Holiday Gift Guide!

Alright peeps, I’m a book nerd and proud of it. You know what I want for Christmas? Books. Books. And more books. And a GTR, but that’s probably not gonna happen. Unless you want to buy me one, and then click on the picture below. I also have a bridge to sell you. It’s in Brooklyn.

Anyway…Books are the best present for anyone. They smell nice. They look nice, and if you treat them nicely they won’t give you papercuts. So hold your breath no longer, here are my picks for your awesome book-giving holiday season!

The Fashionista

If this image of the Sex and the City gals in any way reminds you of the recipient, boy have I got some books for you.

First up, Pretty Little Liars:

Consider the awesome book collection, TV series or both. Or, check out The Lying Game, also by Sara Shepard. Both series have a healthy dose of murder mystery and handbags. I love both of these series for their drama, excitement, and general teen angst.

The Gamer

Do you know someone who loves to play video games? Then RUSH by Eve Silver is a pretty safe bet. Teens are fighting against an alien invasion in a video-game style drama with a swoon-worthy love interest.

The Person who LOVES the Hunger Games

Divergent is the exciting series about choosing your destiny, and then taking that destiny by the horns when it doesn’t pan out. LOVED this series. I asked for the third book, Allegiant, for Christmas. Hint, hint, husband. HINT. Also, this will be a movie in April 2014, so we can see it all acted out on the big screen. Squee!

Your Teenaged Niece:

The Eve Trilogy is a fantastic, beautifully written series about a girl in post-apocalyptic Earth. It’s about courage, fear, and standing up for what’s right. Plus, author Anna Carey is super nice and always responds to my tweets, and is releasing an epilogue to the series soon!

 

I think another obvious but great choice is Beautiful Creatures. Why not treat the girl in your life to a book/movie combo?

I’ll also throw one more in this category. Try Legend by Marie Lu. EVERYONE, and I mean everyone, loves it. So much fun and with a totally hot love interest, teens (and adult women!) will love the fast-paced excitement of the series.

The Person who says they hate reading.

Oh, you know them. That person who’s like, “I hate reading, but I’m sooo caught up on Entourage.” This is how we know we’ve failed our children, America.

So, I give you the most obvious choice: Harry Potter. But not just any Harry Potter, oh ho no (finger wag). The brand-spanking new, commemorative edition with new covers by Kazu Kibuishi. Behold:

The spines of the book series make out this Hogwarts castle when put together.
THUNK.
Oh, sorry, I’m back. I just fangirled and passed out from excitement. I may or may not have already bought this set simply for the covers.

Back to what I was saying. Harry Potter is the quintessential set of books for anyone who doesn’t like to read. They start off easy and fun, and get deeper and darker as you go along. Rowling is a master of fiction. Readers won’t be able to help falling in love with Harry, Hogwarts, and the wizarding world.

The Walking Dead Fan

Does your friend or loved one have a problem? Is that problem watching zombies get hacked apart all the freakin’ time? Did anyone else have a heart attack watching the mid-season finale?! GAH! Judith, where are YOU?!!!

Okay folks, here you go. If you like The Walking Dead, you’ll love James Dashner’s The Maze Runner trilogy.

There are mazes, zombies, government bad guys, lost loves and everything in between. Seriously, this series in fantastic.

For the Guy Who LOVED the Matrix

Let’s throw in another Dashner recommendation because he’s just so darn good.

I loved this book, and can’t wait for the next one. It’s a cross between The Matrix and Inception, both of which I absolutely love and watch over and over again.

I’ll also add another book, great for guys and girls. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is a freakin’ masterpiece. The prison is alive, folks, and it’s PISSED. Also want to give a shout out to her other works, including Obsidian Mirror.

For your Dad:

Is your Dad into old-school fantasy or sci-fi? Then pick up a copy of Orson Scott Card’s classic Ender’s Game.

It’s also a movie with famous people like Harrison Ford. The book is fantastic, and I humbly suggest you get yourself a copy while you get one for dear ol’ dad.

For the Girl (or guy) who LOVES Comic Books or Superheroes:

Amelia Kahaney’s The Brokenhearted is an exciting, superhero-esque romp through a Gotham-type metropolis full of dirty deeds. This book is a ballerina Batman combo, and really fun.

I’ll also add Cinder by Marissa Meyer. This is a great series about a cyborg named Cinder who gets caught up in an intergalactic war. Fun for any age! She’s also a super cool, local Seattle area author who is always really nice when the fangirls come out 😉

The Nephew (AKA Hard to Shop For Teenaged Boy):

This is a great category, because I think there are so many good choices for guys (and girls!) to love. I’ll start with Neal Shusterman’s Unwind Dystology. WOW. Dark, dangerous, and enough to make you cry for your mommy, this series will make you question politics and public policy. In a future where abortion has been outlawed, unruly teens can be “unwound” for parts. Read the review here. This is heavy stuff, but really fantastic.

 

The Reader:

And last, but certainly not least, for the reader in your life who likes a bit of whimsy, I suggest Maggie Stiefvater’s The Raven Boys. Book two, The Dream Thieves, is also out. I cannot WAIT for the third book.

2 thoughts on “Holiday Gift Guide!

  1. Anne

    I’ll need to check some of these out! Saw the trailer for Divergent and Emily almost wet herself in excitement while I was like “wut.” I’m so out of the loop and clearly need to use your gift guide for expanding my reading. 😉 I’ve only read Ender’s Game from this list….

  2. Pingback: Holiday Gift List! (Or: Books you should buy people!) – Prologue - DCC Mealy

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