Ask LJ: book reccomendation help

More posting looking for assistance! Hi, LJ, I know that's not the only thing you're here for...

I'm looking to get my mom a Mother's Day present. (Her birthday -- which is about a week later -- I already have a present for: a pair of handmade earrings. I'll try to post pics of the earrings before I give them away.) She's an avid reader, and I usually get her books, but right now I'm a little stumped. Usually I just chitchat with her about what she wants, but I forgot, and now it's embarrassingly late for that, although I will if I can't think of any surer bets.

I'd say her favorite genre is mysteries, and I know she loves Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels and the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George, and the Cat Who books, and Miss Marple... but I suspect she already has all of those. I'd say that her mystery preferences are for cozies, especially those with some amusement value -- the new Vicky Bliss book would be perfect but I think there's a 60% chance she already has it.

She's fairly conservative and in a (happily! this is not an insult!) sedate middle age, so, while I just had a chicklit mystery series recced to me that looks hilarious and awesome, I'm not sure that'd be her kind of thing.

She also loves Barbara Tuchman's early-20th-century stuff, but I think I've bought her all of that. And certain kinds of alternate history (she's read a fair bit of Turtledove, but not much else, I don't think) and certain kinds of semi-thrillers like Douglas Preston's oevure, and she loved the movie National Treasure.

Any ideas? I can come up with something, but if any of you have ideas (and/or are a mystery fan yourself who can help me vet my choices), it would be a great boon.

Ask DW: book reccomendation help

More posting looking for assistance! Hi, DW, I know that's not the only thing you're here for...

I'm looking to get my mom a Mother's Day present. (Her birthday -- which is about a week later -- I already have a present for: a pair of handmade earrings. I'll try to post pics of the earrings before I give them away.) She's an avid reader, and I usually get her books, but right now I'm a little stumped. Usually I just chitchat with her about what she wants, but I forgot, and now it's embarrassingly late for that, although I will if I can't think of any surer bets.

I'd say her favorite genre is mysteries, and I know she loves Elizabeth Peters/Barbara Michaels and the Southern Sisters mysteries by Anne George... but I suspect she already has all of those. I'd say that her mystery preferences are for cozies, especially those with some amusement value -- the new Vicky Bliss book would be perfect but I think there's a 60% chance she already has it.

She's fairly conservative and in a (happily! this is not an insult!) sedate middle age, so, while I just had a chicklit mystery series recced to me that looks hilarious and awesome, I'm not sure that'd be her kind of thing.

She also loves Barbara Tuchman's early-20th-century stuff, but I think I've bought her all of that. And certain kinds of alternate history (she's read a fair bit of Turtledove, but not much else, I don't think) and certain kinds of semi-thrillers like Douglas Preston's oevure, and she loved the movie National Treasure.

Any ideas? I can come up with something, but if any of you have ideas (and/or are a mystery fan yourself who can help me vet my choices), it would be a great boon.

(no subject)

We just got back from seeing Frost/Nixon -- the stage play rather than the movie adaptation. It was superb, and also funnier than I expected. Highly recommended. The actor playing Nixon did a fantastic job with what must be a difficult role, and while it was in places a very funny play it didn't feel like a caricature. Seattle folks, it's playing here for -- I think -- about five more days, and the theater was only about half-full, so if you're interested I'm sure you can still get tickets.

(It doesn't hurt that I just read All the President's Men and The Final Days a couple of months ago, which gave me context.)