Hello and welcome to a little post where I share 5 books that I think are great to gift for this upcoming holiday season. Well, actually you can gift these at any time, but I know I am looking for some gift inspiration and I though some others might be as well. Anyway, here are some books I think will be great to give to someone!
The Books
Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yū, this mixture of magical realism and historical fiction is set in Tokyo, Japan where we follow the main character of Kazu, who is now a ghost. You follow his as he remembers different parts of his life. Which, normally I would say is really boring, as least for me. Yū mixing this with magical elements as well as their ability to make you care so much for the characters in this book so quickly. I wont say that this is a happy book, it is being told to you by someone who has already past, but it is contemplative. For someone who enjoys discussions about society and others along those lines, this could be a book for them. Especially since it is under 200 pages. Trigger Warnings for Tokyo Ueno Station
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, this is another translated work that might be better suited for those who enjoy more fantasy. This book is part of a series, but could be easily read on its own. It revolves around a coffee shop that has the ability to let its patrons travel back in time, with some rules of course. It is mainly told through the story of four patrons, in doing so you learn about the shop, but also their stories as well. This can get emotional as well, but the atmosphere of the shop is welcoming and supportive as much as they can be. Trigger Warnings for Before the Coffee Gets Cold
The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead, this historical fiction account of a woman escaping slavery is a good choice to gift someone who enjoys both history and fiction. While this book does deal violence and abuse, I think it is worth a read. This engaging novel, like I said earlier, follows Cora. Core has made the decision to escape and this novel follows her as she makes the terrifying and dangerous journey. You are also told more about her past as you read as well. In telling her story, Whitehead also is looking at what is freedom and what that means and sugar coats nothings. If I am being honest, I would recommend any of the books written by Whitehead that I have read, his writing is clear and he is very talented in conveying what he means and emotions. Trigger Warnings for The Underground Railroad
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor: The Stoic Philosophy of Marcus Aurelius by Donald J. Robertson, this is a more philosophical book so you would be the best judge to see if this would be a good pick for your friend or family member. That being said this book takes a look at Stoicism, which is a way of looking at life. It is philosophy that was developed around the 3rd century BCE, but this book brings these ideas into the modern world. It was a very interesting read personally, it broke things down nicely and I didn’t feel like I was reading a text book or an antique text. I actually did a bit of a review of this, Reading Taste Test | @jacksepticeye, which I think will give you a better look at it.
Carmilla by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, for the person who enjoys classics or horror this might be the perfect read. You are going to find some outdated themes and some things that are just NOT appropriate and never should have been. With those things being said, if a person really enjoys horror and classics and keeps those things in mind, this could be a good gift. Carmilla is noted as being the original vampire story, that alone is what drew me in, classic vampires, could be interesting! Even with this being originally written in the 1800s, there is a lot going on in this book; vampires, LGBTQ themes, and frights all around. The atmosphere in this book is palpable and has you on your toes as soon as you pick it up. I know when I read this I was instantly pulled in. Even though this is an updated edition of the book, it does still have a lot of the writing styles/themes that you would see as “classic”. Trigger Warnings for Carmilla
Those are some books that I think might be good editions to your shopping list when it comes to gifting, but please look at the trigger warnings for the books above to make the final decision.
Bookish Luna 