53. Bookish Gift Guide!

divided by genre because obviously plus a debut author!

For the Romance Lover

1. The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce: one of the only second chance romances that I like — scratch that, adore. I think about Georgia and Eli daily. A vineyard in California, best friends, a wedding, and pure love. A gorgeous read.

2. Book Lovers by Emily Henry: the one of hers that I relate to the most. If you are organized, headstrong, protective over those you love, and misunderstood then you will see yourself in Nora. Just like me! Enemies (rivals?) to lovers with honestly amazing banter.

3. The “Book Boyfriend” candle (or whatever smell you like best!) from Novel Candle Co.

For the Fantasy Lover

1. Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider: I’ve seen this one gaining more and more traction and YOU GUYS it is so deserved. The world is incredibly unique. I read this book in one work day because I simply couldn’t put it down. I never knew what was going to happen. And that was only emphasized when I didn’t see the plot twist coming. I mean wow.

2. Fear the Flames by Olivia Rose Darling: originally self published before being picked up by a publishing house, I am lucky to have the indie version and the published one too. They are both great! Now is a great time to get your hands on book one since book two will be here in the summer.

3. A Fantasy-Inspired book vase to decorate their shelves! This one is Abraxos and absolutely adorable and honestly I might buy it. (Here’s a more general search for book vases!)

For the Mystery/Thriller Lover

1. The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides: You all know that I don’t read many thriller books, but this one was amazing. Another book I didn’t expect the twist of - rather hard to do in my opinion! I was captivated by how it was going to unfold.

2. The God of the Woods by Liz Moore: One that has been doing it’s rounds this year - and well deserved. Several timelines and perspectives surrounding this camp. And the ending? Wow.

3. An Agatha Christie Puzzle Book. Your mystery lover will be thrilled to dive into the puzzles to find the culprit.

For the Historical Fiction Lover

1. The Nightingale, The Great Alone, The Four Winds, and The Women by Kristin Hannah: these are the ones I’ve read by her and the ones I can speak to. She is the ultimate historical fiction writer. All of her books are heart wrenching and focused on female relationships. The Nightingale holds a special place in my heart, but The Women is undoubtedly her best written.

2. Circe by Madeline Miller: I love mythology retellings. Madeline is a phenomenal writer, and Circe is focused on female empowerment. Truly a book that I can’t describe.

3. A tea blend from NovelTea! You can even customize a blend. How fun is it to cozy up with a book with a book-inspired tea?

In General …

1. Book Embosser: I have one of these and it’s so fun. It’s a way to personalize your own library - put your own stamp on it, if you will.

2. Reading Journal: There are all sorts of journals out there, but I love the brand Papier. My reading journal is from here! It’s such a beautiful way to reflect on what you read - to remember and to learn and to focus on all the wonderful things.

3. Kindle: A gift that will be remembered. A particularly good gift for a quick reader or someone who travels or simply might not have space for physical books. You really can’t go wrong with this gift.

4. Bookmarks & Stickers: In particular, I love FleursOnSunday. They have the cutest bookmarks and stickers for all sorts of genres. However, there are many wonderful Etsy shops out there too!

That was so fun!! If you’re interested in seeing other genres, I can do a part two next week. Let me know!

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Note, the links to books are affiliate links! A rather wide array - and somewhat hard to find.

1. All I Want for Christmas by Denise Grover Swank (Christmas Novella): Dec 10, 2024

2. The French Winemaker’s Daughter by Loretta Ellsworth (Historical Fiction): Dec 10, 2024

3. A Monsoon Rising by Thea Guanzon (Fantasy): Dec 10, 2024

4. The Inadequate Heir by Danielle L Jensen (Fantasy): Dec 10, 2024

5. Not In My Book by Katie Holt (Romance): Dec 10, 2024

   1. note: I read this ARC and it was honestly fabulous!

6. I Made It Out of Clay by Beth Kander (Romance): Dec 10, 2024

7. Custodians of Wonder by Eliot Stein (Anthropology): Dec 10, 2024

8. The Rules of Royalty by Cale Dietrich (Romance): Dec 10, 2024

Books I’ve compiled from a variety of lists such as the New York Times, Indiebound, and the B&N Top 100, but also through what I’ve seen online. I’ve decided to simply add the books I haven’t before, since I’ve caught up to the new additions. If you’re curious, last week’s post can be found here.

1. The House of Cross by James Patterson (Thriller): Dec 10, 2024

2. The Perfect Marriage by Jeneva Rose (Thriller): Dec 10, 2024

3. Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Mas (Fantasy): Dec 10, 2024

Katie Holt’s debut book is coming out on Tuesday!

via Goodreads

Katie is a bit of an icon for me. A Tennessee native, she moved to New York City and went to NYU. Katie studied English with a concentration in creative writing. Katie is a Taylor Swift fan, Nora Ephron stan, and loves chocolate chip cookies - my kind of girl.

It seems like Katie always knew books were her purpose and passion. She is an Editorial Assistant at a book publisher, a first time novelist on Tuesday, and has 17,000 followers on her bookstagram account, readinromance. She is a romance lover, and we share many similar book loves. I can’t believe she only turned 23 a few months ago. I deeply admire her drive, passion, and unrelenting purpose. There is much I can learn from her.

I would love a conversation with Katie! I honestly think we would be good friends. I had the pleasure of reading Not in my Book as an ARC, and it was a fantastic debut! Fans of rivals to lovers, New York City, and top notch banter will love this one.

Just a reminder to comment any recommendations or email me: thesundayreads@gmail.com!

1. Metal Slinger by Rachel Schneider

   1. I’m really excited about this book, and I think Rachel deserves so much love for it. Self published books always have so much love in every word and this one is no different. I was truly shocked by the ending!

That’s all for today. Much love

Izzy