On October 30th, 1938, a radio broadcast on the CBS Radio station "The War of…
The Spectacular Book List for All Your Christmas Gifting
Christmas is coming, and what’s a better gift than a book? But sometimes it’s hard to find just the RIGHT BOOK for every person. That’s where this list can help.
I’ve compiled a list of suggestions from some great authors (who also read a lot!). Trust me, these people know good fiction. You’ll also see some book recommendations from me. But this is important — I want to hear your recommendations also — if you have a favorite book to gift (or get) post it in the comments!
**(see below for a note on recommendations and bookstores)
The Fiction Afficianadoes
Jocelyn Green writes outstanding historical fiction. All of her books are fabulous, but The Windy City Saga series is a great choice for historical fiction fans, especially anyone interested in historic Chicago.
Rachel McMillan is a writer, agent, traveler, and enthusiastic Hallmark Christmas movie aficionado. For a super-fun Christmas gift for any romantic movie-lover, gift a copy of Rachel’s A Very Merry Holiday Movie Guide. Rachel’s book recommendations are always spot-on for me, and here she has some great suggestions for Christmas gifting.
Tosca Lee is a NY Times bestselling author who’s novels are filled with insight and meaning. I highly recommend A Single Light, the first book in her apocalyptic series about a pandemic raging across America, and her biblical fiction is outstanding! Tosca has some great recommendations for you Christmas book choices.
Kate Breslin is an author with excellent taste in books. She’s got some recommendations for your Christmas gifting list and don’t miss her novels set in WWI, Far Side of the Sea and her new release coming in November, As Dawn Breaks.
The Spectacular Book List
If you have a friend who loves Christmas-themed books, Rachel recommends gifting It’s a Wonderful Night by Jaimie Admans or Once Upon a Wardrobe by Patti Callahan (Just released!) I’ll suggest A Holiday By Gaslight: A Victorian Christmas Novella, by Mimi Matthews. Tosca recommends It’s a Wonderful Christmas, Christmas stories reimagined by Julie Cantrell and others. Lynn Austin has a new Christmas story: The Wish Book Christmas, a follow-up to her novel If I Were You.
For American History fans, Jocleyn says to check out Tidewater Bride by Laura Frantz. A vivid tale from the Jamestown settlement. For history with a heart and humor, you can’t go wrong with any of Regina Jenning’s novels. I’d recommend Courting Misfortune and her newest, Proposing Mischief, releasing on December 7th.
Do you have a friend who can’t get enough of WWII? Check out The Huntress by Kate Quinn or The Hollywood Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal. I’ve done several reviews of WWII Fiction, which you can find in these posts: stories of WWII, The Last Year of the War. For WWI fans, Kate recommends Carrie Turansky’s, A Refuge at Highland Hall.
If your taste in history runs a more modern-days, I’ll sing the praises of a story set in the tumultuous days of the 1960s The Songbook of Benny Lament by Amy Harmon. Or consider this great novel by T.I. Lowe, Under the Magnolias, set in the 1980s. And, of course, if you have a friend who is intrigued by the 1930s, consider gifting a copy of In A Far-Off Land! (I’ll even send you a signed bookplate and a ‘do not disturb’ door hanger to add to your gift)
For mystery fans: Jocelyn recommends The Barrister and the Letter of Marque by Todd M. Johnson, a Grisham-style story set in Charles Dickens’ world. Rachel suggests The Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz. I’ll enthusiastically recommend Patricia Rayborn’s debut novel All That Is Secret, a fast-paced mystery set in 1920s Colorado.
For those who love Westerns, Jocelyn recommends The Heart’s Charge by Karen Witemeyer, “two cowboy heroes will steal your heart,” and The Personal History of Rachel Dupree by Ann Weisgarber, which tells the story of a Black woman married to a rancher who stakes a claim in the Badlands using the Homestead Act. I recommend one of my favorite books from 2020: Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon.
If you’re looking for books for Anglophiles, Jocelyn suggests Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell. The story of Shakespeare’s son, who inspired his theatrical hero, Hamlet. Rachel’s recommendation for those who love the British is The Price of Privilege Trilogy by Jessica Dotta. I’ll add to that Rachel’s novel, The London Restoration, set in post-WWII London. You can read more about it in this post.
Books for those who like a little scare : John Eyre by Mimi Matthews, a retelling of Jane Eyre, with a deliciously thrilling twist, is a recommendation from Rachel, Jocelyn, and me! (I suggest gifting it with a copy of Bram Stoker’s original Dracula.) Or give Rachel’s other recommendation: The Widow of Pale Harbour by Hester Fox. You can check out this post for more Slightly Spooky Reads.
For those who love Women’s Fiction, Tosca recommends Nicole Baarts newest novel, Everything We Didn’t Say, releasing November 2nd. I’m looking forward to this one, too, and wouldn’t mind finding it under my tree!
Do you have a fantasy-lover on your list? Tosca suggests Tempest, the first book in The Veil Chronicles by CJ Campbell. I recommend Amy Harmon’s Viking fantasy series, The Chronicles of Saylok for those who love epic tales of warring kingdoms and strong heroines.
I’ve got plenty to recommend for those who love Biblical Fiction. Of course, I’d love you to gift The Living Water Series. You can find out all about The Well, The Thief, and The Tomb, A novel of Martha on these links. I’d also highly recommend anything by Tessa Afshar, including The Thief of Corinth (review here) or her new release Jewel of the Nile. Kate recommends Mesu Andrews, Isaiha’s Daughter, and I’d add everything that Mesu writes is sure to be a great gift, check out her website here.
For the the men in your life, Rachel enthusiastically recommends a classic: The Aubrey/Maturin series by Patrick O’Brian, starting with Master and Commander.
I’ll suggest a new-to-me author I’m reading right now: Andrew Huff’s A Cross To Kill pits a man of God against terrorists–and his own deadly past. You can find out more about Andrew in this fun interview where we talked about writing and research.
For men and women who love science or Sci-Fi, Rachel recommends The Martian by Andy Weir. I absolutely loved that book and his most recent title, The Hail Mary Project. Both are great reads and made me believe for a little while that I actually understood physics.
There are so many books and not enough space to write, but I hope this list will get you started. Remember to order your books early! Publishers and distributers are dealing with supply chain issues, a paper shortage and shipping issues. You can read all about that in THIS NEWSLETTER, and don’t forget to subscribe for more news RIGHT HERE if you don’t already get my newsletter (and you’re automatically entered to win a book every month!)
*About my recommendations: I’ve linked most of these books to Amazon for simplicity, but be sure to try first at your locally owned bookstore, like Valley Bookseller in Stillwater. The salespeople at locally owned stores are great at recommendations and you’ll be supporting small business and your community!
*For my Christian Fiction Fans. Not all the books recommended are Christian Fiction. I read widely and that includes secular titles. You may find some language and adult themes in the books I recommend but I avoid books with explicit bedroom scenes and erotica because that’s just not my thing.
For more Christmas book recommendations, check out Something to Read for Christmas or any of my book review posts. Or look at this post for Gifts That Keep Christ in Christmas.
Happy Christmas shopping, and remember I want to hear YOUR book recommendations, too. Tell me in the comments what you want to put under the Christmas tree this year.
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