Following my husband’s family tradition, ours celebrates the 12 Days of Christmas by opening one present on Christmas day and each day after until the stack is empty. This reduces the wild Christmas Day unwrapping that can feel gluttonous.
This year, I’ve arranged the presents by category, similar to Leila Lawler’s recommendations in her very good (and very present-worthy) Summa Domestica trilogy. Lawler suggests simple themes for each of the 12 days, such as “ice skating,” “holiday lights,” and such, to make them festive. (Listen to my Federalist podcast with Lawler here.)
This year I’m also theming each day of gifts, and one of the days is — of course — books. It’s basically an excuse to give my kids books I’ve been buying all year long as they crop up, including secondhand. As a books family, we also love to give books to others, and several folks on my list will be getting some of the selections below. (So, Dad, no printing this article for Mom until after Christmas!)
At this point in life, I have a lot of writer friends, and some of those friends write very good books. These five have come out this year and are a perfect fit for just about any person on your list. As a books person, I couldn’t resist adding a few extras, too. If you order now, you should get any of these just in time for Christmas.
Cedric, the Rescue Dog (Ages 10-Adult)
This novella dramatizes
