Marisa Fernandez

If you've got book-lovers to buy for, we've got you covered. From a 920-page biography of Theodore Roosevelt to a book filled with literary cocktails, Post culture writer Marisa Fernandez has got suggestions that will keep you from aimlessly wandering around a Barnes & Noble. 

I adore reading. But If you're anything like me, bookstores can be overwhelming. Soon I find myself wandering aimlessly, and even then I am unsure if I should take the chance in purchasing an overpriced retail book for someone just by reading the inside cover.

I always look for book recommendations, either from word of mouth or magazine and Internet reviews. That extra reassurance helps me to be prepared for the bookstore and buy books for others I know they’ll appreciate.

Take these book suggestions that will show your thoughtfulness in others’ interests for the holidays.

  1. For the inspired: This is the Story of a Happy Marriage, by Ann Patchett. This is a collection of stories. Gift this to a fellow college goer, or to someone you admire: take a breather by opening the book to a random page and soaking in Patchett’s candid writing. Life needs us to keep moving. $12.41 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/16wpiNG

  1. For the sibling: The Secret Language of Relationships, by Gary Goldschneider and Joost Elferrs. Let your little sibling figure it out for themselves, so you don’t have to explain. Or, give it to your older sibling with an a card explaining its a dissection of human nature and interactions with others. $21.47 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1DQFJU5

  1. For the educated drinker: Tequila Mockingbird: Cocktails with a Literary Twist, by Tim Federle. Enjoy a Yellow Wallbanger or a Gone with the Wine while you show off your sophistication by gifting this collection of liquid literary potions. Likeability in drinks may vary. $13.50 on Amazon.com  http://amzn.to/1wIt3JL

  1. For the TV fanatic: The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black, by E.B. Hudspeth. If you had a friend who wouldn’t shut up about the TV show, American Horror Story: Coven, then they need this book. It’s a commercial-free mystery with an eerie doctor and weird illustrations of human and mythical hybrids. $15.78 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1wQI0Iq

  1. A good series to start: Never mind: The Patrick Melrose Novels, by Edward St. Aubyn. This is book one of five in a series about Patrick Melrose, a five-year-old who sees life’s cruelty too quickly. This series follows Patrick growing up and is known for its loud contribution in British contemporary literature. $5.42 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1GVZqG9

  1. Classics never get old: The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Sure, you might be giving it to someone who has read it before (or seen the movies), but reading it is a timeless classic. The Hobbit has a journey, an adventure and fantasy and it set the bar for an entire genre of books we have today. $9.86 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1wQFemq *Buy it at a used bookstore. They always have cool looking old classic novels, and for half the price.

  1. Because we’re American: American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History, by Chris Kyle. No. 1 best sellers don’t lie. Regardless of your political views, Kyle was a Navy SEAL that was good at his job for the U.S. military. Buy this for someone who likes a good story, shows interest in war and... likes guns. $7.18 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/13if7KV

  1. For the rocker: Scar Tissue by Anthony Kiedis. Give this to that one guy you know who worships rock music and might be a little messed up in the head. From the singer of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Anthony Kiedis shares his youth, his addictions and the successes and failures that causes him to still breathe today. $11.39 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1v4yZIG

  1. For someone who doesn’t mind a little gore: Abraham Lincoln,Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. As a fan of history, I can’t get enough of historical fiction. The accusations in this book make you pause for thought in what you learned about “Honest Abe” in the 5th grade. The story is tightly believeable in why Abraham Lincoln is such a vampire killing machine. $11.19 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/13gK5CM

  1. For someone on the go: The audiobook, Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography, by Neil Patrick Harris. I recommend the audiobook more than his print book, because he narrates it himself. His sarcasm and stress on words will have you laughing to yourself while you walk around campus. $24.97 on Amazon.comhttp://amzn.to/1BVT2k8

  1. For the, “I’m not much of a reader”: I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, by Tucker Max. This book is a hilarious and somewhat concerning collection of personal experiences on college life. Tucker Max tells true stories that seem unbelievable, but can leave a young adult wide-eyed and laughing. $14.81 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1z0PLyU

  1. For the modern poet: The Dead Emcee Scrolls: The Lost Teachings of Hip-Hop, by Saul Williams. Williams goes on an exploration to decipher the scrolls he found in a can of spraypaint under an abandoned subway rail. This book shows a different perspective of hip-hop and its words. Take the beat away, and these words sing to you with your eyes. $12.35 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1AkUkD9

  1. For the visual learners: The graphic novel, Maus, by Art Spiegelman. The book just came out with its 25th anniversary edition, and is a great unconventional book to give. The book conveys horrors of the Holocaust through cartoons, and shows how words aren’t the only way to provoke emotion. The story comes in two graphic novels. $19.77 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1AksV4l

  1. For the realist: The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, by Edmund Morris. The book is a whopping 920 pages on former U.S. president, Teddy Roosevelt. The biography is a page-turner on someone who led an extraordinary life. The book proves those with so much power use it correctly and can still seem like a normal person. $13.06 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1wQj1F3

15. For the child in us: How to Tell if Your Cat is Plotting to Kill You, by Matthew Inman. We all know the feeling. $8.99 on Amazon.com http://amzn.to/1z9HDvY

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