Tis the season and all, so here are a few things I’ve been enjoying lately, in no particular order:

• Manhood for Amateurs, by Michael Chabon: Okay, I’m a huge Chabon fan and would probably love anything he scribbled, but this collection of nonfiction essays is uniquely great for its insights into parenting, kid freedom, and the cultural power of Wacky-Packs.
• The Weepies: My friend Dave got me into this Brooklyn singing/songwriting duo during a long drive to Denali National Park. We listened to them for six hours — and never got tired of it.
• How Lincoln Learned to Read, by Daniel Wolff: What were the educations of great talents really like? By looking closely at 12 greats (Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford, Sojourner Truth, Rachel Carson, even Elvis Presley), Wolff makes you want to jerk your kids out of school and apprentice them into print-shops, music studios, political groups. (Well, for a split-second, anyway.)
• Game Six, by Mark Frost: A you-are-there recreation of my all-time favorite baseball game: the Cincinnati Reds versus Boston Red Sox  in the 1975 World Series, aka the Carlton Fisk Home Run Game. I remember watching this game as a ten-year-old; it made me love baseball.
• Angle of Reflection:  Michael Reddick’s terrific blog in which he documents his audacious attempt to become a professional pool player in two years.  I like it partly because he’s putting the ideas of The Talent Code directly to use; but mostly because of his sharp analysis and good storytelling.
• The Lucksmiths: Australian indie pop band (who just apparently broke up). They’re funny, whip-smart, and kinda twee — but hey, is it so wrong to like twee?