Fiction spun by a new national favorite, beer tales from an expert, personal memories of a Pulitzer Prize-winning poet, the perils of artificial sweeteners and a children’s book about an unusual blind child top this year’s holiday list of books by UC Davis authors.

“Gold Boy, Emerald Girl”

The latest work by Yiyun Li, UC Davis English professor and one of the nation’s hottest young fiction writers, offers a collection of stories filled with suspense, depth and beauty, in which history, politics and folklore illuminate the human condition. “All the stories … came from situations — both Chinese and American — that could lead to different stories,” Li explained. “The versions I chose to tell, I hope, have neither villains nor victims in them but people who have both taken from others and have been taken from, who have both deceived and been deceived, and who are as lonely as you and I.”

“Beer Is Proof God Loves Us”

It’s not the same as suds from Santa, but it’s easier to wrap. Beer expert Charlie Bamforth, the UC Davis Anheuser-Busch Endowed Professor of Malting and Brewing Sciences, presents the most compelling social history of beer ever written: where it’s come from, and where it’s headed. From centuries-old cultural values to radical new approaches, craft brewing to globalization, Bamforth tells it all with humor, insight and sheer joy. Amen.

“The Etiquette of Freedom”

Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Gary Snyder, a professor emeritus of English at UC Davis, joined his old friend, novelist Jim Harrison, to discuss their loves and lives and what has become of them throughout the years. The conversations — harnessing their ideas of all that is wild, sacred and intimate in this world — move from the admission that Snyder’s mother was a devout atheist to his initiation into Zen Buddhist culture, being literally dangled by the ankles over a cliff. “The Etiquette of Freedom” is an all-encompassing companion to the film “The Practice of the Wild.” A DVD is included, which contains the film, more than an hour of outtakes and expanded interviews, and an extended reading by Snyder.

“Empty Pleasures”

Artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet, Splenda and their predecessors have enjoyed enormous success by promising Americans, especially women, that they can "have their cake and eat it too." But UC Davis American studies professor Carolyn de la Peña argues in her book that these "sweet cheats" have fostered troubling and unsustainable eating habits, that the promises of artificial sweeteners are ultimately too good to be true. In the first history of artificial sweeteners in America, de la Peña blends popular culture with business and women's history, examining the invention, production, marketing, regulation and consumption of sugar substitutes.

“The Twilight Mystique”

This book by Amy Clarke, a lecturer in the University Writing Program, and UC Davis English professor emeritus Marijane Osborn explores the wildly popular Twilight series in the contexts of literature, religion, fairy tales, film and the gothic. In 13 essays, Clarke and Osborn examine Twilight’s emphasis on abstinence, and look at fan involvement in the Twilight world, focusing on how the series' avid following has led to an economic transformation in Forks, Wash., the real town where the fictional story is set.

“The Evolutionary World”

Shopping for a cerebral friend or relative? In this book, UC Davis geology professor Geerat Vermeij — one of the university’s three MacArthur “genius” award winners — presents a new argument for evolution's broader importance. Adaptation plays a role not only in the development of new species but in the development of human civilization, he writes. By understanding how evolutionary theory has played out in areas such as our economic system, preparation for catastrophes and even the development of communities, he argues, we can learn not just how these systems work, but also what challenges lie ahead.

“Dr. Vermeij’s Conch Quest”

This children’s book is about Professor Vermeij and his remarkable career as a world-renowned scientist who has been blind since childhood. The story by Fran Prezant and Laura Marshak focuses on a fascinating study of mollusks. It travels through the world of purple sailor snails that float on rafts of bubbles and massive, 500-pound clams. Along the way, young readers will learn how Vermeij became interested in fossils, how he traveled the world to exotic places to explore and answer questions about how life works, and how and why animals have changed over time. This book is notable for its beautiful photographs and scientific content that will appeal to young students.

“California: On the Road Histories”

A witty, expansive narrative — co-authored by Laurie Glover of the University Writing Program — that offers an unvarnished take on the people and places that make up the Golden State. From the European conquest to date, Californians have experienced tumultuous growth and painful conflicts. Like the grinding tectonic plates that shaped the landscape, these encounters, disputes and transformations have continuously made and remade California. Included are recommended museums, state parks and other attractions, along with excerpts from local authors who offer a sense of California in different eras.

“The Nature of This Place”

An anthology produced by 68 contributing writers, poets and artists, this book examines the natural world of the Yuba River watershed. Poet Gary Snyder wrote the foreword and former UC Davis staff member Liese Greensfelder co-edited the collection of essays, news, research findings, original art, photographs and poems culled from the Yuba Watershed Institute’s journal, Tree Rings.