20 Books That Make Amazing Holiday Gifts

I love unwrapping a book from under our Christmas tree. Books hold so much potential: They enable me to travel to places I’ve never been, both real and imaginary. They inspire me to cook delicious meals for myself and my family. And more. I’m also that person who enjoys giving my friends books because they’re portable and easy to wrap. Because I run From Left to Write, a virtual book club, I’m constantly on the lookout for amazing books and, when I find them I read them. Here’s my list of some of the very best books to give as gifts, for a variety of different ages and interests:

20 Books That Make Amazing Holiday Gifts

100 Yards of Glory

My husband would be thrilled if football season lasted all year. Once the Super Bowl is over, he can revisit his favorite sport with 100 Yards of Glory: The Greatest Moments in NFL History by Joe Garner. The book also comes with a DVD containing a 10-part documentary so fans can relive those football moments all year.
Great for: Your sports-loving husband or friend
Photo: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book

Armchair traveling has gone 3D in America's National Parks: a Pop-Up Book by Don Compton and Bruce Foster. Kids and adults can explore the beauty of Old Faithful or the Grand Canyon as they literally pop off the page. Make sure to peek in between the folds for surprise details.
Great for: Nature lovers and folks who love traveling
Photo: W.W. West Inc.
Before I Die by Candy Chang

Candy Chang makes public art personal in Before I Die. After losing a loved one, Chang painted the side of an abandoned home in her New Orleans neighborhood with chalkboard paint and the sentence “ Before I die I want to__.” On the very first day, the space was filled with neighbors’ dreams and wishes. Chang chronicles how the movement has spread to over 30 countries. A truly inspiring story that will make you wonder how you might fill in that blank.
Great for: Social activists and artists
Photo: St. Martin's Griffin
Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit

Pair Bourbon: A History of the American Spirit by Dane Huckelbridge with your giftee’s favorite bottle for an irresistible gift. Better yet, hook them up with mini-bourbon bottles for their very own tasting kit.
Great for: Aspiring mixologists and foodies
Photo: William Morrow
Fictitious Dishes

To create Fictitious Dishes: An Album of Literature’s Most Memorable Meals, Dinah Fried cooked, styled, and photographed meals from favorite books like Heidi, Alice in Wonderland, and The Bell Jar. Each photograph is accompanied by an excerpt that inspired it.
Great for: Fans of literary classics
Photo: Harper Design
Food: A Love Story

Fans of comedian Jim Gaffigan loved him for his “Hot Pockets” act. Now he’s returned with his second book Food: A Love Story to share his laugh out loud musings on all things food.
Great for: Fans of stand-up comedians
Photo: Crown Publishing
Humans of New York

When Brandon Stanton set out to document 10,000 New York City inhabitants, he had no idea that his slice of life photos and quotes would become so popular. Humans of New York is a coffee table book your giftee will want to read.
Great for: Anyone who enjoys people watching
Photo: St. Martin's Press
In Her Kitchen

Grandma’s cooking is always the best and photographer Gabriele Galimberti agrees. He traveled around the world to seek out grandmothers and photograph them with their signature dishes. In Her Kitchen is a travel and foodie book rolled into one.
Great for: Grandmothers, foodies and your family historian
Photo: Clarkson Potter
Little Humans

Street photographer Brandon Stanton, author of Humans of New York, focuses on the mini-folks of New York City in his follow-up Little Humans. Expect adorable kids and inspirational quotes.
Great for: Fans of microfashion and cute kids.
Photo: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Modernist Cuisine at Home

Because we cook out of necessity, it can be easy to forget that the science of cooking is a beautiful process. Modernist Cuisine at Home by Nathan Myhrvold and Maxime Bilet explains and illustrates culinary art with gravity defying photographs. A great gift for anyone who loves to eat or loves to cook.
Great for: Fans of cooking reality shows
Photo: The Cooking Lab
Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography

Neil Patrick Harris turns his life into an adventure in Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography. Make the wrong NPH life choice and die. Make the correct ones and read about his past as Doogie Howser, Barney, magic, and other reasons why his fans love him.
Great for: Anyone who thinks NPH is awesome (like me)
Photo: Crown Publishing
Porn For Women

The Porn for Women book series gives women what they really want: hunky men, changing diapers, vacuuming, and drawing bubble baths.
Great for: Any fan of the Ryan Gosling “Hey Girl” meme
Photo: Chronicle Books
Steampunk: Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

The classic tale of a misunderstood monster is given a twist in Steampunk: Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein. Artists Zdenko Basic and Manuel Sumberac vivid illustrations with a steampunk’s mixture of natural and machine -- a perfect metaphor for Shelley’s book.

Great for: Lover of literary classics
Photo: Running Press Kids
The Best American Infographics 2014

Infographics definitely make consuming facts and statistics more palatable. The Best American Infographics 2014 edited by Gareth Cook captures the most innovative graphics, along with explanations of each.

Great for: Anyone who loves numbers and mesmerizing facts about the world
Photo: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker

Organized by decades with brief overviews of that era’s themes, The Complete Cartoons of the New Yorker offers a unique view of America’s history. The tome also comes with a DVD-ROM with all 70,363 cartoons from the its library. That should keep whomever you give this book to busy for a while.
Great for: Anyone who enjoys lazy Sunday mornings reading the newspaper
Photo: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers
The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook

The timing is great for this gift: Downton Abbey starts back up in January. The dishes from The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook will make dinner guests feel like they’re hanging out in Miss Pattmore’s kitchen or dining next to Lady Mary.

Great for: Any Downton Abbey fan who loves to entertain
Photo: Adams Media
Try This!: 50 Fun Experiments for the Mad Scientist in You

I can always count on National Geographic Kids to make science fun. In Try This!: 50 Fun Experiments for the Mad Scientist in You by Karen Romano Young offers bright photos and step-by-step instructions for kids. Most materials can be found at home, making it easier for you to raise your own mad scientist.
Great for: Teachers and aspiring kid scientists
Photo: National Geographic Children's Books
Unplugged Play

We all know that kids should spend less time staring at screens and more time playing. I’m usually too tired to come up with an engaging activity, but that’s why Unplugged Play: No Batteries, No Plugs. Pure Fun by Bobbi Corner is so handy!
Great for: Parents, nannies, and babysitters
Photo: Workman Publishing Company
You Have to F*cking Eat by Adam Mansbach

We loved Adam Mansbach’s Go the F*ck to Sleep because every parent has experienced those bedtime woes. Now Mansbach follows up with the just as hilarious You Have to F*cking Eat. Pair this book with a restaurant gift certificate for the parents on your holiday list.

Great for: Parents ~~of picky eaters~~
Photo: Akashic Books
What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Bitter

Fans of Chuck Lorre sitcoms are familiar with his mini-stories that fly during the end credits. Instead of freezing your DVR to read the vanity cards, super fans can read them in print form with What Doesn’t Kill Us Makes Us Bitter.

Great for: Fans of sitcoms like Three and Half Men and The Big Bang Theory
Photo: The Dharma Grace Foundation