A Short Guide on Books to Gift to the Readers in Your Family
- The Council
- Dec 1, 2019
- 5 min read
We here in TAC firmly believe that books are the perfect gift for anyone, but obviously if you know someone isn't too hot on reading, it may be a bit harder to justify getting them books as a gift. However, we believe anyone can be a reader and any book could be the one that gets them into reading!
So, while this is technically labeled a short guide for readers, and you can use this if you yourself are not one but know people that are, this can be for anyone! We'll explain in our recommendations why we like them and who we think they'd be good for, so hopefully this will work for you!
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Caraval is one of my favorite books and also a great gift for fantasy lovers. Caraval is the name of a beautifully intricate and circus-like game hosted by Legend, a mysterious man who seems to hold ancient magical powers.
Each year legend moves his game somewhere new and for a few nights, guests can experience the wonders of a mystery come to life. Scarlet is about to get married and leave behind her childhood dream of attending Caraval when her younger sister Donatella springs a surprise trip with the help of a mysterious sailor. However soon as they arrive at the island where Caraval is to take place, Donatella goes missing and the only way to find where she has gone is to play the game and win.
This book has so many twists and turns it had me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Stephanie Garber has a writing style that completely draws readers into the fantastical game of Caraval. This Young Adult book for people who enjoy mind-bending mystery, immersive fantasy, and a beautiful sisterly bond. Even if you aren’t a big reader, I promise that this book can draw you in and hold your attention throughout the whole book.
— Charlotte VS
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson
Everything Margaret Rogerson writes is perfect for any time of the year, but it almost feels like it's meant for the cozy winter months. When everyone is more likely to curl up under a blanket with a book and spend a few hours escaping.
In fact, books are pretty much the centerpiece of this lovely stand alone fantasy world! Books are alive; capable of thought and emotion, and kept in libraries which are essentially forts to protect them from outside forces who wish to do them harm.
Because when a book is mistreated in any way, it can turn into a demon that can only be stopped by a librarian's sword. Yes, that's right, librarians are warriors that protect books so the knowledge within them isn't lost to time.
Elisabeth Scrivener is an orphan raised in one such library who longs only to one day wield the sword that the head librarian does. Then comes along a sorcerer named Nathaniel, who she's pretty sure is evil, as all sorcerers all, they have to make a deal with a demon in order to receive their powers after all.
Things go awry, the head librarian is murdered, Elisabeth is framed, and the sorcerer sent to bring her to trial is none other than Nathaniel, who she's pretty sure is the one responsible for the murder. Books are being turned in every library around the country and people are dying and she needs to figure out what's going on before the ones doing it can take her out, the only one determined to actually solve this mystery.
Elisabeth is left armed with only her wit, her determination, and a confusing and constantly growing attraction to the sorcerer she's not so sure about anymore.
It's cozy, it's gorgeously written, the characters will steal your heart away, and honestly it's a perfect for everyone. It's got the right amount of everything for fantasy that's tucked away into one book, so people that love long series' will be pleased, and people that prefer tucking away a world after one book will be too! I should note also that the emotions were so real when I was reading it that it made me weep, and not from sadness, just pure connection with the story!
-Cat
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro
Everyone needs a good mystery in their lives. Especially a gender-bent Sherlock Holmes mystery. A Study in Charlotte tells the story of Jamie Watson (the great-great-great-grandson of John Watson), who wins a rugby scholarship to a Connecticut prep school & meets the great-great-great-granddaughter of Sherlock Holmes, Charlotte. At first, Jamie chooses to admire this girl from afar, not wishing to repeat their families’ history. He doesn’t even like her that much. But then, a student at their school is found dead, Jamie is framed for their murder, & he realizes he can no longer keep his distance. Only together can they solve this mystery & clear Jamie’s name, but someone out there will do whatever it takes to keep that from happening.
I remember reading this book after a serious Sherlock binge. I’d done it all- the books, the BBC show, & I was still hungry for more of the world’s greatest detective. When I picked up this book, I was met with even more than a good mystery— I found characters I could relate to, that struggle as I do, that experience raw human emotions and sprang to life from the page in a way that Sherlock never had for me before. Cavallaro writes characters so beautifully & her plot was so compelling, that I personally believed it lived up to everything Arthur Conan Doyle began with the original Sherlock stories. It keeps you on the edge of your seat, is filled with twists and cliffhangers, & yet still manages to explore philosophical themes about what it means to love & what it means to be human.
This book is a perfect one to cozy up with at night, though be warned that it will keep you hooked until you've solved the mystery!
-Eliza
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
Gent's Guide follows Henry Montague (though he'd die if you called him anything other than Monty) on his Grand Tour of Europe with his sister, Felicity and best friend/secret crush, Percy. Monty is elated to escape the pressure of his father to take over his family's estate and live his life as he wants to: drinking and gambling his nights away, all the while flirting with Percy. But then, Monty makes a reckless decision that changes his plans. Instead of a laid- back Grand Tour, Monty and Co. are thrown into an adventure of a lifetime, and a race against the clock. Suddenly, everything Monty thought he knew is challenged, and he's forced to face questions and doubts about his future, and even the boy he loves.
I completely adored this book. Monty and Percy's relationship is infuriating and adorable all at once, and Felicity is the most underappreciated character of the whole novel. The chemistry between the characters makes the whole book, without their constant bickering and teasing, the severity of the plot would weigh the story down. I also loved that this book wasn't solely a romance, but there was also mystery and travel and magical elements mixed in.
This book is perfect for that person in your life who's in search of a refreshing new romance, or just someone looking to be whisked away on a brand new adventure through our world in a much different time! They won't want to put it down, and will instantly fall in love with each of the characters.
- Jennie
Where Can I Buy These Books?
Right Here at Bookmarks! We ship anywhere!
Also, these books are currently all in stock in the store, so stop on in, have a chat with Cat! She can recommend a ton more if you're really going all out!
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