The most giftable books of the year
Plus the first of the best-of-the-year lists and the benefits of reading backlist
Hey, readers!
This week has been a good one. Thursday was Thanksgiving here in the US, but the holiday looked a lot different this year because of the pandemic. My husband and I got to have an outdoor, distanced Thanksgiving meal with my mom, which I feel incredibly grateful for. We had our celebration on Wednesday, so the Thursday holiday itself was extremely lazy and relaxing. I hope that whatever your Thanksgiving looked like this year, you were able to rest, replenish, and reach out to your loved ones.
This week in books.
This week I read…
Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton. At the beginning of the pandemic, I reached out to a couple of my favorite faraway independent bookstores, gave them a budget, and asked if they could select a sampling of books they thought I would enjoy. The best bundle I received was from Joelle at The Bookshop in Nashville, who sent my five books I had never even heard of. This was one of them. This is a historical fiction novella based on the life of the real Margaret Cavendish, an English duchess and author who wrote wildly scandalous books and plays and became famous in—though mocked by—her contemporary society. This book was quirky and thoughtful, and I loved the reflection on creativity Dutton wove throughout the story. Amazon | Bookshop
Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang. Now that I’ve recognized my fondness for short story collections, I’m going back and reading the ones that caught my eye years ago. I’m not a huge sci-fi reader, but sci-fi in short story format seems to work for me, and I really adored this collection. The stories are all remarkably different, but all of them explore the decisions (big and small) that make up a life in remarkably unique ways. No surprise that the standout here is the title story, “Story of Your Life,” which was the basis for the movie Arrival. I loved the movie, but the story is far superior in its exploration of language, freewill, and life’s endless series of ethical dilemmas. Amazon | Bookshop
Now I’m reading…
The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Burnhill. This was recommended by a Patreon member at our November Biblio Brunch (monthly gatherings for sharing book recommendations), and I immediately tracked down a copy for myself. This middle grade novel is a magical and delightful fairytale—exactly what I need right now. Amazon | Bookshop
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. I’m slowly making my way through this on audio*, but I’m pleasantly surprised by how accessible it is. Wilkerson is an incredible storyteller and the anecdotes and analogies she uses really hit home. Amazon | Bookshop
Inheritors by Asako Serizawa. I’m rereading this for a FictionMatters book club discussion. Amazon | Bookshop
*Get two Libro.fm audiobooks for the price of one with this link.
2020 releases for everyone on your gift list.
It probably doesn’t surprise you to hear that I think books make the very best holiday gifts. Finding the right book for the right person is such a good feeling, and receiving a book I know I’ll love makes me feel seen. But some readers are harder to shop for than others. There are the bookworms who have read everything, the readers who stick to a single genre, and the reluctant readers who want to read more, but aren’t sure where to start. Today, I’m sharing some books that I think are particularly giftable. Some of them fit into that universal crowd-pleaser category, while others are a bit more niche. Hopefully there’s something in here for the readers in your life!
Crowd-Pleasing Fiction
Top picks:
The Coyotes of Carthage by Steven Wright. This political thriller is great for fans of John Grisham, and I love the added dimensions of racial equity and criminal justice reform that Wright brings to the genre.
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner. Between the Austen references, the found family themes, and the escapist setting, this is the most comforting book I’ve read during the pandemic. Anyone who loves historical fiction, books about friendship, or—of course—Jane Austen is likely to adore this book.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Literary fiction with wide-reaching appeal is hard to find, and Bennett does it brilliantly. This is one of those books you could give to anyone—literally the only risk is that they have already read it!
Other ideas:
Crowd-Pleasing Nonfiction
Top picks:
Caste: The Origins of Our Discontent by Isabel Wilkerson. This is a sweeping examination of systems of oppression and segregation is extremely readable and is a great addition to the antiracist reading many people committed to in 2020.
What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism by Dan Rather. Politics have been difficult this year, and Rather’s passion and integrity is truly “a tonic for our times.”
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. This might be the book we all need in 2020. It’s about leaning into the difficult seasons of life and accepting the nourishment that comes from periods of retreat.
Other ideas:
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker.
The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s by Andy Greene.
The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War by Scott Anderson.
The Third Rainbow Girl: The Long Life of a Double Murder in Appalachia by Emma Copley Eisenberg.
Specialty Picks for Readers Who’ve Read Everything
The Call Me Ishmael Phonebook: An Interactive Guide to Life-Changing Books by Logan Smalley and Stephanie Kent.
The Selected Letters of Ralph Ellison by John Callahan and Marc Conner.
Shakespeare in a Divided America: What His Plays Tell Us About Our Past and Future by James Shapiro.
***All of the links above are Bookshop.org affiliate links. Bookshop has free shipping through Monday and your purchase goes to support independent bookstores.
Bookish reading.
The New York Times released their 10 Best Books of the Year. I think it’s a little disappointing, but it’s always interesting to see the first of the best-of lists roll in.
If the 10 Best Books list is boring, LitHub’s 10 Best Book Covers is truly eclectic and fun.
Penguin Random House is looking to buy Simon & Schuster, which will create what the industry is calling the world’s first mega-publisher. It’s not good news for books and authors, and here’s why.
Bookshop.org is offering free shipping this weekend. Visit my storefront to shop my favorite books of all-time and everything I’ve read so far in 2020.
Emily Temple is extolling the benefits of reading backlist.
You’ve probably read the negative reviews of Netflix’s Hillbilly Elegy adaptation. Here’s what to read and watch instead.
Check out Vox’s guide to the National Book Awards.
Alan Rickman’s diaries are going to be published as a book!
My friend Mark restocked his Etsy shop. These fanny packs fit up to five paperbacks…trust me, I’ve tested it.
Novel Pairings.
These last few weeks of 2020 are going to be big for the Novel Pairings podcast! On Sunday, we’ll be sharing something that we’ve been working on and dreaming about for months. That announcement will come on our Instagram so be sure you’re following along!
And then we have an extremely cozy lineup for our first few December episodes, including our best audiobooks of the year, a cozy bookish discussion with Annie Jones owner of The Bookshelf, and episodes about two super cozy winter books: My Antonia and Little Women.
End notes.
Watching: Survivor. I’m not kidding. Neither my husband nor I have ever watched this reality show even though it’s been on for literal decades. We started watching one of the seasons that’s available on Netflix and we are obsessed.
Listening: I always enjoy Sarah’s Bookshelves Live’s end-of-year episodes and this week her Best Books of 2020 episode dropped. Sarah is the queen of reading stats and analytics (she uses this incredible reading tracker that she created and sells) and it’s fascinating to hear her dig into the data she collects.
Making: With all of the leftover pumpkin from Thanksgiving, Michelle has been making these Soft Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. They are absolutely addicting!
Loving: Black Friday Sales! My favorite thing to shop for is books, but they’re not the only thing I shop for.
This weekend I shopped Madewell’s 30-50% off sale and treated myself to a pair of overalls (I’ve been wanting some forever!) and this cardigan, which I deemed the Elizabeth Bennet cardigan on Instagram.
Everlane is my other go-to, but I didn’t find anything I needed that was part of their Black Friday sale. I didn’t leave empty-handed though…I got this ribbed turtleneck and feel good that a portion of my purchase is going to Feeding America.
I also took advantage of Biossance (my favorite skincare line) 30% off sale by restocking on the Resurfacing Night Serum. That’s all I needed this time around, but other favorite products of mine are the Probiotic Gel Moisturizer and Phyto-Retinol Serum (my skin is too sensitive for real retinol).
Finally, I purchased this Votes for Women headband from one of my favorite small businesses, Hemlock Goods. I’d say that’s a pretty good haul!
Readers, I hope today’s email helped you find some books to help with your holiday shopping. For questions, comments, or suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out by emailing fictionmattersbooks@gmail.com or responding directly to this newsletter. Michelle and I love hearing from you!
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Happy reading!
Sara
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