Lists
by Powell's Books, October 13, 2020 8:33 AM
It's always fun to receive gifts, but giving them is even better, especially in a year when your loved ones surely need a boost. Since nothing says "I know you" more than a carefully selected book, we're sharing the top 22 books we're giving to our friends and family this holiday season.
Agent Sonya
by Ben Macintyre
To: My history-buff friend who’s always picking spy flicks for virtual movie night
From: Your friend with a code name
The Great Offshore Grounds
by Vanessa Veselka
To: My well-read sibling who wants a classic tale in a brand-new skin
From: Your brother, who is all about reinventing his soul
The Butterfly Effect
by Marcus J. Moore
To: My brother Mitch, who's been obsessed with Kendrick Lamar for years
From: His brother D, who found so, so much more in this biography than music
Earthlings
by Sayaka Murata
To: An increasingly long list of earthlings looking for something more
From: A toy hedgehog from the planet Popinpobopia
The Exiles
by Christina Baker Kline
To: My mom, who loves stories that deal with race and gender issues
From: Your daughter, who can't get enough of Kline's gorgeous, sweeping novels
In Bibi's Kitchen
by Hawa Hassan and Julia Turshen
To: My own Bibi, whose kitchen has always been a place of refuge and sustenance
From: Your lucky daughter-in-law
Harrow the Ninth (The Locked Tomb Trilogy #2)
by Tamsyn Muir
To: My favorite cousin, who loves dark, labyrinthine, queer sci-fi/fantasy
From: Your older cousin, who secretly wants to be a necromancer
The Kingdom
by Jo Nesbø
To: My mystery-loving aunt, who needs to be introduced to the bleak, addictive world of Scandinavian thrillers
From: Your niece, who reads Nesbø with the lights on
Livewired
by David Eagleman
To: The enthusiastic amateur who is fascinated by neuroplasticity (but daunted by terms like “neuroplasticity”)
From: A scientific dilettante
The Midnight Library
by Matt Haig
To: My library-loving, alt-fiction-devouring, philosophy major friend
From: Your slightly imperfect bestie who would like a do-over
Once I Was You
by Maria Hinojosa
To: My best friend Nina, who loves personal stories and shares my deep concerns over the way immigration has been handled by our country
From: Your friend Danna
One Life
by Megan Rapinoe
To: My brother-in-law who watches all sports, pays attention to current events, and loves his clever daughter
From: Your sports-fan sister-in-law who mails books to your kids
The Sacrifice of Darkness
by Roxane Gay and Tracy Lynne Oliver
To: My book club buddy who always wants to read the hopeful dystopian stories
From: The one who always brings hummus
Snow
by John Banville
To: My mystery-loving sister, who, growing up, fended off my best attempts at sibling tricks with her deductive skills
From: Your fellow crime novel buff — can't wait to have one of our marathon talks about this one!
Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World
by Fareed Zakaria
To: Anyone who feels like 2020 has completely lost the plot and is looking for a blueprint for where we might go from here
From: A fellow obsessive doom-scroller
Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man
by Emmanuel Acho
To: My big brother, who always strives to ask the hard questions, and change, and become better in the world
From: Your sister, who always strives to follow in your footsteps
Think Like a Monk
by Jay Shetty
To: My friend who is struggling with anxiety and chaos in these crazy times (so, okay, all of my friends)
From: A fellow struggler trying to find or imagine moments of calm wherever she can
What Are You Going Through
by Sigrid Nunez
To: A beloved friend who has always been an incredible listener
From: Someone who has done her share of talking
White Ivy
by Susie Yang
To: Anyone who has a string of pearls and is looking for plot twists that will induce double-fisted pearl clutching
From: A pearl-less reader who stretched too many shirt collars reading this book
World of Wonders
by Aimee Nezhukumatathil
To: Everyone lucky enough to live on the same planet as axolotls
From: A friend to the planet
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