Four Great Books to Gift for the Holidays


Need inspiration for an amazing book to give away as a gift this holiday season? Our Books Forward team has weighed in on our favorite books of 2021 to give as gifts this year. Which ones are on your holiday list? 

“The book I’ve consistently recommended to people all year has been Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson. She’s quirky, insightful and downright delightful. I love this book so much, and I’m totally planning to gift it to a couple friends this year.”

Angelle Barbazon, Lead Publicist 

“One of my favorite books in 2021 was by my favorite author, Becky Chambers, but takes a bit of a different approach than her previous sci-fi adventures. A Psalm For the Wild-Built delves into the meaning of life from the point of view of a monk questioning their existence, but it does so in a way that makes you hopeful for the future. It also includes a dorky robot — what more could you want?”

Ellen Whitfield, Publicity Director 

“I’m gifting Death by Dumpling by Vivien Chien. I’m prone to reading slumps, and I’ve found that diving into a cozy mystery is a good way to get out of one. Chien’s Noodle Shop Mysteries are super quick reads, and amateur sleuth Lana is a fun and sassy heroine with wonderful relationships from family to friends to everyone in Asia Village. Presenting a loved one with any of these books in the series and a gift card to a local Chinese restaurant is a great personalized way to gift a book — and will certainly satisfy those cravings for Chinese food they’re bound to have while reading.”

Jennifer Vance, Publicist and Digital Marketing Strategist 

“Qian Julie Wang has such a beautiful writing style, and Beautiful Country has a remarkable story that I think would enlighten any reader. I am choosing to gift this book to friends and family because of how deeply impacted I was by her story. I hope others will appreciate this author as much as I have!”

Elysse Wagner, Campaign Strategist and Publicist