Best Books for Those Closest to You

By Zibby Owens

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Nothing says “I love you” like a thoughtful gift for the holidays and books are the most thoughtful of all. The title alone can convey consideration and careful curation. 

Unlike another useless thing-a-ma-bob, books provide hours and hours of entertainment, engagement, empathy, and experience. A portal to connection with people around the world. Can an iPad mini claim that!? A pair of socks? A stack of bracelets? I don’t think so. 

Here are my picks of the books published in 2022 for your shopping selection this season. Find all of these titles on Bookshop.org! (I even sell wrapping paper!)  Or click on all the cover displayed below!

For the Unhappily Married:

All of This: A Memoir of Death and Desire by Rebecca Woolf

For the Movie and TV Aficionado:

It’s Not TV: The Spectacular Rise, Revolution, and Future of HBO by Felix Gillette and John Koblin

For the Intellectual:

The Nazi Conspiracy: The Secret Plan to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer with Josh Mensch

Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization by Neil deGrasse Tyson

For a Woman You Love:

Women Holding Things by Maira Kalman

For the Book Lover:

Bookends: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Literature by Zibby Owens

Spine Poems: An Eclectic Collection of Found Verse for Book Lovers by Annette Dauphin Simon

For the Friend with an Anxiety Disorder:

Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

For the Grieving Friend Who Needs a Laugh:

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

For the Friend Of a Certain Age:

No Filter: The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful by Paulina Porizkova

For the Foodie:

My First Popsicle: An Anthology of Food and Feelings, edited by Zosia Mamet

Slow Cooked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics by Marion Nestle

For the Holiday Traveler:

Flight by Lynn Steger Strong

Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky

More After the Break: A Reporter Returns to Ten Unforgettable News Stories by Jen Maxfield

The Unsinkable Greta James by Jennifer E. Smith

For the Entrepreneur:

Sweet Success: A Simple Recipe to Turn Your Passion into Profit by Candace Nelson

For Someone Who Loves to Laugh:

I Wouldn’t Do That if I Were Me: Modern Blunders and Modest Triumphs (but Mostly Blunders) by Jason Gay

Start Without Me: I’ll Be There in a Minute by Gary Janetti

For the Skiier:

The Last Chairlift by John Irving

For Your Therapist:

May Cause Side Effects: A Memoir by Brooke Siem

For the Green Juice/Matcha Latte Set:

The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care by Rina Raphael

For the One Who Believes in Love:

All Signs Point to Paris: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and Destiny by Natasha Sizlo

This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub

For the Writer – Aspiring or Published:

Write For Your Life by Anna Quindlen

Beautiful Writers: A Journey of Big Dreams & Messy Manuscripts with Tricks of the Trade from Bestselling Authors by Linda Sivertsen

For the Garden Lover:

Becoming a Gardener: What Reading and Digging Taught Me About Living by Catie Marron

For the Golf Addict:

So Help Me Golf: Why We Love the Game by Rick Reilly

For the Fantasy-Lover:

Lightlark by Alex Asker

For the Middle-Grader:

Best Wishes by Sarah Mlynowski

For Little Ones:

Giving Thanks by Denise Kiernan

Little Black Boy: Oh, the Things You Will Do! by Kirby Baptiste-Howell and Larry C. Fields

Little Black Girl: Oh, the Things You Can Do! by Kirby Baptiste Howell

Princess Charming by Zibby Owens

I’ll Be Your Polar Bear by Justin Roberts

Loud Mouse by Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel

For Your Ex:

The Break by Katie Sise

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

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Click on the covers to buy these great reads!

For the Writer – Aspiring or Published

For a Woman You Love

For the Grieving Friend Who Needs a Laugh

For Your Ex

For the Holiday Traveler

For the Green Juice/Matcha Latte Set

For the Intellectual

For the Entrepreneur

For Your Ex

For Someone Who Loves to Laugh

For the Book Lover

For the Foodie

For the Little Ones

For the Little Ones

For the Intellectual

For the Golf Addict

For the Little Ones

For the Friend with an Anxiety Disorder

For the Friend Of a Certain Age

For the Holiday Traveler

For the Foodie

For the Little Ones

For the Little Ones

For the Skier

For Your Therapist

For the Fantasy-Lover

For Someone Who Loves to Laugh

For the Holiday Traveler

For the Little Ones

For the Middle-Grader

For the Book Lover

For the Garden Lover

For the Writer – Aspiring or Published

For the Movie and TV Aficionado

For the One Who Believes in Love

For the Holiday Traveler

For the Unhappily Married