Independently published books are filling a much-needed role as affordable gifts this year, but which ones should you buy?
(1888PressRelease) December 23, 2009 - Arbor Books (www.arborbooks.com), a backbone of the independent publishing movement for more than a decade, has compiled a list of some of its favorite titles to help consumers get right to the good stuff this holiday season.
"Our brief list of suggestions is a fun way to highlight some of the best books produced by the independent presses we've worked with--and a way to help consumers sort through the thousands of titles released each year," says Joel Hochman, co-founder of Arbor Books.
This year's list includes children's books, wealth-building books, personal memoirs and holiday-specific titles, and covers the entire family when it comes to genres and reading levels. According to Mr. Hochman's partner, Larry Leichman, "This list gives the whole family something to look forward to."
The independent publishers on the recommended reading list for this holiday season hail from around the country. The authors come from around the world.
"The presses that Arbor Books works with are very special," says Mr. Leichman. "Just as the independents in the music, film, theater and art industries forge new paths, making available works and titles that would not be available to consumers otherwise, so do these independents in the publishing field, and we're proud of each and every one of them."
Below is the list of Arbor Books' picks for the best of the holiday season:
1. Self-Help
Susan Bosscawen, Blueprint Your Future: Creating Powerful Personal and Career Results through Alignment (ISBN: 0615273912)
Raymond Salcido, LCSW, Chaos to Balance—A Life Changing Strategy (ISBN: 0-9822302-0-6)
Shannon Bates, Yes! You Can! An Iknowicant Tale (ISBN: 0-9821509-0-3)
3. Business/Personal Finance
Santiago Maggi, Investment Strategies for Uncertain Markets (ISBN: 0615325815)
David Schumacher, PhD and Steve Dexter, Buy & Hold Forever: How to Build Wealth for the 21st Century (ISBN: 0-9701162-6-8)
4. Personal Memoirs
Judy Joseph Hamlin, From Riches to Happiness: A Semi-Autobiography by an Enlightened Orange County Woman (ISBN: 0615310362)
5. Business Memoirs
Michael J. Ellis, The Metabolife Story: The Rape of Cinderella (ISBN: 0-9822402-0-1)
6. Business/Management
Debi Brown, It’s All in the Delivery: How to Move Mountains Without Crushing the Villagers (ISBN: 978-0-9812098-0-7)
7. History
Barbara Schwartz, Mercy, Mandates, Merger (ISBN: 978-0-615-28720-1)
8. Religion
Catherine Walters, The Hand of God: A Message of Faith and Love (ISBN: 0-9818658-6-0)
9. Mystery
Rick Ward, The Lawmaker (ISBN: 0-9823564-0-4)
Christine Whitehead, Tell Me When It Hurts (ISBN: 0-9822946-0-3)
10. General Fiction
Ryan O'Reilly, To Nourish and Consume (ISBN: 0-9794128-1-1)
11. Thrillers
Rick Ward, Blood-Stained Justice (ISBN: 0-9823564-4-7)
12. Science Fiction/Fantasy
Timothy A. Bramlett, Sharkey and the Parallel Universe (ISBN: 0-9796444-2-9)
13. Medical/Health
Dr. Vikki Petersen and Dr. Richard Petersen, The Gluten Effect: How "Innocent" Wheat Is Ruining Your Health (ISBN: 0-9822711-0-7)
Dr. David Siroospour, MD, FACS, Spinal Surgery Myths: A Surgeon’s Personal Experience With Back Surgery (ISBN: 0-9823362-0-9)
14. Family/Parenting
Armen G. Ketchedjian, MD, Will It Hurt? A Parent's Practical Guide to Children's Surgery (ISBN: 0-9815373-0-8)
Kay Mixson Jenkins, Who Is Pee Dee? Explaining Parkinson’s Disease to a Child (ISBN: 0-9819129-0-7)
All of these books are available on Amazon.com, where millions of holiday shoppers are searching for just the right books to give to friends, spouses or relatives. Mr. Hochman says that he believes these titles are a good start.
"As the country begins a period of economic and spiritual renewal, it's a pleasure to be a part of a movement of small presses and independent publishers," he says. "The people in this field, with their optimism and vision, are the future of publishing as they break the stranglehold of the larger, traditional publishing houses. We're proud of each and every one of them."
Arbor Books (www.arborbooks.com), a mainstay of the independent publishing movement throughout the world, is a provider of ghostwriting, editing, self-publishing and marketing services to individuals, corporations and independent presses.