<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-4419" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2010/12/shop-books-tulsa-author-jeff-martin-tdt-holiday-gift-guide-2010/hardesty/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4419" title="Hardesty Regional Library" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Hardesty.jpg" alt="Hardesty Regional Library" width="375" height="500" /></a></p>
We all have a bookworm on our shopping lists this holiday season. <a href="http://www.jeffmartinauthor.com/">Renowned local author and co-founder of Booksmart Tulsa Jeff Martin</a> joins TDT with a few of his top picks of books with an Oklahoma connection.

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<h2>The Last Boy: Mickey Mantle and The End of America's Childhood, by Jane Leavy</h2>
I’m not really what you would call a sports fan, but I’ve always been fascinated by the interesting characters that make up our collective athletic history. Let me put it this way, I’ll skip Monday Night Football and watch Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel instead. One of these fascinating personalities was none other than Mickey Mantle, born and raised in tiny Commerce, Oklahoma. We all know the story about the home run race against Roger Maris in 1961. As far as sports heroes go, you might think you know everything you need to know about Mantle. But unless you’ve read this fantastic book by Jane Leavy, you don’t know a damn thing. Baseball fan or not, you need to check this out. Wow.
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<h2>Bro-Jitsu: The Martial Art of Sibling Smackdown, by Daniel H. Wilson</h2>
After delighting us with books like How To Survive a Robot Uprising and Where’s My Jetpack, this native Tulsan and Ph.D. in Robotics turns his sights to one of humankind’s oldest conflicts, sibling rivalry. In a sort of handbook, he tells the young reader (suggested for grades 6-9, but funny for anyone) how to get the upper hand. Written with tongue placed firmly in cheek, this is a must for anyone ever subjected to wedgies, wet willies and other familial torture techniques. And by the way, Wilson’s next book, the awesomely titled Robopocalypse (Summer 2011) is being adapted to film by none other than Steven Spielberg.
<p style="text-align: center;"><a rel="attachment wp-att-4422" href="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/2010/12/shop-books-tulsa-author-jeff-martin-tdt-holiday-gift-guide-2010/russell/"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-4422" title="Russell" src="http://www.tashadoestulsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Russell.jpg" alt="Russell" width="316" height="476" /></a></p>

<h2>The Insane Train: A Hook Runyon Mystery, by Sheldon Russell</h2>
Last year Sheldon Russell quietly entered the fray and staked his claim as one of our state’s best contemporary novelists. He might be the best. With 2009’s The Yard Dog, a gritty, taut and historically accurate mystery set in Oklahoma at the end of WWII. There are so many amazing characters and surprises; I don’t want to give too much away. But you'd better hurry up and read that one so you can move on to Russell’s follow-up, The Insane Train. Publisher’s Weekly calls the book “outstanding.” I think that’s an understatement.

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<em>TDT Note: While you're out, pick up a copy of Jeff Martin's The Customer is Always Wrong: The Retail Chronicle and My Dog Ate My Nobel Prize. I'm sure he won't mind. They're available at <a href="http://www.dwellingspaces.net/">Dwelling Spaces</a> and <a href="http://www.stevessundrybooksmags.com">Steve's Sundry Books &amp; Magazines</a>.</em>