Five Books to Give—or Keep—From Suwanee’s Read It Again

McNamara counts Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants among her all-time favorites. She recommends the special edition as a gift for a nature lover, though her own connection began with listening.

“When I first read Braiding Sweetgrass, I was going through a rough period in my life,” she said. “I would come home from work and listen to Kimmerer.”

The stories of plants, myths and history, carried by Kimmerer’s soothing voice, became something she treasured at the end of the workday.

“It’s a book that stays with you long after you’ve finished reading.”

Some books make readers want to spend more time in their pages. McNamara says Theo of Golden makes her want to do something kind outside them.

“This book is like reading sunshine, and it makes you want to do something nice for a stranger,” she said.

Her holiday pick is the deluxe hardcover edition, which has decorated page edges. For someone who already loves the novel, she sees it as a “little shelf trophy” to celebrate a favorite. For someone who has yet to read it, the gift offers a first introduction. The deluxe edition was released Nov. 3.

McNamara traces the novel’s appeal to its simplest quality: it is a book about people being kind.

For the person who notices a bird before anyone else does, McNamara suggests The Book of Birds: A Field Guide to Wonder and Loss.

The collaboration pairs Macfarlane’s writing about birds’ lives, habits and habitats with Morris’s illustrations, exploring the ways their lives intersect with ours and the threats they face.

The illustrations are a large part of McNamara’s enthusiasm. She calls the book “gloriously illustrated” and recommends it as a gift for a favorite birder, though she would not limit its audience to people who can identify everything at the feeder.

“Even if someone has no interest in birds, they will find something to love about this book,” she said.

For readers who want their holiday atmosphere to extend to the book in their lap, McNamara’s choice is A Married Little Christmas.

She describes the romance as “super sweet and funny,” and says Jimenez is a favorite among both customers and staff at Read It Again.

Her selection is the deluxe edition, with sprayed page edges and illustrations by the author’s daughter. It is one of the two books she chose specifically for curling up with as the weather turns colder.

The other comes with a warning about what happens when you reach the end.

McNamara recommends beginning with Volume 1. Her own reading has gone considerably further.

“When I finished book 8, I honestly didn’t know what to do with my life,” she said. “I had such a bad book hangover that I started the series all over again.”

She is now on her third reading.

Her description offers a sense of the company readers can expect: “Anne of Green Gables set in Stars Hollow, but in Victorian England.” For McNamara, the pleasure extends beyond the books into internet theories and the many details fellow readers find to discuss.

“Do not read unless you’re prepared to become completely obsessed with Emma M. Lion,” she said.

Then she added her allegiance: “Go Team Islington!!”