2015 Holiday Gift Guide: The Book Lover

The last quarter chart-topper from Garth Risk Hallberg is a formidable beast. For the person on your list looking to sink their teeth into something sprawling, City on Fire is this year’s must-give. The book centers on a shooting in Central Park in 1976, and it unfurls carefully, rewarding those who tackle the 900+ pages.

If there was one common complaint about Brandon Stanton’s famous Humans of New York book and blog, it was that the stories weren’t long and in-depth enough. Problem solved. Humans of New York: Stories is the book that delves deeper into the lives of the people on the other end of his camera lens.

For the budding Chuck Norris on your list, give them a copy of 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative’s Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous Situation. As the title suggests, these are SEAL-approved ways of kicking tricky situations in their nether regions.

This year’s winner of the Man Booker Prize is a crash course in storytelling. By using multiple narrators, each one unique and authentic, Marlon James paints a colorful picture of Jamaica around the time of Bob Marley’s death. It’s deserving of the praise.

If we had to pick one book from the past year that would be the best and safest gift for most readers, it would have to be The Girl on the Train. The thriller, which drew comparisons to Gone Girl, is cleverly told through the perspective of three of-course-they-can’t-be-lying characters.

Aziz Ansari had himself a pretty nice 2015. Before his new Netflix series Master of None started receiving crazy amounts of praise, he wrote a hilarious New York Times bestseller. Modern Romance tackles the challenges faced by today’s technologically connected love hunters. Even if the recipient isn’t one, they’ll still enjoy a good laugh.

The cold winter months may be making the book lover on your list crave a bit of nature. If that’s the problem, Cabin Porn is the answer. Inspired by the site of the same name, Cabin Porn is filled with dream-worthy outdoor structures that could reconnect you to the beauty of nature.

In the hands of a master, a piece of literary journalism reads like fiction—thought-provoking, riveting fiction. And after finishing Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America, the recipient of your gift will realize Jill Leovy is, in fact, a modern master.

When he wasn’t splattering paint all over some canvas, Jackson Pollock could be found whipping up a killer apple pie. Dinner With Jackson Pollock brings the artist’s approach to food into your kitchen. Perfect for any fan, home cook, or person interested in a fascinating story.

Know a book lover who tore through Netflix’s Narcos? This is the book to give them. Don Winslow’s latest is a gritty thriller set in 2004 that centers on the DEA’s war against one of the most powerful cartels in the world. Easy, breezy reading for dudes.