2020 Holiday Gift Guide

Better late than never, right? I know it's December 12th, so I guess this gift guide is more for last minute shoppers or to spark some ideas of books to treat yourself to on Boxing Day (better yet, go support your local indie!).

Books are my love language: so all of my friends and family will be gifted books. I have so much fun matching each individual personality with books that I think would be great for them. Here are some ideas to help you with your gift giving!

For the Dude in your Life

Recursion by Blake Crouch // Devolution by Max Brooks

Dad, boyfriend, brother: these books are sure to be a hit for any guy in your life.

Recursion is an unputdownable sci-fi thriller that follows an NYC cop as he investigates the new devastating phenomenon known as False Memory Syndrome: a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived. If you're looking to buy yourself some quiet time from your significant other, gift them this book. They won't be able to put it down.

Told through journal entries, news reports and interviews, Devolution chronicles what happened to one of the first ever 'sustainable communities' - which ended in a massacre. Part survival narrative, part bloody horror tale, part scientific journey into the boundaries between truth and fiction, Devolution is a fun and fascinating read.

For your Mom

The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo

Brothers and Sisters meets Parenthood, The Most Fun We Ever Had follows a Chicago couple and their four adult daughters. It's equal parts family drama and unconditional love, and the perfect book for her to curl up with this winter. Fun fact: this was my favourite book from 2019, and my mom also read it and loved it!

For your Best Friend

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

The ultimate book about best friends: Firefly Lane chronicles the friendship of beautiful, confident, and ambitious Tully, and smart, shy, and kind Kate through the ups and downs of love and heartbreak, chasing careers and motherhood. Both Tully and Kate's personalities fly off the page and this book will make you call your best friend and tell them how much you love them.

This is a great book to read with your bestie, and then binge watch the series together (virtually, of course) when it premieres on Netflix in February.

For the Romantic

Anything by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Any book by Taylor Jenkins Reid would be a great pick for that friend or relative that loves a romance. Her writing and depiction of real relationships, people, and emotions put her in a whole other romance novelist category. My personal favourite is Maybe In Another Life, where Hannah Martin moves back to her hometown and goes out with her best friend to the bar and runs into her ex-boyfriend. When she's getting ready to leave with her friend, her ex offers her a ride home. What happens if she goes home with Gabby? What happens if she lets Ethan take her home? The book follows concurrent storylines and Hannah living out the effects of each decision.

This is one that has always stuck with me; I loved the parallel universes and it's not too difficult to keep track of the different storylines. Forever, Interrupted and Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo are also fantastic!

For the Cinephile

Sh*t Actually by Lindy West

For the movie lover who is missing new releases and the movie theatre, this laugh out loud book calls out how utterly ridiculous some of our favourite movies' plots are and how poorly women are portrayed and treated (which embarrassingly enough, I would not have thought twice about in some of these movies).

Lindy West rewatches some classic “older” movies (Love Actually, Harry Potter, Face Off, to name a few) and rates them all against The Fugitive (the best movie ever made, according to Lindy). It is truly laugh out loud hilarious, and this one is absolutely fantastic on audio (you can gift Libro.FM memberships which can support your local indie. You can sign up here!)

For the Outdoorsy Type

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone is a coming of age story of Leni Allbright, a young girl who moves to Alaska after her Vietnam war vet dad decides he wants to move his family there to live off the grid. At first, they're optimistic about their new home, but when winter comes, the days are extremely short and with a small cabin covered in snow, they soon learn how isolated they can feel in the Alaskan tundra.

I have never read a book where I felt like I was truly there, living within the pages. Hannah writes an intoxicating portrayal of 1970s Alaska. For a friend who would much rather spend their time outside, they'll certainly feel like they're visiting Alaska when reading The Great Alone.

For the Reality Show Fan

One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London

This book was SO FUN. Body positivity? A fun, career driven, genuine protagonist? Reality TV and behind the scenes drama? Your friend who is obsessed with The Bachelor franchise will love this book (take it from me).

After plus size fashion blogger Bea Schumacher publishes a drunken blog post about all of the problems with ‘Main Squeeze’ (mainly their lack of body diversity), she is approached to star in the show. She’s hesitant but ultimately agrees on one condition: she won’t actually fall in love. She’s here to inspire women across America, subvert harmful anti-fat beauty standards and supercharge her career. But with the fantasy dates, kiss-off ceremonies, and some intriguing suitors: can Bea really avoid falling in love?

The Reader Who's Read It All

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman

For the avid reader in your life who always has a book on-the-go and has seemingly read it all, challenge them with this 1,000 page book that is essentially a stream of consciousness of an Ohio homemaker/baker's anxieties and neuroses. Yep, you heard that right, in the main narrative there are no full stops; the book is almost entirely a run on sentence.

Full disclosure: this is the only book on this list I haven't finished yet (I'm on pg. 478), but is truly such a delight to read and I'm going to try and finish it before year's end!