For the last few weeks you have likely been bombarded with people telling you what you “should” get for the people you love to show them how much you love them.
This is silly because, one, capitalism is a scam and, two, you should just get them a book.
Seriously, just get them a book.
Spend five minutes thinking about what they might enjoy. Ask an indie bookseller for advice. Pick something out, stick a gift receipt in there, and you have gifted them your attention and care and the opportunity to browse a bookshop and pick something on their own if they so choose.
Books are love and today I am here with a little guide of some picks I think your sweeties might just love.
And don’t forget nothing says you love someone like supporting a local indie bookstore in their honor!
All the links here are to my store’s bookshop.org page If you are shipping books or don’t have a local indie bookshop, you need check out bookshop.org. They are the best alternative to amaz*n and every purchase supports the indie bookstore of your heart. Walking into a store and talking to a real human is best, but if that’s not feasible, bookshop gives us the opportunity to support indie bookstores from the comfort of our little hobbit hidey holes.
Okay here she is for all you last minute shoppers, book-giving, book-loving beauties….
THE ROSAMONDREADS 2023 GIFT GUIDE
Poetry collections make thoughtful, lovely gifts. And if it is a collection you love and cherish, sharing it with someone else is all the more meaningful.
Mary Oliver, obviously. A lot of people are familiar with her collected poems, but I find so much joy in going back and discovering each individual collection as she gathered and published them. Dream Work has got some classic bangers like “Wild Geese” as well as forty-four other poems to comfort, move, and keep company. Know a lesbian?? Buy her Mary Oliver. I don’t make the rules.
Kingdom of Surfaces by Sally Wen Mao is a brilliant and powerful collection about art, history, empire, decolonization, and liberation. I was lucky enough to hear Sally read this Fall and I can tell you that introducing anyone to her work and presence is a gift. Plus, we have signed copies at Broadside Bookshop!
Andrea Gibson’s poetry is a balm to so many and I can’t imagine a more thoughtful gift than their latest collection, You Better Be Lightning. These poems save lives. I know this to be true.
Ross Gay, obviously. People know and love The Book of Delights and its two follow ups and it’s time they get to know his poetry, too. I read Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude for book club this year and it was a profound, life-affirming experience. Give the gift of Ross Gay’s work - to others and to yourself. I promise.
A thoughtful, wide-ranging anthology of contemporary poetry and careful, generative commentary. A book to keep on your bedside and return to all year long.
Ocean Vuong, obviously. It’s hard out here and I know I need Ocean’s work to keep my feet on the floor. Oh and we have signed copies at Broadside! Let me know if you want one. Trust me, you want one.
You know what’s really festive and fun?? Fighting about books!! Here are three that are sure to bring your people together or at least give them something new to debate.
Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah is a dark, propulsive, action-packed loosely dystopian novel that imagines a near-future America in which prisons are fully corporatized and televised fights to death between incarcerated people is the professional sport of choice. This book is smart and bold and is a great way into conversations about prison justice and abolition.
Monsters: A Fan’s Dilemma by Claire Dederer is far and away the most divisive book I read this year. My book club had *strong feelings* on this one and our discussion was unforgettable. I don’t think this book is flawless, but I loved the brain exercise it gave me and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. Spice up your holiday dinners with a little light art vs. the artist debate!!
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi. Okay this is a very spicy, open-door romance so please keep that in mind. Major pearl clutching may ensue. It’s also a poignant meditation on grief and art. It’s also just juicy and fun and our heroine, Feyi, makes some choices and people are going to have opinions. Another pick that fired up my book club and will absolutely spice up your holiday times.
Family Meal by Bryan Washington is my favorite novel of the year. It’s about queer community, chosen family, care, grief, and all the tiny ways we love each other in the middle of it all. Get it for your beloveds. It’s brilliant and big on feelings. I love it so, so much.
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. I would argue that Jesmyn Ward is our greatest living storyteller and this novel is a masterpiece. It’s not an easy read, but it is rich and powerful and worth all of our time and attention. This one has staying power and I think people will be reading and studying it for a long time.
The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff. This novel had me by the throat from the first page and honestly it still does. At its core it is a tale of woman vs. nature and in the hands of a writer like Groff I promise you will be gripped. What says holiday cheer like a brutal story of survival in the cold and lonely woods of colonial America?
Sometimes it’s okay to just have fun. These are three books I read this year that were straight up, pure, fun.
Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens. A feminist, lesbian, sex-positive, western, adventure novel. A good, GOOD time!!!!
Congratulations, The Best is Over by R. Eric Thomas. If you know me at all you know I love the work of R. Eric Thomas. I think he is the funniest writer working today. What moves me the most about this book is the way it moves seamlessly between humor and joy and honest, aching meditation on grief and fear. This book is what it feels like to be alive. It’s been a powerful gift to me this year.
The Rachel Incident by Caroline O’Donoghue. There aren’t many novels that I would qualify as truly fun. This is one! It’s juicy and gossipy and the characters are flawed and hopelessly loveable. It’s full of angst and growing up and friendship and people fucking up and trying to make the best of it. I loved it and I think this is the book to curl up with to escape your holiday woes.
Okay that’s all I’ve got for now. I hope this list gave you some ideas for gifts for others or for yourself. Reading a book is a little gift to your own brain/heart. Give it to others and, maybe most importantly, give it to yourself.
I will close with a holiday prayer for all us bookish introverts:
May everyone just leave us alone with our books.
I’m glad you’re here.
Love,
Rosamond
ROSS GAY OBVIOUSLY.
Congratulations, the Best is Over was my favorite reading experience this year! The humor! The heart! I laughed (cackled), I cried (sobbed), and I'm giving so many copies as gifts this year! ❤️