The holidays encourage time spent with loved ones and pondering self improvement as the new year peeks around the corner. As the holidays approach, so does the intense questioning of what to give to your friends and family. We have curated a Holiday Gift Guide to help find the perfect book for everyone on your list. This guide ranges from fiction to self improvement, from inspirational memoirs to poetry to cuisine. 

Books to Inspire 

Friendly Fire by Paul Rousseau

 One month before his college graduation, Paul Rousseau is accidentally shot in the head by his roommate and best friend. The bullet ripped through two walls before it struck Paul’s skull. Through phenomenal writing and gripping detail, Paul navigates the trauma of brain injury, the dehumanization of personal injury cases, and the pieces of a devastated relationship, revealing a compelling story that unfortunately is an illustration of contemporary American life.

Order Friendly Fire on Amazon.

Morning Fuel by Rebecca Faye Smith Gali

Rebecca Galli has had a lot to power through: Her seventeen-year-old brother’s death. Two children with special needs that include autism and epilepsy. Divorce. And her own paralysis. She has lived a life filled with unexpected loss—and learning. In this daily reading book, she offers stories from her life, infused with wisdom from family and friends, and designed to inspire, encourage, or make you think. Sprinkled throughout are quotes from some of the greatest thinkers of our time. Each entry ends with questions that invite personal application and provoke further pondering. 

Order Morning Fuel on Amazon.

Farm Family by Jane Lee Rankin

At 37, Jane Lee Rankin receives news that upends her life: she’s pregnant. Lee is a cancer survivor eighteen months in remission. Her boyfriend won’t commit, and her father is unsupportive. Armed only with a dream and a toddler, Lee marches into Banner Elk, North Carolina, a place where she knows no one, to start an alpaca farm. With vivid storytelling, Farm Family features a cast of memorable animal characters-including alpacas, Millie, Celeste, Frosty, and Wildcard-and immerses readers into the not-always-pretty world of farming. She learns that her connection to animals is more vital than she knew, and with bravery and persistence, she creates a home-a farm family.

Order Farm Family on Amazon.

Books for Educators

I Didn’t Believe Him by Dr. Irene Daria

At the time of this story, Irene Daria was a graduate student and “just” a mom thrilled that her son had been accepted to one of the most esteemed schools in Manhattan. Sure that he was on the path to a venerable education, she did not listen when her 5-year-old told her that he—like millions of other children—was not being taught how to read in school. The more Daria tries to get the school to see that it is teaching reading all wrong, the more the school insists there is something wrong with her child and not with its teaching. In the end, you will learn how to teach a child to read and be empowered to set any child on the path to becoming a proficient reader.

Order I Didn’t Believe Him on Amazon.

Books to Entertain

The Golden Age of Red by Doug Villhard

On October 18, 1924, while playing for the University of Illinois, Red Grange scored four touchdowns in the first quarter of a game against Michigan — an extraordinary feat still regarded as one of the most unforgettable single-day performances by any athlete. Ever modest and shy, Grange craved normalcy, wanting nothing more than to finish his final season, earn a degree, settle down, and start a business career, but that was no longer an option. His girlfriend, coach, friends, family, boosters, and the fledgling NFL all craved a piece of him. With swaggering confidence and a silver tongue, C.C. Pyle, America’s first sports agent, dangled before Red an alternate destiny. As the game clock ticked down in his final college game, Red struggled to capitalize on his fame without sacrificing his soul.

Order The Golden Age of Red on  Amazon.

You Cannot Mess This Up by Amy Weinland Daughters

It’s 2014 and Amy Daughters is a 46-year old stay-at-home mom living in Dayton, Ohio. She returns to her hometown of Houston over the Thanksgiving holiday to discuss her parents’ estate—and finds herself hurled back in time. Suddenly, it’s 1978, and she is forced to spend 36 hours in her childhood home with her nuclear family, including her 10-year old self. Over the next day and a half, she reconsiders every feeling she’s ever had, discusses current events with dead people, gets overserved at a party with her parents’ friends, and is treated to lunch at the Bonanza Sirloin Pit. In viewing her parents as peers and her siblings as detached children, she redefines her difficult relationships with her family members and ultimately realizes that her life story matters and is profoundly significant—not so much to everyone else perhaps, but certainly to her. 

Order You Cannot Mess This Up on Amazon.

Books for Cooks and Foodies

The Iberian Table by Robin Keuneke

A noted health author shines light on Spain, a country whose population is among the longest living in the world, in The Iberian Table: Healthy Cooking Secrets from the Land of Longevity—Introduction to the Spanish Mediterranean Diet. Part cookbook, part health book, part culinary-travel memoir, Keuneke peels back the curtain and uses research, science, and chef expertise to decode one of the world’s healthiest cuisines. With over 100 seductive and clearly organized recipes with easy-to-follow directions, readers will gain advice on meal planning and weekly menus with ingredients easily obtainable from most grocery and/or health food stores.

Order The Iberian Table on Amazon.

Books about Social Issues

Meant for More by Karen Olson

One day, Karen Olson noticed an elderly, homeless woman outside Grand Central Station. Impulsively, Karen darted across the street and bought the woman a sandwich and an orange juice. This small act of kindness changed the trajectory of Karen’s life. Karen dedicated her life to those in need and founded Family Promise, a national nonprofit organization that helps homeless and low-income families. In Meant for More, Karen tells her story, from tragedy in childhood to an adulthood full of compassion and service. With firsthand testimonials from Karen and other volunteers, Meant for More is a call to action: when you reach out beyond yourself and seek to make a difference in the lives of others, happiness will catch up with you.

Order Meant for More on Amazon.

Books for Middle Schoolers

The Aftertime by LLH Harms

This timeline-spanning middle grade novel begins in the mid-1700s in Virginia with the surprising friendship between two boys: one native Monacan and the other an English settler. The Aftertime asks what is worth fighting for, and how to fight for it. Most importantly, it’s a story about following your moral compass and standing up, sometimes all alone, for what is just.

Order The Aftertime by Amazon

Books for Self-Improvement

Thought Snob by Paula Swope

In Thought Snob, author Paula Swope shows you how to create the life you truly deserve through the amazing power that dwells within you: your thoughts. After years of trauma, abuse and endless struggle, Paula learned how to transform her life and now she’s sharing it with you in her trademark down-to-earth style, filled with humor, compassion and plenty of personal life stories. Through Paula’s extraordinary ‘Thought S.N.O.B.’ process, you’ll learn how to See New Objective Beliefs to help move you out of havoc and into happiness.

The Art of the Question by Sean Grace

The Art of the Question – A Guide for Seekers, Dreamers, Problem Solvers, and Leaders is a comprehensive exploration into the crucial role that questioning and curiosity plays in all aspects of our lives. This thought-provoking book masterfully unravels the dual nature of questioning as both a science and an art, revealing how effective inquiry can lead to better decision-making, deeper understanding, and more meaningful relationships. Through a blend of theory, practical advice, and real-world examples, Sean Grace guides readers on how to harness the power of questions to improve communication, resolve conflicts, solve problems, foster innovation, and enhance collaboration.

Books for Poets

Sitting on a Rock by Gary Brinderson 

Affirmation, kindness, love, and self awareness are the touchstones of Gary Brinderson’s poetry. In a deceptively simple, Zen-like style, Sitting on a Rock offers wise counsel, teaching us–just as he taught his students–that all of life’s answers can be found within. We only need to go and sit on a rock, and listen to our hearts.

Order Sitting on a Rock on Amazon.

Books for Thriller Lovers

Homecoming Queen by Chad Boudreaux

Time is of the essence as the hurricane of the century, predicted to obliterate everything in its path, barrels toward Anika’s hometown. Not long ago, she was the high school’s beloved homecoming queen, but now she finds herself on the run from the law and running out of time after family troubles force her to pursue vigilante justice. With the storm approaching and tensions in town increasing, factions brace for battle with Anika and her sister trying to survive. Homecoming Queen was written for adults of all ages with a love for fast-paced thrillers. 

Order Homecoming Queen on Amazon.

The Editors by Stephen Harrison

The Editors takes readers behind the scenes of a fictionalized version of Wikipedia called Infopendium. The facts seen near the top of most Google searches are the result of cooperation and curation between dozens, even hundreds of volunteer editors. But what is written can also spark fierce battles between the editors and sway the truth for millions. Morgan Wentworth, a recently laid-off freelance reporter, stumbles into this unseen world after witnessing a cyber attack at the Global Infopendium Conference in New York. Determined to delve deeper into the world of the editors and uncover the truth about the hacker, she finds herself caught amidst the competing interests of billionaires, foreign governments, and individual editors from around the world. And with a global pandemic brewing, the importance of who controls Infopendium only increases.

Order The Editors on Amazon.

 Zephyr’s War by James R. Gregory

Tragedy struck when the Chernobyl disaster took the lives of most of his family and turned their once fertile land into a barren wasteland. Determined to escape their grim reality, Zep and his brother Ziggy set out on a journey to start anew in America. Zep’s triumphs draw the attention of a sinister syndicate—the Russian mafia—who desire a slice of his success. Time becomes the enemy as the clock ticks ominously, propelling Zep and Steve into a high-stakes battle for their reputations, their futures, and their very lives. Zephyr’s War is a gripping tale of ambition, temptation, and the precarious nature of wealth’s pursuit.

Order Zephyr’s War on Amazon

Want to see your book on gift guides and other media outlets? Contact PR by the Book today! 

For more gift inspiration or additions to your TBR, check out these blog posts!

• 6 Books to Read for Texas Writers Month
• Memoirs We Love for Memoirs Day 
• Books for Everyone on Your Gift List 2023