FEATURES

A pissed-off holiday
Cozy up to the fire with four cranky books
No matter how many tidings of comfort and joy are thrown our way, some of us refuse to accept the holidays as anything but a poor excuse for picking a man's pocket.
BY J.L. JOHNSON

A hipster's holiday
Ghosts re-mixed, Springsteen re-imagined, Moody returns, and a taxing bladder
Thousands of innocent housewives across the red states discussing heroin at their monthly book clubs? Has indie gone mainstream?
BY RICCO VILLANUEVA SIASOCO

Better to give
Ten books that will set you apart come gift-giving time
The gift book is an odd beast. No one is supposed to go into a bookstore and buy a $75 book for themselves. No. Books like that are created to be the safe bet when buying someone a present.

Got freak?
Robots, bat boys, and naughty bits
What with sleigh-bearing artiodactyls zipping overhead and a fat man making appearances worldwide in a few hours' time, the holidays are pretty much an all-around freaky proposition.
BY J.L. JOHNSON