Give the gift of Dolly, NC music knowledge, Vivian Howard recipes and more this holiday
We love a good TV streaming service or book download service as much as the next person, but at gift-giving time, nothing compares to opening that pristine Blu-ray box set or feeling the weight of that special book you know you’ll keep for years.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of some of our favorite new DVD and Blu-Ray collections, and some books we think would make great holiday gifts.
We’ve listed the suggested retail prices, but keep in mind that many retailers offer discounts off the list price, so you’ll most often pay much less than the prices listed here.
DVDs
“Dolly: The Ultimate Collection” — We all love Dolly Parton, but if you happen to have a Dolly Super Fan on your shopping list, this is the way to go. The Deluxe Edition of this Time-Life collection is a 19-DVD set with 35 hours of Dolly content — selected by Dolly Parton herself, and nearly 30 hours of it hasn’t been seen since broadcast. There’s so much that we can’t list it all, but some of the highlights include: episodes of Dolly’s TV variety shows from the 1970s and ‘80s and of “The Porter Wagoner Show”; her “Live From London” concert; the BBC documentary “Dolly: Here I Am”; and TV appearances from “The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson” and “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The Ultimate Edition is a slightly pared down collection, with 23 hours of content on 11 DVDs. Both collections are a bit of an investment, though, so this might be the season’s “big” Santa gift. The Deluxe Edition is four payments of $59.98; the Ultimate Edition is four payments of $29.99. You’ll need to order this directly from Time-Life at timelife.com/products/dolly-deluxe-edition or by calling 1-800-950-7887.
“Schitt’s Creek”: The Complete Collection — The final season of this TV series literally swept all of the comedy categories at this year’s Emmy Awards — a sweep that was so deserved. The show, created by Daniel and Eugene Levy, is warm and charming, and just off-beat enough to keep the sweetness from being too much. It’s a great gift whether you’ve already seen the show or not (the set has great extras, including behind-the-episode featurettes, extras, bloopers, deleted scenes and a special documentary “A Schitt’s Creek Farewell”). Unfortunately, no Blu-ray version is available. Retail: $59.98.
Bugs Bunny 80th Anniversary Collection — I could say this is for the kids, but who am I kidding. This Blu-ray collector’s set, honoring the world’s smartest (and most smart-alecky) rabbit, has 60 restored and remastered theatrical shorts, a new documentary, 10 episodes of “Looney Tunes Cartoons” (a great new HBO Max series) and a full-size Bugs Bunny glitter Funko figure. There are three discs and a digital code. Retail: $74.99.
Game of Thrones: The Complete Collection — This 4K Ultra HD collection has all eight seasons of the HBO mega-hit plus 15 hours of bonus features. You also get a digital code to use for all seasons. This is another big ticket item, though, retailing at $259.
Books
All of the book selections are available at most local independent book sellers or through online retailers.
“This Will Make it Taste Good” by Vivian Howard — The Kinston native follows her first cookbook “Deep Run Roots” — named the 2017 International Association of Culinary Professionals cookbook of the year — with a collection of recipes that use ingredients most home cooks are likely to have on hand or can easily access. And more than half of the dishes are vegetarian, gluten-free or both, making it a great choice for gifting. Learn more about the book at vivianhoward.com. Retail: $35.
“Bread Illustrated: A Step-by-Step Guide to Achieving Bakery-Quality Results at Home” — Does any food item represent 2020 more than homemade bread? For anyone who devoted themselves to bread-baking during quarantine — or for those who wanted to try but were intimidated — America’s Test Kitchen has a comprehensive and easy-to-follow guide that any home cook will love. It’s perfect for beginners as well as more advanced bakers. Retail: $32.99
“UNC A to Z: What Every Tar Heel Needs to Know about the First State University” by Nicholas Graham and Cecelia Moore — This is a great gift for the “born and bred Tar Heel” — the Chapel Hill brand of Tar Heel, to be more specific. The book, published this year, is a neat encyclopedia of people, buildings and events that are important to the university. Learn more about the book at uncpress.org. Retail: $24.
“Step It Up and Go: The Story of North Carolina Popular Music, from Blind Boy Fuller and Doc Watson to Nina Simone and Superchunk” by David Menconi — Longtime music critic David Menconi presents an exhaustively researched roots-to-fruit look at music in North Carolina. The book, published this fall, covers bluegrass, blues, jazz, beach music, rock, hip-hop and more. There’s no better choice for the music lover on your list. Learn more at uncpress.org. Retail: $30.
A Charlie Brown Christmas — From Simon & Schuster, the brand new pop-up edition of this beloved Charles M. Schulz story will delight children (and let’s be honest, their parents) as they follow along with Charlie Brown and his Peanuts friends and discover the true meaning of Christmas. Retail: $29.99.
“The Office: The Official Party Planning Guide to Planning Parties” — This book has some recipes (like Kevin’s Famous Chili), but it’s so much more than that. Want to recreate the infamous “Stapler in Jello” gag from the hit sitcom? It’s in there. Need a pair of Kevin’s awesome Tissue Box Shoes? Covered. The book is great for the old school fans and for the newer generation of fans who just discovered the show on streaming sites. Putting this under the tree could earn you your very own Dundies Award trophy. Retail: $29.99.
This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 8:00 AM.
