Borrow. Read. Repeat. staff have been browsing our 2025 Holiday Gift Guide to find the perfect books for the readers on our list this year. Scroll to see what books we’re gifting!
Miriam says, “This season, I will be gifting Hell’s Kitchen: Behind the Dream, a beautiful coffee table book featuring a libretto and 200 amazing behind-the-scenes photos from Alicia Keys’ vibrant Grammy and Tony award-winning musical.”
The Hell’s Kitchen book shares an intimate look inside the show’s creation, from the first spark of an idea through the musical’s thirteen-year journey to Broadway, where it continues to thrill audiences today. The book includes exclusive interviews with key cast and creative team members; first-person notes from Keys on her original songs; stunning stage photography and behind-the-scenes images; insights into costume creation, set design, choreography, and casting; and much more. This beautiful tribute answers every burning question a fan of the musical may have. Ultimately, it’s a triumphant celebration of Alicia Keys and New York City.
Rachel is Gifting:
Alchemised
SenLinYu
Rachel says, “This is—without a doubt—one of the most special books I have ever read. A darkly romantic gothic fantasy so rich, and so devastating, it’s consumed every bit of me. Alchemised is a complete and total revelation, and I need all my fellow readers to feel the pain of loving this book!”
In this riveting dark fantasy debut, a woman with missing memories fights to survive a war-torn world of necromancy and alchemy—and the man tasked with unearthing the deepest secrets of her past.
Elizabeth is Gifting:
The American Revolution
Geoffrey C. Ward and Ken Burns
Elizabeth says, “I’m surrounded by history enthusiasts, so this holiday season I’m gifting The American Revolution by Ken Burns and Geoffrey C. Ward. The PBS documentary is already on our DVR, and this book, by the award-winning historian and filmmaker, is the ideal present to help my history buffs dive deeper into the fascinating events and figures of the American Revolution.”
Enriched by guest essays from lauded historians such as Vincent Brown, Maya Jasanoff, Jane Kamensky, and Alan Taylor, and by an astonishing array of prints, drawings, paintings, texts, and pamphlets from the time period, as well as newly commissioned art and maps—and woven together with the words of Thomas Paine— The American Revolution reveals a nation still grappling with the questions that fueled its remarkable founding.
Sharnell is Gifting:
House of Rayne: Deluxe Limited Edition
Harley Laroux
Sharnell says, “I will be gifting House of Rayne to all of my romance-novel-loving friends! It has something for everyone: haunted-manor atmosphere, gripping suspense, and a romance so intense it could singe the pages.”
Gothic sapphic romance meets supernatural suspense on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest, as a night of forbidden passion opens a Pandora’s box of dangerous secrets and dark magic in this sinfully spicy, standalone novel by New York Times bestselling TikTok sensation, Harley Laroux.
Maureen is Gifting:
The Social Lives of Birds
Joan E. Strassmann
Maureen says, “For this bird-loving family, warblers, grackles, and catbirds are household names. So this year, there’s no better gift for my husband than a book that dives into the social behaviors of these fascinating creatures. Of course, it does mean we’ll probably be talking birds even more than we already do (is that possible?) and potential pop quizzes for me.”
An exploration of all the ways in which birds are social creatures—from breeding to nesting to babysitting.
Jen R. is Gifting:
Dinosaurs
Rachel Ignotofsky
Jen R. says, “I live with a lot of dinosaurs. I live in a NYC apartment version of Jurassic Park. I thought I had no more room or need for anything else dinosaur. But then I saw this gorgeous book by Rachel Ignotofsky and it’s whimsical, it’s colorful, it’s informative, it’s fun, it’s beautiful (check out the end papers, too!) AND . . . the best part? I don’t have anything like it! (Which is a miracle because I have literally every dinosaur thing that’s ever been created.) It’s unlike any other dinosaur book that I have or that I’ve seen, and I am so excited to gift this to my dinosaur-loving kids and to other dinosaur-loving humans in my life!”
Dinosaurs is an entertaining, educational, and strikingly illustrated guide to Earth’s prehistoric eras and animals, from the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Women in Science.
Kelly says, “This fascinating anthology is a dive into the personal letters of some of the brightest literary minds in history. Reading The Correspondent this year makes me realize how much we are all missing out on without the giving and receiving of physical handwritten letters. This is the perfect book to share with my friend who is also a letter lover and wants to bring back this lost art as well.”
This fascinating anthology is a dive into the personal letters of some of the brightest literary minds in history.
