Best Books for Holiday Giving

By Chris Weber

With the holiday season fast approaching, here is a list of books to put on your list. Plus, a review of my favorite book so far! Happy New Year!!

Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus:

While I loved Lessons in Chemistry, I found this book even more entertaining. I love poetry and could appreciate the desire to be a poet. And I do agree that you can’t choose to be a poet; poets are simply born. Follow Batter, whose character was named after a dog, as he journeys through childhood into the adult world. Poetry speaks to him, and he understands it better than most. An extremely bright young man, he’s not sure how to pursue his dreams. Finally, he discovers Peck & Peck, a review house that publishes new poetry quarterly. The novel was infused with delightful humor, which I thoroughly enjoyed. A must-read for everyone who loved Lessons in Chemistry.

Adult Fiction:

A Date with Santa by Debbie Macomber

Hollywood Ending by John Green

Miss Wolcott’s Ghost by Louise Penny

Partita by Barbara Kingsolver

The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon

Return to the Shack by Wm Paul Young

Adult Non-Fiction:

Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State by Michael Lewis

The Rush: California Gold, the Civil War, and the Making of the Modern World by Nathaniel Philbrick

Simply Ina: A Barefoot Contessa Cookbook by Ina Garten

Picture books:

The Bakery Dragon and the Giant Cookie by Devin Elle Kurtz

Milli Fleur’s Worst Day Ever by Christy Mandin

Pete the Cat and the Cookie Catastrophe by James Dean

Children Ages 8-12:

Camp Half-Blood: From the World of Percy Jackson: The Wild Zone by Rick Riordan

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Fight or Flight by Jeff Kinney

Karen’s New Year (Baby-Sitters Little Sister) DK Yingst (adaptor, illustrator) and Ann B. Martin (author)

The Neverfear (Impossible Creatures #3) by Katherine Rundell

Young Adult:

Everything New Again by Renee Watson

Flight: A Story of Seeking Refuge by Alan Gratz

Chris Weber is a partner of The Bookshelf, Madeira’s only small, independent bookstore, where every book is carefully selected to meet both contemporary literary trends and bestsellers.

The Bookshelf is open 10-5 Monday-Saturday and Sunday 1-5.