There are a bunch of books that have been sitting on my shelf for too many months and they look amazing. I don't want you all to miss the opportunity to give awesome books to your nearest and dearest this holiday season, so...

I haven't read these in full, but I've spent some time with each of them, and here are my thoughts.

Homefront by Kristen J. Tsetsi

This beautiful and stark novel by Kristen J. Tsetsi makes real the agonizing waiting that so many Americans must do while their loved ones are at modern war. The protagonist's voice--that of a young, heady woman--is so familiar, so real, so intimate that I can almost imagine it were my own, though I've never had anywhere close to the same experience.

It seems like there have been a real lack of narratives out there about the experiences of those who love those in the military, especially this time around. We get a sense of their struggles at times with the coverage of vets' injuries and rehab processes, but even then, the partners and spouses of military folks are usually treated as accessories, not given their own authentic voice.

Reading Homefront will give you such insight into the daily battles at home caused by this messy war abroad, but even more universal, a deep sense of appreciation for your own loved ones. As I was reading it, I felt blessed to hear the snore beside me in the bed at night.

Third Wave Feminism and Television by Merri Lisa Johnson

If you know a sucker for any of the following--Six Feet Under, the Sopranos, vampires--then you may want to pick up this awesome anthology for them, published over the pond by I.B. Tauris Press. Johnson, the Director for the Center for Women's Studies at the University of South Carolina-Upstate, brings together a range of totally intriguing and theoretically rigorous essays on the intersection between popular television and new feminisms.

She introduces:

As riddled with stereotypes as media culture admittedly is, television can also provide rare insight into alternative ways of living in the world. The small screen paradoxically provides a broader horizon. For rural adolescents, television can be the sole window into big-city subjects like homosexuality, singlehood-by-choice, multiculturalism, and, I'm not kidding, existentialism--my philosophy minor may well have stemmed from a certain episode of Family Ties in which Alex's little sister, Jennifer, reads Kierkegaard at the kitchen table.

Gotta love that.

Campus Calm University by Maria Pascucci

If you know a college student knee-deep in finals and Xanax, get him or her this book. Maria Pascucci, founder of Campus Calm, has written a guide to reducing stress and creating a happy life that's actually useful (as opposed to googling term papers in a hurry). Pascucci looks at everything from perfectionism (a section I'm quoted in) to creativity to work/life balance to relationships to spirituality in this one little book. She's got exercises if you're into that sort of thing, and lots of input from experts across the nation.

What I love so much about Pascucci's work is that she's obsessively pragmatic. Whereas with my book, Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters, I sometimes feel like the reader gets a whole lotta analysis and only a little bit o' advice, Pascucci is dedicated to suggesting real solutions for real perfectionists and stressballs. She recognizes that being overwhelmed, overworked, and self-hating is not just a crazy college kid problem, but a matter of a life well lived or a life wasted on stress and misplaced priorities. In that way, her text even has a spiritual undertone--making that link between how we spend our precious energy and the quality of our very quickly passing life. I love that she gets deep on the subject while still managing to be very nuts and bolts about it. The girl's got range.

Daughters of India by Stephen P. Huyler

One in every six women living in the world lives in India. Amazing, right?

So is this book. It's a gorgeous collage of richly colorful and unique photographs of the women of India, and inspired writing about art, identity, and gender that is complex enough for this complex country. Author and photographer, Stephen P. Huyler, has spent much of his life documenting India--past and present--and writes in the author's note:

Women's issues and concerns have always been deeply instilled in me. I was raised and have always been guided by strong, self-reliant, and self-aware women. My great-grandmother and great-aunt were both pioneers of women's rights in 19th and 20th century Korea...Beatrice Wood, an American artist and potter who defied social taboos of the last century, befriended me just before I began college. As my mentor, Beatrice had a profound effect on my life, introducing me to India and arranging for me to be sponsored there by two powerful Indian women--both members of India's first parliament...

Isn't it nice to see a grown dude expressing his gratitude for the women his life so clearly and publicly? His sentiment is almost as touching as his photographs, which are truly remarkable. Makes me want to Priceline a trip to India right now.