Some people are just flat-out hard to buy for, but give them a book on their favorite topic, and watch the explosion of smiles!
I’ve read all of the books below (my dad reviewed the baseball ones ) and given many of these titles to family and friends as gifts. I hope this list gives you some great ideas for the upcoming holidays!
For every woman ages 12 to 104
A Woman of No Importance the Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell left me floored. The author knocks this true story out of the park having researched and written the book in such a way that you can almost feel the Gestapo just steps behind Virginia as she flees France. Review: an incredible read. My top non-fiction favorite of the year.
Miss Benson’s Beetle: A Novel by Rachel Joyce. Don’t go by the book’s cover or title. In Miss Benson, two very different women find adventure while establishing a profound friendship. This absorbing page-turner would make a beautiful holiday gift for a dear friend. I loved this book.
For the baseball lover in your life
Baseball 100 by Joe Posnanski. A life-long baseball fan talks baseball’s Greatest 100 players in history. My review: my baseball-obsessed dad LOVED it. He read that his favorite player — Stan Musial — was ranked 9th and said, “I can live with that.” High praise from my dad. He even asked me to send a copy to his best friend from childhood.
My Dad, Yogi A Memoir of Family and Baseball by Dale Berra. My mom sent me a photo of my dad reading this book. He finished it in two-reads.
For anyone who loves to laugh
Is This Anything? by Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry at his best, but you definitely want to listen to the audio version that Jerry voices. Fun. Nee. (Plus Jerry is the gold-standard in the dad and husband department.)
The Complete Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson. This is an awesome book-set for everyone. I gave a set to each of my sons. And I need my own set now (because I don’t want to accidentally damage theirs). After a rough day, it’s a sheer pleasure to sit back and enjoy the genius of Bill Watterson. My boys loved receding their own set.
I Can’t Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Hart. Maybe he’s your favorite or, like me, maybe you don’t know who Kevin Hart is (“Wasn’t he in Jumanji?“). In his first book, Hart is our hero who battles monsters at every turn and triumphs in the end. While technically a memoir, this is really a motivational-map for success.
How did a kid “from the wrong side of the tracks” become one of the highest paid comedians in the world?! Hart details his life from being an unwanted pregnancy to the death of his mom and a lot more. Six stars out of five.
For the historical fiction loved one
The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance during the Blitz by Erik Larson. Wow. That’s it: just wow. (One cool thing about this book: many of life’s problems seem tiny compared to Churchill’s challenge of ridding the earth of Hitler and his flying monkeys. Erik Larsen is a genius at writing thrilling non-fiction. My review: Masterpiece.
Dead Wake the Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson. Awesome, gripping, unforgettable.
Isaac’s Storm by Erik Larson. About the biggest storm in American history that went down in Galveston, Texas. Written in Larson’s usual riveting style.
For the memoir lover
Simple Dreams: A Musical Memoir by Linda Ronstadt. Like you, I grew up listening to Linda Ronstadt’s music and never gave her much thought; but after reading her memoir, I now understand what a powerhouse Linda was in the rock world. Great read about her life.
Orange is the New Black: My Time in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman. I know you’ve seen the show, now read the book and get the first-hand scoop on Piper’s year in prison.
For your hiker
Wild by Cheryl Strayed. Total five-star memoir about a woman who deals with her difficult younger years by hiking the 1,100-Pacific Crest Trail. Alone. If you’ve seen the movie, the book is even better.
For the workout enthusiast (& those who want to be inspired)
These two books paired together would make an awesome gift because the two stories intertwine.
Living with a SEAL — 31 days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet by Jesse Itzler. This book was written by the guy who married Sara Blakely the Spanx founder. (He founded a bunch of companies too.) They’re both cajillion-aires, but are very salt-of-the-earth people whom you’d love to have as neighbors. The book is funny and smart.
Can’t Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins. Goggins is the SEAL member of whom Itzler speaks (I suggest first reading Living with a Seal, before reading Can’t Hurt Me). Awesomeness thy name is David Goggins. His story is stunning.
For the philosopher in your life
The Obstacle is the Way: the Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday. Ryan writes compellingly about how difficulties in life can empower us. This is a don’t-miss.
For the kids (5 to 8 year olds)
The Magic Tree House series by Mary Pop Osborne. This series was the centerpiece of our reading-lives when my two were little. A boy and a girl — Jack and Annie — travel our world’s timeline via their magical tree house. The kids go on adventure everywhere they land and we — the readers — learn so much right along with the pair. Titles include: Dinosaurs Before Dark, Lions at Lunchtime and Pirates Past Noon.
Whether you give each book individually or give as a boxed-set (books 1-28) your little giftee will love these books. (My kids are twenty and still occasionally say, “Yeah, we learned about that in Magic Treehouse).”
School House Rock (30th Year Anniversary). Yep, every song we loved as kids are in this boxed set. A perfect gift for students.
More for the kids (5 to 10 year olds)
The Little House by Laura Ingalls Wilder (volumes 1-9.) Like Tom Sawyer, some stories are beloved by every new generation that comes along. I read the series to my boys twice when they were little. To this day, when someone says, “All’s well that ends well,” I ask, “Who said that?” and they come back with, “Ma!”
For your female friends and family who love to laugh
I highly recommend this series of non-fiction work by Lisa Scottoline. Books one through six are my favorites. Funny, funny lady.
Why My Third Husband will be a Dog by Lisa Scottoline (the first memoir in the series).
Does this Beach Make Me Look Fat also by Sottoline. (her sixth book in the series).
Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. Such a fun read! This book is Jen’s memoir about how she and her hub pulled through the bad economy. In wonderfully sarcastic writing, Lancaster details what went really wrong, but also what went really right. She started with the perfect life (great job, great husband) to dealing with the hard knocks of no income. Jen is funny, and silly, a little boozy and all around wonderful. Lancaster wrote several funny memoirs after the first: Such a Pretty Fat, I Regret Nothing, My Fair Lazy, Bright Lights: Big Ass. Jen’s memoirs will be particularly appreciated by dog lovers.
For the fiction lovers
Sweet Sweet Revenge LTD: A Novel by Jonas Jonasson. This author is one of my favorites. Sweet Sweet Revenge is a tongue-in cheek story with well-written, lovable characters who make the most of the hilarious situations they find themselves in. If you like to learn as you laugh, this is your book. You’ll learn about other cultures and the art world. This book takes a second to get into, but from there it’s a rollicking ride. Awesome book gift for those love “humorous fiction.”
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese. A masterpiece written by a surgeon. Mere coincidence, but I was reading Cutting for Stone while waiting to see a surgeon. As he entered the room he immediately saw what I was reading and said, “that is a great story.”
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman. This hilarious book features Eleanor, and the story is told through her eyes. She’s a little different, very literal and very lonely. We see Eleanor get to know an IT guy at her office and this sweet story unfolds from there. I fell in love with Eleanor, and years after first reading the book, still remember certain scene like when her friend takes her to a Starbuck-like place. Funny, funny, funny, but in a kind way. On Amazon, Eleanor has over 200,000 four and a half stars.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. This is this powerhouse writer’s first book that snagged the Pulitzer’s Fiction Runner Up in 2018, and is proof that aliens live among us.
Free Food for Millionaires also by Min Jin Lee. Standing ovation for this author’s second book. This author is on fire. I highly recommend both.
The Humans by Matt Haig. When you first start reading The Humans you might wonder if it’s a non-fiction and then think that maybe it’s sci-fi. It’s neither. It’s a five-star read, infused with a bit of magic, that’ll make you just feel good to be human. The story is about an alien who’s been tasked with visiting Earth to see what humans are all about. The alien inhabits a dad’s body and goes home to “his” family. It’s a fish-out-of-water story and has hilarious moments, but is also touching and wonderful. Makes for a perfect gift.
The Midnight Library. This Haig masterpiece is about a woman who isn’t so thrilled with her life. Nothing’s going her way and she’s ready to bow out. She ends up in a purgatory that takes her down several cool life-threads. If you’ve ever wondered, what if?, this is your read. And Haig outdid himself with the ending.
The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson – Funny and phenomenal. Everyone loves this story.
This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! by Jonathan Evison. This read falls under the really-good-fiction-that–immediately-pulls-you-in genre. It’s a thoughtful, seemingly light but a relatively thorny story about 78-year-old Harriet Chance, recently widowed, who goes on an Alaskan cruise. No hilarity ensues. Instead, Harriet begins the process of taking stock of her life, as so many do in the older decades. My review: Easy to read (meaning not a slog, grabs you almost immediately) and absorbing.
The Heart’s Invisible Furies: Novel John Boyne. I just found this new-to-me author this year (2023) and what a find! The Heart’s Invisible Furies could easily be Boyne’s Magnum Opus. Boyne’s writing is funny and poignant. This was my favorite fiction book of the year.
The Echo Chamber by our man, Mr. Boyne. Here the author takes on an entirely different genre. The Echo Chamber is written as a farce and very well done. In fact, the funniest line I’ve ever read in a book came from The Echo Chamber. After dealing with a particularly harrowing situation in his life, The Echo Chamber trounces social media and the whole cancel culture.
If you need more ideas, just shout: Wendy@theInspiredEater.com.
Happy holidays ALL!
