This gift giving inspiration post was originally published in November 2019, and updated in October 2020
Books Gifts I Love to Give
I love it when someone gives me a thoughtfully chosen book. Likewise, I love to give book gifts. There is something special about receiving a book that is just one’s taste and style. It creates a connection between the giver and the recipient. There is a feeling that each understands the other, to know someone well enough to select a book that would be of interest.
The Travel Book: A Journey Through Every Country in the World
Lonely Planet
I’m really letting the cat out of the bag with this one- this is THE go-to gift I give to people on their birthdays. No matter what their age, everyone loves to dream about traveling to far away lands and this book lists every single country in the world along with notable facts and must-sees about each one of them in only the way that Lonely Planet can. You’re talking bucket lists? Get a big enough bucket to put the entire book in.
Nobody’s Cuter Than You: A Memoir About the Beauty of Friendship
Melanie Shankle
Amazing friends are one of the best things about being alive, right? In this memoir, author Melanie Shankle pays homage to her best friend and their unique friendship, while examining the influence friendships have in shaping each of our lives. We have all had friendships that have wounded us, and others that have helped us grow, with many shades in between. I gave this book as a gift to a dear friend who was moving from Longmeadow, MA to Chappaqua, New York.
Thich Nhat Hanh
While visiting a friend in Paris, she took me to see Thich Nhat Hanh live at a seminar, and I was blown away by the Zen of this man. Being Zen is literally Nhat Hanh’s job, as he is one of the world’s best known Zen Masters. Even if you don’t relate to Buddhist teachings, there is something for everyone in this lovely little book about spreading love and positivity and examining how we can integrate more of it into our lives, and the lives of others.
The Rainbow Atlas: A Guide to the World’s 500 Most Colorful Places
Taylor Fuller
To satisfy a friend’s wanderlust and provide colorful inspiration for everyday living, look no further than this awe inspiring book. Filled with beautiful places from around the world, these images of color bring joy and cheerfulness that may spark the next big idea or passion. Sometimes looking for inspiration in unexpected places can unlock creativity.
Robert Sabudat
This book is an amazing work of paper art, a surprise is on every page as you flip through this full-color pop up book. Robert Sabuda is a master at paper art, so if you have an interest in other subject matter, he has books for many other themes such as dinosaurs, children’s fables, and other whimsical subjects. Adults and kids alike will ohh and ahh over this book and other pop up paper art books.
Radical Beauty: How to Transform Yourself from the Inside Out
Deepak Chopra and Kimberly Snyder
For a friend that loves a holistic and healing approach to health, Deepak Chopra’s holistic approach offers tips on how to increase energy and vitality at any age. Using the six pillars of healthy living, these suggestions offer DIY solutions to transform your health from the inside out. Using integrative medicine’s understanding of the importance of proper lifestyle routines that create balance and reduce excessive stress, a more vibrant life can be gained through implementing simple routines that add up to big improvements in health and wellness. It all starts from the inside, and radiates outward.
Riley Sager
This book is for the friend that loves a good mystery or scare. I literally started this book one night after the kids went to bed and was up until 2:30am until I finished it. It’s that good! Author Riley Sager spins some of the best spooky tales, and Home Before Dark is one of the best books I’ve ever read. A woman returns to the house made famous by her father’s memoir of it being haunted. It is really a house of horrors as her father claimed, or are there other dark forces at work? When you gift this book, be sure to tell your friend to start it when she has a long stretch of time ahead of her, as she won’t want to put it down until she finds out what happens!
The Chiffon Trenches: A Memoir
Andre Leon Talley
For the friend who likes fashion, this book is a tell all from one of the fashion industry’s most prolific figures. This is the unlikely tale of a black man from the south who rises to the upper echelons of the cutthroat fashion world. Andre Leon Talley, under Anna Wintour’s tutelage became creative director at Vogue and had exclusive access to the best runway shows and events in the world. He shares about his friendships with some of the world’s most legendary designers and how abuse often snaked into those relationships. He also offers his perspective on how he was at times subjected to racism in the industry, despite his power and position at Vogue. There are many familiar names in this book, and Talley offers an honest and noncritical recanting of many historical moments in fashion.
For more ideas, shop my Amazon storefront https://www.amazon.com/shop/jaimie_tucker
Do you love giving or receiving book gifts? Let me know in a comment below!
Truly educational, INFORMATIONal, and often inspirational “better living” ideas that ENHANCe living for women. Easy to see the Value esp for men like me to learn what is current MOVing the women in our lives. Your blog is a great cheat sheet For us guys who really need to know what’s going on. Xo