This year, I’m giving the thing I love the most: books! They are my escape, my relaxation, the way that I learn new skills– everything wrapped into one. Because I’m such a voracious reader, a lot of people ask me for book recommendations. Of the fifty or so I’ve read this year, these are my top picks:

For the jaded romantic who loves risky travel and Ernest Hemingway: Love and Ruin by Paula McLain

For the wholesome and dreamy DIY’er: Make Something Good Today by Erin and Ben Napier

For the health junkie who craves thrillers:Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

For the thoughtful leader who seeks collaboration: Big Potential by Shawn Achor

For the girl who needs to know she can do it: Presence by Amy Cuddy

For the bohemian gardener and lover of beauty: Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden

For the foodie vegetarian with wanderlust:Heidi Swanson’s cookbook Near & Far

For those who believe in the redemptive power of wilderness and saints:

For the little builder:

The books are all linked to Amazon, and I was tempted to buy them online to make it easy, but instead I went to Third Place Books. They had all but two in stock! And they beautifully gift wrapped all of them for free, which crossed off another to-do on my list. In this busy season, it was nice to slow down and wander the aisles for awhile. I really enjoy the experience of shopping in an actual bookstore– seeing artful covers, flipping through the pages, breathing in the signature sweet paper and coffee scent, listening to the creak of old floors. It was worth the trip.

Happy reading,
Lauren