2022 Holiday Gift Guide

The tree looks magnificent.

Your kids did a great job decorating the parts you assigned to them; you took pictures this year, because they really outdid themselves. So you’re ready – almost – for the holidays, except for those few tricky gifts that you just can’t seem to figure out.

How about books? Easy to wrap, happy to get, why not look for these great books…

FICTION

Lovers of fantasy stories will love unwrapping “Illuminations” by Alan Moore, a collection of short-stories with an underlying theme of comics and the industry. Perfect for the young gamer or comix reader.

For the giftee who likes novels with a twist, wrap up “The Storyteller’s Death” by Ann Davila Cardinal. It’s the tale of a girl who learns, at age 18, that she’s a “storyteller,” which is something that’s passed down through the women of her family. But this blessing turns out to be a curse when she “sees” a murder that happened long ago. Pair it up with “The Strange Inheritance of Leah Fern” by Rita Zoey Chin, also a story of a young “fortune teller” and a vision she may or may not have wanted.

The person on your list who loves to people-watch and connect with, well, everybody will want “Iona Iverson’s Rules for Commuting” by Clare Pooley. It’s the story of an advice columnist who amuses herself during her commute by watching the other people on the train – until the day something happens and commuters suddenly become something more. Pair it with “Has Anyone Seen My Toes?” by Christopher Buckley, a hilarious novel about life during a the pandemic when one’s health is the least of one’s worries.

If you’ve got a historical fiction lover on your gift list this year, then wrap up “A Woman of Endurance” by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa. It’s the tale of an African woman who’s captured and sent to a plantation in Puerto Rico for the sole purpose of having babies that are always taken from her immediately after they’re born. How she survives and heals is part of this book’s appeal.

The reader on your list who loves to laugh will thoroughly enjoy “Random” by Penn Jillette. It’s the story of an almost-twenty-one-year-old who inherits a pile of debt from his horrible father, and it’s due to the (even more horrible) loan shark when the guy turns 21. Will a roll of the dice eliminate all his problems? Lucky is the person who gets this book, to find out.

And if you’ve got a father-son duo on your gift list, see if you can get them to share “The Ski Jumpers” by Peter Geye. It’s the tale of a son who can never forgive his father, and a father who has a past the son is just now learning, and a brother who’s caught in the middle.

MYSTERY

The person on your list who is Of a Certain Age will absolutely love getting “Killers of a Certain Age” by Deanna Raybourn. It’s a thriller-mystery about four women who’ve worked as assassins for decades but suddenly, everyone thinks their methods are outdated. They’re sent “on vacation” but it’s really no vacation. How do they get out alive?

Lovers of short mysteries will love to find “Reader, I Buried Them and Other Stories” by Peter Lovesey. This book, in celebration of Lovesey’s more-than-fifty years of mystery-writing, is full of mayhem, murder, and you know your giftee will want it.

GENERAL NONFICTION

The reader who wants a little diversity in their selection will love “Latino Almanac: From Early Explorers to Corporate Leaders” by Nicolas Kanellos, PhD. It’s a book that’s absolutely filled with mini-biographies of Latino luminaries, heroes, and inspirations, and it’s perfect for any reader age 14 and up. Pair it with “Indigenous Firsts: A History of Native American Achievements and Events” by Yvonne Wakim Dennis, Arlene Hirschfelder, and Paulette F. Molin. It’s a book that’s filled with fast facts about the achievements of indigenous Americans.

If you’re looking for something unusual for your science-minded giftee, then find “The Handy Engineering Answer Book by DeLean Tolbert Smith, PhD; Aishwary Pawar; Nicole Pitterson, PhD; and Debra-Ann C. Butler, PhD. It’s perfect for anyone who works in or dabbles with any kind of engineering today; it’s also the kind of book your dedicated science fan needs.

For the person who always embraces the good in life, “Inciting Joy” by Ross Gay” will be a welcome gift. It’s a collection of essays on the things that make us happy, that cause us to count our blessings, smile, and that gather us together. Wrap it up with “Happier Hour” by Cssie Holmes, PhD, and help someone decide what’s worth their joy.

There’s just no way your animal-loving giftee won’t want a copy of “Possums Are Not Cute!” by Ally Burguieres. It’s filled with adorable photos of possums of all ages, in cute poses and just living their best lives. Bonus: possum facts and trivia! Wrap it up with “Sentient: How Animals Illuminate the Wonder of Our Human Senses” by Jackie Higgins, for a gift that’ll make your animal lover roar.

The historian on your gift list will enjoy “Mutinous Women: How French Convicts Became Founding Mothers of the Gulf Coast” by Joan DeJean. It’s the true story of 132 women who were taken from France to the mouth of the Mississippi and released in 1719 – partly because they’d been accused of crimes they didn’t commit, and because they were considered a commodity: women were needed in the new settlements. Wrap it up with “The Women of Rothschild” by Natalie Livingstone, a book about influential women in one famous family, women who left their marks on the world, despite that the men in the family tried to shut them out; or with “The Scandalous Hamiltons” by Bill Shaffer, the story of a Gilded-Age scandal and the beginning of tabloid-style journalism.

For your media-obsesssed giftee, “It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO” by Felix Gillette and John Koblin is a nice eye-opener and a look at how we watch television, even in an age of streaming. Pair it with a book that reads like a movie: “Same Ground” by Russell Wangersky, a book about a journey across America, in search of a family story.

For the loner in your life, or the person who longs for connection, “On Belonging” by Kim Samuel might be a great gift. It’s a book for our times, in four categories: isolation in our relationships, belonging in nature, being alone in political spheres, and a sense of belonging within our inner cores. Wrap it up with “The Newlyweds: Rearranging Marriage in Modern India” by Mansi Choksi, a book about three modern couples in India who’ve set aside tradition and arranged marriages in favor of love on their own terms.

If you’ve got a rabid current events fan on your gift list this year, then wrap up “The Storm is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything” by Mike Rothschild. It’s an eye-opener. Wrap it up with “Seek and Hide” by Amy Gajda. It’s about our right to privacy throughout history, what it means, and how the demand for privacy today can be a good thing or a bad thing, or “Conspiracies and Secret Societies, third edition” by Brad Steiger and Sherry Hansen Steiger. How could anyone not want to own one of the last books by these two late, great authors?

The reader who’s concerned about migration and immigration this year will want to unwrap “Nomad Century: How Climate Migration Will Reshape Our World” by Gaia Vince, who says that climate change will cause world-wide change in cities; and “Somewhere We are Human,” edited by Reyna Grande and Sonia Guinansaca, which is a collection of stories from migrants and new citizens.

Is there a parent on your gift list, one that continually gets to the end of their rope? Then wrap up “What to Do About Your Troubled Child” by Laura J. Stevens, MS and Richard W. Walker, Jr., MD. It’s a book about behavioral disorders in children ages three to eleven, and how to cope with them.

Won’t your reader enjoy “Great Short Books” by Kenneth C. Davis this holiday? The answer is “yes”: this book is about books – specifically, more than fifty short novels by authors you know and don’t know. Wrap it up with a gift certificate to your favorite bookstore.

For the person who is obsessed with current events, “Adrift” by Scott Galloway could be THE gift this year. It’s a book of charts: where America’s been, where we seem to be heading, and how our leaders are leading. Pair it up with “Myth America: Historians Take on the Biggest Legends and Lies about Our Past,” edited by Kevin M. Kruse and Julian E. Zelizer. Together, these books are both eye-openers, for sure.

The historian on your gift list will whoop when the wrapping comes off “The Escape Artist” by Jonathan Freedland. It’s the story of a man who actually broke out of Auschwitz and lived to tell the world what was going on. It’s a true story that reads like a deadly thriller.

If there’s someone on your list who is interested in the paranormal, then wrap up “Here & Hereafter” by Tyler Henry, who is a Hollywood medium. What can your giftee learn from the dead? Find out by pairing it with “Hollywood Horrors” by Andrea Van Landingham. Oh, the scandals and murders in Tinseltown past!

MEMOIR

The music lover on your gift list will absolutely want “Loud” by Tana Douglas. It’s a memoir of rock & roll, working with the band (Douglas was the rock world’s first female roadie) and yep, there’s plenty of behind-the-scenes. Your giftee won’t be able to resist. Another adventure to find: “Life on the Mississippi: An Epic American Adventure” by Rinker Buck. The author built an old-time wooden flatboat and sailed it down the Miss. You can’t miss what happened then…

If there’s a board-game lover on your holiday list, then wrap up “A Game Maker’s Life” by Jeffrey Breslow (with Cynthia Beebe). It’s the story of a game-maker, for sure, but there’s plenty of insider info to make any player smile. Pair it with “This is NOT a Book About Benedict Cumberbatch” by Tabitha Carvan, a book about passion, obsession, and being a big, really big fan.

For the reader who loves a sweeping, but differently-told life story, “I Always Knew: A Memoir” by Barbara Chase-Riboud might be just right. This is the story of author and artist Chase-Riboud, as told through a series of letters written to her mother. It showcases not only Chase-Riboud’s life, but also her works, and the many people she met along the way. Wrap it up with “Seven Aunts” by Staci Lola Drouillard, a book about the author’s far-flung, but very beloved, aunties and the ways they held the family together.

The Hollywood watcher on your list will be so happy to receive “Garcelle: Love Me as I Am” by Garcelle Beauvais with Nicole E. Smith, a biography of the life, work, and Beauvais struggles and triumphs. Wrap it up with another great Hollywood memoir: “Waxing On: The Karate Kid and Me” by Ralph Macchio.

More from Hollywood: won’t your giftee love opening “No Filter” by supermodel Paulina Porizkova, or “Don Rickles: The Merchant of Venice” by Michael Seth Starr? So many gifts, so little time…

And for the art lover, put “Con/Artist: The Life and Crimes of the World’s Greatest Art Forger” by Tony Tetro and Giampiero Ambrosi beneath the tree and paint your giftee very happy.

AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES

The activist in your life will be very happy with “The White Allies Handbook” by Lecia Michelle. Yes, it’s a book meant to teach white readers how to eliminate racism within their own lives, but it’s also a good way to learn to help friends who are working on it. Wrap it up with “No Justice, No Peace” by Devin Allen, with images by Gordon Parks. It’s a book that’s filled with inspirations messages and pictures from 60 years of activism.

For the reader – male or female – who’s interested in the culture of manhood, you’ll want to wrap up “Patriarchy Blues” by Frederick Joseph. It’s a collection of essays, poetry, and reflections on what it means to be a man today.

Readers of any age will enjoy unwrapping “Originals! Black Women Breaking Barriers” by Jessie Carney Smith, PhD. It’s a fascinating (and browse-able!) collection of mini-biographies about Black women who changed the world. Pair it with “Ride or Die” by Shanita Hubbard, a “feminist manifesto” for Black women and slip “Black Women Will Save the World” by April Ryan (yes, the journalist April Ryan) into the package, too.

The restless person who longs for the meaning of home will want to have “The Long Road Home: On Blackness and Belonging” by Debra Thompson beneath the tree. It’s a book with one foot in America, one foot in Canada, and a search for place between them. Wrap it up with “Fruit Punch” by Kendra Allen, a coming-of-age memoir about growing up a woman in the South.

The historian on your gift list will want to see “The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in An American Family” by Kerri K. Greenidge. It’s a sweeping, huge and detailed story of two slave-owning sisters who became fierce abolitionists, and the legacy they left to the Black people to whom they were related. Pair it with a good bookmark; your giftee will be happy to see that, too.

FOR LGBTQ READERS

Novels

For the person on your list who loves dark, gothic romancey-mysteries, wrap up “Mourning Light” by Richard Goodkin. It’s the story of a man who can’t let go of the guilt he feels since his lover died. Coincidentally, that death happened on the exact same day he met another man that he can’t stop thinking about.

Nonfiction

The person on your gift list who loves a good memoir will want to read “A Place Called Home” by David Ambroz. It’s a tale of homelessness, foster care, coming out, and how sheer determination put that all in one man’s past.

If there’s someone on your gift list who made a difficult decision this year, “Families We Keep” by Rin Reczek and Emma Bosley-Smith is a book to carefully wrap up. It’s a look at LGBTQ individuals who have decided to stick with their families, though there may continue to be a struggle for acceptance or a total lack of it. It means work, and this book might help. Know your giftee well before giving this book.

Until recently, there really haven’t been a lot of books about bisexuality, which is why you might want to give “Bi: The Hidden Culture, History, and Science of Bisexuality” by Julia Shaw to someone special. There’s a lot to know about the subject, from genetics to legalities, celebrities to monogamy.

The trans reader on your gift list will want to own “Fat, Crazy, and Tired: Tales from the Trenches of Transformation” by podcaster Van Lathan. who writes that being fat was harder than being Black. Needless to say, this book is funny and inspirational, and your giftee will love it. Pair it with “Side Affects: On Being Trans and Feeling Bad” by Hil Malatino. If your giftee sometimes struggles, this book is great acknowledgement.

For the reader who loves history, “The Women’s House of Detention” by Hugh Ryan could be the perfect gift this year. It’s the story of a prison in New York’s Greenwich Village which, for nearly 45 years, was the landing place / home / jail for thousands and thousands of women, gender-nonconforming people, and transgender men. Angela Davis was there. So was Afeni Shakur. This book takes your giftee there, too. Wrap it up with “Manifesting Justice: Wrongly Convicted Women Reclaim Their Rights” by Valena Beety.

BUSINESS

What do you give the businessperson who’s also a “people person”? You wrap up “The Human Side of Innovation: The Power of People in Love with People” by Maurio Porcini. This book shows why it’s best for a business to put people first, always, and unapologetically. Readers who want to know where the next trend is, may find it here.

The entrepreneur in your life might enjoy unwrapping “Launchpad Republic: America’s Entrepreneurial Edge and Why It Matters” by Howard Wolk and John Landry. Let them know that history agrees with their can-do spirit. Wrap it up with “Flywheels: How Cities are Creating Their Own Furutes” by Tom Alberg, a book about how businesses can partner with cities to attract the brightest employees and citizens.

For the person who’s dream is to head a corporation, “Leading Lightly” by Jody Michael could be the perfect gift. It’s a book that advocates for a gentler way of leadership, one that’s easier on the led as well as the leader. Wrap it up with “You’re the Leader. Now What?” by Richard Winters, a book about being a good leader, from the Mayo Clinic.

If there’s a new grad or a newly-unemployed-just-looking person on your gift list, look for “Sell Yourself” by Dr. Cindy McGovern and wrap it up. It’s all about making and promoting a personal brand that employers will find irresistible.

Another book for prospective leaders: “True North” by Bill George and Zach Clayton, a book about authenticity in leadership and how to keep it. Also look for “When Women Lead” by Julia Boorstin, for the female entrepreneur who’s ready to succeed.

If there’s someone on your gift list who watches their pennies, or who’s thinking about dabbling in crytpocurrency this coming year, give them “Cloud Money: Cash, Cards, Crypto and the War for Our Wallets” by Brett Scott. It’s a book that goes deep into the new frontier that is digital financing, and it’s eye-opening. Pair it with “Finance for the People” by Paco de Leon, for a nicely balanced gift.

The reader who loves a good business biography will enjoy “Happy at Any Cost: The Revolutionary Vision and Fatal Quest of Zappos CEO Tony Hseih” by Kirsten Grind and Katherine Sayre. It’s a book about a beloved business, and the visionary who created and nurtured it.

The business leader who enjoys looking into the future will enjoy reading “Redesigning Work: How to Transform Your Organization & Make Hybrid Work for Everyone” by Lynda Gratton, a book about how to make away-from-the-office work succeed. Wrap it up with “Competing in the New World of Work” by Keith Ferrazzi, Kian Gohar and Noel Weyrich, a book about “radical adaptability” in business today.

TRUE CRIME

So your giftee is obsessed with The Godfather movies, eh? Well, then, you can’t go wrong if you wrap up “The Godmother: Murder, Vengeance, and the Bloody Struggle of Mafia Women” by Barbie Latza Nadeau. It’s the story of the women behind the men in the mob. Giving it to someone is an offer you can’t refuse.

For the person who can appreciate a good true crime tale set outside the U.S., look for “In the Mouth of the Wolf” by Katherine Corcoran. It’s the story of a woman journalist who’s about to expose corruption in the Mexican government but she’s thwarted in many ways. When she’s found dead in her motel bathroom, Corcoran, then the AP Mexican bureau chief, goes in search of answers. Speaking of answers, pair it with “The Forever Witness” by Edward Humes. It’s the story of a double murder that happened in Seattle more than thirty years ago and the trail went cold… until the use of DNA became more common and other technology put the case front-and-center.

Sometimes, the setting of the story is everything. Case in point: “All That is Wicked” by Kate Winkler Dawson. In 1871, Edward Rulloff was awaiting execution for crimes committed – but several people wanted him released because of his intelligence. Was his brain too refined to belong to a killer? Your giftee will be glad to find out… Wrap it up with “Killer Collections: Dark Artifacts from True Crime” by Paul Gambino, a loaded-with-photos anthology of items associated with murder.

SCIENCE

Someone on your gift list loves the movies, and half the fun of that is wondering if what’s on the big screen is really possible. So you wrap up “Licence to Kill: The Science of 007” by Kathryn Harkup and collect your smiles. This book looks at all the what-ifs of the Bond movies, from the POV of real science, and no armchair detective will be able to resist.

There’s a foodie on your gift list who would love getting “Ten Tomatoes that Changed the World” by William Alexander. This book weaves a long, juicy trail from South America and Mexico to the New World and around the world to show how one vegetable changed the way we eat.

Romantics with an inner streak of science-lover will be enthralled by “Wired for Love” by Stephanie Cacioppo, who is a neuroscientist. It’s the story of her unlikely (but absolutely wonderful) romance, a devastating loss, and why we bother with love anyhow.

If you’ve got a gearhead on your list, “Racing Green: How Motorsport Science Can Save the World” by Kit Chapman would make a great gift. It’s the story of how new innovation in our vehicles is saving lives, taking the sting out of commutes, and helping environmental causes.

HEALTH, DEATH, AND GRIEVING

For the person who hates to exercise, hates eating healthy (let’s face it) and stresses about it all, you can’t go wrong with “The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care” by Rina Raphael. Doesn’t that title say it all? Wrap it up with “A Life in Light: Meditations on Impermanence” by Mary Pipher, a book about aging, losing, and knowing that life goes on.

Your giftee who’s struggling with a diagnosis that’s not yet determined may want to read “Inside the Orphan Drug Revolution” by James A. Geraghty. It’s a book about rare diseases and how modern medicine is in the midst of a revolution in care. Beware before you give this book, but it may be the perfect thing for the right person. Wrap it up with “This Boy We Made” by Taylor Harris, the story of Harris’s son, and a little boy’s health mystery.

If you’ve got a medical-minded person on your gift list this year, “This is Assisted Dying” by Stefanie Green, MD, might be a good gift. It’s one doctor’s story about patient care and end-of-life, and it could be controversial. Think before giving.

Your giftee who’s grieving might also appreciate “After Affects” by Andrea Giliat, on various kinds of grief; “When a Child Dies” by Claire Aagaard; “Letters of Note: Grief,” compiled by Shaun Usher, a collection of meaningful letters; or “All of This” by Rebecca Woolf, on losing a husband and regaining strength.

The person on your list who suffers with chronic pain will want to see “The Song of Our Scars” by Haider Warraich. It’s a book about pain, suffering with it, and surviving it. Pair it with “How Am I Doing” by Dr. Corey Yeager, a book for that giftee’s mental health.

If you’ve got someone on your list who loves reading true medical stories, you can’t go wrong with “Spare Parts: The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery” by Paul Craddock. It’s filled with a good timeline of bad medicine and how far we’ve come in keeping people alive with someone else’s body parts.

No doubt, there’s a giftee on your list who longs for total silence. That’s the person who should have “Golden: The Power of Silence in a World of Noise” by Justin Zorn & Leigh Marz. Wrap it up and watch them open their gift… quietly… It might be right to pair it with “Good Anxiety” by Dr. Wendy Suzuki, about seeing anxiety in a whole new light.

The reader who is still trying to tease out all there is to know about the Pandemic will want to unwrap “Breathless: The Scientific Race to Defeat a Deadly Virus” by David Quammen. Yes, it’s all true but it reads like a thriller. Wrap it up with “Plagues and Their Aftermath” by Brian Michael Jenkins, for a wider look through the history of that which affects us.

WISCONSIN, MINNESOTA, IOWA

The fair-goer on your list will be overjoyed to unwrap “Meet Me on the Midway: A History of Wisconsin Fairs” by Jerry Apps. It’s full of pictures, more pictures, a county-by-county account of memories and a good-size chapter about the Wisconsin State Fair.

CHILDRENS BIRTH TO SIX

The preschooler who loves polar bears will love getting “A Bear Far from Home” by Susan Fletcher and Rebecca Green. It’s based on the true story of a gift from Norway to England, and the meaning of home. Wrap it up with “The Worst Teddy Ever” by Marcelo Verdad. It’s the story of another kind of bear and its love of a little girl.

If you’ve got a young environmentalist on your list, “A Planet Like Ours” by Frank Murphy and Charnaie Gordon, illustrated by Kayla Harren could be a great gift. It’s a sweet, uncomplicated reminder to love the Earth we have.

For young Black boys, a book like “Black Boy, Black Boy, Celebrate the Power of YOU” by Ali Kamanda and Jorge Redmond, pictures by Ken Daley is a welcome gift. It’s an inspirational book full of all the good that Black men do, and that a Black boy can hope for.

The child who’s having a rough holiday may want to have “There Was a Hole” by Adam Lehrhaupt, illustrated by Carrie O’Neill read to them. It’s the story of a little girl who’s missing something, and she thinks she’s the only one. It’s a tale of loss and coping, and it’s pretty sweet. Pair it up with “Everything Will Be Okay” by Anna Dewdney, pictures by Judy Schachner, a comforting book for when nothing goes right.

For the kid who needs a boost of confidence, “Most Perfect You” by Jazmyn Simon, illustrated by Tamisha Anthony is a good choice. Irie hates her hair, and she wishes it were different. Her mother’s answer is perfect.

For the littlest reader (think: someone who entered the world this year), “Hello, Baby! I’m Your Mom” by Eve Bunting, illustrated by Jui Ishida is the sweetest, gentlest, most perfect gift. Hint: it’s really for mom… Pair it with “My Hero” by Brian Biggs, which is really a good book for dads and kids.

Youngsters who love the water will love opening “Monsters in the Briny” by Lnn Becker, illustrated by Scott Brundage. It’s a book about the monsters that live in the sea, and it’s a great introduction to mythology and cryptozoology. Wrap it up with “Too Many Pigs in the Pool” by Wendy Hinote Lanier, illustrated by Iris Amaya. Yep, it’s a pigsty in there.

CHILDREN’S SIX TO NINE

Seriously, who doesn’t like pizza? You know your young giftee does, and they’ll also like “Pizza! A Slice of History” by Greg Pizzoli. It’s a cute, colorfully illustrated, fun book on everybody’s favorite food. Pair it with a gift certificate to… you know where…

For the kid who loves monsters, “Mythical Beasts” by Stephanie Warren Drimmer could be the right gift to give. It’s full of information about real animals that were somehow mythologized throughout history. Facts, monsters, and it comes from the National Geographic Kids folks… what’s not to love?

If there’s a child on your list who loves legends, then “The Return of the Christmas Witch” by Dan Murphy & Aubrey Plaza, illustrations by Julia Iredale is the book to wrap. It’s the story of Kristtorn, who was Santa’s twin sister, a battle, a mystery, and a bit of Christmas darkness. (No worries. Happy Endings abound).

For the kid who’s suddenly become a big brother or sister, “The Baby-Changing Station” by Rhett Miller, illustrated by Dan Santat is absolutely the gift to give. It’s the tale of a boy who isn’t happy that there’s a baby brother in the house, until he discovers a machine that changes the baby, but not in diaperish ways…

CHILDREN’S NINE TO FOURTEEN

The young environmentalist on your list will be so happy unwrapping “Meltdown: Discover Earth’s Irreplaceable Glaciers and Learn What You Can Do To Save Them” by Anita Sanchez, illustrated by Lily Padula. It’s full ideas, information, pictures, and graphs, as well as a sense that kids really can save the world. Wrap it up with “Dinosaur Atlas” from the National Geographic Kids folks. This large-size book is all about dinos and were they lived. Your young scientist will love it.

If there’s a child who loves a good historical fiction tale, then find “The Other Side of the River” by Alda P. Dobbs. It’s the second part of a story featuring a character based on a real girl who escaped Mexico to immigrate to the U.S. after the Mexican Revolution. If your giftee hasn’t read the first book, wrap ‘em both up.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

The social media-obsessed teen on your gift list may need to read “The Facebook Narcissist” by Lena Derhally. It’s a book that may make them think twice before posting and sharing. They’ll “LIKE” it.

If you read “Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents” by Isabel Wilkerson, you know that it’s a great book. Share it with your young adult this holiday, because it’s not in a version that’s “adapted for young adults.”

Now for the housekeeping: like everything else in the world, books can change. Titles may vary, covers may vary, you might be able to find some of these books in paperback versions, so be aware when you’re making out your book-lovers gift list. If you have any questions or need other suggestions, please do lean on your favorite librarian or bookseller.

Seriously, they are like your favorite comic book superheroes, only better because they know books.

Season’s Readings!