Best Books for Everyone on Your Holiday Shopping List

By Roxane Carre

Speeding past midterm season, swerving next to the early November slump, looking ahead with excitement and glee at Thanksgiving break, and rejoicing in the upcoming holiday season, it is time to think about the holiday gifts that will bring smiles to the faces of your friends and family. Available in both budget-friendly or one-time splurge options, books––while a great gift idea for any season or occasion yearround––make exceptionally thoughtful presents for the holidays. To save you some possible holiday shopping stress, read on for our literary recommendations based on relationship ties, personality type, genre, and the occasional, specific, and random description.

Best Book for Someone Who Does Not Read

The Art of Thinking Clearly (AudioBook) by Rolf Dobelli An inventive alternative to books for that reading-averse or busy special someone in your life, audiobooks are a great substitute for reading on paper. With its musicality of emotions and liveliness of descriptions, listening to a book being read aloud is a real auditory treat. Available at just the touch of an airpod or Bluetooth speaker, audiobooks make for a great on-the-go listening option. You can browse books on platforms like Audible or on your Kindle. The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli is a great audio book start. A real mind-transporter and neuron-twister, it is guaranteed to captivate the attention of even your most reading-revulsed friend or family member; with its explorations of everyday existential questions, like Why do we continue to do something if we know it is bad for us? or Why do we take credit for success but blame failure on external circumstances? this gift will please and enlighten this holiday season.

Best Book to Read Cozied-up Next to a Fire

ica’s National Parks by Dave and Ilyssa Kyu Have you ever wondered about the stories behind America’s famous national parks, like the Rockies, or Yosemite? Are you keen to discover tales from pioneer diaries or familiarize yourself with explorations passed down through generations of indigenous peoples? Delving into the history of these six famous parks, Acadia, Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountain, Yellowstone, Yosemite, and Zion, America’s National Parks by Dave and Ilyssa Kyu offers enthralling insight and a fascinating deep

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dive into stories that have been around for centuries, but that may still be unknown to Americans or international persons today. To (re)connect with nature this holiday season, invest in this park tales selection for you, your friend, or family, perfect for a cozy night in next to the (camp)fire.

Best Book to Prep Your New Year’s Resolutions

Atomic Habits by James Clear The COVID-19 pandemic was evidently a hard time for a lot of people, with all of its uncertainty and Zooming. However, the year-and-a-half that was spent indoors in half athleisure wear and half work attire may have sparked some silver linings, including fun new (solitary) hobbies, healthy habits, and sustained routines. What better way to keep up the good work and bring it into the new year than with James Clear’s Atomic Habits? Equipping the reader with handy tools to “build good habits and break bad ones,” Atomic Habits breaks down powerful insights from psychology, neuroscience, and biology into bite-size tips and tricks, so that you can unlock even more of your best self this new year. A great gift for anyone looking to get “1 percent better every day,” James Clear’s book is sure to be a hit at this year’s holiday gift party.

Best Book to Spark Your Creative Juices

ed Exploration of Creativity by Grant Snider

In trated Exploration of Creativity, Grant Snider takes a soft yet incredibly powerful approach to the (sometimes overwhelming) ideation process. Answering questions like What does an idea look like? and Where do ideas come from? this comic book plays with its informal artistic form to expose a rich, detailed, and playful perception into the world of a creative thinker. Turning the pages, you may find yourself surprised to discover that you share similar sensations and experiences to the ones felt by creators, no matter your creative portfolio. This holiday season, spread the innovative cheer with loved ones with this joyful ride of a book.

Best Book for Someone Who Has Read (Almost) Everything

by Kassia St. Clair

A self-proclaimed bookworm, your friend appears to have read every book, from great classics to unknown, dusty manuscripts. Your intuition tells you that, in spite of this, they would most likely still enjoy seeing a book at the Secret Santa gift exchange this year. Intriguing and unique, by Kassia St. Clair guides its reader into a historical, sociological, and psychological mega tour of colors and each of their meanings. Quirky and insightful, this book is a rare find that is guaranteed to knock your friend’s socks off.

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