By Heidi Simmons

This time of year there is a lot of pressure to find the perfect gift.  For some, the challenge is a joy, while for others it’s a nightmare.  Whichever side you are on, you can find something for everyone on your list at a bookstore.

Books are a wonderful and thoughtful gift that can be opened over and over to thrill, surprise, inform, inspire and entertain.

Here are some ideas to get you thinking and hopefully started on your list.

Memoirs, Biographies and Cookbooks are perfect gifts for those who have specific or general interests.   Whether you know the person well or just a little, books in this category will be appreciated.

For the modern pioneer woman in your family there’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Comfort Classics, Freezer Food, 16 Minute meals and Other Delicious Ways to Solve Supper! by Ree Drummond.  Busy or workingwomen will appreciate the help and good ideas this cookbook offers.

Peruse the cookbook section for all kinds of weird diets and special interests.  There is something for men and women who enjoy cooking, drinking and entertaining.

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates is a memoir about growing up in Baltimore that looks at race and is told through letters written to his teenage son.  This is a timely and meaningful book about how much black lives matter.

David McCullough’s The Wright Brothers is an incredible biography of an amazing family that changed history.   This is a fun and exciting read that sheds more light on the lives of these great American inventors who gave flight to the world.

Kids love to get books because it makes them feel loved, special and smart.

Guinness World Records 2016 is out now.   How fun to sit and peruse the pages of all the strange facts and amazing things people do.

Look for boxed sets of book collections like Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Hunger Games or Harry Potter.  Remember Golden Books?  How about The Star Wars Little Golden Book Library.  And there’s Goosebumps Retro Scream Collection, which has the original best selling stories!

J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: The Illustrated Edition is now a full-color art book.  How nice to sit with a child and enjoy the beautiful illustrations.

There is a whole new generation who are ready to appreciate these great books.

HARDBACKS

Nonfiction 

Some people only like to read nonfiction.  Many believe if they are going to spend the time they want to learn something “real.”  And I totally understand.  The beauty is nonfiction today is so good it often reads like fiction.

Data and Goliath: The Hidden Battles to Collect Your Data and Control Your World by Bruce Schneier is a hot topic.  Anyone interested in the true nature of the cyber world and its intrusion into our lives will love (?) to read this book.  A necessary book for sure, but maybe not so great for the paranoid member of the family.

Killing Reagan by Bill O’Reilly tells the story of President Ronald Reagan’s rise to power.  Every year O’Reilly has a book.  This looks at the career of Reagan and the “forces of evil that conspired to bring him down.”  There is always someone in the family who loves Ronny.

For the wonderful Millennials in your close circle, actor and author Aziz Ansari teams up with sociologist Eric Klinenberg to look at Modern Romance.  This is a book with fascinating facts about contemporary dating.  Courting has definitely changed.  Actress Mindy Kaling’s second book is a collection of essays called Why Not Me? Both these books offer humor while looking at the challenges of their generation.

Fiction

John Grisham is always good.  Rogue Lawyer, just like it sounds, is about an attorney who works alone and takes cases no other lawyer will.  Gritty and witty, this is the lawyer we wish we had on our side.

For the music lovers in your life The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom, tells the story of a boy who comes to America with only a guitar.  His journey touches the lives of 20th century musicians of classical, jazz and rock and roll.

Short stories are a wonderful way to spend time with an author.  The Bazaar of Bad Dreams by Stephen King is a terrific collection of his stories new and revised.  But what makes this book really fun is that King comments on when, why and how he came to write each story.  It’s such a treat to know what he was thinking.  This autobiographical addition makes the book a treasury of King’s work.

Also consider a collection of short stories with different authors.  It’s a great way to get to know writers.   The best collections for gifts are those organized around a theme like mystery, fear or seduction.

PAPERBACKS

Nonfiction

Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow inspired the hugely successful Broadway musical “Hamilton.”  In I Am Malala, 18 year-old Malala Yousafzai, Nobel Peace Prize winner, shares her personal story after being shot for attending school.  The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown about the American Olympic triumph in Nazi Germany continues to charm and entertain readers.  History comes alive with these books.

Fiction

The Martian by Andy Weir is also now a hit movie.   The book is a challenge to read if the reader is not scientifically bent.  But if there is a sci-fi geek or nerdy scientist in your circle, this is the book her (or him.)  The 25th Anniversary Edition of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is ready to inspire a new generation to follow their hearts and discover their dreams.

Coloring books are the new craze.  These are not intended for children, but are for adults and provide hours of wonderful therapy and relaxation.   Marty Noble’s Mandalas Coloring Book will put anyone into a meditative state.    How about The Official Game of Thrones Coloring Book?   There are a myriad of coloring books from cityscapes to natural gardens.   Include a nice box of crayons and your gift is complete.

Make your shopping easy this year – do it all in a bookstore.   Browse the shelves and subjects with your list in hand and you’ll discover there truly is something for everyone!

Happy holidays and make time to enjoy a book.

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