Book Lover Gift Guide

Hey guys! Today is the last part of my gift guide series, and we are finishing strong with book lovers. If you guys follow my blog, you will know that my love of reading has come back stronger than ever this year. So I thought it was only fitting to do a book lover gift guide. I understand that buying books for someone can be hard. You might not know what books they already own or what they like to read. I’m here to help you out. I will be giving both book recommendations and a list of things that aren’t books that any book lover would love.

First, if you can take a look at their bookshelf. That way you don’t get a book they already have. Another option is looking at their wish list, whether it is on Goodreads or Amazon. If it’s on their wish list, a good chance is that they want to read it. A safe option is to buy them a gift card to a bookstore, that way they can pick out what books they want. But if you have an idea of what they like, then I would recommend getting a recent book launch. If the book came out recently then they are probably less likely to own it. All the books that I will be featuring on my list are all books that have come out this year and have good reviews. I haven’t read any of them so I can’t personally vouch if they are good books. But I have planning to post the best and worst books I’ve read this year sometime in mid-December, so you can also wait and check out that post. Okay, let’s get into the books.

Also just a note, I will be linking the Goodreads page for all the books for two reasons. First that way you can review the description of the book and some reviews to help you decide what to pick. Second I know most of you guys aren’t Canadian so it didn’t make sense to link to Indigo (our book store). So just order the books wherever you shop for books – but I recommend trying to buy from local stores if possible this holiday season 🙂

Mystery and Thriller

1. Guest List by Lucy Foley. My mom has this book and I’ll probably read it eventually as well. This is a murder mystery set during a wedding on a small island off the coast of Ireland.
2. One by One by Ruth Ware. A suspenseful thriller set at a mountain chalet. Perfect to read during winter – and I’m sure you’ll be excited to go to a chalet after reading this haha.
3. The Searcher by Tana French. Another book set in Ireland, this one follows a retired detective who helps a boy find his missing brother.

Historical Fiction

1. The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi. My mom read this book and loved it – she passed it along for me to read. The story follows Lakshmi who runs away from an arranged marriage and becomes a famous henna artist. This book is set in 1950s Jaipur.
2. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Hamel. Based on a true story of a woman who uses forgery to help hundreds of Jewish children flee the Nazis.
3. The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. I have heard so many good things about this book and I have it on my wish list. The story follows two twins, one who moves away and secretly passes for white. It’s set in the Deep South from the 1950s to 1990s.

Fantasy and Sci-fi

1. Crescent City by Sarah J Maas. This is Sarah J Maas’s newest series and it’s one of Goodread’s top fantasy books of the year.
2. The House in the Cerulean Sea. This book is highly rated and is described as a heartwarming tale about finding your family but make it ✨ fantasy ✨. It has great LGBT representation as well.
3. The City We Became by N.K. Jeminsin. This is the first book is a new series by Jeminsin, that follows five people must come together and defend the city of New York.
4. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab. I have heard SO many good things about this book and want to read it. It’s about a girl who haves a deal that she lives forever but is forgotten by everyone she meets, that is until someone does remember her name.
5. To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini. For anyone Eragon fans, check out Paolini’s new adult sci-fi that is a first-contact-with-aliens tale.

Romance

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London. Bea, who is a plus-sized fashion blogger, gest to be the next star on Main Squeeze (a fictional version of the Bachelor/Bachelorette).
2. Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert. This is a fake-dating-to-lovers between a Black, bi-sexual PhD student and a Muslim Pakistani-British ex-rugby player. Great diversity but also a super cute and fun book.
3. Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner. This sapphic romance is between Jo and her assistant Emma after they are photographed together on the red carpet.

Non-Fiction

1. Untamed by Glennon Doyle. This was on top of the bestseller list for weeks. It’s about female empowerment and finding your true self.
2. Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forget by Mikki Kendall. I think the title is pretty self-explanatory, but this is a book about intersectionality and feminism.
3. A Promised Land by Barack Obama. This is Obama’s first memoir, starting at his political education through his first time as president.
4. The Answer Is…: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek. This autobiography is of Alex Trebek, the host of Jeopardy!
5. Extraordinary Canadians by Peter Mansbridge with Mark Bulgutch. I had to include at least one Canadian book on this list. This book is a collection of stories of Canadians who embody kindness, compassion, courage and freedom.

Cookbooks

1. Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garten. I looked at this book in store. This is perfect for someone pretty new to cooking because it goes through all the basics. Comfort food is also perfect for this time of year and also with everything that is going on in the world.
2. Antoni in the Kitchen by Antoni Porowski. If you know anyone who is a Queer Eye fan you have to get them this book. And even if they aren’t, there are some cool dishes in this book. They’re all elevated by simple to do.
3. Outlander Kitchen: To the New World and Back Again: The Second Official Outlander Companion Cookbook by Theresa Carle-Sanders. If you know anyone in your life who is an Outlander fan and like to cook, get them this book. It’s full of recipes inspired by the places they go and the people in the books. They decided to do a second cookbook since the first one was so successful. If I hadn’t already bought my mom a cookbook for Christmas I would get her this one (I’ll probably get it for her birthday).

YA Novels

I could probably do a whole post on YA books but here are a few.

1. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. Who doesn’t love a good murder mystery? The sequel also came out this year, so you can always give them both books as well.
2. Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. I have seen this all over booktok. It’s about a trans boy who summons a ghost to help him prove his gender to his traditional Latinx family.
3. Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron. A spin on the classic Cinderella story, it’s been summarized as black queer girls overthrowing the patriarchy.
4. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn. This is the perfect book for anyone who is a fan of City of Bones. This is a contemporary fantasy that puts a twist on King Arthur but with Southern Black Girl Magic.
5. Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare. This one follows the story of Cordelia Carstairs, so anyone who’s favourite series is The Infernal Devices then will love this book.

Other Gifts

1. Getting someone to store their book is always a good idea. If they have a small space a cart is a good idea. If they have more space then a bookshelf can be a good idea.
2. If you have a friend that you always borrow books from, get them a library stamp or library embosser. This way the person can make their books and feel better about giving them out. There are so many cute customizable ones on Etsy.
3. Getting someone book-themed art. It could be a print of their favourite book cover, it could be a college of classics, a stack of banned books, a book genre poster, or maybe some fanart or the map from their favourite series.
4. If you know someone who loves to read in the bath, getting them a bath tray will help them not drop the book in the water.
5. A book subscription service. There are so many out there, but most will send a book with some goodies every single month. The goodies range from merch to coffee or treats. I would recommend Googling it to find the best ones in your country.

And there you go guys! My super long list of recommendations for the book lover in your life. Let me know if you have any recommendations, whether it be books or book-related items in the comments down below!

xoxo

Lea