Giving books can be easy or hard depending on how well you know the recipient, but here are a few that will enchant even the most difficult to shop for. We've got delights for the Downton Abby addict, television fans of Modern Family, a book for the music obsessed teen, as well as a series for the fantasy minded. And we haven't forgotten the cook or wanna-be chef in your family!
"I love to entertain people and make them laugh. Whether
through Manny or by just being myself, making people laugh
is the greatest feeling in the world. Getting an opportunity
to do that at my age has taught me a lot. So, I
started this journal as a reminder of the most important
real and 'reel' life lessons that I hope to never forget. "
Barely into his teen years, Rico Rodriguez is living his
dream, playing the hilarious and infectious character Manny
Delgado on ABC's Emmy Award-winning sitcom Modern
Family. As his on-screen alter ego, Rico dispenses
wisdom with a maturity far beyond his age. In Reel Life
Lessons...So Far, he shares his own thoughts about
growing up, facing life's challenges, and the importance of
family.
Written in a simple, lighthearted manner and filled with
witty and engaging anecdotes about Rico's life on and off
the set—or, as he puts it, life with his real family and his
reel family, Reel Life Lessons...So Far
reflects a sense of warmth and charm that will remind
readers of all ages about the true kid inside us all.
I was almost seventeen when the spell of my childhood was broken...It was the beginning of summer and, unbeknown to any of us then, the end of a belle epoque...
In July of 1914, innocent, lovely Clarissa Granville lives with her parents and three brothers in the idyllic isolation of Deyning Park, a grand English country house, where she whiles away her days enjoying house parties, country walks and tennis matches. Clarissa is drawn to Tom Cuthbert, the housekeeper's handsome son. Though her parents disapprove of their upstairs-downstairs friendship, the two are determined to see each other, and they meet in secret to share what becomes a deep and tender romance. But soon the winds of war come to Deyning, as they come to all of Europe. As Tom prepares to join the front lines, neither he nor Clarissa can envision what lies ahead of them in the dark days and years to come. Nor can they imagine how their love will be tested, or how they will treasure the memory of this last, perfect summer.
A lavish look at the real world--both the secret history
and the behind-the-scenes drama--of the spellbinding Emmy
Award-winning Masterpiece TV series Downton Abbey
April 1912. The sun is rising behind Downton Abbey, a
great and splendid house in a great and splendid park. So
secure does it appear that it seems as if the way it
represents will last for another thousand years. It
won't.
Millions of American viewers were enthralled by the world of
Downton Abbey, the mesmerizing TV drama of the
aristocratic Crawley family--and their servants--on
the verge of dramatic change. On the eve of Season
2 of the TV presentation, this gorgeous book--illustrated
with sketches and research from the production team, as well
as on-set photographs from both seasons--takes us even
deeper into that world, with fresh insights into the
story and characters as well as the social history.
The Great War has ended, but Downton Abbey is far from peaceful...
"Americans can't get enough of 'Downton Abbey,'" said The Boston Globe. As Season 3 of the award-winning TV series opens, it is 1920 and Downton Abbey is waking up to a world changed forever by World War I. New characters arrive and new intrigues thrive as the old social order is challenged by new expectations.
In this new era, different family members abound (including Cora's American mother, played by Shirley MacLaine) and changed dynamics need to be resolved: Which branch of the family tree will Lord Grantham's first grandchild belong to? What will become of the servants, both old and new?
The Chronicles of Downton Abbey, carefully pieced together at the heart and hearth of the ancestral home of the Crawleys, takes us deeper into the story of every important member of the Downton estate.This lavish, entirely new book focuses on each character individually, examining their motivations, their actions, and the inspirations behind them. An evocative combination of story, history, and behind-the-scenes drama, it will bring fans even closer to the secret, beating heart of the house
Smartly blending of-the-moment pop culture references and
timeless themes, Bates follows her YA debut, "Awkward", with
a hilarious, over-the-top adventure about a teen girl who
becomes the fake girlfriend of a cute rock star.
Taking a Christmas cruise with her two cousins from hell
isn't Holly's idea of a good time. And when seasickness
forces her into an open suite, she's pepper-sprayed by a
gorgeous guy called Nick. But when Holly makes her exit,
she's greeted by a horde of screaming teenage fans. Because
Nick happens to be Dominic Wyatt, drummer for one of the
hottest bands in America.
Suddenly rumors are swirling and
Holly's face is plastered all over the Internet. The band
can't risk a scandal destroying their family-friendly
image, so Dominic convinces Holly to be his fake girlfriend
- just for two weeks. How bad could it be to be
"fauxmantically" involved with a cute rock star? She's about
to find out...
When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn't
fooling around. Doubting him isn't something I'll do again,
and now that we've made it through the rough patches,
well... There's a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.
But even he can't protect his family from the danger of
trying to free those they love.
After everything, I'm no longer the same Katy. I'm
different... And I'm not sure what that will mean in the
end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us
in the path of the secret organization responsible for
torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is
no end to what I'm capable. The death of someone close still
lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and
friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won't
turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.
Dripping Thighs, Sticky Chicken Fingers, Vanilla Chicken,
Chicken with a Lardon, Bacon-Bound Wings, Spatchcock
Chicken, Learning-to-Truss-You Chicken, Holy Hell Wings,
Mustard-Spanked Chicken, and more, more,
more!
Fifty chicken recipes, each more
seductive than the last, in a book that makes every dinner a
turn-on. "I want you to
see this. Then you'll know everything. It's a cookbook," he
says and opens to some recipes, with color photos. "I want
to prepare you, very much." This isn't just about getting me
hot till my juices run clear, and then a little rest.
There's pulling, jerking, stuffing, trussing. Fifty
preparations. He promises we'll start out slow, with wine
and a good oiling . . . Holy crap."I will
control everything that happens here," he says. "You can
leave anytime, but as long as you stay, you're my
ingredient." I'll be transformed from a raw, organic bird
into something—what? Something delicious.
So begins the adventures of Miss
Chicken, a young free-range, from raw innocence to golden
brown ecstasy, in this spoof-in-a-cookbook that simmers in
the afterglow of E.L. James's sensational Fifty Shades of
Grey trilogy. Like Anastasia Steele, Miss Chicken
finds herself at the mercy of a dominating man, in this
case, a wealthy, sexy, and very hungry chef.
And before long, from unbearably slow
drizzling to trussing, Miss Chicken discovers the sheer
thrill of becoming the main course. A parody in three
acts—"The Novice Bird" (easy recipes for roasters), "Falling
to Pieces" (parts perfect for weeknight meals), and
"Advanced Techniques" (the climax of cooking)—Fifty
Shades of Chicken is a cookbook of fifty irresistible,
repertoire-boosting chicken dishes that will leave you
hungry for more.
With memorable tips and revealing
photographs, Fifty Shades of Chicken will have you
dominating dinner.