Holiday Book-giving, solved
Should I make the Oprah joke? books for everyone on your list and you too
Hey there fellow readers,
I… have been reading Patricia Lockwood’s latest, Will There Ever Be Another You. I do not know what to say about it. It is words between covers that are weirdly hard to stop reading.
I’m also happily reading Wise Effort from Diana Hill, but I’m stuck because I really want to do the first exercise in writing like she suggests but I… have not done so.
And my most-wanted on the #tbr of the moment is Joyspan from Dr. Kerry Burnight. I’m gifting that to at least 2 people and maybe three.
Speaking of which… it’s holiday book-gifting time! In a perfect world I would probably give nothing but books, and all my recipients would sit down and read said books immediately and tell me how much they loved them and what a great choice they were.
In reality this does not happen. The people who are readers do read them, and they ARE great choices, because picking books for people is my super-power, and the people who aren’t really readers probably put them in little free libraries and I hope they find their readers there. Fine fine it’s all good.
But if YOU are planning some book gifting… I have you covered! Here’s a list of 25 books for everyone from your book-loving bestie who’s read everything (but not this yet I bet) to the TikTok therapy-speak teen to your Mom whose book club just forced her to read an Emily Henry and needs a protagonist “who is out of diapers, please”. Scroll down for a printable download!
⭐ KJ’s 2025 Holiday Book-Gifting Picks
Assassins Anonymous — Rob Hart: the guys from Pulp Fiction in book form
Check & Mate — Ali Hazelwood: for the teen who’s pretending to be “too cool for romance” (but it’s a lie)
Dying to Meet You — Sarina Bowen: a thriller with the soul of a romance
Everyone Is Lying to You — Jo Piazza: for the Secrets of Mormon Wives audience
How to Age Disgracefully — Clare Pooley: for your mom who wants a protagonist with a little seasoning
In Her Boots — KJ Dell’Antonia: for the rebel you know has a book in her
Joyspan — Kerry Burnight, Ph.D: for anyone who’s aging well and wants more
Listen for the Lie — Amy Tintera: the true-crime lover’s dream book
Morning Pages — Kate Ffeifer: a fictional balm for your writer friend’s soul
Playing the Witch Card — KJ Dell’Antonia: she travels with a pocket deck of tarot cards
Starter Villain — John Scalzi: for everyone, but especially snarky Marvel fans
The Breakup Tour — Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka: she still loves Taylor but hides it well
The Chicken Sisters — KJ Dell’Antonia: family drama for the reality-TV-loving foodie
The Griffin Sisters’ Greatest Hits — Jennifer Weiner: for your book-loving bestie who’s read everything
The Other Bennet Sister — Janice Hadlow: for the Austen fan who doesn’t want a twist
The Road to Roswell — Connie Willis: for friends who love Doctor Who and miss The X-Files
The Road to Tender Hearts — Annie Hartnett: “I just want a good story that’s not totally bleak.”
The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch — Melinda Taub: for the snarky goth Austen fan
The Seven Miracles of Beatrix Holland — Rachael Herron: for the therapy-speak-loving teen glued to TikTok
The Spy Coast — Tess Gerritsen: the one your thriller lover might have missed
Thrown for a Loop — Sarina Bowen: your hockey-loving romance fan might have missed this one
We All Live Here — Jojo Moyes: British not-romance family drama that ticks every box
Welcome to Glorious Tuga — Francesca Segal: armchair travel meets small-town cozy joy
Welcome to Murder Week — Karen Dukess: “I want a low-stress page-turner.”
Wise Effort — Diana Hill: the very coolest new self-help
***Here it is as a printable download.
