Memoirs Make Hot Holiday Gifts

Memoirs by Tom Brokaw, Pat Conroy and former Rolling Stone Bill Wyman are among the books that will make the best holiday gifts this year, according to a poll of hundreds of stores and librarians.

Asked to select the books that they thought would be of "broad interest, literary merit, or unique gifting appropriateness," voters made Brokaw's "A Long Way From Home" their No. 1 choice.

The next pick on the poll that was announced Tuesday was "Leadership," by former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani, followed by "Shel Silverstein Poems and Drawings," a three-book compilation.

Other works cited include Conroy's "My Losing Season," Wyman's "Rolling With the Stones" and Louis V. Gerstner Jr.'s "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance," a memoir by the former head of IBM.

Other selections were Alice Sebold's novel, "The Lovely Bones"; Joe Garner's "Stay Tuned: Television's Unforgettable Moments"; "The Little House," a nine-book set of children's author Laura Ingalls Wilder and Dr. Phillip C. McGraw's "Self Matters."

The survey of over 600 librarians, superstore chains and independent retailers was sponsored by BookExpo America, the publishing industry's annual national convention and trade show.