Books Are Great Gifts Guide 2025

Reprinted from auburnpub.com

Books Are Great Gifts Guide

It seems that holiday shopping starts earlier and earlier each year. Halloween was barely over and the Christmas decorations were being put out. So now it’s time for Books Are Great Gifts Guide. Books make great gifts: they always fit, are never the wrong color or size, and are so easy to wrap.

For your best friend who always reads the celebrity book club selections and loves great fiction, Megha Majumdar’s A Guardian and a Thief about an Indian woman who has her passport stolen just when she was to leave for America is an Oprah Book Club pick and has garnered much critical acclaim. 

For your favorite neighbor who enjoys lighter fiction, Adriana Trigiani takes the reader from Lake Como, New Jersey to Lake Como, Italy in her novel The View From Lake Como. It’s got humor, heart, and no one writes a better family story than Trigiani. 

Mysteries are always popular, and Richard Osman’s latest in his Thursday Murder Club series is The Impossible Fortune ,where our four residents of Cooper’s Chase retirement community come back together to solve the disappearance of a wedding guest. Fans of the Netflix movie will enjoy this one. 

Fantasy books are hot now and no one is hotter than R.F. Kuang whose new novel Katabasis is perfect for fans of her previous works, Babel and The Poppy War. 

You’ll impress your adult niece who grew up with the Harry Potter books when you give her SenLinYu’s Alchemised. It’s a Romantasy, a new genre that combines Romance with Fantasy and it’s on the top of the bestseller lists today. 

For Romance readers who prefer a more traditional contemporary story, you can’t go wrong with anything by Emily Henry, including her latest Great Big Beautiful Life, about two writers who compete to write the biography of an heiress and daughter of a scandalous family. 

For your father-in-law who loves to do Wordle every day, Puzzlemania! from the New York Times has Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee, Minis, and more in book form. It would be great for family activities after your Thanksgiving gathering this year as well. 

For your uncle who watches CNBC in the morning, Andrew Ross Sorkin’s 1929 tackles the seminal year in American history when the stock market crashed and led to the Great Depression. 

For your nephew who grew up loving the movies “Uncle Buck”, “Home Alone” and “National Lampoon’s Vacation”, Paul Myer’s biography “John Candy- A Life in Comedy” looks at the life of the comedic genius gone too soon.  

For your aunt who cooks all the big family meals, there’s Ree Drummond’s The Pioneer Woman Cooks The Essential Recipes featuring her best recipes from her long-running Food Network show. 

For your sister-in-law who creates beautiful parties, Martha Stewart’s first book, Entertaining has been reissued and is a timeless classic. 

Coffee table books are big this time of the year and there are several lovely ones available. Former First Lady Michelle Obama’s The Look is filled with photos and stories about all of the  gorgeous gowns she wore to official White House functions. 

National Geographic always has wonderful coffee table books, and this year they have three: Photographs features a collection of the iconic photos from years past, along with stories about some of their photographers.

The Traveler’s Atlas of the World divides the world into continents and has statistics, important information, fun facts, photos, and drawings of the different countries. It would be a great gift for the adventurer or armchair traveler on your gift list. 

With air travel being as unpredictable as it is today, 100 Train Journeys of a Lifetime is another great gift for the traveler on your gift list. From the fanciest of trains to the less glamorous, from long journeys to day trips, this book has it all. 

We can’t leave the kiddies out, they love books. Teens who loved Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games would be thrilled to get the newest in the serie, Sunrise on the Reaping. 

Once they have finished the Harry Potter series, Sangu Mandanna’s Vanya and the Wild Hunt takes middle grade readers to a fantasy adventure inspired by Indian mythology and English folklore. 

Two popular series for younger readers have new books- Jeff Kinney’s “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” has Party Pooper and Dav Pilkey’s “Dog Man” has Big Jim Believes. You can’t go wrong with these.

 

The littlest ones would love to find any of the newest books from Pete the Cat, Don’t Let the Pigeon, Llama Llama and The Little Blue Truck series. 

Happy shopping!

Not You Again by Erin La Rosa

Not You Again by Erin La Rosa

Published by Canary Street Press ISBN 9781335916372

Trade paperback, $18.99, 320 pages

From the publisher:

Two 30-something singles stuck in a time loop are forced to relive the worst days of their lives, so they team up to find a way to break the cycle. For fans of Palm Springs and Oona Out of Order, NOT YOU AGAIN offers a fresh new take on the Groundhog Day story.

In Julian, California, every day is April 22. Most people have accepted the loop—after all, reliving the same day every day, there’s nothing to lose. Day drinking until you pass out? Yes. Partner swapping? Why not.

But Carly has woken up at her dad’s funeral exactly 238 times, and she wants out. She doesn’t want to waste her life away reliving the worst day ever in the small town she always hated visiting. Carly wants to go back to writing film scripts in LA; she’s determined to find a way to break the cycle.

She discovers an unexpected kindred spirit in Adam, the mortician she met at her dad’s funeral. April 22 was also one of the worst days of his life: his fiancée admitted to cheating on him with his best friend. Every day Adam wakes up on April 22 to his ex-fiancée's admission, starting each day with a breakup. April 22 was supposed to be his last day working for his parents at the funeral home, and the start of his new life as an astronomer. Adam is a man of science, and like Carly, he believes there must be a way out of the time loop.

Together, Carly and Adam team up to find out what’s causing the time loop. And in trying to find a way out, they also find their way to each other.

My Thoughts:

Palm Springs is an underrated movie starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti that dealt with two people traveling to a wedding who get stuck in a time loop. It's a great movie, and when I read Not You Again, it immediately put me in mind of this movie. (I was happy to see in the Acknowledgements section that it inspired author Erin La Rosa as well.)

While it took me awhile to get into this story, I'm glad I went along for the journey. Who would want to relive one of the worst days of their lives over and over again? Carly is dealing with the loss of her father, the man who raised her and gave her a love of movies. She's also dealing with her guilt over not visiting her father when he moved from Los Angeles to the small town of Julian to open a movie theater of his own.

Adam has family issues as well. Along with discovering his wife is having an affair with his best friend, he can't bring himself to tell his parents he doesn't want to run the family funeral home business anymore. He wants to be an astronomer, but he never could bring himself to take a chance and make that leap.

 And as Carly and Adam go from two people who meet on the worst day of their lives and don't like each other to banding together to try and discover a way out of the time loop, they realize maybe there are sparks there. The sparks turn into flames as La Rosa gives the reader some very steamy sex scenes.

I liked the family angle to the story, it gave it an added dimension to the characters for me. And if you love science and astonomy, this story will give you an extra bonus. I recommend Not You Again as a romance with an intriguing concept.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2025 Blog Tours.

Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery

Otherwise Engaged by Susan Mallery

Published by MIRA ISBN 9780778387268

Hardcover, $30, 368 pages

From the publisher:

When Shannon gets engaged, her beloved mom, Cindy, is the first person she wants to tell—and the last. Cindy’s engaged, too, and has already hinted at a double wedding. The image of a synchronized bouquet toss with her mom fills Shannon with horror. She’ll keep her engagement a secret until Cindy’s I-dos are done.

Victoria has never been proper enough for her mother, Ava, so she stopped trying. She lives on her own terms and amuses herself by pushing Ava’s buttons. Ava loves but doesn’t understand her stuntwoman daughter. When a movie-set mishap brings Victoria home, Ava longs to finally connect.

Chance brings the four women together at a wedding venue, where a shocking secret comes tumbling out. Twenty-four years ago, desperate teenager Cindy chose wealthy Ava to adopt her baby—then changed her mind at the very last second. The loss rocked Ava’s world, leaving her unable to open her heart to the daughter she did adopt, Victoria. As Shannon and Victoria deal with the fallout from the decisions their mothers made, they wrestle with whether who they are is different than who they might have become.

My thoughts:

The premise of this novel is intriguing and unique. Victoria has always known she was adopted, but when she discovers that she was not the baby her parents thought they were getting, it knocks her for a loop. It also causes more friction between her and her mother.

Shannon discovers that her mother, who raised her as a single mom, almost gave her up for adoption. She loves her mother even as she feels her mother is a bit too close to her. She works for her mom and is engaged to a great guy, but she feels something is missing in her life.

Victoria now thinks she understands why she and her mother never had a close relationship; she was second choice. It should have been Shannon that her parents raised. 

Running into Cindy after twenty-four years has brought back so many feelings that Ava had buried. She felt that Cindy was like a sister to her, they took her into their home and lives, and then she just disappeared with the baby that thought would be theirs.

There is a lot here for great book club discussions especially about mother-daughter relationships and how fraught they can be. People will see themselves in these characters and wonder if they would react the same way. I know I did. 

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2025 Blog Tours.

National Geographic's The Traveler's Atlas of the World

 The Traveler's Atlas of the World

Published by National Geographic Partners ISBN 9781426223549

Hardcover, $65, 559 pages

Halloween has come and gone and now people will turn their sights to holiday gift shopping. Every year National Geographic publishes a few new titles of coffee table books perfect for gift-giving to your favorite people.

One of the new titles this year is The Traveler's Atlas of the World. It's a beautiful book that combines stunning photos with full color maps that feature drawings of animals, food, and other things found in that country.

The book is divided into six sections- North America & the Caribbean, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia, Antartica & the Pacific. 

Each country has an information page featuring a quick overview of the country and a side bar of Fun Facts that give the reader the lowdown on Best Known For, When to Visit, Climate/Weather, Plan Ahead, Best-Kept Secret, and Good To Know. At the top of each page is the capital, area in mileage, official language, and currency.

You will also find full two-page spreads on Cultural Treasures (like Stockholm's Old Town  in Sweden), Must-Do guides (the wine country in Douro Valley in Portugal)  and Top Ten lists (Singapore's Can't Miss Experiences). 

If you are a world traveler (or know someone who is), this is a wonderful book filled with information that will make your trips more enjoyable. It's also fun for armchair travelers or anyone who wants to audition for Jeopardy!

Thanks to TLC Tours for putting me on this tour.

Julia Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee

Julai Song Is Undateable by Susan Lee

Published by Canary Street Press ISBN 9781335402523

Trade paperback, $17.99, 336 pages

From the publisher:

CEO seeks dating coach

Julia Song, CEO of Starlight Cosmetics, is at the height of her career. Then why does she feel like such a failure? Maybe because she’s thirty and single, with a terrible track record at dating. And in the eyes of her Korean family, that is just unacceptable. It never really bothered her—that is until her beloved grandmother drops the bomb that she is sick and her dying wish is for Julia to get married. Impossible. So in a moment of weakness, Julia asks her family for help. Set her up on three dates to help her find The One. But it will never work—Julia is undateable. If only there was a coach for that…

Tae Kim knows about the weight of familial expectation. He’s currently unemployed, living in his parents’ basement to care for his ill father. Sure, he’s become somewhat of a fix-it man for the Korean community around town, but that’s not a real job. And the pressure to get his life together is getting to be too much. So when the Julia Song—his childhood crush—asks for his help, it may be just the distraction he needs. He’ll do whatever it takes, even coach her for these three dates. Problem is, the more time they spend together and the closer they get, the more Tae wonders if anyone is good enough for Julia…including him.

My Thoughts:

What I liked about Julia Song Is Undateable is that it turns the tables on traditional romance characters. Julia is the powerful CEO while Tae is the caretaker. Tae not only came home to take care of his parents when his father became ill, he also is the go-to guy who helps everyone in the neighborhood. Whenever anyone needs a ride to the market or church, or fixing something in their home, they call Tae.

I also like novels that are set in a community I don't know much about, in this case the Korean community. We learn about Korean customs and foods, and even a little about K-Pop. One thing that seems to be universal though is that families of every culture want their children to find true love and happiness and will do just about anything to see that happen (especially grandmas).

While Julia knows all about her business, she is hopeless when it comes to dating. She blurts out comments that may be better left unsaid. Tae offers to be her dating coach, but he secretly wants to be the one Julia wants to date, and given the three men that Juia's family set her up with, Tae is looking pretty good.

As in every romance, there are a few bumps in the road and misunderstandings along the way to true love.

There are also a few spicy scenes that will heat up the cold weather headed our way.

I truly enjoyed Julia Song is Undateable and look forward to more from Susan Lee in the future.

Thanks to Harlequin for putting me on their Fall 2025 Blog Tours.

Three Books For Autumn

Reprinted from auburnpub.com:

There’s a chill in the air as autumn has arrived, it’s a good time to stay inside, cuddle under a blanket, and read a good book. This month’s Book Report has two books that are seasonal- one for fall, and one for the upcoming Christmas season.

The cover of Ellen O’Clover’s The Heartbreak Hotel has a lovely autumnal feel to it. Lou is living with her longtime boyfriend Nate, the lead singer for a popular rock band. 

While he has been off touring the world with his band, Lou has been in their beautiful rental home in the mountains of Colorado. She has been studying to get her license in counseling and life seems to be on course for her.

Until Nate is photographed with another woman and he tells her that he is love with this other woman. Lou is devastated not only for the loss of her relationship, but she loves the house they have been living in. She has made it a beautiful home.

In order to keep staying in the house, she meets with the landlord, a handsome veterinarian named Ben. She proposes to Ben that she turn the house into a bed and breakfast that she would manage in lieu of paying rent.

Lou is surprised that Ben agrees so quickly, and even more surprised when he shows up at the house to fix things that need attention. Ben in turn is surprised to learn that Lou is advertising the bed and breakfast as the Comeback Inn, a place for people who have suffered heartbreak to come and stay to get over their loss.

It’s clear that Ben has had heartbreak in his life (word of warning- it’s very sad), and that he and Lou are attracted to each other. But the course of true love does not run smooth as they each have to deal with things the other is holding back that could derail their relationship.

All of the characters in The Heartbreak Hotel are so interesting- from Lou and Ben to Lou’s best friend Mei, to Nan the widow who comes to stay at the inn and doesn’t want to leave.

Lou had a difficult upbringing. Her single mother raised her and her older sister Goldie, although it frequently fell to Goldie to raise Lou as their mother dealt with mental health challenges. 

They moved often, living with whatever boyfriend Mom was with until he tired of her. Now as an adult, it has become Lou’s responsibility to get her mother out the situations she finds herself in. I think many readers may relate to Lou, a person who cares for others before she cares for herself. 

The Heartbreak Hotel is a romance with a serious side to it. I recommend it.

Turning to the Christmas season, Matthew Norman’s new novel, Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon also deals with heartbreak. Henry lost his young wife suddenly nearly a year ago and he is still staying with his parents. 

He can’t bring himself to move back into their apartment, still decorated for Christmas. His wife loved the holidays, and one of their favorite traditions was watching holiday movies together.

Grace lost her young husband after a battle with cancer. Her mourning is different from Henry’s as she has two young children to raise- Ian and Bella. 

Grace and Henry’s mothers decide to play matchmaker. Neither Grace nor Henry are ready for a romantic relationship yet, but to make their mothers happy, they decide to be friends. 

When Henry tells Grace about he and his wife’s holiday movie marathon tradition, Grace agrees to watch the movies with him. (Even if some of them are not her cup of tea- Die Hard is not a Christmas movie).

Each chapter is titled after a holiday movie- Home Alone, Elf, Rudolph- which I find delightful. Grace and Henry help each other through their grief and Henry grows fond of Ian and Bella.

What I like about Matthew Norman’s novels is his sense of humor he imbues in each book. Grace in particular has such witty comments, even with a storyline that is sad, the humor shines though. I loved Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon.

Reading it put me in mind of a great scary psychological thriller that also uses movies in the chapter headings and is perfect for a Halloween read. John Searles’ Her Last Affair is set in a closed drive-in theater and uses movie quotes to open each chapter. It’s a twisty thriller that will keep you turning the pages until you finish. It’s brilliant. (My full review is here.)

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O'Clover- A

Published by Berkley

Trade paperback, 352 pages, $17.99

 

Grace and Henry's Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman- A+

Published by Dell

Trade paperback, 336 pages, $18

Her Last Affair by John Searles- A+

Published by Mariner

Trade paperback, 336 pages, $18.99