2024 Last Minute Gift Guide
Five Books for the Readers in Your Life
I am a terrible gift giver. There’s no sugarcoating it. It’s one of my worst qualities as a person. I grew up in a gift card family where the most thoughtful gift was letting your loved ones pick their own gift. I personally love gift cards; they’re my favorite thing to receive because in recent years, I’ve been trying to lead a minimalist lifestyle and reduce the amount of objects I own. Gift cards help me (1) ensure that all the objects in my house serve a specific purpose and (2) avoid receiving any more writer-themed mugs with grammatical errors.
I will defend gift cards until the very end, but I do recognize how they might feel like a cop-out for some loved ones. For example, my partner and his family prefer to give wildly specific and wonderfully considerate gifts all without asking what the other person wanted. While I deeply admire this about them, I lack the bone or organ that directs a person to the perfect gift. Every holiday season, for many years, I frantically scrambled to find the right gift for each of them. But since I’d been living in Korea for the last several years and did not return to the US for the holidays, I used the ocean between us as an excuse to revert to my gift card giving ways. But a few weeks ago, I moved back to the US, and this is my first holiday season in America in many years.
Now that I’m back, I’ve been thinking about different books to give different readers in my life and how I can support debut writers with these gifts. Today, we’re talking about three debut books to give the readers in your life and two great gifts for the writers you love. Needless to say, I’m not sponsored by any of the books or products listed below; just a big fan.
Back from Hiatus
Craft with Kat is back! Revisions for Good People are going well, and I am so thrilled for everyone to meet the dumpster fire that is Jo Tope.
Paid subscriptions will resume on January 1, 2025. If you had an active paid subscription on August 4, 2024, please check that your payment method is up-to-date. All paid subscribers receive access to 20+ practical craft lessons, AMAs, and rewards like free query letter reviews.
2024 Craft with Kat Gift Guide
Debut Novel
River East, River West by Aube Rey Lescure
Order on Bookshop to support local bookstores1
Part coming-of-age story, part family drama, River East, River West, is a novel perfect for the travelers, ex-pats, and wanderlust-afflicted loved ones in your life. A tale of yearning, love, and grievances, this novel brilliantly blends its fresh east-to-west immigration concept with universal family themes that anyone in your life can relate to. As an ex-pat who also emigrated from America to Asia, I saw so much of my own experiences in this beautiful novel. Run—don’t walk—to get this book.
Debut Short Story Collection
Mouth by Puloma Ghosh
Order on Bookshop to support local bookstores
Mouth is a beautifully disturbing collection with stories that redefine ingenuity and what it means to be a monster. This book is a perfect gift for any loved ones who relish all things surreal and uncanny. For the writers in your life, this collection is a master class in creating image-driven tension. If you like listening to books, the audiobook just came out last week. I listened to “Desiccation” while grocery shopping and one beat made me audibly gasp and turn heads in the soup aisle. Highly, highly recommend.
Debut Memoir
Docile: Memoirs of a Not-So-Perfect Asian Girl by Hyeseung Song
Order on Bookshop to support local bookstores
Docile is a profound memoir about identity, mental health, and belonging. In this memoir, Song wrestles with her understanding of herself within the personal context of her family and the societal contexts of America and Korea. Having often felt like an outsider in the three countries I’ve called home, Docile’s story made me feel seen and, in turn, less alone. This memoir tackles challenging themes of ambition and self-worth with a poignant elegance that any reader in your life will connect with.
Craft Book
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
Order on Bookshop to support local bookstores
A couple weeks ago, I posted a Note asking for craft book recommendations. Lisa Cron’s Story Genius came up so many times that I finally sat down to read it. I had read Wired for Story years ago, and concepts from it influenced this post on character development, but Wired for Story was—for me at least—a very theoretical read. At this point in my writing life, I’m more interested in craft books that teach concrete writing techniques, and that’s exactly what Story Genius does. In between revisions for Good People, I’ve been rewriting You Will Survive This from scratch, and this book has helped me find a new perspective for this novel that I’ve already spent so many years working on. If you have any writers in your life that enjoy craft books, Story Genius is a great, practical gift.
Journals & Notebooks
Insight Editions Journals
Many, many years ago, I worked for an art book publisher called Insight Editions. The main perk of working at this publisher was that we received one copy of every book (or book-adjacent product) that the company produced. I must have received at least 30 journals and notebooks during my tenure there. Since I left the company, I’ve either filled up or gifted all of the notebooks I received, and now that I’m using non-Insight notebooks, I can truly say that they make the best journals. Period.
These journals also make great gifts because many notebooks in their catalog are tie-ins to film, television, and video game properties. You are guaranteed to find the perfect pop culture notebook for your loved ones. I personally put the Targaryen Fire & Blood Journal on my holiday wishlist, and I’m so excited to be using these high-quality notebooks again.
What’s on your holiday wishlist? What books do you recommend as gifts? Share your recommendations in the comments:
Virtual Write-In on January 4th
Since I’m back in the US permanently, I’d love to engage with you all in real-time. On Saturday, January 4th, I’ll be hosting a virtual write-in. This write-in lines up with the beginning of the next Mini 1000. If you’d like a sense of community during your writing session, join us on January 4th.
We’ll be sharing our goals and quietly writing together with the Pomodoro Technique. I’ll share more details (the time, link, etc.) next week.
In the meantime, is this event something you’d be interested in? Do you prefer Saturday mornings, afternoons, or evenings? Are there other events you’d like to see in our community? Share your thoughts below!
Until next time,
Kat
This post includes affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you make a purchase through these links. Purchasing books through the Craft with Kat Bookshop supports the free writing resources I share here on Substack.
I have that mug too! Love it
This is a great gift guide, thank you! I'd love to join the write-in if it's in the afternoon PST :)