The 2024 Holiday Gift Guide for Every Reader in Your Life
Tis the season to shop local and treat the readers in your life
And just like that… the holidays are around the corner and this newsletter is later than I expected. Today marks Small Business Saturday, and DC’s Politics & Prose member sale is December 6-8, so what better time than to make this holiday gift guide an annual tradition (see 2023 guide here). This list is intended to be searchable and skip-around-able, and includes recommendations for everyone in your life from your best friend who will hibernate and read all winter long (me) to your co-worker who leans literary to your aunt who is ready to escape into some Hallmark-y fiction. I’d love to hear in the comments what you’re gifting (or asking for) this holiday season and do hope that you’re all taking plenty of good care this winter.
Fiction
For the person who plans to spend the holiday break reading… Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver. I spent my holiday break with this book last year so it seems only fitting to include it as the first recommendation in this year’s holiday guide. Demon Copperhead tells the story of a young boy growing up in the southern Appalachia region, who navigates the foster care system, addiction, heartbreak, and immense grief and loss. The voice in this novel is so strong and consistent that it genuinely felt like reading a memoir, akin to The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls or Educated by Tara Westover. I didn’t want to set this book down last Christmas, even as my heart broke in a thousand different ways along Demon’s journey. This novel smartly straddles literary and genre fiction, making it a suitable gift for anyone who wants to be captivated and challenged by their holiday read.
For the reader who can only squeeze in a few minutes of reading a day… The Wedding People by Alison Espach (full review previously posted here). This may feel like more of a summer read, though I was pleasantly surprised with how much depth this novel packs in with its unexpected friendships, and the laugh-out-loud antics make for a great commute read or when you just have a few minutes at the end of the day. The Wedding People leans heavy into character development - among a truly absurd cast of characters - and less so into plot, and I would say this is a great fit for anyone on your list who also enjoyed Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting or the Finlay Donovan series.
For the one who loves Old Hollywood mystique… The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Now this is a tricky recommendation because it’s hit every bestselling list, celebrity reading club circle, and BookTok community in the past few years, but on the off chance your friend/sister/aunt hasn’t read this book, I cannot recommend it highly enough, and it’s the perfect cozy read for the holiday season. In typical Taylor Jenkins Reid fashion, this novel plays with genre, perspective, and verb tense to seamlessly tell the story of Evelyn Hugo, a now-retired and reclusive Hollywood actress. Evelyn agrees to a tell-all interview, finally letting the world in on what really happened over the course of seven marriages, but she reveals so much more about relationships more generally, motherhood, grief and loss, and ultimately being unapologetically yourself in a world that is desperate to keep you small.
RomCom
For your friend who is just beginning their romcom journey and may be feeling a bit skeptical… Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman and Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan. I did in fact read both of these in one sitting last December, and I have already decided they are going to keep me company over the winter break this year, too. Both stories feature complete and complex main characters in their 30s and 40s, which means the relationship challenges feel hearty, real, and relatable. They also both do a remarkable job at simultaneously poking fun at and admiring the romantic comedy genre, encouraging readers to laugh along with over-the-top tropes and far-out plot twists. And finally, both of these quick reads had me genuinely on the edge of my seat: I had no idea how either would end, and I love when a “happily ever after” isn’t an assumed guarantee.
For the well-versed romcom reader… Funny Story by Emily Henry. Each and every Emily Henry book just keeps getting better and better, and Funny Story totally knocked it out of the park for me this spring. Interestingly, this was the Emily Henry novel where it took me the longest to build any type of connection with the main characters, Daphne and Miles, but even still, I felt hooked and invested in this story and trusted that Emily Henry would not lead me astray (and I was right about that). Henry’s characters have matured as she herself has grown up, and so similar to Funny You Should Ask and Nora Goes Off Script, I loved the more adult relationship woes that Daphne and Miles must navigate, and I felt so seen by their individual character development. And of course, Emily Henry has a total hold on realistic and hilarious dialogue - dare I say the best in the genre.
For the one who will count a breakup novel as a romcom… Good Material by Dolly Alderton. I haven’t stopped talking about this book since I finished it earlier this year, and it will undoubtedly make several guest appearances in my year-end wrap-up. Good Material is written from the perspective of a struggling comedian in his 30s whose girlfriend of five years has unceremoniously broken up with him. I cannot tell you how often I laughed out loud while reading this book, and I had to keep reality checking myself: what was I getting out of this book about a 30-something-dude reeling from his breakup? The answer, it turns out, is a lot. Dolly Alderton has been one of my favorite authors for a few years now, and her execution of this story is immaculate, no-frills, and full of wit, and had me ugly crying through the last 60 pages.
Nonfiction
Note: There’s a whole host of nonfiction recommendations as part of the recent post-election resource guide here.
For the reader who needs facts and figures at the holiday table… Undue Burden: Life and Death Decisions in Post-Roe America by Shefali Luthra. Okay this is maybe a tough one to gift to someone, though I’m including it because it’s hands down one of the most powerful books I read all year. Undue Burden sheds an important light on the cruel and dire implications of the post-Roe landscape, but this is most certainly a gift to give gently. Many of us are already all too familiar with what that landscape looks and feels like, and now might not be the time to confront it so directly. But for those in your life who are feeling ready to dive back in post-election, this is a powerful, honest, and fairly comprehensive look into what it means when abortions are banned or extremely limited on a state-by-state basis in one of the most powerful and wealthy nations in the world. What I appreciated perhaps most about this book is that it does not limit the conversation of abortion to rape, incest, or medical necessity, because the reality is that people choose to get abortions for a whole host of reasons that are no one’s business but their own. I’m a person who feels steeped in this issue area, and I learned a ton about the rise of the anti-abortion movement, the far-reaching and perhaps unexpected implications of the state bans, and generally how to talk about this issue in more inclusive and affirming ways.
For the environmentalist in your life… What If We Get It Right? Visions of Climate Futures by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. I’m taking a big risk because I haven’t actually read this one (!), but it is sitting patiently for me on my nightstand, and I absolutely adore Dr. Ayana Johnson so I have no doubt this will knock socks off. Dr. Johnson is a deeply respected marine biologist, conservation strategist, and advocate, and she somehow always manages to remain laser-focused on the scientific realities of the climate crisis - which feels bleaker by the day — and hopeful and passionate about the solutions still available to us. Given how I am feeling these days about the possibility of climate and conservation action, this collection of essays, poetry, and art has moved to the top of my holiday reading list.
Memoir, Essays, & Quick Reads
For your friend who really went through it this year… Men Have Called Her Crazy by Anna Marie Tendler. There’s really nothing I can say that will do this beautiful memoir justice, but there’s about a million and one reasons to gift it this year, and every person who receives it is sure to benefit from its wisdom and honesty. From the very first page, Anna Marie Tendler invites readers in on a deeply personal and vulnerable journey through in- and out-patient mental health therapy. Regardless if readers are personally and intimately familiar with the specific diagnoses that Anna Marie Tendler shares, this memoir is relatable, and in many ways cathartic, for all of us who have struggled with the unrealistic, intense societal expectations and pressures that happen in the life-changing events and everyday moments. After only one reading, my copy is thoroughly dog-eared, underlined, and tear-stained; this is a tender gift to anyone in your life who has needed a shoulder to lean on this year.
For the one who dreams of living in Stars Hollow… The Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop (full review here). Admittedly I listened to this on audiobook, but it’s one that will easily be enjoyed whether in hard-copy or audio edition. Kelly Bishop is perhaps best known for her impeccable performance as Emily Gilmore, though I loved learning more about her life as a young dancer, her many adventures, successes, and romantic missteps on the way to Gilmore Girls, and her special relationship with Amy Sherman-Palladino and Edward Hermann. Kelly Bishop is alike to Emily in that she is no fuss in her delivery, bringing a real matter-of-factness to a genre that is typically more about big reveals.
For your more literary feminist friend… Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit. Published back in 2015, Men Explain Things to Me is making a resurgence post-election, and with good reason. I just finished this short collection of essays recently, and it was simultaneously a breath of fresh air and a real challenge. Solnit is a gifted writer, weaving together literary critique of Virginia Woolf, razor-sharp reporting on violence against women, and her own social commentary on what it means to live as a woman in this misogynistic world. This book is small and packs a punch, and it’s the perfect gift for both your already-outraged feminist friend and the one who is perhaps looking to lean in and learn more.
Cookbooks & Coffeetables
For the one who will never recover from the Eras Tour… The Official Eras Tour Book by Taylor Swift. There was simply no chance we made it through this holiday gift guide without some sort of nod to the Eras Tour, and our girl Taylor is taking care of us this holiday season with a book that includes photos from the tour, behind-the-scenes access from all our favorite moments, and her own personal reflections. This is an absolute must for the Swiftie in your life (and it pairs so nicely with one of these Taylor-inspired candles).
For the health-conscious chef looking for lots of flavor… Health Nut: A Feel Good Cookbook by Jess Damuck. I received this cookbook this year, and it has been an absolute dream for easy-to-follow recipes, commute-friendly lunch ideas, and fresh takes on veggie-forward dishes. What I love most about this cookbook is that healthy eating is not some far-off, inaccessible destiny with hard-to-find ingredients, and there’s no arbitrary classification of “good” or “bad” foods - just really yummy and flavorful takes on stir-fries, grain bowls, pasta dishes, and breakfast delights. Bonus: this cookbook is beautiful and so colorful so it also makes for a visually stunning gift.
That’s it! What did I miss? Comment below what you’re either gifting or hoping to receive this year. Happy reading!