If there’s one thing we can make easier for you this year, it’s your holiday gift shopping. Here are some of our favorite picks for the book lovers on your list.
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SPICY, CAJUN, WITH LOVE: FOR SOUTHERN LOUISIANA FOOD; QUICK AND EASY RECIPES WRITTEN BY A SPICY CAJUN SOUTH OF I-10
BY JILLIAN COBURN
Bye Jillian, LLC
Jillian Coburn is many things: wife, mother, entrepreneur, inventor, and now cookbook author. Though she now calls Texas home, she is fiercely loyal to her Louisiana roots, as her cooking can attest. We’re not just talking about any cooking—it’s Cajun cooking. And she has broken down her favorite recipes so you can easily whip up seafood gumbo and much more with your own family.
Variety is the spice of life, and if you’re going to be cooking Cajun, it will help to have a bunch of spices on hand. “That’s why those Cajuns are so damn happy,” Jillian says. “They’re full of spices.”
Unlike other cookbooks that say a dash of this or “to taste” with that, Jillian measured out her ingredients with far more precision. The result? Your kitchen has a very good chance of smelling just like hers.
“[I want readers] to fall in love with Cajun food,” Jillian says. “Once you take a bite of something, you’ll realize it’s literally an orgasm in your mouth.”
We’ll have what she’s having!
THE FATE OF A FLAPPER
BY SUSANNA CALKIN
Minotaur Books
Not loving how the ’20s are going in this century? Head back to that roaring decade in the 20th century. Gina Ricci, a cigarette girl working at a moonshine parlor in Chicago during Prohibition, seeks answers for the death—or is it murder?—of one of the patrons.
WHOLE-ASS: STOP LIVING A HALF-ASSED LIFE AND ENJOY AN EXTRAORDINARY EXISTENCE
BY MAHARANI
That Guy’s House
Are you diving fully into your life, or are you just wading in up to your knees? Let Maharani, an Ishaya monk, guide you from half-assing the limited number of days we spend on this earth to embracing your existence and start living a life you love.
100 POSTERS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
BY COLIN SALTER
Rizzoli Books
Did you know that posters date back to the 18th century, when paper was first made affordable for printing? This book of 100 images showcases some of the most beautiful and iconic images over the last three centuries. From movies and plays to sporting events and political rallies, this book is a feast for the eyes—no thumbtacks or tape needed!
Gift Guide
While the readers on your list will always appreciate a gift card to their favorite bookstore, here are some other bookish gifts you may want to consider:
For the reader who would never dare crack a book spine, this gift will please. Comes in four colors (we’re partial to the rose gold).
$49.99, Page-Anchor.com
JANE AUSTEN T-SHIRT
No persuasionnecessary here. This top will suit any Austenphile to a T.
$28, BoredWalkTees.com
KATE SPADE BOOK TOTE
Can you ever have enough bags? The answer is no, especially when there’s this beautiful one to carry.
$28, Amazon.com
LITERARY SCARF
Chillier days call for a wrap. We love this one that features Maya Angelou’s “Still I Rise.”
$48, Storiarts.com
“GOLDEN GIRLS” BOOK SLEEVE
Thank them for being a friend with this book sleeve; other sizes and choices available.
$17, Etsy.com/shop/RockPaperWords
BOOK MASK
Here’s one way to make the best of the situation we’re in. There’s lots of other designs, too—buy a bunch and snag a discount.
$9.99+, RedBubble.com
BOOKISH WINE GLASS CHARMS
Your book club friend who always reads the book deserves something fun to dangle on her wine glass.
$16.95, Etsy.com/shop/LifeBaubles
WIFE OF BATH/LADY MACBETH SOAPS
OK, so these are a bit of a knee slapper for those who love ye olde English literature—but at least they’ll have clean hands.
$4.55, TheLiteraryGiftCompany.com
WRITER PLAYING CARDS
Play cards with Zadie Smith and Margaret Atwood…sort of.
$10, UncommonGoods.com
BOOK RING
For the rare instance they don’t have a book in their hand, now they can have a book ontheir hand. In sterling silver.
$40, Etsy.com/shop/JewelBeCharmed