Disclosure: some of the titles within this post were previously sent to me for free in exchange for an honest review. I’m an affiliate for Blackwell’s so this post contains affiliate links to their sites. If you buy a book via my links, I’ll earn a small commission at no extra cost to you – thank you!
I thought I would put together a little gift guide for the holidays in case anyone is still in need of a little inspiration! I’m keeping it simple, just a category and the book recommendations listed below. I’ve read all of the books I’ve included, so instead of writing out my thoughts again, I’ll just link you to my review of it over at The StoryGraph!
Let’s get going, we have lots of bookish ground to cover!
What to buy for…
The one with no attention span
- For a taut and tense tale set up North, try Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss – review / buy it
- For something compact, pertinent and slightly sinister, try Pew by Catherine Lacey – review / buy it
- For something dark and off-beat, try Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata – review / buy it
- For a haunting novella in two parts, try Minor Detail by Adania Shibli – review / buy it
The fantasy nut
- For something with strong sci-fi elements, try The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin – review / buy it
- For something absolutely brutal, try The Poppy War by R. F. Kuang – review / buy it
- For something a little more whimsical, try The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – review / buy it
- For something classically high fantasy, try Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb – review / buy it
The short story afficionado
- For something profound and interconnected, try Lot by Bryan Washington – review / buy it
- For something visceral and haunting, try Salt Slow by Julia Armfield – review / buy it
- For something to reinforce the fact that Blackness is not a monolith, try Heads of the Colored People by Nafissa Thompson-Spires – review / buy it
- For something combining horror and cutting social commentary, try Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez – review / buy it
The non-fiction fanatic
- For something that mixes personal with political, try Don’t Touch My Hair by Emma Dabiri – review / buy it
- For something to whisk you away to the Cornish coast, try Dark, Salt, Clear by Lamorna Ash – review / buy it
- For something that merges creative writing and journalism, try Dead Girls by Selva Almada – review / buy it
- For a memoir with a difference, try Apple: Skin to the Core by Eric Gansworth – review / buy it
The romance reader
- For something super cute yet super steamy, try Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – review / buy it
- For a queer romance that will make your cheeks ache from smiling, try You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson – review / buy it
- For something cute that still tackles important topics, try The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar – review / buy it
- For a blend of fantasy and romance ft. an older queer couple, try The House in the Cerulean Sea by T. J. Klune – review / buy it
The history buff
- For a different side to the Vietnam war, try The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai – review / buy it
- For something truly epic in scope, try A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James – review / buy it
- For a queer retelling of an Argentinian classic, try The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabézon Cámara – review / buy it
- For something heart-breaking but incredibly powerful, try Betty by Tiffany McDaniel – review / buy it
The macabre friend
- For a terrifying exploration of intergenerational trauma, try The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones – review / buy it
- For a brutal and slightly nauseating sci-fi, try Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica – review / buy it
- For something perverse and unforgettable, try Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor – review / buy it
- For something by a brilliant Northern talent, try Boy Parts by Eliza Clark – review / buy it
The one who likes to feel their feelings
- For something achingly sad and beautiful, try The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi – review / buy it
- For a heart-wrenching account of a mother and son in post-Thatcher Glasgow, try Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart – review / buy it
- For a unique exploration of grief and loss, try Learning to Talk to Plants by Marta Orriols – review / buy it
- For a tender portrayal of loss and sisterhood, try Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo – review / buy it