Six More Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays), and I hope the ideas here (and those to come) will help you More Book Gifts for Kids and Teens 01 Storey's Curious Compendium of Practical and Obscure Skills How Storey's Curious Compendium is a useful and beautifully photographed book of how-tos of all types that In Humans, Brandon Stanton turns his attention to meeting everyday people and hearing their compelling

novel The Distance from Four Points, Robin Besher's husband has died, and she's desperately trying to come Robin comes face to face with some of her most enduring past horrors, juggles her abandoned past and

reading the young readers' book Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliott from my favorite publishing company Pretty Funny for a Girl by Rebecca Elliott In her novel for young readers from my favorite publishing company She also has a big secret: she's going to be a stand-up comedian when she grows up. When cool Leo reveals that he's into comedy too, Haylah jumps at the chance to write material for his

The best friends and their love interests delve into their complex connections with each of the others bookseller closed off emotionally from the world who begins to consider letting someone in again to the complicated gleefully 1970s-set novel, Mary Jane doesn't merely shift from emotional innocence to young adulthood, she comes

The wilderness and isolation of the story combined with the looming dangers posed by the outside world In the northern Appalachian mountains, Cooper and his young daughter Finch live in complete isolation

Book Gift Ideas for the Holidays), and I hope the ideas here (and those in the lists to come) will help just love giving them as gifts. 02 Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land was a complex It feels unfair to compare Cloud Cuckoo Land to Doerr's beloved and quite different book All the Light In Fuzz, Roach explores animal behavior, wildlife biology, and the complexities of modern human-animal Patchett is also the author of The Dutch House, Bel Canto, The Patron Saint of Liars, Commonwealth, The

In his self-banishment in remote Svalbard, his only company is the haunting, beautiful Northern Lights Cunningham Grant In the northern Appalachian mountains, Cooper and his young daughter Finch live in complete

reducing pressure on yourself, and finding satisfaction in less, regardless of how straightforward or complicated

bookseller closed off emotionally from the world who begins to consider letting someone in again to the complicated

that can be read in short bursts and/or books related to a specific interest of my giftee's (cooking, comedy I hope the ideas here (and those in the lists to come) will help you with ideas for beautiful book gifts More Book Gifts for Kids and Teens. 01 The Comfort Book by Matt Haig "It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learnt while we are at our lowest. The Comfort Book is the newest book from Matt Haig, author of the novel How to Stop Time and the memoir

novel The Distance from Four Points, Robin Besher's husband has died, and she's desperately trying to come

She's also conveniently left behind many complications and some dark secrets.

Evans's friend and fellow author Jeff Chu compiled the pieces of Evans's work, shaping them into this felt a little light or too quickly wrapped up, which I imagine is a result of the circumstances of its completion

The book's many moving parts and family characters are fluidly shaped into compelling reading by Willner

ICYMI: Shattuck offers faulted protagonists and a fascinating, complicated set of factors in her World

You may see much of this young adult story coming, but Warcross is an action-packed quest to right wrongs She's gifted when it comes to computers, but she's been driven by desperate circumstances to become a video gaming (à la Ender's Game) and romaaaaaantic moments, a noble quest, a reluctant heroine, and complications You may be able to see much of this one coming, but the action-packed fight for justice coupled with

She's gifted when it comes to computers, but she's been driven by desperate circumstances to become a She's also conveniently left behind many complications and some dark secrets.

Those around Selma work to quickly come to terms with their finite existence, and young and old members of the community consider their lives with new eyes. magical realism, fables, superstition, and romance in this translation from Leky's original German coming-of-age

The best friends and their love interests delve into their complex connections with each of the others

It is the worn grooves of comforting routines and unthinking expectations, patterns of a social order

that despite his edgy moments and curious observations, Sedaris may tone down his reflections for the comfort

01 Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land was a complex, heartbreaking, hope-filled

Wallace spends time in a mysterious in-between place (a tea house) in the form of a ghost and attempts to come being told how many things aren't known about the in-between state--and how little is known about what comes

Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents; and Wholehearted Faith, the late Rachel Held Evans's upcoming compilation Evans's friend and fellow author Jeff Chu compiled the pieces of Evans's work into this collection that

Those around Selma work to quickly come to terms with their finite existence, and young and old members of the community consider their lives with new eyes. behavior isn't my favorite so far, but I often suspect that Sedaris is toning down his reflections for the comfort

Elle has an enormous decision to make: stick with her contented, comfortable current life, the husband Miranda Cowley Heller digs into secrets, lies, abuse, desire, shocking truths, complications, and love to think of other atmospheric novels that center around affairs at the beach, but the book that kept coming Brodeur, about Brodeur's narcissistic mother's ongoing affair and how she brought her daughter into her complicated

She only occasionally appears on the show, but she comes on to yodel (her grandparents came to Alaska She shares her ongoing, active commitment to personal and emotional growth, bettering the world, being The author explores the beauty of companionship and like a poet, she lays out her unique love story. Pilot that night, I said to her lasciviously— I don’t know what possessed me—“Have you ever tried a comedian Short comes across as charming, nutty, grounded, and really endearing in this fun, funny memoir. 06 It's

Main protagonist Gifty's journey was full of challenges and not too easy or complete, and her voice had Her childhood preacher and the church community are faulted, yet her experiences within that community herself off from most other people, and she has long used work as a refuge and an excuse to be almost completely When Gifty's mother comes to visit and falls into a depression, unable to get out of bed or even eat,

toward dark magic and destruction, or she could try to rewrite her future by envisioning something completely El and Orion's significant, unique powers turn out to complement each other as perfectly as their personalities

Elle has an enormous decision to make: stick with her contentment and comfortable current life and husband Miranda Cowley Heller explores secrets, lies, abuse, desire, shocking truths, complications, and love

and exposing the truth around her as a journalist, while Bea retreats into a reclusive, mysterious community When mysterious events come to light that seem linked to the seemingly harmless, benevolent group The I'm intrigued by stories about secrets and mysterious communities or private groups, so the focus on

and exposing the truth around her as a journalist, while Bea retreats into a reclusive, mysterious community When mysterious events come to light that seem linked to the publicly harmless, seemingly benevolent

Doerr's Cloud Cuckoo Land was a complex, heartbreaking, hope-filled, surprising, fascinating read. It feels unfair to compare Cloud Cuckoo Land to Doerr's beloved and quite different book All the Light Using the stories as a common point between the book's timelines sounded potentially gimmicky--and also with the famous ancient Cloud Cuckoo Land and its intentions. ("...was Diogenes writing lowbrow comedy He realizes that the truth is infinitely more complicated, that we are all beautiful even as we are all

She finds comfort in watching episodes of her local children's show, and she impulsively writes a letter

her destined path toward dark magic and destruction or to rewrite her future and envision something completely She finds comfort in watching episodes of her local children's show, and she impulsively writes a letter

The Last Ballad explores race relations and the fight for dignity in a 1929 North Carolina mill camp community The Last Ballad explores race relations and complicated relationships within a largely segregated living I read The Last Ballad with my book club, and this week I reviewed When Ghosts Come Home, Wiley Cash's

Rowley explores grief and how it is a shared--yet completely individual--experience. This is a powerful, fast-paced, compelling nonfiction read. Crying in H Mart is a complicated, layered love letter to Zauner's mother, who is dying of colorectal Zauner delves into her intense love for the complex flavors, the frequently time-consuming and sometimes Jean's story is lighthearted, romantic, and sometimes poignant with frequently silly, teenaged comments

Crying in H Mart felt like a complicated, layered love letter to Zauner's mother, who is dying of colorectal Zauner delves into her intense love for the complex flavors, the frequently time-consuming and sometimes increasingly capable of providing touch points for her mother--whether this takes the dietary forms of Korean comfort Her story is compelling and intriguing, whether or not you're familiar with her or her indie band.

Ford's memoir about growing up while her father was incarcerated and the complicated childhood that shaped I'm listening to this memoir by Michelle Zauner of the band Japanese Breakfast, which feels like a complicated Zauner's story is compelling whether or not you're familiar with her or her indie band. 03 Somebody's In her memoir Somebody's Daughter, Ford explores her complicated relationship with her mother, her endless loyalty to her younger brother, her complex feelings about her father and the idea of him returning

She comes from poverty and an unfavored area, and she lives in uncertain status, without citizenship Johnson's explorations of the complicated intersections of class, wealth and poverty, control of valuable In some worlds, Cara recognizes common characteristics in those she loves or fears; she sometimes barely loved her as an unlikely heroine, and I loved that it wasn't too easy for her to attempt to address complex

Rowley explores grief and how it is a shared--yet completely individual--experience.

choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or the mortals she has come

Despite some small moments that felt heavy-handed, this is a powerful, fast-paced, compelling nonfiction Yet the story Browder shares is so compelling, so shocking, and so intriguing, I didn't mind skimming specific without getting bogged down in the details, and the pacing of the book is appealingly quick and compelling like nonfiction books that read like fiction, you might try the books on the Greedy Reading List Six Compelling

shares her increasing annoyance at the bards' reported tales of Odysseus as he extends his outrageously complicated Aphrodite, Hera, and Athena bicker and take part in petty competitions with enormous repercussions.

The Books I'm Reading Now I'm reading Wiley Cash's upcoming Southern mystery, When Ghosts Come Home; 01 When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash Cash, author of A Land More Kind than Home and The Last Ballad When Ghosts Come Home centers around racial tensions, political angles, and testing longstanding allegiances Rumors, long-simmering conflicts, clashing loyalties, and Barnes's personal tragedy all complicate the sharing her increasing annoyance at the bards' reported tales of Odysseus as he extends his outrageously complicated

Jean's story is lighthearted, romantic, and sometimes poignant with frequently silly, teenaged comments

, his thought processes, what worked and didn't, and moments of despair so deep he couldn't imagine coming Haig lists positive things in the world (they're referred to in the book's title) that comprise his motivations

She comes from poverty and an unfavored area, and she lives in uncertain status, without citizenship

constant loss of their beloved “mayflies” (other people, who live such relatively short existences compared protagonist Tom Hazard’s point of view, which evolves by the close of the story, the shift seemed to come

, we revisit the brave, faulted, irresistible character of Pippa Fitz-Amobi, who is drawn back into complex That is, until her friend Connor comes to her in a panic. Nothing is too easy, but the author doesn't rely on red herrings, merely offering complex, interconnected situations that require Pip, Ravi, Connor, and company to unravel them bit by bit, relying on hunches Her third book, As Good as Dead, is coming out next month. I can't wait.