I love giving (and receiving) books as gifts. And don’t forget to sign the inside cover with a short message, your name, and the year. I love seeing these inscriptions as the years pass.

OK I admit this list is based on my own wishes; but I’ve separated the list out into my various reading personalities so you can find gifts for the different types of readers in your life:

For the ex-English major:

As I previously posted, A Gentleman in Moscow was my favorite book of the year so I MUST put it on this list. And Rules of Civility was the author Amor Towles’ first book which has equally good reviews, so I think it’s a safe bet as well for gifting. I’ve already requested both of these so I can keep them in my library forever!

For the Downton Abbey fan:

I know I’m not the only one missing Downton Abbey. The book Julian Fellowes’s Belgravia is by the show’s creator so I’m hoping it will fill some of the void. I plan to read it with my Downtown Abbey group in the new year.

For the music lover:

I’ve posted before on how I love my vinyl collection; I can’t wait to break it out while reading this memoir Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen.

For the traveler and/or environmentalist:

This book on the U.S. National Parks caught my interest during the year: The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks. I may give it to my parents, oops, who are probably reading this post…Here’s the description; it sounds beautiful:

“America’s national parks are breathing spaces in a world in which such spaces are steadily disappearing, which is why more than 300 million people visit the parks each year. Now Terry Tempest Williams, the author of the environmental classic Refuge and the beloved memoir WhenWomen Were Birds, returns with The Hour of Land, a literary celebration of our national parks, an exploration of what they mean to us and what we mean to them.

From the Grand Tetons in Wyoming to Acadia in Maine to Big Bend in Texas and more, Williams creates a series of lyrical portraits that illuminate the unique grandeur of each place while delving into what it means to shape a landscape with its own evolutionary history into something of our own making. Part memoir, part natural history, and part social critique, The Hour of Land is a meditation and a manifesto on why wild lands matter to the soul of America.”

 

For the host/hostess and cook:

I checked out this book: Soup Night: Recipes for Creating Community Around a Pot of Soup from the library last year, but I still want my own copy…not only for inspiration to finally start a soup night or some type of neighborhood party but also for the great soup recipes it contains.

Additional ideas:

My Fall/Winter reading list provides some additional ideas for those who keep up with new fiction.

Men: My father’s day post may help you find books for the men in your life.

Historical Fiction: I still need to get my WWII reading list posted, but my most recent reads were Lilac Girls and Everyone Brave is Forgiven.

Thrillers/Quick Reads: If you need a book for a plane ride or car trip I recommend All The Missing Girls, one of my favorites of the year.

Babies: And for babies and young kids, here is a post on my go-to baby book gift.

Kids: For kids age 3-5 may I recommend finding some Sweet Pickles retro reads, which the readers will love too!

Happy shopping and happy holidays from Leslie’s Bookcase! Thank you for your support this past year!

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