6 Nonfiction Books to Gift This Season
By: Nancy Nohely Lee @la.bookgirl
What a year! This holiday season, I’m determined to gift my friends the perfect nonfiction book based on their personality quirks. I compiled a list of 6 books I’m sure will be a hit in my bestie group and yours! These books are guaranteed to hook them on the first page and will be yet another topic of discussion at the next hang out.
The Friend Reminiscing About Her Italian Summer Getaway
You saw your friend plan every last detail of their itinerary and liked all their vacation recap posts, so now it’s your turn to inspire their next European getaway. In I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself, MacNicol writes about her summer getaway to Paris, where she spends her days catching up with friends, going on hot dates, and enjoying Parisian cuisine. MacNicol’s writing style reads like a chat between old friends, making it the perfect gift for your bestie.
The Friend Tuned into Every NPR Podcast
When it’s this friend’s turn on the aux, you know at least one NPR podcast will come up on the rotation. We Survived The Night was recently featured on NPR’s Book of the Day and blends memoir and Indigenous history to explore the author’s family’s and the Indigenous community’s untold stories in the United States and Canada. This incredibly well-researched book is proof that NPR (and you) never miss.
The Friend With Their Top 4 on Letterbox Memorized
Should a Letterbox red carpet reporter ever ask for this friend’s top 4, Ready for My Close-Up will prepare them with all the details on this golden-era Hollywood classic. The book follows the fraught movie set of Sunset Boulevard (1950), starring William Holden and Gloria Swanson. Today, Sunset Boulevard is largely considered a noir classic and must-see, and thanks to your gift, will now have a place in your friend’s top 4.
The Friend With Her Psychic on Speed Dial
This friend knows more about reading the stars than people working at NASA. Which is why The Conjuring of America is the perfect gift to keep her wisdom growing. The book explores the history of enslaved Black women whose wisdom paved the way to the spirituality and wellness movements we see today. By the time they’re done with this book, the whole group will be coming to them for insight.
The Friend Nostalgic for Millennial Era TV
Your friend is right, they don’t make reality television shows like they used to. Prove her point by gifting her a copy of You Wanna Be on Top? A memoir by Sarah Hartshorne about her time as a contestant on the show’s Cycle 9, where Hartshorne unravels what went on when the camera was rolling, and all that didn’t make it to air.
The Friend in Their Romanticizing Life Era
You know it takes an incredible amount of romanticizing –or delusion!– to help your friend get through their most recent setback, heartbreak, or family rift, which is why Alligator Tears is the best gift for them. The memoir-in-essays by Edgar Gomez explores his disillusionment with the American Dream and his path to love and community on his own terms.
You Get A Nonfiction Book! —Oprah (maybe)
There were so many phenomenal nonfiction books published this year, but I’m so excited that I found the perfect one for each of my besties. Give the gift of incredible nonfiction and see how you become everyone’s favorite thoughtful gift-giver. Shop all books at the link. For more nonfiction book recommendations, follow Nancy Nohely Lee on Instagram.