Tis the season of gift-giving and my favourite thing to gift is books! There’s just something so special about a book. You can gift it new or secondhand. You can give one of your own, even with your tabs or scribbles in the margins, sharing a piece of yourself with someone you care about. A good book recommendation or gift says, ‘I know you, I see you, and I think you’ll love this.’
In fact, I’ve been journaling lately for my 25 to feel alive challenge, and I had this thought I’ll share with you here:
On gift giving – why must it cost us anything? If it costs us, it’s a loss, an exchange, a transaction. Gift giving, to me at least, should be more sacred and loving than that. It’s “I see you, I know you, and I want you to have this”. That “this thing is something I want you to have to make you smile, to fulfil a need, to be useful, to be joyous”. And isn’t that just the most precious thing? The price tag shouldn’t matter.
So yes, books are my fave and I often give books to others that I already owned. They are still appreciative and welcome the gift because it’s new to them. It’s something for them to enjoy or learn from or partake in. Books are gentle and kind and they let you sit inside of them. They’re just the perfect gift!
Non-Fiction that I’ll always recommend
- Half Arse Human by Leena Norms
- Untamed by Glennon Doyle
- Rising Strong by Brene Brown
- What I Know For Sure by Oprah Winfrey
- 100 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think by Brianna Wiest
- The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Waking
- Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
- The Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff
- The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse by Charlie Mackery (not just for kids, in fact I’d argue it’s for adults!)
Happy, cozy, light reads
- Emily Wilde series – cosy(ish) light fantasy series
- The Wizards of Once – children’s / middle-grade fantasy (currently reading myself)
- Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa (Japanese)
- The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
- The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin
- Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawauchi (Japanese)
- Childhood faves like Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland, Narnia, The Secret Garden, Peter Pan etc.
For the thrill seekers
(People who like reading about harder /more serious topics but in an accessible and enjoyable manner).
- Girl Dinner by Olivia Blake
- Who Will Remain by Kasim Ali
- Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (or any of her books really!)
- Orbital by Samantha Harvey
- Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo
- Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Shop your own shelves and give a gift from the heart without breaking the bank!
Sincerely,
S. xx
S. R. Crawford 