Need help finding the right present for everyone on your holiday shopping list? This is the thread for you.
Write a comment with a few sentences describing the person (or people) you’re shopping for and I’ll respond with a book or two to consider. For example: an artistically inclined sister, a cinephile friend or a niece who loves destroying books.
If you see a gift-giving conundrum you can help to solve (with a book or anything else), please respond to one another. Let’s try to take some of the stress out of holiday shopping off each other.
I promise to respond to every request, but just know it might take me a bit.
Hi Jen! Thank you for doing this! I am looking to start in informal book club with my mom, aunt and older sister and gift them the first book. Looking for something positive (we’ve had a tough year!), whimsical, and fun to read.
also this novel will push the envelope for staid feelings about how young people make a living, about sex, and parenthood. It's a generous novel about mistakes and kindness!
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and might be a good fit. Also, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Both are sweet books that might be perfect for your first book club :)
I second these recommendations! And I'd add "The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society". This and the two you Nicolle mentioned are among my favorite books of all time.
I highly recommend CLARA READS PROUST by Stéphane Carlier — it’s a smart and gorgeous exploration of the power of reading, and it’s definitely uplifting! Could be the perfect book to kick off your book club with.
I love Donna Andrews' Meg Lanslow series. They're not about a birder but each book is bird themed. There's also like 20+ of them so great binge potential. (I refuse to finish the series because I like knowing I have some in reserve.)
and not birder related, the Richard Osman mysteries are fun (and if you enjoy slightly offbeat shows, Osman is in season 2 of Taskmaster, viewable on Youtube - search for Taskmaster Season 2 all episodes)
I haven't read this cause I'm waiting for my library copy but the Shady Hollow books, A Shady Hollow is the first one is murder mysteries with animals (think like Redwall or Frog and Toad). But I've heard great things.
Would love some fiction recs for a friend that loves multi generational stories with strong female leads/relationships. Bonus points for magical realism elements. Past hits have been Banyan Moon, Family Lore, The Immortalists, Olga dies dreaming…
Seconding Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow for video games. Maybe include a box of tissues. On the non fiction side, I’ve heard good things about Video Game of the Year and Blood, Sweat and Pixels.
For outdoorsy, there’s some great recs in this thread. A Walk in the Woods is a classic of this genre. The Tree Thieves or Gator Coubtry could also be good.
I think he would love Kevin Fedarko's "A Walk in the Park." It's a newer non-fiction book about hiking the entire length of the Grand Canyon and is outstanding. Funny and poignant and lots of imagery to feel like you are on the trail with them during a brutal hike. They prevail thanks only to a hard core group of canyon devotee's - including one your friend's age. Also touches on some historical insights and present day challenges facing the park and its inhabitants - both human and animal.
I also love all the short story collections written by Tim Cahill that cover his travel exploits. Funny, insightful, and engaging.
The recommendation by everyone for your gaming friend of "Tomorrow..." is spot on. One of the best books I have read in recent years and I have no interest in video games.
For my baby boomer dad: I bought him that Dave Barry novel you wrote about for his bday and he loved it. Usually he is less of a novel reader and more of a… New Yorker cartoon enjoyer? He loved Dana Jeri Maier’s illustrated book Skip to the Fun Parts. Anything else illustrated/funny/absurd?
That Dave Barry book is almost Carl Hiassen fanfic? (I mean that as a compliment.) So that might work. If he's open to something speculative Mike Chen's VAMPIRE WEEKEND made me laugh.
And a second one I just thought of: my 12 year old daughter adored all of Rick Riordan and would love more books based on Greek (or other cultures) mythology. She likes a "romantasy" particularly if it involves queer relationships, but nothing spicy at all, she's moved into more YA style books than middle grade. She also read The Immortal Games, Song of Achilles and Teach The Torches To Burn (a romeo and juliet remix) and loved all of them. So recs in this area would be great!
She might also like Ariadne or Elektra--both by Jennifer Saint. If she likes art and graphic novels, the Lore Olympus series is gorgeous and the gift that keeps on giving (it's like 8 volumes, I believe). It might be a bit old for her, depending on her maturity level--might want to screen the content first, which you can do for free on Webtoon (it was a digital cartoon before it was a book).
Okay, definitely adding these to her list. I think she'd love Lore Olympus but I think I might need to screen it first. She's mature but knows her limits.
These might be a little young for her but I just read and loved THE MARVELLERS by Dhonielle Clayton. The first two books are out now and there's a third coming in the spring. It's a magical Ruby bridges that takes inspiration from voodoo traditions.
I'd also suggest LEGENDBORNE (arthurian legends) and THE POISON HEART (Greek mythology, focus on Medea). Both have queer relationships.
Oh, she enjoyed The Marvellers! We read it out loud together! But she hasn't read any of the sequels yet. And I just added Legendborn to her stack of books. I've read Poison Heart but don't own it--I forgot about that! She'll love it--adding to her library list.
Oh, help! I need a good book for my stepdad. I almost always get him a book every year--he loves Stephen King so if there's a new one of those I always go for that but I'm drawing a blank this year. He likes fiction and he reads a lot so trying to find something that he might not have picked up already is a challenge. He likes a good mystery and sci-fi and also just interesting original fiction! Thank you!
I don't read a ton of horror but I thought THE JACKAL was really well done.
For sci-fi, this 2024 had been my year of Mike Chen. I've devoured his entire backlist since January. They're more speculative than sci-fi but worth considering.
As for mystery: Everyone I've shoved THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB books on has loved them. And GOD OF THE WOODS was one of my favorites of the year.
For my 104-year old dad who has read every Robert B. Parker book a million times....please! He is a Pearl Harbor Survivor who also reads history. I'm stumped!
also maybe take a look at The Wager, by David Grann - I haven’t read it but hear great things about it - gripping nonfiction about a mutiny/shipwreck in the 1700s
for outdoorsy - if fiction, maybe a novel by Richard Powers - The Overstory is one. You can also search for novels set in places he has traveled.
nonfiction, Mark Kurlansky has some interesting books that explore a lot of history & culture while being “about” something specific — The Core of an Onion came out in 2023
Hi Elizabeth! I'm so relieved you're doing this again this year--my cousin loved your pick last year! I've been searching for weeks for a book for my 84 yo grandfather who loves crime & spy thrillers--think David Ignatius and Harlan Coben. He does *not* like cozier crime mysteries like Agatha Christie or Richard Osman, nor British-centric stuff like Ian Fleming. Any ideas?
Has he done the new David Ignatius? Or what about Tess Gerritsen's THE SPY COAST? I also just got THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW from the library. It won the Edgar and is getting great reviews.
A book for a 30 something guy who really does not read much but I think could enjoy a good novel. Not much to go on but I want to "hook" him with reading some great novels.
Maybe the Murderbot series by Martha Wells? The first is called All Systems Red and it's a novella, so a quick and very hooky read! It's one of my favorite sci-fi series and I have successfully hooked many folks who don't read much or typically read sci-fi!
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovich - first in series is Rivers of London (also called Midnight Riot). Set in London, slightly different police with a bit of fantastical magic, very engaging - I didn’t listen to the first but I used audiobooks for later books, & enjoyed the audio.
Also - Ben Winters, The Last Policeman, or Andy Weir, The Martian (I don’t usually read sci fi or dystopia but these are very engaging)
Second the Rivers of London series! So not my usual thing, but the audiobooks (read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) are outstanding. I've also bought the paperbacks because the writing is so good. Check out reviews on Audible & Amazon. My sons also recommend Mick Herron's Slough Horses
I would love recommendations for my 15 year old son who used to love Rick Riordan and Keeper of Lost Cities. He's more into gaming now, and I'd like to get him back into reading. Thanks!
This is a tough one. I’ll need to some thinking. There’s some gaming nonfiction books in this thread — Video Game of the Year and Blood, Sweat and Pixels — but I haven’t read them. Just know they’re well reviewed.
I think some 15 yos would be okay with Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Others might not. It’s got more heft to it than most YA.
I have an English teacher friend who swears by City of Thieves as a book almost all teens love.
Would he potentially be into sci-fi? If so, Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One" (which also has a ton of video game references), John Scalzi's "Kaiju Preservation Society," and Andy Weir's "The Martian" are stand-alone novels that share the teamwork and adventure elements of Riordan's books.
I really love Jenny Holiday’s Christmas series. They’re like r-rated hallmark movies. First one is Princess for Christmas. If you need another, let me know! Holiday romance is one of my fave subgenres.
It's not holiday, but For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin is a fun romance set in a town obsessed with Shakespeare. If they like it, there's a sequel!
Hi Jen! Thank you for doing this! I am looking to start in informal book club with my mom, aunt and older sister and gift them the first book. Looking for something positive (we’ve had a tough year!), whimsical, and fun to read.
First book that comes to mind is MARGO'S GOT MONEY TROUBLE. There's a lot to discuss but it's hopeful and sweet without being saccharine.
also this novel will push the envelope for staid feelings about how young people make a living, about sex, and parenthood. It's a generous novel about mistakes and kindness!
You might want to look at What You Are Looking for is in the Library (Michiko Aoyama) and Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Toshikazu Kawaguchi).
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and might be a good fit. Also, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt. Both are sweet books that might be perfect for your first book club :)
Great picks!
I second these recommendations! And I'd add "The Guernsey literary and potato peel pie society". This and the two you Nicolle mentioned are among my favorite books of all time.
I highly recommend CLARA READS PROUST by Stéphane Carlier — it’s a smart and gorgeous exploration of the power of reading, and it’s definitely uplifting! Could be the perfect book to kick off your book club with.
For the video games person - Gabrielle Zevin’s Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow
or a book by Cory Doctorow (Little Brother, In Real Life, etc)
Oh Zevin's novel is a joy! I have bought it for so many friends!
One of my faves of the last five years.
You are terrific and I appreciate your newsletter so much! A book for a birder who likes mysteries! Thank you!
I love Donna Andrews' Meg Lanslow series. They're not about a birder but each book is bird themed. There's also like 20+ of them so great binge potential. (I refuse to finish the series because I like knowing I have some in reserve.)
have they read the Birder Mysteries by Steve Burrows? A Siege of Bitterns is the first:
https://www.steveburrows.org
and not birder related, the Richard Osman mysteries are fun (and if you enjoy slightly offbeat shows, Osman is in season 2 of Taskmaster, viewable on Youtube - search for Taskmaster Season 2 all episodes)
Love Love Love Richard Osman and Taskmaster.
Haha I had no idea these existed but I did wonder if there was a birder mystery book and of course there is!
I was just going to suggest this :)
I haven't read this cause I'm waiting for my library copy but the Shady Hollow books, A Shady Hollow is the first one is murder mysteries with animals (think like Redwall or Frog and Toad). But I've heard great things.
Also the feather thief which is non fiction about stealing rare feathers from a museum collection for fly tying.
it’s great!
One of my faves.
These ARE so good and so cozy.
Ann Cleeves has a birder series:
https://www.fantasticfiction.com/c/ann-cleeves/george-and-molly-palmer-jones/
Would love some fiction recs for a friend that loves multi generational stories with strong female leads/relationships. Bonus points for magical realism elements. Past hits have been Banyan Moon, Family Lore, The Immortalists, Olga dies dreaming…
I have two great options for you. FAMILY LORE by Elizabeth Acevedo and THE INHERITANCE OF ORQUIDEA DIVINA by Zoraida Córdova.
Thank you!
Your friend might like Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows by Balli Kaur Jaswal!
Excellent call
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois was a great read!
Hi! I am looking for a book for the following two people:
- Someone very outdoorsy, loves to travel, ski, and fish. He is also in his 60s if that matters.
- Someone who is really into video games, sci-fi, and has a young son.
Seconding Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow for video games. Maybe include a box of tissues. On the non fiction side, I’ve heard good things about Video Game of the Year and Blood, Sweat and Pixels.
For outdoorsy, there’s some great recs in this thread. A Walk in the Woods is a classic of this genre. The Tree Thieves or Gator Coubtry could also be good.
sorry, my recommendations for you posted separately instead of in reply, look for them below/above
Ourdoorsy:
I think he would love Kevin Fedarko's "A Walk in the Park." It's a newer non-fiction book about hiking the entire length of the Grand Canyon and is outstanding. Funny and poignant and lots of imagery to feel like you are on the trail with them during a brutal hike. They prevail thanks only to a hard core group of canyon devotee's - including one your friend's age. Also touches on some historical insights and present day challenges facing the park and its inhabitants - both human and animal.
I also love all the short story collections written by Tim Cahill that cover his travel exploits. Funny, insightful, and engaging.
The recommendation by everyone for your gaming friend of "Tomorrow..." is spot on. One of the best books I have read in recent years and I have no interest in video games.
For my baby boomer dad: I bought him that Dave Barry novel you wrote about for his bday and he loved it. Usually he is less of a novel reader and more of a… New Yorker cartoon enjoyer? He loved Dana Jeri Maier’s illustrated book Skip to the Fun Parts. Anything else illustrated/funny/absurd?
That Dave Barry book is almost Carl Hiassen fanfic? (I mean that as a compliment.) So that might work. If he's open to something speculative Mike Chen's VAMPIRE WEEKEND made me laugh.
And a second one I just thought of: my 12 year old daughter adored all of Rick Riordan and would love more books based on Greek (or other cultures) mythology. She likes a "romantasy" particularly if it involves queer relationships, but nothing spicy at all, she's moved into more YA style books than middle grade. She also read The Immortal Games, Song of Achilles and Teach The Torches To Burn (a romeo and juliet remix) and loved all of them. So recs in this area would be great!
She might also like Ariadne or Elektra--both by Jennifer Saint. If she likes art and graphic novels, the Lore Olympus series is gorgeous and the gift that keeps on giving (it's like 8 volumes, I believe). It might be a bit old for her, depending on her maturity level--might want to screen the content first, which you can do for free on Webtoon (it was a digital cartoon before it was a book).
Okay, definitely adding these to her list. I think she'd love Lore Olympus but I think I might need to screen it first. She's mature but knows her limits.
These might be a little young for her but I just read and loved THE MARVELLERS by Dhonielle Clayton. The first two books are out now and there's a third coming in the spring. It's a magical Ruby bridges that takes inspiration from voodoo traditions.
I'd also suggest LEGENDBORNE (arthurian legends) and THE POISON HEART (Greek mythology, focus on Medea). Both have queer relationships.
Oh, she enjoyed The Marvellers! We read it out loud together! But she hasn't read any of the sequels yet. And I just added Legendborn to her stack of books. I've read Poison Heart but don't own it--I forgot about that! She'll love it--adding to her library list.
Oh, help! I need a good book for my stepdad. I almost always get him a book every year--he loves Stephen King so if there's a new one of those I always go for that but I'm drawing a blank this year. He likes fiction and he reads a lot so trying to find something that he might not have picked up already is a challenge. He likes a good mystery and sci-fi and also just interesting original fiction! Thank you!
I don't read a ton of horror but I thought THE JACKAL was really well done.
For sci-fi, this 2024 had been my year of Mike Chen. I've devoured his entire backlist since January. They're more speculative than sci-fi but worth considering.
As for mystery: Everyone I've shoved THE THURSDAY MURDER CLUB books on has loved them. And GOD OF THE WOODS was one of my favorites of the year.
Oooh, The thursday murder club might be right up his alley. I got him KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE by Deanna Raybourn last year and he really loved it.
It's kind of a "classic", but do you think he has already read 2666 by Roberto Bolaño?
I will find out! I'm adding it to the possibilities!
For my 104-year old dad who has read every Robert B. Parker book a million times....please! He is a Pearl Harbor Survivor who also reads history. I'm stumped!
Has he read any Nathaniel Philbrick? I loved In the Heart of the Sea, lots of history and adventure, very engaging!
Thank you! Off to our local book store tomorrow, bonus - we live on Cape Cod! Sounds like such a perfect fit!
also maybe take a look at The Wager, by David Grann - I haven’t read it but hear great things about it - gripping nonfiction about a mutiny/shipwreck in the 1700s
104! Wow. Seconding THE WAGER suggestion. Has he read the Harry Bosch books?
Another great suggestion. He rarely watches tv, prefers to read, but we did watch the Bosch series in the past. My list is getting longer! Thank you.
for outdoorsy - if fiction, maybe a novel by Richard Powers - The Overstory is one. You can also search for novels set in places he has traveled.
nonfiction, Mark Kurlansky has some interesting books that explore a lot of history & culture while being “about” something specific — The Core of an Onion came out in 2023
Jon Krakauer is a good fit for outdoorsy.
Hi Elizabeth! I'm so relieved you're doing this again this year--my cousin loved your pick last year! I've been searching for weeks for a book for my 84 yo grandfather who loves crime & spy thrillers--think David Ignatius and Harlan Coben. He does *not* like cozier crime mysteries like Agatha Christie or Richard Osman, nor British-centric stuff like Ian Fleming. Any ideas?
Has he done the new David Ignatius? Or what about Tess Gerritsen's THE SPY COAST? I also just got THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW from the library. It won the Edgar and is getting great reviews.
Agh I forgot to reply, but I went with Tess Gerritsen's The Spy Coast! I also gifted him I AM PILGRIM by Terry Hayes, which was an immediate hit!
A book for a 30 something guy who really does not read much but I think could enjoy a good novel. Not much to go on but I want to "hook" him with reading some great novels.
I feel like either of Liz Moore’s most recent books might work. God of the Woods and Long Bright River. Both gripping and extremely well written.
Maybe the Murderbot series by Martha Wells? The first is called All Systems Red and it's a novella, so a quick and very hooky read! It's one of my favorite sci-fi series and I have successfully hooked many folks who don't read much or typically read sci-fi!
This is quirky and not for everyone:
Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovich - first in series is Rivers of London (also called Midnight Riot). Set in London, slightly different police with a bit of fantastical magic, very engaging - I didn’t listen to the first but I used audiobooks for later books, & enjoyed the audio.
Also - Ben Winters, The Last Policeman, or Andy Weir, The Martian (I don’t usually read sci fi or dystopia but these are very engaging)
Second the Rivers of London series! So not my usual thing, but the audiobooks (read by Kobna Holdbrook-Smith) are outstanding. I've also bought the paperbacks because the writing is so good. Check out reviews on Audible & Amazon. My sons also recommend Mick Herron's Slough Horses
those are good too!
I'm halfway through the audiobook of Midnight Riot, it's great! Narrator is top notch.
I would love recommendations for my 15 year old son who used to love Rick Riordan and Keeper of Lost Cities. He's more into gaming now, and I'd like to get him back into reading. Thanks!
This is a tough one. I’ll need to some thinking. There’s some gaming nonfiction books in this thread — Video Game of the Year and Blood, Sweat and Pixels — but I haven’t read them. Just know they’re well reviewed.
I think some 15 yos would be okay with Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow. Others might not. It’s got more heft to it than most YA.
I have an English teacher friend who swears by City of Thieves as a book almost all teens love.
Would he potentially be into sci-fi? If so, Ernest Cline's "Ready Player One" (which also has a ton of video game references), John Scalzi's "Kaiju Preservation Society," and Andy Weir's "The Martian" are stand-alone novels that share the teamwork and adventure elements of Riordan's books.
Good ideas!
Hello, thank you so much for doing this - your newsletter is a can’t miss for me!
I’d appreciate recs for a romance (genre) lover who also loves mysteries. (Doesn’t have to be cozy, could be more suspense-based.)
Also, if you are familiar with titles in the same vibe as The Guest by Emma Cline that would be great - my bff devoured it!
What about romantic suspense?! I love the Texas Murder Files.
For The Guest; maybe Bath House, Pizza Girl or Animal?
I’m looking for a fiction or non fiction book for a film fan that loves: Stephen King, horror, sci-fi, myths and legends :)
Ooh. The Lady from the Black Lagoon. Nonfiction on the woman who created the creature from the black lagoon and was then written out of history
A partner who loves roms (particularly heartfelt or romcom), and has read lots in the field already -- bonus if it's holiday-related!
I really love Jenny Holiday’s Christmas series. They’re like r-rated hallmark movies. First one is Princess for Christmas. If you need another, let me know! Holiday romance is one of my fave subgenres.
Romantic Comedy, by Curtis Sittenfeld is great!
There's a high likelihood Jasmine Guillory is already on their radar but I really love Royal Holiday.
Eight Perfect Hours is cute
It's not holiday, but For the Love of the Bard by Jessica Martin is a fun romance set in a town obsessed with Shakespeare. If they like it, there's a sequel!
Ally Carter, The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year - it’s a fun holiday romance, https://allycarter.com/books/the-most-wonderful-crime-of-the-year/