A small gift guide for big readers
Indie pub and small business gift recs plus the best-of-the-year list onslaught begins
I recently shared about my own consumption decreasing goals so I thought it would be a little ironic to put together a big gift guide this year; if only because sometimes putting together guides can tend to give me the shopping bug. There are some great gift guides out there from other readers like this one from
that pairs books with organizations doing good and this crowd-sourced one from filled with reading accessories without an Amazon link in sight.For my part, I want to take this opportunity to highlight independent publishers and small book businesses. Did you see the statistic that something like 50% of the New York Times 100 Notable Books were from Penguin Random House? I love the NYT list and I love PRH, but one company having that kind of influence on what we’re reading is troubling. As publishing companies consolidate and reading for pleasure shrinks in popularity, it’s going to be harder for independent publishers stay in business and stay independent. Not only do I want to be reading books from these publishers to get away from only reading what everyone else is read, I quite simply want them to stick around!
Today’s list includes some of my top recommendations from independent publishers, some great subscriptions from indie pubs, and a few other goodies from small book businesses. Anything that I will earn an affiliate commission from is marked, but largely these recommendations are affiliate free.
I hope you find something to treat yourself or a loved one to and lets help these important book businesses continue doing their work!
Book subscriptions are the gift that keeps on giving
I had pretty much given up on new release book subscriptions when I found Aphilia. I have always struggled with this type of offering because I crave surprise and delight in my reading but with many subscriptions I either get books I already own or ones I am not interested in. I decided to give Aphilia a try and I am obsessed! This subscription service sends one new release book every month, sometimes hardback and sometimes paperback, often from an indie press and always painstakingly chosen. Founder Audrey is a meticulous curator and is deeply committed to finding lesser known books to feature in her monthly selections. You can see all of her past selections here and even order them individually after the fact (more services should do this!). What I love most about Aphilia is its clear point-of-view. It’s a service that may or may not be for you, but it’s consistent in the types of books it selects and doesn’t try to cater to the widest swath of readers—and I love that! After declaring my passion for her project, Audrey set up an affiliate link and discount code for me so can use the code SARA10 to get 10% off any length subscription. I think this would be an ideal gift to yourself or to a reader in your life who loves literary fiction and strives to read books off the beaten path. I’m so excited to see what books she brings us in the new year!
Vignette Bookshop offers monthly subscriptions or curated boxes all containing used and vintage books. Buying used is a sustainable way to add to a book collection and the variety you get with Vignette is very fun.
And Other Stories publishes fantastic international fiction and offers both print and digital subscriptions. Plus their covers are so dreamy.
McNally Editions offers three different types of subscriptions for the various readers in your life.
Biblioasis has five different subscription options included a translated lit option and a poetry option!
Thoughtful bookish gifts from small businesses
My friend Elizabeth runs Rebooked, a traveling, carefully curated used bookstore. If you contact her on Instagram, she will curate a personalized box of thrifted books for you or anyone on your gift list.
Charco Press publishes fantastic translated literature and their book bundles make excellent gifts. They offer an option for new books, prize-winning books, and nonfiction. Or you can buy a bundle based on publication year.
Coffee House Press consistently puts out exceptional and unusual books. They offer subscriptions as well as letting you purchase bundles of previous publishing seasons.
I was sent one of these Books Are Magic candles and it is divine.
A few favorite titles from independent presses
For anyone who loves deeply weird or Gothic fiction, Overstaying is incredible.
Did anyone in your life love Soldier Sailor or Chouette or My Work or any of the other recent books about early motherhood? It’s likely they never came across The Long Form and they would probably love it.
Rhine Journey is a great gift for the classics reader in your life. I can almost guarantee they won’t have read it yet.
The Feast is a fun summer mystery with a lot of resonant themes.
It can be hard to find great crowd-pleasing gift books from indie pubs, but Unnamed Press’s The Untold Story of Books would be perfect.
A bundle of classics from the new Smith & Taylor imprint is sure to please any reader.
Cross-Stitch is one of my favorite recent novels about female friendship and it’s written in a wonderfully original structure.
If you know someone who loves a good tome, Lies & Sorcery could be their next favorite read.
Support a readerly publication or community
Although I feel silly doing it, I’ll also throw out that you can easily gift a FictionMatters Substack subscription or (and this is new!) Patreon Literary Society membership. One of these could make a great gift for readers in your life who have all the books they need, but might be looking for deeper reading experiences or a community of bookworms.
Ok onto some regularly scheduled programming…
Links I love.
The NYT 100 Notable Books List is live! Many people have thoughts and so do I but I’ll share those for later. For now, please use my gift link to peruse the list! (NYT, gift link)
The Washington Post also shared 50 notable fiction titles and 50 notable nonfiction titles along with their 10 best books of the year. I thought the fiction half of the 10 best was strong, but I haven’t heard of a single one of the nonfiction titles. (Washington Post, all gift links)
NPR also dropped their Books We Love interactive app. I love this thing, but I strongly feel that it should still be called the Book Concierge and I do not consider it a best-of-the-year list. (NPR)
The Native publishers reclaiming Indigenous storytelling. (Electric Lit)
On Small Business Saturday, consider the small press. (Lit Hub)
The perfect fantasy novel for these uncertain times. (Vulture)
The best book covers of November. (Lit Hub)
10 heartwarming Japanese books perfect for cozy nights in. (Electric Lit)
End Notes.
I say this every time we visit family because it’s always true: watching Louise play with her cousins is the best thing ever.
I’m saving my own book list thoughts for a longer post, but for now, I recommend checking out
’s analysis of the NYT’s notable romance selections from the last several years.We’ve been reading Louise these Sophie Mouse books at bedtime and they are such a hit. Very mild adventures plus lots of coziness set the perfect bedtime vibe.
I have never been a big Twitter user, but I loved this Funeral for Twitter conversation between
and .We thought we had tickets for Zoo Lights on Friday, but were mistaken which led to some very big three-year-old feelings. Once Louise had calmed down a little bit we went for a walk around the block and found three houses with modest Christmas lights up, and she was so into them! We eventually did make it to Zoo Lights the next time and it was stunning, but that little neighborhood walk will probably be the lasting memory. So here’s a reminder for me and you that the small simple things matter just as much if not more.
For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. I love hearing from you!
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Happy reading!
Sara
Great guide! For anyone based in the UK (I don't know if they do it wider), I recommend ShelterBox Book Club which you can buy as a gift (or for yourself which I do!). It's a charity that supports people around the world after disasters, and for a monthly subscription you get a book every 6 weeks. The focus is on books and authors from around the world so it helps broaden my reading as well as giving money to charity. Win win! https://shelterbox.org/book-club/
Vignette looks so fun!