Professional help is at hand for stumped US gifters

New York

THE response rate for inquiries sent to the North Pole is middling at best. For a definite reply this year, it's much safer to ask a Penguin.

Faced with a reading public overwhelmed with options, Penguin Random House instituted a new programme this year: a write-in "hotline" to provide book recommendations for stumped gifters. Santa may not have the liberty to advise you at the moment, but a Penguin staff will, in two days or sooner. The hotline has fielded roughly 2,800 requests since opening on Dec 1, far outstripping the expectations of its creator, Madeline McIntosh, Penguin's president.