A Last-Minute Bookish Gift Guide: Perfect Presents, Without Blowing Your Budget at Barnes and Noble

Here's an uncomfortable truth I've observed about the world: we're only few days away from Christmas Eve, and for many, there's still a lot of panicked, last minute shopping to be done. 

Listen, you were preoccupied, you didn't prepare, and now, every parking lot you enter is a warzone. Stepping through the doors of Target, at this point, could be classified as reckless endangerment of self and sanity. This is not the time for donning rose-colored glasses alongside your gay apparel; instead, this is crunch time, and lest you be the one who gets crunched, you need to find a good present ASAP. The good news is, be it a Work Secret Santa, a Family White Elephant, or what have you, there's always joy to be found in delivering a new book-shaped present to the pile under the tree. 

And yet, here's an additional wrinkle: the damn things are certainly getting expensive these days, aren't they? I recently fell into a bit of a quandary while shopping for my brother, and realized that one of the titles I had been planning on picking up from B&N was currently going for over $40 in hardcover. While sliding a new freshly-printed set of titles off of the shelves might be easy, it certainly isn't cheap. 

The good news is, there's something we can do about that. In fact, by combining a new recently-procured read with a few other budget-friendly and easy-to-find basic pieces, not only does your bookish present come across as thoughtful and deliberate, but they'll never know how many parking lot brushes with death you avoided to do it. 

Consider the following method: 

A GREAT BOOK + A BUDGET-FRIENDLY BOOSTER + A FUN CONSUMABLE

Note: I understand why some people don't like combining multiple presents in one package. In the words of one of the family's most-quoted seasonally-appropriate SNL music videos of all time (which is now, horrifyingly enough, seven years old), you might think that "that just makes each gift seem smaller and dumb." But to be fair, maybe you want to repay a special amount of kindness this year, or maybe you're dealing with someone who has a tendency to get extravagant with their generosity... and besides, I'm not advocating for buying two gifts. I'm saying go for three!

1. first, focus on a great read

First of all, we need to pick out a Really Good Book, one that you know they're going to enjoy. 

Consider how to best select a great bookish present (in a very sneaky way):

• Ask them what some of their goals are for 2024... a really good friend would want to help them achieve those goals! Are they looking to try their hand at penning some words of their own in the new year? Try Stephen King's On Writing. What about spending more time in the kitchen? A cookbook or piece of food writing could be really beneficial here. Want to explore more classics? Pick out one of your favorites, one you know will hold their attention. Use your own experience, but don't be afraid to look up a good list of recommendations or two. Just try to make sure you're aligning with what they've got envisioned for themselves! 
• Check out their home shelves, especially their favorite genres. For best practices, you should probably have an idea of what they have and haven't read already - if only so you can avoid buying a duplicate of something they already own - but it can also tell you what they gravitate towards naturally. For instance, if they've got every single copy in the Murderbot series, then you've got a decent sense they might appreciate Martha Wells' latest release, Witch King, or something like Becky Chambers' Monk and Robot series. 
• Think about ebooks and audiobooks: not every likes reading on ink and paper! Maybe they've got a long commute that lends itself to an engaging audiobook, or maybe they live in a small space that can't accommodate a ton of shelf room. Amazon or Spotify giftcards may ensure they actually use your present in a way that works for them! An easy way to "upgrade" it, of course, is to accompany it with a list of recommendations that you think they might want to look at when they're thinking about how to spend it. 
• Casually ask them to tag along, and help you pick out a present for someone else. While you're doing your own "browsing" watch carefully for what they pick up and put down. If there's something they mention or focus on in particular, something that grabs their attention, you know what to do! 
• And here's the big alternative: ask your friend what kind of reading year they've been having in 2023: if there's something in particular that's been keeping them from reading lately, it might not be the year for a bookish present; maybe something like a Hello Fresh delivery or a homemade "in-house babysitting" coupon would help them enjoy some reading time, more than just another book sitting on their shelf! 

2. something they can reuse + a treat to up the ante

Once you've got your book in hand, it's time to put it together with a few budget pieces that will really make the package perfect. By including something they can reuse time and again, you guarantee that your present has some mileage on it, and with a fun consumable accompanying alongside, they can start enjoying your gift as soon as they open it! 

For instance, lets say your best friend's favorite kind of coffee talk is dishing about The Great British Baking Show, and she can't stop pointing out all of the butter-related Christmas ornaments that all seemed to hit stores this year. Naturally, you've decided to pick her up a copy of one of Paul Hollywood's cookbooks, like Bake, or maybe you grabbed something penned by a past contestant, like Ruby Tandoh's Cook As You Are, or Nadiya Bakes by Nadiya Hussain. What next? 

Well, stopping by a HomeGoods or chef supply store could easily add to the conversation, with something like a large mixing bowl, a set of kitchen towels, a cutting board, or interesting cake tins. Rolling pins and spatulas are typically in pretty good supply, and the same goes for cookie cutters. Then, all you have to do is swing by the local grocer and pick up a pretty baking mix, or favorite ingredient - nice baking chocolates are always appreciated, but you could also try a pretty jam or even just a slightly nicer-than-normal bag of flour -  and voila! You've got a great set of ingredients for a very happy afternoon spent in the kitchen. 

Or lets say you've got a real Romance reader on your hands. Sure, you could just walk down the mass market paperback aisle at your local Fred Meyer with your arm outstretched, and aim for anything with a brightly-colored color block illustration on the cover... but chances are, if you give a girl a Romance, she's going to need at least one or two favorite beverages to enjoy it with. What about a set of pretty thrifted wine glasses or champagne flutes, and a great bottle of something to sip on? If she's a Historical Romance girl, a set of gorgeous thrifted teacup-and-saucer combos and a box of her favorite tea go together like the leads in your favorite Tessa Dare or Eloisa James story. 

Someone who lives and dies by their latest Self Help obsession - think bullet journals, 5am wakeup calls, and reformer Pilates - might appreciate yet another paradigm shift before the new year. James Clear's Atomic Habits is a best seller for a reason, but they might have picked that one up already; look for displays nearby to guide you into what titles generated some buzz this year, or has people looking forward to 2024. A thrifted crock and a new bag of coffee beans, or maybe a thrifted mug and a sampler set of coffee syrups would definitely give this present some pizazz, but something like a fresh, pretty notebook and a can or two of their favorite energy drink works just as well: whatever will help inspire them to start generating their next life upgrade! 

The list could go on and on, really. Your favorite fast-paced Thriller or bone-chilling Horror from this year would pair perfectly with a cozy blanket and a chocolate bar to keep them toasty while things get tense; a buzzy new celebrity memoir - what about those published this year, from Britney Spears and Paris Hilton? - would go great with a new pair of fun sunglasses and some bubblegum to chew. Why not get your Fantasy reader some unique thrifted glassware (aka, goblets and decanters, which I always find while shopping secondhand!) and pair it with one of their favorite sodas? The list goes on and on. 

The point is, of course, that you make the whole thing feel like an experience in itself. It's not just the book, but the environment you create around the book... and besides, this way, even if that title ends up getting a two-star review on Goodreads, your friend still ends up with something cool they can reuse, and when's the last time you turned up your nose at a tasty treat? 

3. don't have time to think that hard? just go with the bookish vibes

Listen, I get it: the last minute always isn't the best time to think creatively. Sometimes, you just need a guaranteed win, something that doesn't require combing the thrift store's homewares section or a Target snack aisle for just the perfect touch. 

Here are a few easy ideas for pieces that can amplify every bookish present: 

• a snack pack, with something salty, something sweet, something crunchy, and/or something chewy, for them to enjoy while making their way through a new stack of books!
• a container of their favorite hot chocolate brand, preferably with marshmallows or peppermint sprinkles alongside!
• a big ol' candle for them to light to set the mood while they're reading. Bonus points if you manage to make it match the book cover! 
• fuzzy socks or slippers. It is a truth universally acknowledged that whether you're playing video games, watching a movie, or reading a book, that your feet are going to get cold. Everyone could use some cozy toes!
• a new journal or notebook, especially when paired with a set of really good pens!

4. make it personal

If you've managed to read this far in this blogpost - or if you've somehow made it out into the Target parking lot with all of your bags, extremities, and sanity intact - then chances are its because you really care about the person who will be on the receiving end of this present. It never hurts to tell them that sort of thing yourself! 

Regardless of what book you buy them, or what you're stashing into your cart alongside, I think it's always a great idea to write a card, too. Listen, you've already established that you're shopping for a reader; why wouldn't they want to read what you might have to say, too? Just a few brief sentences about why they are important to you, and why you chose that particular book out for them, will really make your gift feel special and deliberate.

It's the thought that counts, and when you're putting this much care and attention into giving someone a present, it will undoubtably be one of the most meaningful things they find under the tree this year. 

(Never mind the fact that you waited until the night before Christmas to wrap it.)

Are you done shopping for everyone on your list? What's your favorite present you've purchased for someone this year? Let me know, in the comments below!

Joy to the Shelf: A Quick Holiday Bookish Haul, and Bookish Gifts I Gave my Family!

The holidays have come and passed, and with them, have arrived plenty of new books to fill my shelves! Thankfully, I was in the position to do the same for others, and boy, did I make the most of that opportunity. Care to hear what Santa placed underneath my tree, and what I gift-wrapped for others? Then read on!

what I got 

Becoming, Michelle Obama
I picked this title up with my mom within the first week of November, which is what has made it absolute torture to see spotted across the various desks and Instagram pages of my friends. Now that I've finally gotten my hands on it, it's going to be one of my first reads of 2019!

Around the World in 72 Days and Other Works, Nellie Bly
As someone who believed they'd be going into newspaper for the majority of their high school career, I grew up as a huge fan of the talented and intrepid Nellie Bly, who not only helped carve a place for women in journalism, but changed public perception about everything from world travel, to mental health facilities. (There's actually a Drunk History segment about that second part!). I'm excited to finally get to read a collection of her writings for myself!

Kitchen Confidential, Anthony Bourdain
When the passing of the late, great Bourdain earlier this year hit everyone so hard, one of the most frequent things I saw online was people sharing passages from the works he's created, be it his show, or this seminal culinary memoir. My mom had read the book before, but unfortunately gave away her copy, which is why I'm glad to have one of my own to read.

Over the Garden Wall: Distillatoria, Jonathan Case and Jim Campbell
Actually the only surprise on this list - I had picked out all of the others for myself! - this comic book was purchased by my Dad, who grew to love the series, when we watched it with him this past Halloween season. My sister and I got matching books, while my brother got a different one, and we're all excited to read them, and swap, to see how the characters we enjoy so much have continued onwards.

2019 Day Designer Daily Planner in "Climbing Floral" and planning supplies 
Naturally, I could never start a new year, without yet another iteration of my beautiful, beloved daily planner! Expect another "Just Planning Things" post on this topic sooner after 2019 hits.

Paddywax Library candle in "Jane Austen" 
Smells like gardenia, tuberose, jasmine... as well as social miscommunication, judgmental elderly female relatives, and empire waists!

Powell's Books Mug 
Something else you should be expecting to see on my Instagram very soon... and again... and again...

100 Essential Reads "Millenials" Scratch-Off Book poster
I had bemoaned to my sister how much I enjoy the concept of bookish scratch-off posters, but couldn't fully get behind them, because they leaned a little too heavy towards the "straight, white, male" author side of things, and weren't wholly reflective of what kinds of books existed in the world. This "Millenial" version - charting notable books between the years 2000 and 2016 fixes that issue!

what I gave

my sister, delaney
My celebrity and culture-obsessed younger sister was an obvious recipient for one of my favorite reads of 2017, All the Lives I Want: Essays About My Best Friends Who Happen to Be Famous Strangers, by Alana Massey. She also loves memoirs and humor books, too, which is why I decided to take up a friend's recommendation of Kanye West Owes Me $300 & Other Stories from a White Rapper Who Almost Made it Big, by Jensen Karp. 







my sister, madeline
A theater student, I knew one of the titles I'd be buying her as soon as I read the title Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Magic of Theater, by Michael Sokolove. She also has aspirations of moving to Disneyland and becoming a character performer in the park shows - because she's a collegiate, and who doesn't dream of those sorts of things when you're in college? - so to fill her thirst for contemporary Disney drama, I picked up Keys to the Kingdom: How Micheal Eisner Lost His Grip, by Kim Masters, which I was glad to see she's already started reading!




my mama 
Nothing makes my mama excited quite like the promise of a good food memoir, especially if it's centered around her dream retirement place, which made In a French Kitchen: Tales and Traditions of Everyday Home Cooking in France, by Susan Herrmann Loomis, an easy choice. And over the past year or so, my mom has made a point of bringing up one of her favorite observational humorists of all time, Erma Bombeck, so I trekked my way down to Powell's bookstore in Portland to pick up a compendium of her works, too, in the form of Forever, Erma, by Erma Bombeck. 

What books did you pick up this holiday season? Did you give books as presents this year? Let me know, in the comments below!

Last Minute Gift Guide: For the Whole Family!

It's a little too late to be posting a Gift Guide for the 2017 holiday season, but then again, it's a little late to be buying presents, too... but if you're as much of a slacker as some of the other people in my family, it's never to late to be buying presents (even Christmas Eve is up for grabs!). I mean, anything's game when Amazon Prime has free two-day shipping, am I right?

So, I thought I'd take inspiration from some of my family's procrastinator habits, and give you a few last-minute gift guides, perfect for some last-minute gift purchasing. I can't buy them for you, but I'm sure Siri can find a route between you and this Secret Santa party that hits up Barnes and Noble along the way.

ULTRA DAD

He owns every Jimmy Buffet album ever released, plus a couple of the "Greatest Hits" ones, too. His wardrobe is chock-full of khaki pants, and he's got at least one pretentious-sounding liquor in his cabinet that he swears he loves, but only sips on special occasions. He's a self-described tech dork, but gets thrown off by his kids' obsessions with the newest app. There's no one you'd trust to make an inappropriate joke, or a better Bailey's-splashed cup of coffee, than this guy.

• make his morning cup of joe a little more eco-friendly, with a refillable Keurig cup, and a pound of his favorite Starbucks roast 
• feed his Skynet conspiracy theories with The Master Algorithm: How the Quest for the Ultimate Learning Machine Will Remake Our World, by Pedro Domingos 
• get him giggling to the stories of a fellow dad, with Dad is Fat, by Jim Gaffigan

FOODIE MAMA

She swears she doesn't want anything this year, but you know that's not true. In fact, the only reason you've been putting off buying presents for the culinary queen in your life for so long, is because you've finally accepted that it's impossible to package a trip to France in something that will fit beneath a Christmas tree. You can't just pick up any regular cookbook, because she's either sure to already have it, or hate it on sight, and there's no bouncing back from getting her a spiralizer or novelty-niche veggie peeler for Christmas, not this year.

• give her a trip by-proxy with L'Appart: The Delights and Disasters of Making My Paris Home, by David Lebovitz
• avoid the struggle of gifting a box mix, by giving a bottle of mixer instead, with Williams Sonoma's Trisha Yearwood collab, "Christmas in a Cup," and her favorite Prosecco 
• honor your own inherited culinary traditions, with What She Ate: Six Remarkable Women and the Food that Tells Their Stories, by Laura Shapiro 
• color her kitchen with the punchy print of the holiday-appropriate tartan Le Creuset

BUSINESS BABE

She may be graduating from the Business School this coming June, but she's double majoring in home-grown Ambition and sorority-bred Sass. Boasting an impressive pageant-dress collection and a slew of networking business cards, she drops names just as frequently as she pushes your buttons. Still, she's your sister, and that warrants at least one killer Christmas present that's just as special as she is. 

• find a place to stow her business card collection with a Kate Spade card holder that matches fashion with function
• help her lay out her next big plan with a Rifle Paper Co. 2018 weekly planner 
• inspire her with The Working Woman's Handbook: Ideas, Insight, and Inspiration for a Successful Creative Career, by Phoebe Lovatt 
• give her a break from all the competitive ladder climbing with a fellow ambitious and funny girl, Unqualified, by Anna Faris 

PUNK GRRRL

She believes that denim jackets are secondary in importance to the patches with which you adorn them. She's a  newly-minted vegan who's always ready to convert a fresh food disciple. When she's not busy serving as the Treasurer of Feminist Club, she makes posters of Marsha P Johnson in her printmaking class. She deserves a present that makes just as much of a statement, as her hair does. 

• support her new cause with Frugal Vegan: Affordable, Easy, and Delicious Vegan Cooking, by Katie Koteen and Katie Kasbee, and vegan snacks from Whole Foods
• bolster her visions with Here We Are: Feminism for the Real World, edited by Kelly Jensen
• pin a new highlight on her jacket, with a woodcut "feminist" pin from a woman-owned Etsy business

NERD BOY 

The only thing more vast than his high school band tee shirt collection, is his comprehensive knowledge of the Zelda video games. His favorite thing to do after a rigorous Knowledge Bowl meet is curl up with a good high fantasy. He's a part of not just one, but two, Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, and he knows his way around an ocarina in real life, too. My baby bro is more than worthy of a Christmas gift that's out of this world (or just a portal to another!).

• dive deeper into the Grisha Universe - one of his bookish faves! - with The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic, by Leigh Bardugo
• send him off on a completely new fantasy adventure with Brandon Sanderson's The Way of Kings
• make his next session a little more interesting with an aesthetic D&D dice palette that fits his character

What kind of relatives do you still have to shop for? What is your go-to last-minute gifting idea? Let me know, in the comments below!

I'll Love You Forever, I'll Like You For Always: Mother's Day Presents, 2016 Edition!

Oh no... it's a Friday afternoon, and you've only just realized it: Sunday is Mother's Day! While not everyone schedules out their gifts a month in advance - I actually ordered my Mom presents so early, that my Dad and two younger siblings assumed that the holiday was LAST weekend - it might not look too good if you just show up with an Amazon gift card.

But no worries: I've got your back. Two years ago, I broke down the Mom population into several easy-to-pick Supermom categories, and now I'm back again, with plenty of titles and tie-ins to with which to flatter your favorite matriarchs!

For the Drama Mama

This mama thinks everything pairs best with glitter, wings out her liner farther than fashion allows, and always keeps an emergency outfit on hand... just in case. Her news source of choice may be E! Network, but it's only because she's looking to add a little bit of glitz to the time between community theater rehearsals and gabbing with the girl behind the Ulta counter. 

The Nest. by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, carries plenty of family theatrics on its own, but if she's looking for an even more dysfunctional household to peep on, why not the Playboy Mansion, with Down the Rabbit Hole, by Holly Madison? You can always follow them up with a gift that keeps going year-round, with a subscription to Glamour mag, or a bright change of morning routine with a Tarte 'tarteist' lip paint, or The Body Shop Body Butter.

For the Sporty Mama

When she's not trotting her tots to baby gymnastics or wheeling her teens away to club volleyball, this Mama spends her extra hours working up a sweat herself at SoulCycle or PureBarre. Always outfitted on the sportier side of athleisure and packing the newest QuestBar flavors everywhere she goes, this mom-on-the-move deserves something to help her get her glow on this Mother's Day.

Maybe she's looking to wind down after a busy day with the mental exercise of the Enchanted Forest Coloring Book, by Johanna Basford, accompanied by a refreshing drink from a new Contigo water bottle. Or, maybe she's trying to get her heart rate up on her rest days, with a thriller like The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins, with some comfy Zella 'Live In' Leggings on the couch. But maybe PureBarre has made her a ballerina babe: try Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina, by Misty Copeland!

For the Momager

She's like a master mix of Michelle Obama and Reese Witherspoon - with an emphasis on the "master" part - and makes early commutes and office meetings look oh-so good. Maybe she's born with it, or maybe it's the Starbucks, MAC products, the perfect asymmetrical bob... and a sensible pair of Sam Edelmen flats she keeps under her desk. Doesn't she deserve a work break this Mother's Day?

Shift her perspective on all those strangers sharing her morning commute, by drawing on the stories within Humans of New York Stories, by Brandon Stanton. This busy mom doesn't have much spare time for lengthy reflections, but she can definitely handle a "One Sentence a Day" journal, and she can't read every recommended title, but one of the best of 2015 will surely do, with Fates and Furies, by Lauren Groff! Of course, she can carry all this new print material in her roomy new Madewell Shopper Tote, and factor in some time for them all in her new Whitney English 'Day Designer' Planner!

For the Sweety Mama

The only thing this sugar-cookie fairy knows better than her kids and her kitchen, is her way around a PTA bake sale. Spending her Saturdays trying out that new Friendship Bread starter she found on Pinterest, and prepping for her turn to bring snacks to Book Club meetings on Sunday, this Mama deserves something just as sweet as she is this Mother's Day.

A gushy romance like Me Before You, by JoJo Moyes, is sure to check her sweet tooth, while Milk Bar Life cookbook, by Christina Tosi, will give her plenty of inspiration for her next marathon of sweets. Cherryvale Farms baking mixes leaves her plenty of time left over to admire her new Kate Spade kitchen accessories, while Celebrate, by Lauren Conrad stirs up new ideas for the next big neighborhood party.

For the Seattle Mama! (Again!)

Of course, my favorite kind of Mama would have to make a return trip for this installment of Mother's Day celebrations! She's probably been eyeing another Glassybaby to add to her abundant collection, or looking forward to spending brunch with you at Tom Douglas' Lola downtown, but why not gift her with something that speaks of the city she loves most, right from the person she loves most!

Factor in some neighborhood foodie favorites with A Boat, a Whale and a Walrus cookbook, by Renee Erickson, but make sure to leave some flowers from Pike Place Market and a selection of Seattle Chocolates by her bedside, too! She'd also probably enjoy some recent Seattle-based titles, like Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of Your Fist, by Sunil Yapa, or The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown.

What are you getting the important lady in your life this Mother's Day? Let me know, in the comments below!

Gift Guide 2015: My Mom and My Sisters

Holiday season truth: I LOVE gift guides! True, mainly it's so they can help me figure out what I want for Christmas, but I'm also the kind of person for whom the opportunity to give presents is just as grand as the joy of receiving them. There's nothing better than knowing you've bought someone just the right thing, so even though I've already perfected my gifts for my family back in November, I can't help but daydream what I'd buy them (if I had all the money in the world... maybe one day!). 

My Gift Guides I did a while back in 2014 for Mother's Day and Father's Day got quite a bit of traffic, which makes me think that it was only the perfect time to do another seasonal installment of a gift guide, but out of the five other members of my family, I decided to focus purely on the most important women in my life: my Mom, and two younger sisters! (Dad and baby bro, maybe you'll get your own gift guide some other time.)

THE MOMAGER

What she's like and what she likes:

A high-powered hospital administrator who actually graduated from UW with her undergrad in English, Mama loves books when she can actually get around to finding time to read them. She likes nonfiction and women's lit, especially the kind that makes you cry, and likes to pass off the books she enjoys on to me... so I've got to make sure they are titles I'll like, too!

Why I can't buy her any more presents: 

She's notoriously unyielding when it comes to the yearly edict that she really doesn't want anything, and a couple of costly family things have come up recently that has shrunk her list of acceptable gifts to a quite small margin. 

But if I could, I would buy her... 

A God in Ruins, Kate Atkinson
The companion novel to Atkinson's Life After Life - which I've already passed along to my mother, and is currently sitting on her bedside table - this would be the perfect period-set piece to have a good cry about.
10% Happier, Dan Harris 
A book about how little changes in your life and outlook, can result in tangible improvements to your happiness! Even if you don't have much time at all in your busy schedule, you can still find ways to improve your attitude.
The Royal We, Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
There's no one in our family who quite understands my fascination with royalty like my mom... she loves Will and Kate almost as much as me! This fictional account of a whirlwind romance between an American and a future king of England would be perfect.
Inside the O'Briens, Lisa Genova
From the master of conveying the mental state, Lisa Genova - whose work, Still Alice, about a woman coming to terms with her Alzheimer's diagnosis, I've raved about before - comes this moving story about a doting father and police officer, who must face the onset of Huntington's Disease.
Work Rules! Insights from Inside Google, Lazlo Bock 
My mom is obsessed with books about efficiency, specifically in the workplace, so I'm sure she'd be interested as to what goes on at the headquarters of one of the world's biggest internet entities.

SORORITY SUPERSTAR

What she's like and what she likes: 

Primarily referred to on my blog as "The Cheerleader," Sister #1 recently was elected as president of her sorority for the coming year, even though she's only a sophomore! She's a total culture vulture across all forms of media, and has a fond regard for the paranormal (ie, she things her old room in her sorority house is haunted). 

Why I can't buy her any more presents: 

She's spoiled enough as is, and I already spent $25 on her - the most expensive gift I purchased for anyone this year! - so I really can't swing buying her the books I know she'd love. 

But if I could, I would buy her...

The Thousand Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars #1), Rob Thomas
When my sister left me for a job at Yellowstone National Park over the summer, I was moribund, but at least I knew she'd be thinking about me, thanks to the three seasons and movie DVD of Veronica Mars that I made her take with her! Thankfully, she loved it, and now I have someone to obsess over Logan Echolls with. They only think I need to do now is get her to read the novel continuations of the story, as well!
Dirty Rush, Taylor Bell
As a sorority women, I can definitely attest the dramatizations you've seen in contemporary media are completely crazy and have almost no foundation in reality whatsoever. However, every sorority girl I know followed the Rebecca Martinson email scandal with vigor... and if she provided the forward for this novel, it's sure to be a riot.
Simon vs. The Homosapiens Agenda, Becky Albertalli
I laughed and cried and died over this super-adorable book this summer, and I was texting her passages from it the entire time. Might as well make her read it!
Think Like a Freak, Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner 
Freakonomics is one of her favorite nonfiction books, and economics itself is a topic she has to study in the Foster Business School, so this is a real high-interest no-brainer.
A Dream Dictionary
So, every week, my sister and I try to plan out a tea date at our favorite tea store on the Ave, Tea Republik, and talk about what's going on in our lives. One of our favorite things we used to do with our tea, was make a big deal out of reading the dregs at the bottom of the cup, Trelawney-style, and sometimes we do the same thing with dreams! A dictionary would perfectly aid our endeavors.

DRAMA LADY-IN-WAITING

What she's like and what she likes:

The youngest of the daughters in our family, Sister #2 is a high school sophomore with a penchant for dramatics, both on and off the stage. After an early adolescence spent coming of age in the web-wilds of Tumblr, with an affinity for concerts and the rights of humankind (yay, we raised a music lover and a feminist!), this sister is super cute and super contrary: every instance of, "Ooh, you'd love this book!" releases a tirade on all of the reasons I'd be wrong. 

Why I can't buy her any more presents: 

Like I said, voicing my choice of books for her hasn't worked out very well for me in the past... even though with several of them, she's gone on to buy the book for herself. 

But if I could, I would buy her... 

Rookie, Yearbook 4, Tavi Gevinson
This sister has never been your typical, Seventeen-reading teenager (though she does read Seventeen as well). This Tumblr-child would absolutely be more in tune with the precocious hipster Weetzie Bat vibes of Rookie, an online magazine ran by wunderkind Tavi, whose top online content is printed here in book form!
Audrey, Wait!, Robin Benway
This novel, about a teenage girl who has to cope with the fallout when her ex-boyfriend's band gets famous with a song about her, would definitely appeal to my band-following baby sis.
The Glam Guide, Fleur de Force
She loves all things beauty and makeup - and is far better at applying both of those things than I was at her age! - and she's a fan of quite a couple of YouTubers, so I have a feeling she might like this book (and if not, I've been a follower of Fleur's for like a year now, so I'd take it, anyways!).
Lost Ocean coloring book, Johanna Basford 
Being a fifteen - almost sixteen - year old is a stressful time! Coloring books are a super-trendy way to unwind, and the coloring pages from Johanna Basford are almost pretty enough to frame when you're done.
We Should All Be Feminists, Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche 
Yeah, yeah, one of these things is not quite like the other. As you might have seen, Sweden recently chose to distribute a copy of this book to every 16 year old in their entire country, as a means of instigating conversation in the classrooms of one of the most gender-equal countries in the world. Like I mentioned before, she's turning sixteen soon enough, as well, and I feel like this would definitely appeal to her burgeoning social justice-y tendencies.

Who are the important women in your life, and what would you gift them with this holiday season? Let me know, in the comments below! 

I'll Love You Forever, I'll Like You For Always: My Top Picks for Father's Day

They're the guys who've looked after us all these years... the ones who read us Harry Potter and The Phantom Tollbooth every night in the hopes of getting us to be quiet, only to find us with flashlights under the covers after they thought we were fast asleep. It's time to repay the Dads in our life for raising us to be such great readers, with a couple of books, and maybe some other great gifts, as well. 

However, each Dad is his own dude... how are you supposed to pick out a present that is perfect for him? Here, for your benefit, I have assembled a sort of Dads in the Wild Field Guide of Gifts, perfect for last minute presents for Father's Day tomorrow! 

THE EDUCATION DAD

Be it science fair projects or your every-night math homework, he was your primary source of both inspiration and coat-tail riding ("But Dad, can't you just explain it one more time? And do it slower, too"). Your DVR is full of recordings of Cosmos, your mail bin is full of National Geographic, and he was the first person you know to donate to the Reading Rainbow Kickstarter fund. He's the one who edited every paper and project, so take the time to celebrate your favorite A+ Dad.

Alphabet Juice by Roy Blount, Jr.

The Autobiography of Mark Twain, Volume One

DIY: Etsy Leather Bookmarks

Sleek New Wristwatch

This scholastically-minded superdad will love a couple of new word-y books about words to beef up his personal library, while homemade leather bookmarks and a cool new wristwatch will up his teacher vibe in a very vintage, literary-great kind of way.

THE COOL DAD

In the style - and do we mean style - of Brad Pitt and David Beckham, is The Cool Dad. He taught us how to love Steinbeck and Faulkner, properly taste red wine, develop an appreciation for classic rock and philosophical conversation, and always knows where to get the best steaks and sushi alike in any given metropolis setting. For work, he decks up and out in button downs and sleek suits, but he'd rather buy his own ties, so you'll have to think a little outside the Brooks Brothers box on this Father's Day gift. 

Art of Shaving "Lexington" Gift Set 

The Complete Short Stories, Ernest Hemingway

DIY: Etsy Personalized Flask

Thomas Keller's Ad Hoc at Home Cookbook

Cool Dad will clean up nicely with an Art of Shaving gift set, while Hemingway's short stories pair well with a personalized flask, and with a trendy and tasty cookbook the whole family can enjoy together.

THE COMEDIAN DAD

With a closet full of Hawaiian shirts and novelty ties galore, comes The Comedian Dad. You're, like, ninety percent sure there's a specific part of his brain reserved especially for the kind of puns that make your toes curl, and by now, you've learned to refuse taking part in any family outing that also involves karaoke. Regardless, because of this guy, you've never had to watch an episode of NBC's Community by yourself, so make sure to buy him a gift that doesn't take itself too seriously.

Gallant and Beau Printed Sock Set

DIY: Framed "DAD" Photos

Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris

Live from New York: An Uncensored History of SNL by Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller

Colorful, printed socks and a framed set of photos of you will definitely tickle his funny bone, while a book of comedian memoirs and a history of one of TV's most celebrated silly shows will give him something to chuckle about.

ACTION DAD

Equally likely to be the person who first taught you to catch a baseball, as well as how to properly nurse that baseball-shaped bruise over your eye, Action Dad is the sport-o-riffic, always-moving, adventurous and often aggravating member of the family whose predilection for getting lost on camping hikes is made up for by the fact that that's how you always found the coolest vistas. He loves adventures because he knows each and every one of them is a learning experience... and from him, you've learned a lot. 

Go Pro Chest Harness

DIY: "#1 Dad" Personalized Tumbler

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King

A Go Pro hands-off harness allows Dad even more ability to explore while documenting his adventures, while a #1 Dad Tumbler keeps him hydrated along the way. Funny recollections of a trip along the Appalachian trail will inspire future exploration, while a creepy new thriller will get Dad's heart rate up, without even leaving the house.

CHEESEBURGER-IN-PARADISE DAD

A random-dancing dude who's flippin' awesome at flipping burgers, especially when fortified with his "Kiss the Chef" apron and Jimmy Buffet soundtrack, the Cheeseburger-in-Paradise Dad swears he has Seasonal Affective Disorder, which makes every day spent in the sun a day well spent. You're pretty sure he's the reason why Father's Day is celebrated after the kids have gotten off on summer vacation, because Lord knows there's no way they'd be getting to school the next morning after all the fun you're having together.

DIY: Beach Vacation Shadowbox

Guy on Fire: 130 Recipes for Adventures in Outdoor Cooking by Guy Fieri

Williams Sonoma "Make Your Own Beer" Kit

A Pirate Looks at Fifty by Jimmy Buffet

Cheeseburger Dad will love the sight of the sand in this shadowbox DIY, while a Guy Fieri cookbook gives him yet another excuse to break out the grill. A "make your own beer" kit crosses one more dream off the bucket-drink bucket-list, while Jimmy Buffet's bestselling memoirs give him a way to unwind.

What are you getting your Dad this Father's Day?