Consider One-Stop Holiday Shopping at Bookstores

Whether "the holidays" in your house means Christmas (Dec. 25), Hannukah (Dec. 25-Jan. 2) or Kwanzaa (Dec. 26-Jan. 1), one question always arises: What to buy for gifts? A smart, one-size-fits-all option is books.

Many shops lure in customers this time of year with lights or themed displays, but bookstores fill expansive tables and towering shelves with gift options for every age, on a variety of topics and in a range of prices.

Sally Rooney writes of grief and love in her new novel "Intermezzo." In "Season of the Swamp," Yuri Herrera pens "a love letter to 19th century New Orleans and its polyglot culture." Rachel Kushner's "Creation Lake" was partly inspired by real-life spy stories. "The Grey Wolf" is Louise Penny's 19th book about the much-admired Armand Gamache. Friends of Olive Kitteridge will welcome "Tell Me Everything" from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Elizabeth Strout.

Books by and about real people include "Lovely One: A Memoir" by Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson and "Sonny Boy: A Memoir" by Al Pacino. Elton John looks back in "Farewell Yellow Brick Road: Memories of My Life on Tour." Cher gets started with "Cher: The Memoir, Part One." A longtime TV news anchor tells her story in "Connie: A Memoir." In "Tías and Primas: On Knowing and Loving the Women Who Raise Us," Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez explores the female archetypes in her family and others.

In "The Letters of Seamus Heaney," editor Christopher Reid offers readers "…an intimate, multilayered understanding" of the late Nobel Prize-winning poet. Or perhaps "AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can't, and How to Tell the Difference" by Arvind Narayanan and Sayash Kapoor is exactly the gift book a member of your family needs. 

Dolly Parton and her sister share family recipes in "Good Lookin' Cookin': A Year of Meals." On a similar theme — though without recipes — Stanley Tucci, after completing his cancer treatments, is back at the table with "What I Ate in One Year (And Related Thoughts)," touted as "…an irresistible celebration of the profound role that food plays in all our lives." Celebrity chef Ina Garten stirs up memories in "Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir."

Need more ideas? Two book buyers and a store owner have plenty.

"Atlas Obscura: Wild Life: An Explorer's Guide to the World's Living Wonders" is Justin Souther's top recommendation. "We always do well with the 'Atlas Obscura' books because they are tons of fun and very gift-y," said the senior buyer, events coordinator and manager at Malaprop's Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina, which has reopened after surviving Hurricane Helene in September.

Souther also likes Kate Atkinson's new title "Death at the Sign of the Rook: A Jackson Brodie Book." Noting that Atkinson's books are "solid, interesting literary mysteries," he suggested a big bag with all six books in the series would make a great gift. Another option is a new edition of Scott McClanahan's "Crapalachia: A Biography of a Place." Souther said. "It's a funny, touching, honest look at growing up in West Virginia, and at the end, McClanahan talks about what parts he made up."

For readers with kids or grandkids in middle school, Souther recommends "Virus Hunters: How Science Protects People When Outbreaks and Pandemics Strike" by Amy Cherrix. "Our former children's book buyer, Amy has written several great books for kids on scientific topics, each one fun and engaging."

For anyone engaged with politics, possible gift options may include "Reagan: His Life and Legend" by the Washington Post's political columnist Max Boot, "The Art of Power: My Story as America's First Woman Speaker of the House" by Nancy Pelosi or "Patriot: A Memoir" by the late Russian opposition leader Aleksei Navalny.

Because of Kramers' location in Washington, D.C., head book buyer Llalan Fowler anticipates robust sales of Bob Woodward's new book "War," advertised as "the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars" — Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency.

"A lot of political books have the shelf life of yogurt but Woodward's books remain stubbornly relevant," Fowler said. "He writes history, more than reportage." For anyone interested in activism, Fowler recommends "The Message," new from Ta-Nehisi Coates. "It's about how stories play a role in how we are seen and how we want to be seen."   

Fowler is enthusiastic about "The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World" by Robin Wall Kimmerer. "She is a trained biologist, but also knows native traditions surrounding plants," Fowler said. "She brings the two together to tell us how the world could work if we listened to each other and to nature. Jeff Bezos needs to read this book."

Readers captivated by Richard Powers' last book, "The Overstory" — it won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction — will want to dive into "Playground," Powers' new book about the ocean. Fowler also recommends "Us Fools," a coming-of-age novel by Nora Lange about growing up in the Midwest during the farm crisis of the 1980s. "It's darkly funny, and I'm learning a whole lot."

"The Mighty Red" by Louise Erdrich is another favorite, Fowler said. "She has the power to mythologize the everyday, make it into bigger than it seems like it might be on the surface, and also to make earth-shattering events really personal." Mara Panich, owner of Fact and Fiction in Missoula, Montana, agrees with Fowler about Erdrich's book. "I just started reading it, and I already know I'm going to love it," she said.

Panich's top pick for a holiday gift book is "Becoming Little Shell: A Landless Indian's Journey Home" by Chris La Tray. "Chris is poet laureate of Montana, and his book is an introspective story that connects to larger issues," she said. "We've already sold a ton, and I know the book will sell well through the holidays."  

"In Praise of Mystery," written by U.S. poet laureate Ada Limón and illustrated by Peter Sís, is an ideal gift for all ages, but something more, Panich said. "This book is a piece of art, and Limón's poem — about mystery and reaching out beyond what is known — is going into space in October, engraved on the Europa Clipper spacecraft." 

Another recommendation from Panich is "The Ancients" by John Larison, the author of "Whiskey When We're Dry," a big seller at her shop. "The new book is post-apocalyptic, speculative fiction, without being too far out there," she said. "Mostly, it's a story of hope." She also is excited about Matt Haig's "The Life Impossible," the latest novel from the author of "The Midnight Library." She describes Haig's story as "magical realism, about wonder and adventure — and again, a lot of hope."

Can't decide, even with the 36 recommendations here? A gift card from an independent bookstore doesn't require fancy wrapping. And here's the best idea yet: Visit a bookshop in your community and talk with the experts about your gift needs.

"We're happy to help you find the perfect fit for anyone," said Panich. "A book is better than a sweater."

Patricia Corrigan is a professional journalist, with decades of experience as a reporter and columnist at a metropolitan daily newspaper, and also a book author. She has written for Next Avenue since February 2015. Read more from Patricia at latetothehaight.blogspot.com. Read More