Books make great gifts year round, of course, but the holidays provide a special opportunity to give the kind of books that make a big impression, the ones that lead to the kinds of discoveries that only great books can offer us.
This isn’t the time for grabbing the third book in a series so they can complete their collection – boring! This is the time for hunting around for those lush, lavish books they will treasure for years to come. And (though I would hope this goes without saying) – definitely NO E-BOOKS allowed!
These books demand to be printed, to be held, loved, pored over for hours and generally worshipped. They will become the foundations of a great and vast collection of books, the ones that will change lives, alter destinies, and have the recipients weeping with gratitude for the wisdom you have bestowed.
Well, at least some of these selections will have them weeping with laughter, and that’s almost as good.
A true gift guide for books would potentially take up an entire book in and of itself and it was hard to narrow them done to this brief list, but I wanted to keep it short, sweet and manageable. There are plenty of places you can get a huge list of books broken out into countless categories, but who has the time to read the list itself, let alone all the books on it? I chose only books that were published in 2012 as an attempt to broaden my horizons and stop re-reading those old classics, beloved though they are.
So without further ado, I offer you my own humble opinion for the best book gifts for 2012!
Children of All Ages:
The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, William Joyce
We’ll dive right in with the perfect first choice on the list; a book that celebrates the transformative power of books. Achingly sweet, the story features a memorable main character who draws nourishment from the volumes he cares for, and helps others do the same.
The charming, poetic tale of the special relationship that can sometimes develop between two very different creatures, with an ending that will leave you smiling.
Young Adults: (though these are equally appealing and rewarding for us grown-ups)
Age of Miracles, Karen Thompson Walker
As the rotation of the earth slows, days and nights get longer and the end of the world seems a long and drawn out inevitability, a young woman lives her own coming-of-age drama.
Running the Rift: A Novel, Naomi Benaron
A young man has big plans to become the first Rwandan Olympic medal contender, but his plans are put on hold when the Hutu-Tutsi ethnic tensions lead to genocide, drawing his own family into the violence.
Food and Cooking:
This book is far from a lecture on how unbalanced the American diet has become, and what a breath of fresh air that is. Instead Gustafson focuses on real people changing the American food system from the inside out.
The Smitten Kitchen Cookbook, Deb Perelman
I’ve been a fan of the Smitten Kitchen cooking blog for a long time, so I may be biased here but Perelman is very skilled in putting people at ease in the kitchen with down-to-earth recipes that can be made in tiny kitchens just like her own.
Fiction:
Flight Behavior, Barbara Kingsolver
A young woman settles for a life of domesticity in an isolated Appalachian town, but finds herself on the edge of a controversy that calls into question her town’s faith in miracles and the real life implications of global climate change.
Short stories often get short shrift in the literary world, but I find myself returning to them time and again when I can’t seem to figure out what larger work to read next. One of the best things about short stories is that you can read and re-read them easily, contemplating them to an extent that is simply not possible with larger works. This volume is perfect for avid readers and writers who enjoy the genre, featuring stories crafted by masters straight from the pages of The Paris Review.
This graphic novel, if it can be categorized as such, is the kind of work of art that all printed books strive to be; a book for which there is literally is no digital equivalent, one that can be examined and re-examined from multiple angles. Not an actual, singular book but a box containing pamphlets, booklets, scraps and other paper goods, Building Stories chronicles the disparate but intertwining lives of the occupants of a Chicago flat.
Non-fiction:
The End of Men: And the Rise of Women, Hanna Rosin
I’ll admit, the title drew me in immediately, and it’s well worth the read. Rosin explores a new gender landscape in which she sees a decisive game change, one in which women are now poised to take back the power and truly succeed in a global economy.
Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story, Jim Holt
Jim Holt asks “why is there something, rather than nothing?” and seeks out answers from some of the world’s top scientists, philosophers, physicists, cosmologists, theologians and other top thinkers. It’s a conversation that may never be fully resolved but a fascinating one upon which to eavesdrop.
Memoirs:
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, Cheryl Strayed
Less a foray into wilderness adventure and more a story of an emotional journey, Wild follows the author as she seeks to make sense of her own life following a personal tragedy.
Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me: A Graphic Memoir, Ellen Forney
This may be my favorite one on the list, and I know it doesn’t scream “Christmas gift,” but believe me, it is incredibly relatable, no matter what your level of mental stability. This is a modern tale of the author’s own journey through mental illness diagnosis, treatment and what it means to be a “crazy artist,” told through cartoons.
Humor:
The Onion Book of Known Knowledge: A Definitive Encyclopaedia Of Existing Information, The Onion
If The Onion has published it, I will be reading it, for better or worse, and this one is definitely for the better. This is a great one to have by your bed, or, ahem, toilet; the kind of handy reference that you will no doubt enjoy in small doses for years to come, or if you’re like me, in large doses while you’re supposed to be doing something else. One part encyclopaedia, two parts irreverent snark, this book is everything you’ve dreamed it could be, and more.
Darth Vader and Son (Star Wars (Chronicle)), Jeffrey Brown
If Darth Vader had been a somewhat more… involved father, this is perhaps what it would look like. Jeffrey Brown puts a Star Wars twist on fatherhood and the results are hilarious and oddly sweet.There it is, a brief but passionately curated guide that I hope will be of some help as you face the myriad options you’ll have this year when choosing your precious holiday gifts. The choices are simply staggering, but soldier on, knowing you’ll be providing your friends and loved ones with volumes that can provide them the chance to slow down, curl up and take a time-out. We all need one every once in a while.
Stephanie Dula is a volunteer and guest writer with the POP Project. Her previous blog was entitled kidsmoviereviewforadults.blogspot.com.
This is awesome! Thanks for the ideas!
What timing – I needed this and will be buying several of your great suggestions this week – thank you!!