Welcome to my attempt at a Christmas Book Gift Guide. While I know that Christmas is less than ten days away, I thought it would be still worthwhile to try. I would also like to point out that I have bought none of my Christmas gifts. So let us embark on this journey that will hopefully end in us both finding gifts!
For the Introspective/Intellectual
My number one pick is Human Acts by Han Kang. This is a phenomenal book that does not shy away from discomfort and forces us to look deep into the mirror. I was blown away by how good this book was, in terms of writing and how it made me feel afterwards. You can read my review here, but this has to have been the dark horse for me.
I also really loved The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood. I also reviewed it here and teased why I love this book so much. I was expecting so much from it and the book delivered, and more! If you haven’t read any of Atwood, please pick this up and see if you like her style.
For the Happy Ending Lover
Okay, I admit, I saw the movie before I read the book. I will also doubly admit I did not read the paperback, but listened to the audiobook. However, that being said, for the happy ending lover, I would recommend The Martian. I really enjoyed the attitude of the narrator and it was an enjoyable book to read. It also is no shallow end of the pool read either. The book examines our thoughts when we are alone and how we experience humanity. Having read it before I began my book blog, so I do not have a review about it. I will say that I loved the audiobook and if your gift recipient enjoys audio books, this would be the pick for them.
I also cannot recommend enough The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, which I reviewed here, because it was funny and also very deep. It was also part of my #bookgifts series so I need to keep giving it as more gifts! It was totally unexpected but incredibly touching.
For Books I Have Not Read
This photo is from my Instagram!
I have been meaning to return back to Octavia Butler for a while now. Having read so many of her books and written a thesis on some of them, I haven’t read Wild Seed yet! So this is one of my number one books I want to read for next year. However, if you do not want to jump straight in to the Octavia Butler vortex, then I would recommend a view of hers as starting novels. Some stand alone novels are Kindred and Fledgling which are, respectively a novel about slavery and vampires. I also loved the Xenogenesis trilogy as well, so I would recommend that series as a whole!
I hope that this Christmas Book Gift Guide has helped you in some way. Maybe you have seen a book you want to receive, or a book you think someone would love. I encourage you to check out any of my other reviews as well.
Comment below what books you are giving for Christmas!
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