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Winter book roundup: Treat yo shelf with these 21 titles

It’s cold and gray, and you don’t want to move from your couch. Perfect!

Treat yo self (and yo shelf) by cozying up to these titles until spring. Many of these books have movie or TV adaptations hitting screens this year, others will allow us to wax nostalgic about events from the past year and some will help us muddle our way through adultish-hood.

RedEye’s Margaux Henquinet contributed.

@elisekdelo | ekdelossantos@redeyechicago.com

Movies

The Circle

By Dave Eggers Vintage Books, $15.95

Think of this as a kind of Big Brother meets Facebook Live story—you might be a little wary of your smartphone after you read it. Mae Holland lands a job and quickly climbs the ranks at The Circle, a fancy perk- and party-filled tech organization. It seems like a good time until its products get more and more privacy-invading, with disastrous results. The stacked cast of the film, due out April 28, includes Emma Watson (as Mae), Tom Hanks, John Boyega and Karen Gillan, plus Ellar Coltrane, the kid from “Boyhood.”

Silence

By Shusaku Endo Picador, $16

Winner in 1966 of Japan’s Tanizaki prize for the year’s top work of fiction or drama, this historical fiction novel tells the story of two Portuguese missionaries sent to Japan at a time when Christians there were brutally tortured and killed for their faith. Martin Scorsese’s film version, starring Andrew Garfield, Adam Driver and Liam Neeson, is out now.

The Sense of an Ending

By Julian Barnes
Vintage International, $14.95

How accurately do your memories of your past reflect what really happened? That appears to be the central question in “The Sense of an Ending,” a short novel about a 60-something man who is willed a pair of documents that make him question the way he remembers his school days and how he’s lived the years since. The film, due out March 17, features Jim Broadbent and Charlotte Rampling. And heads up, “Downton Abbey” fans: Lady Mary (Michelle Dockery) and Henry Talbot (Matthew Good) are in this, too.

Beauty and the Beast

By Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villenueve

Harper Design, $29.99

The award-winning design studio behind props and graphics from the “Harry Potter” movies continues to add to their gorgeously illustrated children’s classic books series. “Beauty and the Beast” is the third in the series (after “Peter Pan” and “The Jungle Book”), and it comes out just in time for the much-hyped live-action Disney movie, in theaters March 17 and starring Emma Watson and Dan Stevens.

The Zookeeper’s Wife

By Diane Ackerman

W.W. Norton & Company, $15.95

If you never tire of stories about real people who met danger and hardship with heroism, this one’s for you. Jan and Antonina Zabinski ran the Warsaw Zoo until German attacks destroyed its structures, killed many animals and forced them to close. So they got involved with the resistance, using the zoo and their home to shelter as many as 300 Jewish people over the course of the war. Jessica Chastain stars as Antonina in the film, due out March 31.

Before I Fall

By Lauren Oliver HarperCollins, $10.99

Don’t let the YA label fool you; this novel tackles some tough stuff. Popular teen Samantha Kingston finds herself in a nightmare “Groundhog Day” situation when she’s forced to repeatedly relive the last day of her life, leading her to try to change for the better, “get things right” and, maybe, escape her death. The film opens March 3, with Zoey Deutch of “Everybody Wants Some!!” and “Why Him?” in the lead role.

Everything, Everything

By Nicola Yoon

Delacorte Press, $18.99

You might have heard of Severe Combined Immunodeficiency, sometimes known as “bubble boy disease,” which leaves people who have it extremely vulnerable to infectious diseases. This YA novel tells the story of Madeline, an 18-year-old with the disorder who can’t leave her house and whose world is limited to her mom, her nurse and her books—until a boy named Olly moves in next door. Amandla Stenberg (aka “The Hunger Games’ ” Rue, RIP) stars in the film, due out May 19.

New Year, New You

A-Z Great Modern Writers

By Caroline Taggart and Andy Tuohy April 4, Cassell, $20

This gorgeously illustrated book features 52 writers from the 20th century. It’s the latest installment of the “A-Z Great Modern” series by Tuohy (“Artists” and “Directors” hit shelves in 2015), and each author gets a short bio and a must-read list of works. Because your to-be-read list can always get a little bit longer.

Adultish

By Cristina Elena Vanko

April 4, TarcherPerigree, $15

Is that diary you bought for the new year still woefully empty? Have you already misplaced your planner? Chances are you just didn’t get the right one. “Adultish” is more workbook than weekly planner, but it gives you all the right prompts to start jotting down ideas and recording your accomplishments as you try to figure out this thing they call adulthood.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017

Lonely Planet, $14.99

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to travel a bit more—or at least daydream about it a little bit more—this is the book for you. Conveniently travel-sized, the cool travel brand (this is not Rick Steves’ Europe) picks out the Top 10 countries, regions and cities to visit this year, as well as five travel trends you should definitely jump on the bandwagon with.

Own It: Oprah Winfrey in Her Words

B2, $10.95

Oprah’s been inspiring people for decades, but it’s been a while since she’s been on TV every day making people laugh or ugly-cry as she interviewed celebrities and regular people alike. Luckily, this little book compiles her best quotes and nuggets of wisdom from years of interviews, statements and other media coverage, organized into topics such as setting yourself up for success in your career, maintaining work/life balance and helping others in need.

TV

The Daily Show (The Book)
By Chris Smith Grand Central, $30

For 17 years, Jon Stewart was the sharp-witted, skewering voice that called out politicians and the rest of America for the crap they said and did. This book looks back on the show’s long run and success, as told from Stewart’s perspective, along with those of his correspondents (many of whom have continued on to have successful careers of their own), staff and guests who were featured on the show.

Damn Fine Cherry Pie

By Lindsey Bowden

Harper Design, $24.99

This unauthorized cookbook from the cult classic TV series “Twin Peaks” hit shelves just in time for the show’s revival (which supposedly will hit screens sometime this year). Whether you’re a newcomer or someone who watched the original series, these more than 100 recipes inspired by characters and scenes from the show will feed your fandom.

Big Little Lies

By Liane Moriarty Berkley, $9.99

Like many No. 1 New York Times Best-Sellers, “Big Little Lies” is being adapted for the small screen in an HBO series slated to premiere later this month. The novel centers on a murder mystery and three women whose lives seem perfect on the outside but are actually on the verge of spinning out of control.

Fictionally Fabulous

By Anne Keenan Higgins April 4, Running Press, $18

Olivia Pope. Cher Horowitz. Mary Richards. All of these TV and movie characters have iconic looks, and this book explores how fashion and the big and small screens have intersected and evolved over the decades. The book features illustrations of each character by Higgins.

Current Events

The Meaning of Michelle

Edited by Veronica Chambers

St. Martin’s, $24.99

Already feeling nostalgic about the Obamas? You’re not alone. Sixteen writers reflect on the former first lady, her unique journey to the White House and what she brought to the Obama administration. Director Ava DuVernay, Broadway star Phillipa Soo and feminist writer Roxane Gay are among those who penned essays for the book.

Secret Lives of the U.S. Presidents
By Cormac O’Brien Feb 14, Quirk, $16.95

We know all about the presidents’ accomplishments and misdeeds, but what about the simply straight-up weird stuff the most powerful men in the country did? Well, if you’ve ever wondered about how much George Washington spent on booze or which president reported a UFO sighting, this book is the one for you. Your weekly trivia team will thank you. (This edition has been updated to include President Trump.)

A Season for the Ages

By Al Yellon Sports Publishing, $19.99

Hey, so we’re stretching “current events” a little bit here, but let’s be real: Chicago is going to be celebrating the World Series until next October (when hopefully we’ll be celebrating another one … too soon?). This book details how the 2016 Cubs finally clinched the title and trophy that had eluded them for 108 years.

Eat & Drink

How to Eat a Lobster
By Ashley Blom April 4, Quirk, $12.99

Because adulting can be hard sometimes and yet we increasingly find ourselves in adultish
situations. With the increasingly inventive cuisine available in our city, you don’t want to be caught scratching your head when you’re out to dinner with a new boss or future in-laws. This book walks you through how to eat tricky crustaceans and carve a chicken. Get a head start prepping for next year’s Chicago Restaurant Week!

The Periodic Table of Wine

By Sarah Rowlands

The Periodic Table of Cocktails

By Emma Stokes

April 18, Abrams, $15.95 each

There is a science to the art of alcohol. If you’re a geek who likes a good drink, then these two handbooks are perfect. The wines table is organized by color (whites, rosés and reds) and flavor (fruit, spice, green, mineral, sweet, etc.). The cocktails table is organized by style (martinis, fruity/tropical, highball/muddles, collinses/fizzes) and bases (vodka, gin, tequila, etc.).