Struggling to find the right present for everyone on your holiday shopping list? I’m here to help.
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: a brother who loves baseball and trivia (hey, bro), a friend who has taken stress baking to the next level or a cousin who spends her days binging true crime documentaries.
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.
I would like an idea for my 20 year old daughter who is in college and too stressed and busy to read anything outside of her class schedule. She is a lover of books and a big reader of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. I giver her a book every Christmas but this year I don't want to give a traditional book because I think the thought of adding to her unread pile of books will stress her out even more. I am looking for something short, something inspirational, sweet, but still a book but not a traditional book to read. Ideas?
Looking for suggestions for my fiancé. His thing is kind of niche, so not sure if anybody can help. He loves Battletech (think Pacific Rim, but books and a whole futuristic world setting). So anything with mechs/mechas would work. He read and LOVED Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. (partly because he studied some Chinese in college)
He also told me he's been looking for good sci fi and fantasy in translation. Already read Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, trans. by Ken Liu, and The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu (he felt kinda "meh" about that one). I too love SFF, but I'm not knowledgeable about the translated work. Any ideas?
Oof not my area of expertise but I would say Babel (more fantasy but there is mechs) and have heard good things about Frankenstein in Baghdad for a translated work
20 year old college daughter who loves to read but has NO time to read. I want it to be a book but a book that takes her 10 minutes to read or look at. I give her a book every year for Christmas but I feel that giving her a book, even though I know she would love to read it, will stress her out. Ideas for books that inspire her, make her laugh, cut her college stress?
Lindy West has a great essay collection called Shit, Actually, that's absolutely hysterical essays on silly things about modern movies. I think this would be a great option for something truly funny and that will get her mind off studying and books and other things!
I think poetry, short stories and graphic novels are best in this situation. Easy to pick up and put down at her convenience! Short story recs: The Office of Historical Corrections, Night of the Living Rez, Everything Inside, Her Body & Other Parties and Stories from the Tenants Downstairs and I've heard anything by Alice Munro is great. Poetry: The Book of Delights (poetry/prose), Electric Arches and Bless the Daughter by Warsan Shire. I don't know as many graphic novels but I loved A Career in Books (fresh out of college!) and look forward to reading Wash Day Diaries before the end of the year and people have lovedddd Heartstopper
I have a Q&A with Maureen Johnson coming out on Tuesday! Those books are such fun. Has she read The Inheritance Games series? If not, they're a good fight.
What would you recommend for my best friend who’s a mom of 2 and working like crazy and she’s a powerhouse and really funny and also kind of a control freak (we have that in common)? Thank you!
30-year old single woman obsessed with human relationships/psychology. Usually reads contemporary fiction and prefers wholesome/heartwarming reads. She looooveeed Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here and Dolly Alderton’s Ghosts...anything else you recommend adding to her collection?
Any recommendations for a friend whose favorite authors are Kevin Wilson and Miriam Toews. I feel like she's read everything and would love to surprise her with a new-to-her author who has a similar vibe to those two.
Friend who can't stop raving about Boomtown. It's outside of what she normally reads (mystery, contemporary, romance) and I'd love to find something similar. I think she liked that it was about a place and was a mix of informative, funny, moving, and warm. Looking specifically for non-fiction.
I have a friend of many years. Retired attorney, well read, retired to a golf community in the mountains; former high level athlete; still works out; studying classics for fun. Favorite mystery Nero Wolfe. Likes Agatha Christie. We both loved Shaun Bythell Seven Kinds of People You Find In A Bookstore! Irreverent and too true! I'm thinking of getting another Bythell book but I'm open to ideas. Happy Holidays! Eric Davis, Savannah Georgia.
Non-retired attorney here who is into the classics. Steven Saylor books are mysteries/private-eye books set at the end of the Roman Republic. Really fun, makes you think, but not too hard to read before bed. There’s a bunch and I’m sad I read them all!
For my 50 year old son -- Mr Businessman (president of a multi-state insurance brokerage). Loves to golf, likes limited first-class travel. In the past has enjoyed best-selling business books and books about sports stars.
My dad in his sixties who’s about to retire after a decade of running the local public transit service? He loved his job but also enjoys traveling, Christianity, family, and learning new things.
He might like this older book, Round Ireland with a Fridge! It's about a man who, for strange reasons, decides to travel around Ireland while carrying a fridge. It's strange and sentimental and definitely involves travel and learning new things.
Adding The Tiger. It’s about hunting a tiger that is killing people in Siberia- with tons of history of Russia, USSR, it’s interactions with China, and also nature. If your father likes traveling and learning new things, this hits both points. (And it is written so so so well... you write down sentences because they are beautiful and you want them forever.)
And I might as well add my mom in her sixties who’s about to have more free time. She likes tv shows like Little House On the Prairie and Gilmore Girls, and has hobbies like knitting, hanging out with her grandkids, and gardening
What about a book originally in French? The Enigma in Room 622 is metafiction which might appeal to his philosophy interest was just released in English.
Aunt who introduced me to the unique joy of audiobooks - mostly into scientific non-fiction, fantasy, and anything by Christopher Moore. I'd love to introduce her to a great audio production she hasn't found yet.
How about one of the Terry Pratchett Discworld books? They're fantasy, but often have a sort of parallel reality with the science of our own world. I believe they come in both audio and abridged versions. Some are narrated by Tony Robinson (whose acting career has ranged from the comedic (Blackadder) to the scientific (Time Team), some by Stephen Briggs, new editions are by Bill Nighy.
It occurs to me that I should emphasise you don't need to start the series at the beginning! The first books are NOT the best. If you do decide to go this way, let me know and I can help you choose one that is right for your friend.
So, I immediately think "Thank You For Listening" by Julia Whelan but that's not the right genre. It is both a great production and a great book for audiophiles though.
As I write this, I realize I don't have a great production in her favorite genres. Bill Bryson's audiobooks are solid. Maybe A Short History?
Romance - Set on You by Amy Lea; Mystery - The Verifiers by Jane Pek; the Ice Planet Barbarians series is very fun to read with a buddy because it's bonkers
If he's into nonfiction - the Killers of a Flower Moon audiobook was incredible. Also The Outsider by Stephen King. Will Patton's narration seems up this guy's alley.
Also, Nevada Barr writes mysteries set in National Parks about park ranger Anna Pigeon - well-written, suspenseful, and great behind-the-scenes look at various parks.
I was a NPS ranger & LOVE the Anna Pigeon novels (she nails Park Service culture!), but be warned that the books get increasingly grisly starting around Book 9...
I also have to plug Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, even if it's more botany than geology, there's plenty there he might find compelling. And it's gorgeously-written, with stand-alone essays you can tackle one at a time.
I was going to suggest A Walk in The Woods too! Also A Short History of Nearly Everything has some good geology stuff. For something darker, Trailed and Cold Vanish are both true crime books set in national parks.
Has he read Pat Conroy's books? Those feel like a good fit. For nature writing, I loved Owls of the Eastern Ice. And it's not straight nature writing, but The Feather Thief might be of interest.
I might have more responses when my own 12-year-old gets home from school, but I can tell you that she recently LOVED Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass, This is Not a Drill by K.A. Holt, and All You Knead is Love by Tanya Guerrero. I'll also recommend one she pushed on me so enthusiastically that I read it and loved it too, although it's not strictly realistic: You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro -- it's GREAT (and it's a "going back in time to relive your life and fix mistakes" plot, so not realistic, but also not high fantasy).
I am a realistic contemporary gal myself but Ramona (my daughter) really hollered enthusiastically about David Bravo. It's got everything! Humor! Heart! Tough topics! Diversity! A talking dog!
More recs: The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss, The Lost Language by Claudia Mills, The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb, Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King. Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy.
I would like an idea for my 20 year old daughter who is in college and too stressed and busy to read anything outside of her class schedule. She is a lover of books and a big reader of sci-fi, fantasy, and romance. I giver her a book every Christmas but this year I don't want to give a traditional book because I think the thought of adding to her unread pile of books will stress her out even more. I am looking for something short, something inspirational, sweet, but still a book but not a traditional book to read. Ideas?
Spine Poems is the perfect book for book lovers who don't have time to read. It's found poetry from stacks of books.
https://bookshop.org/a/22722/9780063208223
Looking for suggestions for my fiancé. His thing is kind of niche, so not sure if anybody can help. He loves Battletech (think Pacific Rim, but books and a whole futuristic world setting). So anything with mechs/mechas would work. He read and LOVED Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao. (partly because he studied some Chinese in college)
He also told me he's been looking for good sci fi and fantasy in translation. Already read Vagabonds by Hao Jingfang, trans. by Ken Liu, and The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu (he felt kinda "meh" about that one). I too love SFF, but I'm not knowledgeable about the translated work. Any ideas?
Oof not my area of expertise but I would say Babel (more fantasy but there is mechs) and have heard good things about Frankenstein in Baghdad for a translated work
20 year old college daughter who loves to read but has NO time to read. I want it to be a book but a book that takes her 10 minutes to read or look at. I give her a book every year for Christmas but I feel that giving her a book, even though I know she would love to read it, will stress her out. Ideas for books that inspire her, make her laugh, cut her college stress?
Lindy West has a great essay collection called Shit, Actually, that's absolutely hysterical essays on silly things about modern movies. I think this would be a great option for something truly funny and that will get her mind off studying and books and other things!
I think poetry, short stories and graphic novels are best in this situation. Easy to pick up and put down at her convenience! Short story recs: The Office of Historical Corrections, Night of the Living Rez, Everything Inside, Her Body & Other Parties and Stories from the Tenants Downstairs and I've heard anything by Alice Munro is great. Poetry: The Book of Delights (poetry/prose), Electric Arches and Bless the Daughter by Warsan Shire. I don't know as many graphic novels but I loved A Career in Books (fresh out of college!) and look forward to reading Wash Day Diaries before the end of the year and people have lovedddd Heartstopper
One other request! A teen very into the Truly Devious series by Maureen Johnson (and has pre-ordered the new one)
I have a Q&A with Maureen Johnson coming out on Tuesday! Those books are such fun. Has she read The Inheritance Games series? If not, they're a good fight.
What would you recommend for my best friend who’s a mom of 2 and working like crazy and she’s a powerhouse and really funny and also kind of a control freak (we have that in common)? Thank you!
Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott? Funny, fast essays about motherhood.
Thank you!
30-year old single woman obsessed with human relationships/psychology. Usually reads contemporary fiction and prefers wholesome/heartwarming reads. She looooveeed Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here and Dolly Alderton’s Ghosts...anything else you recommend adding to her collection?
Writers and Lovers by Lily King is absolutely perfect for fans of Ghost. Warm and big-hearted.
Oh! Also check out Steven Rowley's books.
Thank you Elizabeth!!
Any recommendations for a friend whose favorite authors are Kevin Wilson and Miriam Toews. I feel like she's read everything and would love to surprise her with a new-to-her author who has a similar vibe to those two.
What about Swamplandia by Karen Russell? Dark, but with heart.
Friend who can't stop raving about Boomtown. It's outside of what she normally reads (mystery, contemporary, romance) and I'd love to find something similar. I think she liked that it was about a place and was a mix of informative, funny, moving, and warm. Looking specifically for non-fiction.
It’s on the older side but maybe The Devil in the White City by Erik Larsen definitely about a place and very informative. However, not funny or warm.
This is Chance! is about a city in rural Alaska that rallied after a devastating earthquake. Feels like a similar vibe?
I have a friend of many years. Retired attorney, well read, retired to a golf community in the mountains; former high level athlete; still works out; studying classics for fun. Favorite mystery Nero Wolfe. Likes Agatha Christie. We both loved Shaun Bythell Seven Kinds of People You Find In A Bookstore! Irreverent and too true! I'm thinking of getting another Bythell book but I'm open to ideas. Happy Holidays! Eric Davis, Savannah Georgia.
Non-retired attorney here who is into the classics. Steven Saylor books are mysteries/private-eye books set at the end of the Roman Republic. Really fun, makes you think, but not too hard to read before bed. There’s a bunch and I’m sad I read them all!
These sound great! Will be checking them out. Thanks!
Thanks! They sound great - I'm going to try them myself and they sure sound perfect for myself. Cheers!
For my 50 year old son -- Mr Businessman (president of a multi-state insurance brokerage). Loves to golf, likes limited first-class travel. In the past has enjoyed best-selling business books and books about sports stars.
CIO here. Leaders eat Last - 10/10!
Maybe my favorite baseball book Driving Mr. Yogi?
My dad in his sixties who’s about to retire after a decade of running the local public transit service? He loved his job but also enjoys traveling, Christianity, family, and learning new things.
He might like this older book, Round Ireland with a Fridge! It's about a man who, for strange reasons, decides to travel around Ireland while carrying a fridge. It's strange and sentimental and definitely involves travel and learning new things.
I feel like narrative non-fiction is good for dads? (This is a gross generalization). Some thoughts:
- The Golden Thread by Ravi Somaiya
- Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe
- The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Adding The Tiger. It’s about hunting a tiger that is killing people in Siberia- with tons of history of Russia, USSR, it’s interactions with China, and also nature. If your father likes traveling and learning new things, this hits both points. (And it is written so so so well... you write down sentences because they are beautiful and you want them forever.)
And I might as well add my mom in her sixties who’s about to have more free time. She likes tv shows like Little House On the Prairie and Gilmore Girls, and has hobbies like knitting, hanging out with her grandkids, and gardening
If she likes mysteries, I think Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache books could be a good fit (yes, I know I'm obsessed with them.)
My friend Laura recommends Mika in Real Life by Emiko Jean for Gilmore Girls fans. https://whattoreadif.substack.com/p/laura-hankin-book-gilmore-girls
Non-fiction for a13-year old boy who likes travel, the outdoors, etc. Think Into the Wild, but for a younger audience maybe.
This is a tricky one. What about All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team by Christina Soontornvat?
looking for a book for my husband, who's really into sci-fi (generally hard science fiction, really loved The Expanse)
So, I'm not a big sci-fi reader but I keep hearing good things about A Half-Built Garden
By Ruthanna Emrys.
Ooh I haven't heard of that, and I haven't seen it around my house! Thanks for the recommendation!
Dad (60-ish), loves golf, philosophy and crime novels. Bonus points if it's already been translated in French
What about a book originally in French? The Enigma in Room 622 is metafiction which might appeal to his philosophy interest was just released in English.
Thank you Elizabeth !
I'll try that :)
A stepdaughter who loves the series Doc Martin, Selfridges, and Downton Abbey (must come as an audiobook because she has eye problems)
Ooooh! How about some historical mysteries? The Lady Sherlock books are great. She also might like the Maisie Dobbs books.
Aunt who introduced me to the unique joy of audiobooks - mostly into scientific non-fiction, fantasy, and anything by Christopher Moore. I'd love to introduce her to a great audio production she hasn't found yet.
I recommend The Feather Thief! It's a great nonfiction true mystery about a man who stole Darwin bird specimens from the British Museum!
How about one of the Terry Pratchett Discworld books? They're fantasy, but often have a sort of parallel reality with the science of our own world. I believe they come in both audio and abridged versions. Some are narrated by Tony Robinson (whose acting career has ranged from the comedic (Blackadder) to the scientific (Time Team), some by Stephen Briggs, new editions are by Bill Nighy.
It occurs to me that I should emphasise you don't need to start the series at the beginning! The first books are NOT the best. If you do decide to go this way, let me know and I can help you choose one that is right for your friend.
I once listened to Seven Brief Lessons on Physics and while they were indeed brief, they were so thought-provoking that I had to pause every single one in the middle so I could drive along, cogitating on what the author said. https://www.audible.com/pd/Seven-Brief-Lessons-on-Physics-Audiobook/B01AAYSNFE?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp&shareTest=TestShare
Or, if brief isn't their thing, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind. It's pretty old and many parts may have been dis-proven since, but it's still mind-melting in its ideas: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Origin-of-Consciousness-in-the-Breakdown-of-the-Bicameral-Mind-Audiobook/B00VL15QXS?action_code=ASSGB149080119000H&share_location=pdp&shareTest=TestShare
So, I immediately think "Thank You For Listening" by Julia Whelan but that's not the right genre. It is both a great production and a great book for audiophiles though.
As I write this, I realize I don't have a great production in her favorite genres. Bill Bryson's audiobooks are solid. Maybe A Short History?
A girlfriend who reads a TON of romcoms (something optimistic! -- I know this is generic :)
The Bergman Brothers series by Chloe Liese; Talk Flirty to Me by Livy Hart (if she hasn't already read those!)
And Alicia's book Love in a Time of Serial Killers! Talia Hibbert and Olivia Dade are always great options too.
Early 20s best friends who love to read. Contemporary fiction, mystery, romance, and smut are favorite categories lol
What about a meta mystery? Anthony Horowitz's Magpie Murders and Word is Murder series both feature book commentary and great mysteries.
Romance - Set on You by Amy Lea; Mystery - The Verifiers by Jane Pek; the Ice Planet Barbarians series is very fun to read with a buddy because it's bonkers
20 year old male college sophomore mostly listens to books; loved East of Eden & Gentleman in Moscow
City of Thieves by Dave Benioff is a great option. Funny and moving with a historical setting.
Thank you, good suggestion. I liked this one too.
If he's into nonfiction - the Killers of a Flower Moon audiobook was incredible. Also The Outsider by Stephen King. Will Patton's narration seems up this guy's alley.
Yes, great suggestions. I had totally forgotten about The Outsider.
A brother who moved to Canada to do amazing geologist stuff, and also loves National parks
How about Peter Heller’s The River?
Also, Nevada Barr writes mysteries set in National Parks about park ranger Anna Pigeon - well-written, suspenseful, and great behind-the-scenes look at various parks.
Ooooh. Looking into these for me.
I was a NPS ranger & LOVE the Anna Pigeon novels (she nails Park Service culture!), but be warned that the books get increasingly grisly starting around Book 9...
I also have to plug Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass, even if it's more botany than geology, there's plenty there he might find compelling. And it's gorgeously-written, with stand-alone essays you can tackle one at a time.
John McPhee wrote many wonderful books on geology. He’s a really good writer.
Maybe Bill Bryson's A Walk in the Woods?
Great idea!
I was going to suggest A Walk in The Woods too! Also A Short History of Nearly Everything has some good geology stuff. For something darker, Trailed and Cold Vanish are both true crime books set in national parks.
Oh! Should mention A Short History of Nearly Everything also includes some info on Yellowstone.
Thank you!!
A very funny best friend, working in pediatric ER.
The House in the Cerulean Sea! Cozy & charming-perfect for a healthcare worker who is likely burned out (as most of us working in the ER are)
My go-to funny rec is Finley Donovan is Killing It. Made me laugh out loud many times.
Any Samantha Irby essay collection! HILARIOUS and you can read each essay in little bursts for someone who's got a busy schedule.
great idea! I love all of her writing.
What book do you recommend for a sister who writes a book newsletter?
A pre-order of Kate Clayborn's Georgie All Along from East City Books.
https://eastcitybookshop.com/pre-orders/kate-clayborn-georgie-all-along
Has he read Pat Conroy's books? Those feel like a good fit. For nature writing, I loved Owls of the Eastern Ice. And it's not straight nature writing, but The Feather Thief might be of interest.
I might have more responses when my own 12-year-old gets home from school, but I can tell you that she recently LOVED Ellen Outside the Lines by A.J. Sass, This is Not a Drill by K.A. Holt, and All You Knead is Love by Tanya Guerrero. I'll also recommend one she pushed on me so enthusiastically that I read it and loved it too, although it's not strictly realistic: You Only Live Once, David Bravo by Mark Oshiro -- it's GREAT (and it's a "going back in time to relive your life and fix mistakes" plot, so not realistic, but also not high fantasy).
I am a realistic contemporary gal myself but Ramona (my daughter) really hollered enthusiastically about David Bravo. It's got everything! Humor! Heart! Tough topics! Diversity! A talking dog!
More recs: The Adventures of a Girl Called Bicycle by Christina Uss, The Lost Language by Claudia Mills, The Most Perfect Thing in the Universe by Tricia Springstubb, Attack of the Black Rectangles by Amy Sarig King. Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy.
Anastasia krupnik (character name) series. They have been revived much like babysitter's club and Ramona quimby.
Excellent suggestion! I had another idea: The Sammy Keyes books. They're mysteries, but not super out there, so they might work.
You are welcome!
Maybe From the Desk of Zoe Washington? I love the Klise sister's books too but they might be too quirky.