Martine’s Must Reads for December 2021
1- All American Christmas by Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy
Pull up a chair, pour some eggnog, and enjoy the Christmas spirit with friends…
From the wind-swept, snowy ranges of Wyoming to Florida beaches glowing with Christmas lights, All American Christmas traces holiday traditions across the United States. In this beautiful personal keepsake, Rachel Campos-Duffy and Sean Duffy present a dazzling collection of emotional stories, treasured family photographs, and homegrown Christmas recipes from some of Fox News’ most beloved personalities.
Dana Perino takes readers out west to the cattle ranch where she celebrated Christmas with real life “Marlboro Men”—her uncles and grandfather. Maria Bartiromo reflects on growing up in Brooklyn and the famously brilliant light displays in her neighborhood.
Brit Hume looks back at the day he and a friend rushed onto the Washington Senators’ field—and how his parents later warned him that he was now on Santa Claus’ naughty list. For Lauren Green, her understanding of Christmas has evolved with her growing faith.
Beautifully designed to reflect the color and spirit and sparkle of the season and featuring 16 pages of color photographs, All American Christmas is a gift of love from the Fox News family and is sure to be cherished for seasons to come.
2- Santa’s Lost Reindeer: A Christmas Book That Will Keep You Laughing by Rachel Hilz and Remesh Ram
A hilarious Christmas tale that is sure to get everyone laughing!
Santa’s Lost Reindeer is a humorous story that follows a frazzled Santa through a search for his missing reindeer.
How can Christmas be saved? Santa’s in so much trouble.
With his best reindeer missing he needs help on the double!
The book was a passion project for author Rachel Hilz, mom of two special needs children. It was written and illustrated with her autistic kids in mind and has now become the source of much laughter and joy for them.
“My nonverbal son recognizes himself in the book and laughs out loud at the bright illustrations. I couldn’t ask for any better reward.” — Rachel Hilz
3- Protocol: The Power of Diplomacy and How to Make It Work for You by Capricia Penavic Marshall
History often appears to consist of big gestures and dramatic shifts. But for every peace treaty signed, someone set the stage, using hidden influence to affect the outcome. In her roles as chief of protocol for President Barack Obama and social secretary to President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Clinton, Capricia Penavic Marshall not only bore witness to history, she facilitated it. From arranging a room to have an intended impact on the participants to knowing which cultural gestures earned trust, her behind-the-scenes preparations laid the groundwork for successful diplomacy between heads of state around the world and tilted the playing field in her team’s favor.
If there’s one thing that working at the highest levels of government for over two decades has taught Marshall, it’s that there is power in detail and nuance—the micro-moves that affect the macro-shifts. When seemingly minor aspects of an engagement go missing or awry—a botched greeting or even a poorly chosen menu—it alters the emotions and tenor of an exchange, setting up obstacles rather than paving a way forward. In some cases, an oversight may put the entire endeavor in jeopardy.
Sharing unvarnished anecdotes from her time in office—harrowing near misses, exhilarating triumphs, heartwarming personal stories—Marshall brings us a master class in soft power, unveiling the complexity of human interactions and making the case that etiquette, cultural IQ, and a flexible mind-set matter now more than ever. When the notion of basic civility seems to be endangered, Protocol reminds us how critical these principles are while providing an accessible guide for anyone who wants to be empowered by the tools of diplomacy in work and everyday life.
4- The Story of Simone Biles By Rachelle Burk
A Biography Book for New Readers (The Story Of: A Biography Series for New Readers)
Simone Biles has been called the greatest gymnast of all time, winning five Olympic and 25 World Champion medals by age 22. Before she wowed the world with her incredible gymnastics skills, Simone was an energetic young girl who dreamed of becoming a top gymnast. She trained for hours every day and made many sacrifices to pursue her goals. Explore how Simone Biles went from being a kid growing up in Texas to an Olympic athlete who has won more gymnastics medals than anyone in history.
Great kids book recommended by a customer
5- Didn’t See That Coming: Putting Life Back Together When Your World Falls Apart by Rachel Hollis
Bestsellers Girl, Wash Your Face and Girl, Stop Apologizing, attend her RISE conferences and follow her on social media now, she also wants to see you transform.
When it comes to the “hard seasons” of life—the death of a loved one, divorce, loss of a job—transformation seems impossible when grief and uncertainty dominate your days. Especially when, as Didn’t See that Coming reveals, no one asks to have their future completely rearranged for them. But, as Rachel writes, it is up to you how you come through your pain—you can come through changed for the better, having learned and grown, or stuck in place where your identity becomes rooted in what hurt you.
To Rachel, a life well-lived is one of purpose, focused only on the essentials. This is a small book about big feelings: inspirational, aspirational, and an anchor that shows that darkness can co-exist with the beautiful.