-jinks, John Grisham released his second mystery novel for adults this year (
I’ve lived in the Jackson area all my life, and I love this city. I’ve spent a lot of time in Belhaven, Fondren, Downtown, the Interstate corridor, and parts all over. I find something new to love all the time, or I rediscover a spot once visited that tugs me back into the past. Although the Jackson this book captures is frozen in the specific period of 2013-14 (here’s a neat trick: compare the Lemuria cover to the view from a half-flight up Banner Hall’s staircase and see what noticeable feature is flipped), there’s a timeless quality to the sense of place the photographs capture. Murphy’s beautiful, mostly depopulated photos allow us to imagine ourselves among the beautiful scenes of the city we share, in both memory and possibility. If you haven’t already checked out one of Jackson books, a Lemuria exclusive, I highly encourage you to do so.
But An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson took me completely by surprise. I was completely captivated by this book within the first chapter. It was probably one of the few books that I have read this fall that I have binged.
This book is tough; it has a way of making the reader feel many, sometimes awful, feelings. This book is told in stories, through characters, and simply with O’Brien’s very own thoughts and opinions. He encountered some truly horrible people and situations and he does not hold back at all, immersing the reader as much as he can in the horrors and realities of war.
The first book I would like to recommend is 
The second recommendation I have for you is 
Now, at first glance, you may think that this is a heavy book and by “heavy,” I mean emotionally heavy. I won’t lie to you and say that isn’t in there, but amidst the rawness of Karl Ove’s descriptions there lies a certain beauty that is just as much frightening as it is entrancing. As Knausgaard begins to describe the world to his daughter, he engages in deep reflections on everything from cars to war, Flaubert to twilight, and bottles to beekeeping. What follows is a refreshing view of ordinary life as it is explained to one who has not yet experienced anything outside of a mother’s womb. In essays like “Lightning,” the author delves into the odd relationship between horror and beauty as he and his family watch a gigantic bolt of lightning hit the street outside their home. In “Flaubert,” the author reflects upon his favorite novel and the distinction between literary enjoyment and study. The heart of each meditation is the urge of the author to find what exactly it is that makes life worth living. As Knausgaard takes on each new topic, describing it as though it has never been seen, the reader is brought into the depths of the real and at times the philosophical. “Labia,” as an example, explores the complexity of male sexuality and the shame that often follows closely behind it. “Vomit” takes opportunity to explore the plethora of bodily fluids that we are all familiar with, but puts inquiry into the generally hatred that human beings have for that which is “usually yellowish” and still contains “chunks of pizza” and other remnants of the “undigested.” 
Little Fires Everywhere