Maybe you love to give books, have already pre-ordered signed copies of bestsellers and chosen your favorite reads for everyone on your list. Maybe you celebrate the Icelandic Jolabokaflod tradition of exchanging books on a cozy evening and settling in for a night of reading, gourmet chocolate, fluffy socks and your favorite hot toddy. Maybe you equate giving books to the curmudgeon who stands at the front door handing out toothbrushes on Halloween.
Books are the perfect holiday gift. By giving books, you take the time to think about your loved ones and select something meaningful for them. You give them an excuse to slow down, escape their daily worries and explore new experiences all from the comfort of a cozy couch. You give the opportunity to learn something new, seek adventure, get lost in a romance or simply enjoy a few pleasurable hours alone. You give a chance to build a greater connection by talking about the book with them later. What other small gift can do all that?
Need help picking out that perfect book? I've shared a speed-round of recommendations below, but plan time to visit your independent bookstore to get more gift ideas. That's what we do best! We also host author events, create a gathering space for the community, host book clubs, story times and support local authors. We collaborate with local partners and employ residents. We hand-curate our inventory to meet community interests. We read a lot.
We know you can buy books from big box stores or Amazon, but if you support our mission, please consider shopping with independent bookstores this holiday season. The Saturday after Thanksgiving is Small Business Saturday, the day the nation celebrates and supports small businesses and all they do for their communities.
By shopping local during the holidays, you help ensure local businesses stay healthy the rest of the year, plus you:
- Keep dollars in our local economy. An indie bookstore recirculates 29% of its revenue locally, whereas Amazon only circulates 5%.
- Create local jobs.
- Help the environment by requiring less packaging and transportation.
- Nurture our community. Local businesses donate to local causes more than twice the rate as chains and online retailers.
- Make us a destination, and ensure Central Oregon is rich with unique and diverse businesses.
The strength of Bend's literary community is underscored by the number of indie bookstores in Central Oregon. Roundabout Books & Cafe and Dudley's Bookshop Cafe in Bend, Herringbone Books in Redmond, Paulina Springs Books in Sisters, and Sunriver Books and Music in Sunriver are all members of American Booksellers Association, are led by teams of individuals who enjoy sharing their great love of literature and who can't wait to share their holiday gift recommendations.
Here is a great variety of nonfiction:
For inspiration, try "Hidden Potential" by Adam Grant, "Atomic Habits" by James Clear, "How to Know a Person" by David Brooks, or "Awe" by Dacher Keitner.
For health and wellness try "Outlive" by Peter Attia, "Forever Strong" by Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and don't forget a beautiful new cookbook!
For science and nature, check out "A City on Mars" by Kelly and Zach Weinersmith or "Of Time and Turtles" by Sy Montgomery.
For history buffs, consider "The Last Outlaws" by Tom Clavin, "Differ We Must" by Steve Inskeep, or "Graveyard of the Pacific" by Randall Sullivan.
For fans of biography, this year's celebrity tell-alls include Barbra Streisand, Henry Winkler, Patrick Stewart, Elon Musk and more. Stand-out non-celebrity memoirs include "Power Days" by Heather Hansman, "How to Say Babylon" by Safiya Sinclair, and "Class" by Stephanie Land.
For your favorite educator, "The Teachers" by Alexandra Robins.
For the creators on your list, "The Creative Act" by Rick Rubin.
For the socially minded, consider "Poverty, by America" by Matthew Desmond, or "Democracy Awakening" by Heather Cox Richardson.
For the perfect gift for your team, consider anything above, and "Good for a Girl" by Lauren Fleshman, "Going Infinite" by Michael Lewis, or "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara.
For kids, I loved the new Kate DiCamillo, "The Puppets of Spelhorst," perfect for emerging readers. Other middle grade highlights include "Dogtown" by Katherine Applegate, "MexiKid" by Pedro Martin, or "Bea Wolf" by Zach Weinersmith. My favorite picture books are "The Big Cheese" by Jory John, "Flat Cat" by Tara Lazar, "Knight Owl" by Christopher Denise, and "Evergreen" by Matthew Cordell.
Here are some of my recommendations this year:
For seriously great fiction, "The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride, "The Vaster Wilds" by Lauren Groff, "The House of Doors" by Ian Twan Eng, "Shark Heart" by Emily Habeck, "I Have Some Questions for You" by Rebecca Makkai, and "Roman Stories" by Jhumpa Lahiri.
Love a good mystery? Whether you like heart-pounding thrillers or cozy mysteries, this genre has a lot of variety. Look at "Bright Young Women" by Jessica Knoll, "Mother-Daughter Murder Night" by Nina Simon, "The Last Devil to Die" by Richard Osman, "Murder Your Employer" by Rupert Holmes, or "All That is Mine I Carry with Me" by William Landay.
For a bit of magic and adventure I loved "Curious Tides" by Pascale Lacelle, "Immortal Longings" by Chloe Gong, and "What the River Knows" by Isabel Ibanez. Plus, discover great new books by Patrick Rothfuss, Cassandra Clare, Naomi Alderman, Rebecca Yarros, Martha Wells, T Kingfisher and John Scalzi.
