Recommended for the Perfect Gag Gift

  50 Shades of Chicken by F.L. Fowler

Yup.  You read this right.  It's a cookbook focused on chicken and a parody of 50 Shades of Grey.  How could I not throw this out there for your enjoyment?  This holiday season if you need a great gag gift to give to someone then this could easily be the thing to get.  Whether they've read 50 Shades of Grey or avoided it lik the plague, this will definitely draw some laughs.  Inside are a lot of finger-licking recipes complete with some storytime moments that include quivering thighs, oiled skin, and even a slathering of honey.  You could be aiming for embarrassment or laughter and maybe get both when the recipent unwraps this tasty - and slightly kinky - book.  Just remember to visit them again later so you can try out some of the recipes for yourself!

 Notes from the playlist: "Lights" by Ellie Goulding

Recommended for Peg Kehret Fans

Nightmare Mountain by Peg Kehret

Peg Kehret is an excellent author.  I don't know how she fares in other states, but I know that as a kid I read several of her books and here in Missouri she's been nominated for the Mark Twain award multiple times. In this book a young girl visits some relatives in the mountains, but then an unexpected turn of events leaves just her and her cousin - who hates her for some unknown reason - on their own.  Maybe that wouldn't be so bad if there wasn't someone also on the property who is armed and very, very dangerous.  This is a book filled with action and characters that you quickly care about.  And I can honestly say that I learned a few things on how to handle avalanches because of this book that I have never forgotten.  If you have kids that like Peg Kehret's book, this is another excellent title for them to read.  If they've never read any of her books, this is a great one to get them hooked on - though any of her other books will do just as well.

Notes from the playlist: "E.T. - Katy Perry" by Klaypex