I might post my book-related lists/favorites earlier than normal this year because it occurred to me that such information might be useful for people giving books as gifts. For starters, here is a list of book recommendations I came up with earlier this year for the members of my family. Maybe you can extrapolate these recommendations for people in your own family. I've put some of the reading characteristics I took into consideration inside parentheses. The main point was not that *I* loved them (though most of these I liked at least very much), but that I thought *they* would love them, or at least enjoy them. (Full reviews of all of these books are somewhere on my blog if you feel like searching for them.)
Jeremy (non-fiction, international, crazy): Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, by Alexandra Fuller.
My dad (non-fiction, historical, dealing with a place/time he experienced himself): Deception, by Edward Lucas.
SIL #1, age 20ish (fiction, fantasy-ish): Graceling, by Kristin Cashore.
Nephew, age 9 (fiction, exciting, bold): The Maze Runner, by James Dashner.
SIL #2, age 30ish (fiction, quick/engrossing read): Room, by Emma Donoghue.
Sister, age 27 (historical, controversial): One Day in September, by Simon Reeve.
Niece, age 11 (smart fiction that is more than just a story and oh my gosh this girl has read every book out there so it was hard to find something new): Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. My SIL had a small heart attack when I first said the title of this book and recommended it to her 11-year-old daughter, but this is a book about a Lithuanian girl during WWII, I promise.
My mom (fiction because she doesn't read much of it, and something fun because she's always reading heavy books): The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley.
Brother, age 20 (a cool story, whether it's fiction or non-fiction): Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand.
Brother, age 36 (non-fiction adventure/survival story): We Die Alone, by David Howarth.
Brother, age 34 (anything that's a classic that he hasn't read half a dozen times already): Thomas Hardy. Pick one. Except for Jude the Obscure.
Jeremy (non-fiction, international, crazy): Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight, by Alexandra Fuller.
My dad (non-fiction, historical, dealing with a place/time he experienced himself): Deception, by Edward Lucas.
SIL #1, age 20ish (fiction, fantasy-ish): Graceling, by Kristin Cashore.
Nephew, age 9 (fiction, exciting, bold): The Maze Runner, by James Dashner.
SIL #2, age 30ish (fiction, quick/engrossing read): Room, by Emma Donoghue.
Sister, age 27 (historical, controversial): One Day in September, by Simon Reeve.
Niece, age 11 (smart fiction that is more than just a story and oh my gosh this girl has read every book out there so it was hard to find something new): Between Shades of Gray, by Ruta Sepetys. My SIL had a small heart attack when I first said the title of this book and recommended it to her 11-year-old daughter, but this is a book about a Lithuanian girl during WWII, I promise.
My mom (fiction because she doesn't read much of it, and something fun because she's always reading heavy books): The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Alan Bradley.
Brother, age 20 (a cool story, whether it's fiction or non-fiction): Unbroken, by Laura Hillenbrand.
Brother, age 36 (non-fiction adventure/survival story): We Die Alone, by David Howarth.
Brother, age 34 (anything that's a classic that he hasn't read half a dozen times already): Thomas Hardy. Pick one. Except for Jude the Obscure.