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Lists

What I'm Giving: 2018 Edition

by Powell's Staff, November 30, 2018 9:54 AM
What I'm Giving

When it comes to recommending books as gifts, we like to know as much as possible about the gift recipient. Are they really into sci-fi, or maybe political podcasts? Is their Spotify account all musicals all the time, or do they eschew music for quiet walks in the woods or settling down with an engrossing novel? The perfect gift book isn't the award-winning critic's darling (unless, of course, it is) — it's the one that matches your loved one's silliness, seriousness, humor, and wit; the most perfect of gift books says, I know you. I know who you are, and what you love, and of the millions of books in the world, I have found the one written just for you. It's a tall order, but with our What I'm Giving list, we've endeavored to do just that: If you need the perfect book for a music lover, foodie, genre fan, literary fiction nut, theatre nerd, political junkie, memoir reader, true crime afficionado, YA fan — in short, if you need a book for anyone — we think you'll find it on this list.
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life
by Eric Idle

To: My high school friends who STILL continuously spout Monty Python quotes.
From: The Knights of Ni

An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
by Hank Green

To: Vlogbrothers fans who crave more funny, insightful fiction from the Brothers Green.
From: Nerdfighter #1

Be Your Own Bartender
by Carey Jones and John McCarthy

To: Your infographic- and libation-loving sister who likes to play “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon.”
From: Kate

The Best American Short Stories 2018
by Roxane Gay

To: My aunts, who love thoughtfully curated collections of short fiction.
From: Irene

Bitter Orange
by Claire Fuller

To: Readers who love Shirley Jackson and want to find their next seductively creepy thrill.
From: Merricat

Cross Her Heart
by Sarah Pinborough

To: My close friend, who can’t get enough of stories about secrets and their consequences.
From: Emmie

Dear Evan Hansen
by Val Emmich, Steven Levenson, Benj Pasek, and Justin Paul

To: My sister, who loves Broadway musicals, Love, Simon, and YA fiction.
From: Madeline

Eliza Hamilton
by Tilar J. Mazzeo

To: My Hamilton-loving cousins who want the full backstory.
From: Tessa

Endurance
by Scott Kelly

To: My uncle Charlie, who is endlessly fascinated with space exploration, and digs absorbing biographies about science and technology.
From: Your favorite stargazing niece

Evening in Paradise
by Lucia Berlin

To: My best friend, who prides herself on her taste in short stories.
From: Tessa

Everything's Trash, but It's Okay
by Phoebe Robinson

To: All the women in my life who could use a good laugh right now (so, all the women in my life).
From: Lisa

Gone So Long
by Andre Dubus III

To: My dad, who loves haunting, character-driven novels about family.
From: Liz

Heavy
by Kiese Laymon

To: My niece, a Vassar College graduate with a sociology degree.
From: Aunt Kim

Israeli Soul
by Michael Solomonov and Steven Cook

To: The man trying to win my heart by mastering the perfect falafel.
From: Shoshanna

Lake Success
by Gary Shteyngart

To: Politicians. All of them.
From: America

Melmoth
by Sarah Perry

To: All the members of my Folktales and Fiction book club! It’s chilling and super powerful!
From: Danny

My Squirrel Days
by Ellie Kemper

To: My Midwestern transplant friends, and anyone who loves humor without sarcasm and rooting for the nice girl!  
From: Sarah Jane

The Real Lolita
by Sarah Weinman

To: Anyone obsessed with Serial, My Favorite Murder, and other true crime podcasts.
From: Madeline

Red Moon
by Kim Stanley Robinson

To: My friend who only dabbles in sci-fi, or for fans who are more interested in the characters than the science.
From: Ashleigh

Rose's Baking Basics
by Rose Levy Beranbaum

To: My sister, who’s just learning the love of baking and wants everything to be perfect!
From: Camila

Ruth Bader Ginsburg
by Jane Sherron De Hart

To: Anyone who wants a reminder of how a real Supreme Court Justice acts.
From: RBG Admirer

Sea Prayer
by Khaled Hosseini

To: My friends who loved Exit West, and for those who put immigration rights at the forefront of their activism.
From: Phoebe

She Would Be King
by Wayétu Moore

To: Fans of history, magical realism, and brilliant, strong women.
From: Alicia

The Silence of the Girls
by Pat Barker

To: My good buddy Shawn, who was a total evangelist for Circe by Madeline Miller.
From: Kathi

Sleeping Beauties
by Stephen King and Owen King

To: My aunt, who is a fan of both horror and literary fiction.
From: Tessa

Small Fry
by Lisa Brennan-Jobs

To: My friends who read and liked Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson.
From: Kim

Stranger Things
by Gina McIntyre

To: My brother, who will fight the Demogorgon by my side any day of the week.
From: Will

Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart
by Alice Walker

To: My friend for whom poetry is like breathing: necessary, instinctive, difficult, and sweet.
From: Alice

Washington Black
by Esi Edugyan

To: My well-read aunt, who loves traveling, philosophy books, and narratives by distinctive voices.
From: Aubrey

The Winter Soldier
by Daniel Mason

To: My mom, because she loved both The English Patient and All the Light We Cannot See.
From: Kathi




Books mentioned in this post

Heavy: An American Memoir

Kiese Laymon

Small Fry

Lisa Brennan Jobs

Lake Success

Gary Shteyngart

Cross Her Heart

Sarah Pinborough

Rose's Baking Basics: 100 Essential Recipes, With More Than 600 Step-By-Step Photos

Rose Levy Beranbaum

The Silence of the Girls

Pat Barker

Melmoth

Sarah Perry

The Winter Soldier

Daniel Mason

Evening in Paradise: More Stories

Lucia Berlin

Washington Black

Esi Edugyan

She Would Be King: A Novel

Wayétu Moore

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life

Jane Sherron De Hart

Gone So Long

Andre Dubus III

My Squirrel Days

Ellie Kemper

Sleeping Beauties

Stephen King, Owen King

Eliza Hamilton: The Extraordinary Life and Times of the Wife of Alexander Hamilton

Tilar J Mazzeo

Taking the Arrow Out of the Heart

Alice Walker

The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World

Sarah Weinman

Red Moon

Kim Stanley Robinson

Everything's Trash, but It's Okay

Phoebe Robinson

Bitter Orange

Claire Fuller

Be Your Own Bartender: A Surefire Guide to Finding and Making Your Perfect Cocktail

Carey Jones, John Mccarthy

The Best American Short Stories 2018

Roxane Gay, Heidi Pitlor

Israeli Soul: Easy, Essential, Delicious

Michael Solomonov, Steven Cook

Dear Evan Hansen

Val Emmich and Steven Levenson and Benj Pasek and Justin Paul

Sea Prayer

Khaled Hosseini

Endurance: My Year in Space, A Lifetime of Discovery

Scott Kelly

Stranger Things: Worlds Turned Upside Down: The Official Behind-the-Scenes Companion

Gina McIntyre
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