The 2023 Book Gift List
Featuring works by authors I know and love, and you should, too
I am part of several different online and in-person writers’ groups, so I know a lot of people who have written excellent books that would make great gifts. These are Amazon affiliate links but go ahead and buy the books wherever you like, because buying books and supporting bookstores are great things.
The book for the pop culture fan:
Surely You Can’t Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! By David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. I don’t know Messrs. Abrahams or Zucker, but I do know Will Harris of
, a pop culture writer (and outstanding music trivia player). Will conducted the interviews that went into making this book. Also, consider watching Airplane! with your family, especially the youngsters who might not have seen it yet.The book for the music fan:
This is Christmas, Song by Song By Annie Zaleski. Also known (to me) as Other Annie,
’s deep knowledge of pop music and top-notch writing skills make this a fun book to give to a music lover. Other Annie has also written books about Duran Duran, Lady Gaga, and P!NK, if you know any of their fans.The book for Cleveland fans:
Weird Moments in Cleveland Sports: Bottlegate, Bedbugs, and Burying the Pennant By Vince Guerrieri. Being a Cleveland fan means being comfortable with defeat. It also means accepting that anything that can go wrong will. Vince catalogues all the weird ways that things have gone very wrong (and occasionally right) in Cleveland sports.
The book for the spiritual baker:
The Sacred Life of Bread: Uncovering the Mystery of an Ordinary Loaf By Meghan Murphy-Gill.
is a writer, editor, and Episcopal priest. This book is a series of recipes and meditations on what bread means to the world, with a definite Christian perspective.The book to give the year after your family’s 23 and Me surprise:
The Myth of Surrender By Kelly O’Connor McNees. A lot of families have found surprise relatives thanks to the prevalence of DNA tests. One reason is that in the 1960s, unwed mothers were pressured to give up their children through closed adoptions, with the mothers encouraged to never speak of the birth and adoptive parents encouraged to downplay the event in the child’s life. Kelly’s novel looks at life in a home for unwed mothers and the aftermath for two of its residents. It’s excellent. Her earlier novels are excellent, too.
The book for the romance lover:
Crash Into Me By Darci St. John. Romance is the largest genre in publishing, and Darci is its newest star. Introduce your favorite romance reader to this novel, about life on the Formula One circuit. Among other things.
The book for the architecture nerd:
Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin: How America's Most Famous Architect Found Inspiration in His Home State By Kristine Hansen. This is a guide to Frank Lloyd Wright buildings in Wisconsin, including those that have been demolished and those that are not open to the public. It includes lots of photographs and history, so even people who have never set foot in the state will enjoy it.
The book for a financial-industry white elephant exchange:
Hedge Funds for Dummies By Yours Truly. A sale is a sale, amirite?
What are your book recommendations? Share in the comments! Then get to work on your book so that I can include it next year.