Well, it’s that time of year again! The Christmas lights have come out (unless you’re like my mom who likes to have them up all year), Mariah Carey has emerged from her cryogenic chamber, visiting the mall has become an even bigger nightmare than usual, and you’re probably starting to think about your shopping and gifting lists.

It will come as no surprise that I love books. I love to read them, I love to buy them (a whole other hobby), I love to talk about them, and I LOVE to give them as gifts. Every child in my life gets books from me, and every grown-up too—even my brother who has maybe read one book in the last 4 years (and it was probably a textbook). However, I’m a firm believer that there’s a book for everyone, and it’s my mission to hopefully help YOU find the right books for everyone on YOUR gifting list too.

So read on, and happy holiday shopping!

For the One Who Loves Hallmark Movies…

The Holiday Honeymoon Switch by Julia McKay

I tore through Julia McKay (aka Marissa Stapley)’s The Holiday Honeymoon Switch in one day because I needed a little joyful escape after the US election results. The story follows Holly and Ivy — best friends who both kind of hate Christmas, and are so in sync that they even look alike. When Holly’s fiancé jilts her, leaving her devastated, with a non-refundable honeymoon, Holly convinces Ivy to switch places with her. Ivy will go on Holly’s Hawaiian honeymoon, while Holly will escape to Ivy’s rented cabin in the Hudson Valley to heal. However, Ivy’s vacation is upended when she discovers that Holly’s ex has checked into the honeymoon suite (with a new woman). Raging and left without a place to sleep, the last thing she expects is the hot bartender to come to her rescue. Meanwhile, Holly planned to do nothing but wallow and binge-watch movies, but her rugged (and hot) Airbnb host turns out to be her high school academic rival… Maybe — against all odds — this Christmas might be their most merry yet?

For the One Whose Partners are Always Walking Red Flags…

The Chain by Chimene Suleyman

I’ve already raved about Chimene Suleyman’s The Chain a few times this year, and I fear I will need to rave about it again and again. This is part memoir, part reflection about misogyny and sisterhood, and the chains that bind us together. In 2017, Chimene was on her way to an abortion clinic with her beloved boyfriend, not realizing that it would be the last day they ever spent together. In an unbelievable sequence of events, Chimene discovers her boyfriend has betrayed not just her, but several other women, leaving behind trauma, heartbreak, and devastation. This is the kind of book you’ll tear through in one day — a nonfiction book that’s as propulsive as a thriller, this is a powerful story about sisterhood, solidarity, misogyny, and abuse.

For the One Who Loves Cozy Mysteries…

The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose

Nita Prose’s The Mistletoe Mystery is a charming and gripping mystery novella, featuring her fan favourite character: Molly the maid. Molly has always loved the holidays — growing up, her gran would do all she could to make the holidays joyful, and since her passing, Molly has had a hard few Christmases. This year, however, her beloved boyfriend is intent on bringing back some holiday joy into Molly’s life. But when a Secret Santa gift exchange raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she finds herself in the thrall of her most personal mystery yet…

For the One Whose Relative Has Been Posting Increasingly Concerning Things on Facebook…

The Quiet Damage by Jesselyn Cook

Jesselyn Cook’s The Quiet Damage is a brilliant, compelling, compassionately reported, and deeply human exploration of five families, where a member of each family became radicalized by QAnon. This is a work of nonfiction by a celebrated reporter, charting each believer’s path to indoctrination, and exploring the psychology of how and why ordinary people can come to believe the unbelievable. This was harrowing and moving, almost paced like a true crime book, but with more compassion and understanding. The author also focuses on the efforts made to deprogram or reconnect with these individuals (and their varying degrees of success).

For the One You Want to Remind Of The Beauty In This World…

The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Robin Wall Kimmerer, the bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass is back with The Serviceberry, a feel good essay about abundance and reciprocity, using the metaphor of the serviceberry. This book uses examples in nature to highlight how we can perceive, imagine, and build our own gift economies centered on abundance and reciprocity. Paired with beautiful illustration, this book challenges previous ideas of capitalism vs. reciprocity, and shows us that another, more beautiful world is possible.

For the One Trying to Manifest Their Own Enemies-To-Lovers Romance…

Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli

Heartless Hunter is the first in a breathtaking new romantasy duology by Kristen Ciccarelli. Rune is a witch, living in secret as a vapid young socialite. In a society where witches are brutally hunted and killed, she becomes The Crimson Moth — a vigilante witch determined to rescue other witches.  When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent, and gain the intel she needs by courting Gideon Sharpe, the handsome and ruthless witch hunter. As they get closer and peel back each other’s layers, and start to fall for one another, it becomes harder to tell who is the cat and who is the mouse in this chase. This is a fast-paced and delicious fantasy that’s a little steamy, a little bloody, and more than a little magical.

For the One Who Loves Reading Romantasy…

The Last One by Rachel Howzell Hall

Releasing in early December, Rachel Howzell Hall’s The Last One is the bestselling author’s romantasy debut. When Kai wakes up in the woods, in a desolate land full of sickness and unnatural beasts, she has no idea of who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she can’t reach the Sea of Devour, everything will get worse. When she sees the village blacksmith fight off invaders with great skill, she decides to accept his offer of help… even though he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting. As she searches for answers, she only uncovers more questions, especially about the handsome blacksmith who can ignite her passion, and unceremoniously douse it.

For the One Who Loves Historical Fiction…

The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

I tore through Kate Quinn’s The Briar Club in two days. Set at a boardinghouse in Washington, D.C., during the McCarthy era, this is a powerful and gripping story about female friendships and secrets. Everyone keeps to themselves at Briarwood House, an all-female boardinghouse in the heart of the capital, where there are secrets everywhere. However, when the lovely, mysterious widow Grace March moves into the attic, it changes everything, as she draws her odd collection of neighbours into unlikely friendships. With her weekly dinner parties, and her window-brewed sun tea, she becomes a balm to these women — even as she hides her own terrible secret. When a shocking act of violence tears apart the house, the Briar women must decide who the true enemy is.

For the One Who’s Always at Home in a Museum…

There Are Rivers In The Sky By Elif Shafak

Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky is a gorgeous and expansive epic following three characters who live along two rivers, in the shadow of one of the greatest epic poems of all time — the Epic of Gilgamesh. In 1840, Arthur is born beside the stinking, sewage-filled River Thames. With an abusive, alcoholic father, and a mentally ill mother, his only chance of escaping poverty is his incredible memory. In 2014, Narin is a young Yazidi girl living in Turkey, diagnosed with a rare illness. Her grandmother is determined to baptize her in a sacred temple in Iraq — but as the destruction of their family’s ancestral lands by the River Tigris loom closer, and the presence of ISIS grows, she may soon run out of time. In 2018, Zaleekah, a hydrologist, has recently become divorced, and is now living on a houseboat in the Thames. She had made the decision to take her own life in one month, until a curious book about her homeland changes everything. This is an ambitious and dazzling historical epic, weaving together these three individuals’ stories with a single drop of water — which manifests across the centuries.

For the One Who Watches Formula 1 Because they “REALLY LOVE SPORTS”…

Cross the Line by Simone Soltani

As someone who got really into Drive to Survive, then quickly became an F1 W.A.G-in-training, Simone Soltani’s Cross the Line was made for me. It’s a steamy, dreamy romance that will have your heart racing ;). Formula 1 driver Dev Anderson’s career is on the line after a social media disaster, and he needs some help to save his image. Then, at a party in Monaco, he bumps into the woman who can fix it all. Unfortunately, she’s his best friend’s little sister, and even worse: he kissed her last year, and he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about it since. Recent graduate Willow needs a job, so when Dev offers her one, she jumps at the chance – even if it means ignoring the crush she’s had on him since childhood. They’re both determined to keep things professional, but in the high-stakes, high-speed world of Formula 1, some lines are meant to be crossed…

For the One Who’s A Little Too Into True Crime Podcasts…

The Reappearance Of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

I read my first (and second, and third) book by Holly Jackson this year, and all I can say is? Believe the hype. The bestselling author of the #BookTok fave: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series released a brand new, breath-taking true-crime fuelled mystery thriller this year, and it’s a must-read. 18-year-old Bel has lived in the shadow of her mom’s mysterious disappearance for her whole life. Sixteen years ago, Rachel Price vanished, and young Bel was the only witness. However, she has no memory of it. Rachel is gone, and presumed dead, and Bel just wants everyone to move on. But the case is dragged up from the past when the Price family agree to participate in a true-crime documentary. Then, the impossible happens: Rachel Price reappears, with an unbelievable story about what happened to her. But Bel isn’t convinced she’s telling the truth. Where has she really been? Why did she come back? And… could she be dangerous?

For the One Who’s Coping By Reading Dystopian Fiction…

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

Translated from Japanese, Yōko Ogawa’s The Memory Police is a quiet and brilliant accounting of a dystopian society, perfect for fans of 1984, Fahrenheit 451, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Set on an island where things disappear — one by one — from existence and memory, this is a resonant ode to the power of words and memories. We witness our nameless heroine start to lose her memories, and eventually her selfhood, under the oppressive and watchful eyes of the “memory police”. This is a smart, and thoughtful story, moving slowly but impactfully. I loved the snippets of our heroine’s novel, woven into our present story. This is an excellent piece of writing that paints a compelling picture. A movie adaptation is expected to be coming soon, starring Oscar-nominated actress Lily Gladstone.

For the One Who Who Loves to Host…

Bismillah Let’s Eat! by Zehra Allibhai

Toronto-based food and fitness influencer and coach Zehra Allibhai’s debut cookbook is called Bismillah Let’s Eat! Full of delicious, flavourful, and healthy recipes inspired by her East African and Indian roots, this book shares recipes — both her own inventions, and those passed down in her family — with all of us. Part lifestyle book, part cookbook, this is a culinary adventure, and a culmination of Allibhai’s own journey as a fitness influencer, and a mother. With recipes that are meant to be shared, this is the perfect book for the “host with the most” in your life.

For the One Who Loves To Get A Little Bit Introspective…

Burn After Writing by Sharon Jones

Burn After Writing is a bestselling phenomenon — the “must-have” journal for teens, tweens, and adults alike — this book helps you discover who you really are when no one else is looking. Full of incisive, thought-provoking questions and thought experiments, this is a brilliant tool to help you on your own journey to self-discovery. Get one as a gift, and one for yourself, and fuel your own creativity with this journal. You can get the original journal in a variety of different cover styles, or get the new expanded edition (with thirty pages of new questions). I also have the deck of cards — and the prompts make for great conversation starters for cozy evenings with your besties or your partner.

For the Little One With A Big Imagination…

We Are Definitely Human by X. Fang

I laughed out loud multiple times while reading X. Fang’s We Are Definitely Human. It’s a charming, hilarious picture book, with compelling illustrations, lots of heart, and plenty of inside jokes that readers of all ages will enjoy. When three mysterious visitors (from “Europe”) crash-land in Mr. Li’s field, he does what any good host would do – he invites them back to his farmhouse, and offers to help them fix up their “car”. No, there’s definitely nothing strange about these guests. Just like other, regular humans, they “play sportsball”, “make business”, and “wear hat”. This book was so delightful, and has fast become one of my favourites.

For the Little One Looking for a Cozy Escape…

Little Shrew by Akiko Miyakoshi

Akiko Miyakoshi’s Little Shrew is a DELIGHTFUL and cozy little book about appreciating life’s little pleasures. Little Shrew follows a strict routine from morning to night, but even a life that runs like clockwork can be filled with unexpected delights — whether it’s solving a puzzle for the first time, appreciating the scent of freshly baked bread, or planning and enjoying an evening with friends. This is a collection of three short stories, with a cozy, comforting art style perfect for readers young and old.

For the Young Reader Who’s Curious About the World Around Them…

Spooky Lakes by Geo Rutherford

Spooky Lake Month is my favourite time of year. It’s a recurring TikTok series where artist and teacher Geo Rutherford introduces her audience to a  “spooky lake” or other element of haunted hydrology for every day of the month in October. Spooky Lakes shares the story of 25 of the spookiest lakes on this planet, alongside beautiful watercolour illustrations done by Rutherford herself. Chock full of information on hydrology, geology, and sustainability, this is a compelling read that’s perfect for any classroom, or for curious readers of almost any age.

For the Young Reader Looking for a Bit of Magic…

Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

Touted as the next big thing for fans of Harry Potter and The Golden Compass, Katherine Rundell’s Impossible Creatures is the first book in a dazzling new fantasy series for middle-graders, teens, and adults alike. When Christopher saves a drowning baby griffin from a hidden lake, he never thought that it would change his life forever. For this is the day he first learns about the Archipelago, a cluster of unmapped islands where magical creatures have thrived for thousands of creatures… until now. This is also the day he meets Mal, a girl on the run who needs his help. Together, they begin a wild adventure, racing from island to island as they search for answers to why the magic is fading, and why magical creatures are suddenly dying. Inventive and brilliant, this book is sure to bring a bit of magic into your life.

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Ameema Saeed (@ameemabackwards) is a storyteller, a Capricorn, an avid bookworm, and a curator of very specific playlists and customized book recommendations. She’s a book reviewer, a Sensitivity Reader, a book buyer at Indigo Books & Music, and the Books Editor for She Does the City, where she writes and curates bookish content, and book recommendations. She enjoys bad puns, good food, dancing, and talking about feelings. She writes about books, big feelings, unruly bodies, and her lived experiences, and hopes to write your next favourite book one day. When she’s not reading books, she likes to talk about books (especially diverse books, and books by diverse authors) on her bookstagram: @ReadWithMeemz