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Gift Giving

When December approaches, we all know that means it is time to share gifts. Many people carry on this tradition annually, and one gift that is commonly wrapped and received is books! By the end of this blog post, you’ll have a list of books to gift to your friends and family.

Books for Presents

Being around loved ones is what the holidays are all about. Normally, a good way to show appreciation towards one another is by taking the time to make or buy a cherishable item for the other. Gifts don’t have to be fancy or expensive to show the thought and consideration behind them.

Take a book as a gift, for example. You can share a lot of useful knowledge or share a beautiful story with your gift recipient that you can discuss. Whenever you feel stuck or want to acquire more information on a subject, books are your best source.

Books Set During Christmas

If you want to stay on theme with the holidays for your book gift, below are a few options. Here are books that are set during Christmas.

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Like many, you may be familiar with this classic tale of Scrooge being visited by the three ghosts of Christmas to persuade him to change the hatred in his heart by giving and helping those less fortunate than him.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Christie is famous for her detective novels starring her fictional gumshoe Hercule Poirot. This gift idea is for those mystery lovers you know who want to stay in time with the festivities of the season.

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

In terms of gift giving, the recipient of this novel can be anywhere from ten years old to ninety. C. S. Lewis is an extremely versatile writer who creates stories that are entertaining for all ages and still very layered and insightful.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

A novel about family and sisterhood, Little Women follows the lives of one large family of daughters and their mother in New England during the 1860s.

The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus by L. Frank Baum

If you are looking for a proper Christmas book for a gift, here it is. The author, famous for writing The Wizard of Oz, takes us on an excursion to meet the man before he became Santa Claus.

Krampus: The Yule Lord by Gerald Brom

If your gift recipient enjoys dark fantasy, this novel may be the best pick for you. Not only do we follow a war between Santa Claus and the demon known as Krampus, but also, this novel also has heavy influences from Norse mythology.

Death Comes at Christmas

by C.L. Taylor, J. T. Ellison, David Bell, Sarah Hilary, Claire McGowan, Fiona Cummins, Angela Clarke, Alexandra Benedict, Susi Holliday, Tina Baker, Sam Carrington, Liz Mistry and Tom Mead. Here are 18 crime stories to gift to a mystery lover.

The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories Edited by Jessica Harrison

The Penguin Classics have always been a reliable source for exceptional writing. Here is a great gift to take your receiver all around the world, Paris, Rio, England, New York, all through Christmas stories!

Visit Penguin Random House for my Books set during Christmas for your next gift!

Book Gifts for Growing Minds

In terms of the holidays, your gifts do not necessarily need to be centered around Christmas itself. Actually, many books can teach life lessons and share relatable struggles we all face. Here are book gift ideas to help inspire the love of life and all its trials and tribulations.

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Beautifully poetic, this novel explores themes of vanity, the pressure of staying young forever, and true self-love.

Normal People by Sally Rooney

Highly recommend this as a gift idea for young adults moving into college or who are already in college for the adult themes of exploring childhood trauma, class, popularity, coming-of-age, and love in personal relationships.

Read full review and analysis of Normal People below.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker

Set in the early 1900s, a gay black woman is forced into a marriage with an abuser, stripping her of her sister. The themes of sexuality, acceptance, self-love, and revenge are integral to this story.

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

While exploring violent and dark central themes, this novel is set in Afghanistan and covers betrayal, redemption, and friendship.

Find more life-changing novels for your next gift idea on Goodreads.

Popular Books of 2025 for Gift Ideas

While many old stories are still impactful for readers today, this year’s works deserve a moment of recognition. If you are giving the gift of a book to someone, try these 2025 best sellers.

A Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst

This would be a good gift for those who love adventure and taking risks. Shipwrecked at sea after a spontaneous decision to run away from their boring lives, a couple now need to adapt to survive while drifting for days on a raft together.

The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong

The novel follows a young man in Connecticut who becomes close friends with a woman who has dementia, diving into themes of loneliness and love.

The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner

If you or someone you love enjoys war or historical fiction, this novel is a great gift. Split between two perspectives, the story follows Eddie, who has been forced to work in the prison camps during WWII, and American soldiers entering the harsh realities of war.

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Through the tales of Greek myths as their guide, two magicians in the pursuit of greater academia try to rescue their professor from hell.

Replaceable You by Mary Roach

Terrified of AI? Know someone who is very against the rise in technology and what that will change for humanity? Give them this book as their Christmas gift! A surgeon explores the complexities of anatomy and the possibility of 3D printing organs.

Cursed Daughters by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Braithwaite uses the idea of reincarnation to drive this story of Ebun, who gives birth to a daughter who is identical to her cousin, just buried earlier that day.

Find more book recommendations from 2025 on Amazon.

Wrapping up... Literally

Christmas can be a time to share gifts with others. If you celebrate the holidays and have many growing minds or book lovers around, show your appreciation for their presence in your life now. Pick a meaningful book, wrap it up, and share new stories for the whole year long.

Great Book Gift Ideas for Readers this Christmas

Gift Giving

Books for Presents