Happy post-Thanksgiving coma and welcome to the Lost Friends Literary Club newsletter!
I hope you’re all recovering well. I, for one, am very tired of eating leftovers.
This week we’re going to talk about something that is already filling up your inboxes: CHRISTMAS SHOPPING. I know you already have one million emails about Black! Friday! Deals! and reminders to Shop This Sale Before It Ends!!!! but I still thought I’d give you my two cents (and maybe a lesson on proper gift wrapping techniques). Below, find a quick little guide to the books on my list, the books I’m gifting, and a couple of mentionable sales.
The Books on my Christmas list:
Having books on my Christmas list isn’t a new thing for me, but this year I’ve got a couple of particularly timely choices- I always have at least a few cookbooks on my list by the end of the year, and now that I’ve been locked in my house since March, cooking through all of the books at my disposal, I need some fresh material. This year, I’m eyeballing Modern Comfort Food by Ina Garten (for obvious reasons), and The British Baking Book by Regula Ysewijn.
I’m also really hoping to get this pocket version of RBG’s Decisions and Dissents. Maybe I should have paid better attention in my high school political science class, but I truly don’t understand American politics and I’m trying to learn- this seems like a lovely place to start.
One of my top 5 favorite books this year was Sally Rooney’s Normal People and since I borrowed it from a friend when I read it, I think I’d like a hard back copy to add to my personal library for future re-readings.
MinaLima, the graphic design duo behind the Harry Potter movies, has released its first fully illustrated edition of the first Harry Potter book complete with paper fold-out elements ripped straight from the movies. I know its for kids, but I want it anyways.
The last big thing on my literary Christmas list, is the white whale of my own macabre collection- Death Wears Pink Shoes by Robert James is a Doubleday Crime Club book released in 1952 that I have been trying to track down all year, and I finally found it.
The Books I’m Gifting:
I’ve been really into epistolary books this year, and I think I’ll be gifting a few of those to my unsuspecting gift recipients. For my artist friends, The Letters of Vincent Van Gogh and a copy of As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto for those on my list with culinary leanings. You can find compilations of letters from almost any type of person, be it theologians, scientists, or politicians, and I think getting a glimpse into a favorite author’s writings is a very cool gift.
For the family member who has taken up binoculars in their at-home downtime, maybe a copy of The Backyard Birdwatcher's Bible, so at least then they’ll know what they’re looking at (and maybe it will keep them from spying on their neighbors a la Rear Window). This one is as beautiful as it is informative, so you’d honestly be doing them a favor by making their coffee table look super fancy.
If your Dad is also trying to expand his understanding of American history and politics (tell him hello for me), I’d suggest something like These Truths: A History of the United States if he’s in for a long read, or You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington if he’s more of a biography-reading type of dad.
For the kids on my list (there are no kids on my list, but if there were): I’d go with Roxy the Last Unisaurus Rex so that the tiny humans learn early that it’s okay to like dinosaurs and unicorns at the same time.
For an easy go-to gift, you can’t go wrong with poetry books. Anyone that has ever read anything can get into at least a little bit of poetry. I’d recommend Homie by Danez Smith, or Swimming Lessons by Lili Reinhart for a modern approach to poetry.
The other details:
I’ve already waxed poetic about the importance of shopping at independent bookstores, but especially this year. If you’re looking for a few stores to order from or you don’t have a local bookstore you love, might I suggest one of these options? To that list I would also add Kitchen Arts & Letters NYC for any books on food or drink, and The Ripped Bodice for romance books.
If for some reason you don’t want to order direct from bookstores (why are you like this??), take a look at bookshop.org for slightly discounted books while still benefiting indie bookstores. Bonus: bookshop.org is having a small sale through TOMORROW, Cyber Monday, and anything you order from them comes with free shipping. PLEASE DON’T BUY BOOKS FROM AMAZON. Okay, I’m sorry for yelling.
If you want to buy a book for someone on your list and none of these suggestions tickles your fancy, how about reaching out? You can reply directly to this newsletter or comment on the substack, and I’d be truly delighted to help you find a gift for someone on your list. I’m a really good gift giver, just ask my friends.
Are you already tired of thinking about Christmas? Okay, fine, here are 3 things I read this week:
The virtual liner notes to McLeod’s newest album, A Window Over Baldwin Park.
At The Clinic by Sally Rooney, a short story follow up to Normal People.
My grandmother’s original Sweet Potato Soufflé recipe.
And that’s all for this week! Thank you for reading this far! If you enjoyed this dispatch, please share it with a friend or follow us on social media at the buttons below. Every book I recommend can be found on this Goodreads shelf. If you buy through my bookshop.org links, I may receive a small affiliate commission. If you want to chat, ask for book recommendations, or correct my punctuation, you can reply directly to this dispatch or leave a comment on substack, where you can also find an archive of every dispatch I release. Thank you for reading!