People often ask me what books they should buy for their friends, their loved ones, or their secret Santa, and I have recommendations that I’d love to share because I am a firm believer that buying a book for someone specifically based on their interests and their traits is one Of the nicest ways to show them that you care. It’s such a thoughtful gift, but you don’t have to sell one of your internal organs on the black market to afford it. So, let’s dive in.
1. The Green Ideas collection
Firstly, we have environmental activists. Okay. So, if you’re buying a book for the Greta Thurnberg in your life, I’d recommend The Green Ideas collection from Penguin. It’s essentially this new canon of environmental books and speeches and essays and there are loads of lovely ones. You could buy one. You could buy a couple. You could buy the whole collection.
2. Small Pleasure
My mom wants something. That’s interesting but still cozy. Small Pleasure is a book about a very ordinary woman working for a small town, newspaper and she’s writing a story on a local woman who claims to have had a virgin birth, but while we follow that story, the book kind of like the title suggests is about the little things in life that make life so special.
3. Play It As It Lays
Next up we have the indie girlfriend. I would say you cannot go wrong with Joan Didion. She wrote about 1960’s LA in these honest accounts and I would recommend Play It As It Lays. Music, lover/producer, for a non-technical book.
4. Love is a Mix Tape
Love is a Mix Tape was written by the editor-in-chief of Rolling Stones Magazine and it’s essentially an elegy for his girlfriend who tragically died very young. And it’s also about how music is just the soundtrack to our existences and how it intertwines, with memories that we have, and how Music is so closely associated with times in our lives. So non-technical but great for someone who has a passion for music I would say.
5. Crime and Punishment
I need a book for my existentialist, boyfriend. Okay, I would say get him something Russian 'cause they were going through It. Crime and Punishment are great It’s all about someone who murders an old, pawnbroker and then has to live with it, and it’s all about the different emotions that he goes through.
6. The Master and Margarita
Also, The Master and Margarita are bizarre but quite wonderful.
7. Malibu Rising
People who are secretly very nosy but don’t want to personally intrude into someone’s life. I have the perfect book for you and that is Malibu Rising. This is fiction, so not real life, but it follows the children of a world-famous, rockstar and they’re hosting this massive party with everyone who’s Anyone and it introduces all of these fictional celebrities and the dramas that they have in their lives and the book wades through everyone’s scandals and relationships. Lots of twists and one for the gossip lovers.
8. No One Is Talking About This
My friend, loves a thought, provoking Twitter thread or Medium article. Okay, I think they’d love No One Is Talking About This. It’s an ironic title because I can’t shut up about it. But the first half of this book is a very nuanced discussion about internet culture, specifically on Twitter, where there’s always a discourse about everything. And then the second half of The book is about a family tragedy in which the character just can’t comprehend that something so massive in their lives doesn’t have this public discourse going on, as everything seems to be on the internet, which she spends a lot of time, on. She’s so accustomed to That public discourse, that the fact that no one is talking about this is disarming. And it’s a thought-provoking discussion about internet culture from someone who has a real affection for it and spends a lot of time online rather than the classic book about the internet, which is just like everything. Online is horrible, and wrong and corrupting our brains.
9. Slaughterhouse-Five
My boyfriend loves books about World War two, but also space. The perfect culmination of those two things is Slaughterhouse-Five, which is a book about Kurt Vonnegut’s own experience of being a prisoner of war in Dresden and the trauma that he experienced and it’s his way of comprehending that trauma and the PTSD that he experiences. So he essentially imagines his captors as aliens who take him away to a different planet. But there you go that kind of merges those two interests.
10. Night Sky with Exit Wounds
Poetry, loving sister Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong is just dazzling as a collection.
11. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Someone who doesn’t read much but wants to get into it. I’m not joking. When I say everyone, I know who has read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, whether they have been reading for years or just started adoring it. It’s about a fictional, celebrity who’s. The most famous woman in the world. It’s about her life in the spotlight and the secrets and the scandals that went on during her career – and it is truly such a page-turner.
12. The Vanishing Half
Next, one’s a great one. Someone who puts down a book if they don’t enjoy the first chapter. I think maybe The Vanishing Half because the book is set up in a way where you want to know what happens. I can’t imagine not finishing this, because we follow these two twin sisters who are black but could pass as white one sister chooses to live her life as a black woman, and the other chooses to live as a white woman. So from that point onwards, we watch how their lives diverge and collide and also how this impacts their children’s lives. So I was hooked.
13. The Beekeeper of Aleppo
Oh also, you could try The Beekeeper of Aleppo. The beginning of this is fantastically written but so heartbreaking and the book has some great twists. So completely captivating.
14. And Then the End Will Come
The doomsday prepper And Then the End Will Come is about the end times, but it flips the idea on its head and encourages people to live in the Moment. So it doesn’t invalidate the belief in doomsday, but it suggests that maybe you use that energy more positively. So check that one out.
15. Hamnet
A book for people who are trained in literature and classics and are snobby about the books that they read. Hamnet Is a book that I think will become a modern classic. It’s historical fiction and it’s this deep exploration of grief and it’s written interestingly because it’s about William Shakespeare, but it never mentions him by name. It casts a spotlight on his family and there were just so many lines that made my jaw drop.
16. The Windrush Betrayal
A book for a wannabe journalist. The Windrush Betrayal is a book about the hostile environment that was created by the UK government towards the Windrush generation. So it teaches you about that, but it’s also about the power of journalism to uncover these things and it’s written by a journalist from The Guardian who exposed the whole thing.
17. A Single Man
This person said something sad and gay. A Single Man chronicles 24 hours in the life of a man who has recently lost his husband. He also talks about life living as a minority, and this book just broke my heart into tiny little pieces.
18. The Song of Achilles
Also, The Song of Achilles is in Greek mythology. Retelling and it fits the criteria of being both sad and gay so there you go.
19. The Memory Police
Someone who loves dystopia but has already read every dystopia. I can think of. Okay, so maybe try The Memory Police, which is a Japanese dystopia that has been recently translated. It’s about an island in which things like birds, hats ribbon, all start to disappear from people’s memories. So it’s all about the mind, and control, and the book center on a group of people who decide to rebel against the system. And hopefully, they haven’t read it. If they have. I can only apologize. Oh, these two are similar.
20. On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous
So my best friend who exclusively listens to Taylor, Swift and then also a book for an introvert who loves cats, tea, the fall, and Taylor Swift. I think that people who love Taylor Swift’s writing would love the writing of Ocean Vuong. He is one of the most exciting up-and-coming writers of our time and his writing is just exquisite. So I would recommend On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous. Amazing coming of age, sapphic, and weird.
21. Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke
There is this completely unhinged book, called Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke. It’s about two women who meet on an internet chat room they have this relationship that has a sexual element to it, and they just bring out the worst in each other. I read this all in one sitting because I was just so hooked. I needed to know what happened. Yeah, I couldn’t put that one down.
22. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed
Horror lover who wants something a little bit twisted. The Dangers of Smoking in Bed is an Argentinian collection of short horror stories. Perfect for your friend who’s, an Edgar Allan, fan, and I hope it passes the vibe check.
23. Before the Coffee Gets Cold
A girl, I’m trying to befriend who dresses greatly, has read Murakami, and is cool. I’m going to recommend Before the Coffee Gets Cold. It has that same classic Japanese style of magical realism that Murakami uses, and it’s about this coffee shop, where people can go back in time to speak to people they’d previously had confrontations with, but there are lots of rules. So everything they do in the past. Will affect the present day and they only have as much time as their coffee is warm. And this book wrecked me. I think it’s quite a cool book. I think it would give lots to discuss with this potential new friend so that you can become besties.
24. Convenience Store Woman
A philosophy lover, a chaotic person with a great analytical capacity. Maybe Convenience Store Woman. It’s this little book all about the intersection between feminism and criticism of capitalism, and I enjoyed it so much. It is devastating, but in a very subtle way, and the character is forced to choose between having a flourishing career or a successful relationship, and she’s essential, this is every woman figure. Lots of different voices telling her what she should and shouldn’t be doing and again. This is a great book that you could discuss after finishing reading it.
25. We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves
Someone who craves good plot twists, but always guesses them quickly. I think that the book with the most shocking plot twist for me was We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves, but it comes quite early on in the book, which is good if you’re a serial guesser of plot twists because then you can enjoy the rest of It.
26. Lonely Castle in the Mirror
Then also Lonely Castle in the Mirror has some great twists and turns.
27. Never Let Me Go
As does Never Let Me Go. So a few options there. Hopefully one of them works.
28. The Housekeeper and the Professor
Loves maths, but also literature. Weird mix. I know. I have the perfect book for you. The Housekeeper and the Professor does exactly this. It’s about this retired maths, professor, who has a short memory, So he forgets pretty much everything and his housekeeper has to reintroduce herself to him every time she comes over, but the One thing that has stayed firm in his memory is his love for numbers and I hate maths right. It’s not my forte, but even I enjoyed this book. It’s just completely enthralling. So yeah. That’s a good combination of maths and literature.
29. Kim Jiyoung, Born-1982
My best friend had a phase that just hasn’t ended and also loves Korean culture. Okay, love that. I would recommend Kim Jiyoung Born 1982, which is all about the female experience of living in South Korea, but also beyond that. It’s also about womanhood, more generally and the things that happen to the character are also backed up with facts of real-life events, and it makes you think.
30. Emma
A book for people who can’t wait for season two of Bridgerton. Listen, it’s got to, be Jane Austen. I think Emma is her best piece of work. It’s all about misunderstandings and miscommunication, and it’s genuinely so funny. But also, if you want more of that Bridgerton style of core thing, then maybe go for Northanger Abbey, which is another great one of her works.
31. The Hungry Tide
A book for my uncle who loves fishing. Weirdly I have a few recommendations for you here. The Hungry Tide is set in India’s tidal region and it’s all about the symbiotic relationship between fishermen and the water.
32. Moby Dick
Or you could go for Moby Dick to go a bit more classic.
33. Old Man and the Sea
Or the Old Man and the Sea. So some very fishy options for you there. Light reads for reading by the pool.:
34. Queenie
Firstly very jealous. Secondly, I read Queenie when I was on holiday this year and I enjoyed it. It has this brilliant cast of a diverse range of characters, and it’s all about this girl who just keeps making bad decisions when it comes to her love life and her friendships, and her relationships. But it has this authentic voice and it’s such a page, turner.
35. Clap When You Land
Or you can get Clap When You Land, which is all about these two girls who both lose their fathers in a plane, crash. And again, captivating from the get-go.
36. Siddhartha
Spiritual people might enjoy Siddhartha. It’s about a man who is searching for his faith but ultimately finds everything that he needs within himself and it’s good. Just please for the love of God: don’t buy them.
37. Lost Girls and Love Hotels
Arty party girl, with a nine to five who wants to get into reading but doesn’t think she has the time. This makes me think of Lost Girls and Love Hotels, which is about these two girls living in Tokyo who go to lots of parties, they’re very witty, and it’s also a very ***, positive book. So maybe check that one out.
38. Exciting Times
A Sally Rooney lover who can’t find books that just hit in the same way. The most similar writing style I found to Sally Rooney is Exciting Times. It’s set in Hong Kong, it’s all about human connection and being incredibly introspective having messy complicated relationships. But on top of that, it’s also wider cultural criticisms and quips.
39. Luster
And I also liked Luster, which is about a woman who is having an affair with a married man, and she ends up moving into his house at his wife’s request. Again, very messy and one of the best books to come out in 2021.
40. Shuggie Bain
A book for my dad who likes personal accounts of hardship Shuggie Bain. I think fits the bill here. It’s about a child growing up with an alcoholic mother, and it is a very, very tender exploration of pride and poverty and also complicated family love.
41. Call Me By Your Name
I want a book that will fill me with love and then break my heart into tiny pieces. Call Me By Your Name, will do exactly that.
42. Funny Boy
A book about coming to terms with sexuality despite having a homophobic, family. Okay, Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai is set in Sri Lanka and it’s all about identity politics and coming to terms with who the main character is. But you also learn a bit about Sri Lankan history, which is bubbling away in the background of the narrative – and I think this is just so Indistinct and I think it’s an absolute masterpiece.
43. The Good Soldier
My dad wants something: a bit psychological. The Good Soldier features, potentially the epitome of the unreliable narrator. Told in a non-chronological way, and we slowly start to realize that we can’t trust the story that we’re being told by the narrative, voice. He’s being very misleading. So you have to read between the lines and there’s death and adultery and lying. What more could you want?
44. Brighton Rock
A book for a big fan of Peaky Blinder's. Okay, so Brighton Rock is very, very similar. It’s about a gang in Brighton and it has one of the best opening lines of all time. Hale knew before he’d been at Brighton three hours that they meant to murder him. How could you not read on after reading that right People who want to read, but just don’t have the time?
45. What I Talk About When I Talk About Love
Short story collections are your new best friend. I would recommend What I Talk About When I Talk About Love. The stories are very concise and self-contained, but they get you hooked.
46. The Houseguest and Other Stories
Also The Houseguest and Other Stories I enjoyed.
47. No One Belongs Here More Than You
As well as No One Belongs Here More Than You. And short story collections are great for people who only read in short, bursts because then they feel like they’ve achieved something, and I think it would encourage you to keep picking it back up to read another story.
48. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
Fiction for men who only read non-fiction. And then in brackets, I’m trying to get my dad and my boyfriend to branch out. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a comedic sci-fi book in which the world ends and the character then ends up going into space, and it’s just a bit silly, but also good fun to read.
49. Misery
Or on a different note, you could go with Misery, which is about a famous writer whose number one fan kidnaps him and holds him hostage, and it’s pretty gripping. I think they’d, like it.
50. My Policeman
My two best friends are a Harry Styles fanboy and a Harry Styles fangirl. What an iconic duo. Get them a copy of My Policeman, so they can read the book that is being adapted into the film before it comes out, and honestly, I thought the book was phenomenal.
51. Norwegian Wood
Harry Styles is also a big fan of Norwegian Wood, which is one of the best books. I read this year. It will make you want to visit Tokyo so much, and it’s about love and mental health, and complicated relationships. Yeah, it’s very good.
52. Red White and Royal Blue
Oh, no, my friend is going through a breakup and needs a fluffy romance with new comfort, and characters. Red White and Royal Blue. It’s exactly what you need.! It’s about a fictional prince of England, a fictional son of the US president, who meet let’s say, and it’s just a heartwarming love, story.
53. A Little Life
People who love reading sad books and crying about them to you. I mean A Little Life is probably the saddest piece of Literature I have ever encountered. It’s about these four men in New York City who have been friends since college and it documents their whole lives and the personal tragedies each one of the experiences. And it made me ugly cry Real tears. But also, I would just say, be careful about who you buy this for and make sure you’ve read the trigger warnings. Beforehand. Make sure they have read the trigger warnings as well. Yeah just be the careful cause. You want them to cry, but you don’t want them to be traumatized.
54. The Hungover Games
My sister just found out she’s pregnant and then in brackets by accident. The Hungover Games is about expecting a child when you can barely look after yourself and it’s full of this dark sardonic wit, and I think I find it refreshing.
55. What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
My husband is training to run the New York marathon. Wow okay, I think that What I Talk About When I Talk About Running will resonate with anyone who loves well running, and I think it would be good to motivate him to keep going and I hope that he smashes it.
56. Changes
My friend is going through a divorce. Okay, so when they decide to take a break from listening to Adele, I think maybe they would enjoy reading Changes, A Love Story. It’s set in Ghana and it’s all about leaving a marriage and negotiating a newly single life.
57. 84 Charing Cross Road
A person who likes collecting books but not reading them. Okay, cool your friend out. I think that any bookshop lover will become enamored with 84 Charing Cross Road. It’s this charming little book, which is written as a series of letters in correspondence between a book lover and buyer in New York, City, and booksellers in London. So warm so cozy and just lovely.
58. My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Depressed bestie who just likes reading books about women with depression. My Year of Rest and Relaxation details different types of depression and it’s about a woman who essentially decides to take a year of hibernation from the world, and it’s so vividly written. You can feel how pointless everything seems to her, but again read trigger warnings for this before buying it.
59. If I Had Your Face
The person who is utterly obsessed with Kpop. I would recommend If I Had Your Face, which is an illuminating book all about modern, South Korean culture set in Seoul. It’s all about beauty, and standards. One of the characters is a huge Kpop, stan. Okay, leading on from that.
60. Demian
The next one says the BTS the army is here.: Okay, two options.; Firstly, Demian influenced the Blood, Sweat, and Tears music video.
61. The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas
And then secondly, Ursula K. LeGuin's, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas inspired the Spring Day: music video. So if you can find that short story in one of her collections, I think they’d love to learn more about it.
62. Such A Fun Age
I’m looking for a contemporary fictional book, which touches upon racial criticism. Okay, Such A Fun Age, is about a black woman who is babysitting. A white child when she’s essentially arrested at a local supermarket by the security guards who think she’s kidnapping the child and the book centers around the messy nuances of privilege. But it’s written in such a natural and vivid way that you just get completely lost in it.
63. Normal People
What to buy for a university fresher. I love Normal People. I think it’s the perfect book for university-aged people, thinking about their first relationships and communication with other humans,
64. Loveless
But as an alternative to that, I also enjoyed Loveless by Alice Oseman. It is set at Darby University, so it does have a very special place in my heart, but it’s all about moving to university and the experience of being a fresher and being away from home. But on top of that, it’s also an exploration of asexuality and being aromantic, and I’m so glad I read this book because I feel like in the future I’ll be a much better friend and ally. So I’m very glad that I stumbled upon this book.
65. The Uni-verse
The Uni-verse by Jack Edwards. My ultimate guide to university. Damn nearly missed an opportunity to plug that.
66. Ariadne
The mythology lover and then in brackets, they’ve already read Sword of Achilles. Okay in fairness, everyone loves that book. Ariadne is a new book. That’s just come out about a Greek mythology retelling,
67. Love in Color
but I would also highly recommend Love in Color, which is a selection of mythological retellings in a modern context, and it retells those mythological stories from lots of different countries and cultures.
68. Klara and the Sun
My girlfriend, loves art, especially cubism. Oh, Klara and the Sun has elements of cubism. It’s a sort of dystopia about the rise of artificial intelligence.
69. Girl, Woman, Other
And the final one says my girlfriend just wants a book about women. I would recommend Girl, Woman, Other. It is this sprawling story across generations about a myriad of fascinating women. I think it would make your feminism so much more intersectional. So check that out. And on that note, my brain has been completely emptied of ideas.
I hope this has been helpful. I hope it serves as a good gift guide for any time you need to buy someone a book. I’m sure anyone would be grateful to receive a book that you thought they would love. And if they hate it, you didn’t hear this recommendation from me.
Thank you very much.