Last week I said there wouldn’t be a post this week, but I decided I had enough material to put together a more comprehensive book gift guide. There are so many good books in the world, but sometimes specific recs can help to cut through the noise.

If you need more recommendations check out Fakequity’s Bookshop page. The majority of the books on there have been vetted by me or people I trust. Fakequity is an affiliate of Bookshop and receives a small profit from sales made through the link, which supports the blog and used to gift books to high poverty schools.

If the person likes fiction with a twist of dark humor and satire:

Yellowface and My Sister the Serial Killer fill the category of fiction with a twist of dark humor. Both books deal with death, but it is what happens after the deaths and how the deaths happen that make the books intriguing.

If your gift receiver enjoys reading historical fiction:

Take My Hand is a wonderful book that follows a nurse and two Black girls who were forcibly sterilized in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1970s. The book is well-researched and an important read to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes.

The Seed Keeper is another historical fiction book focused on Native Americans and farming. The story follows several generations and the seeds they nurture and farm. It follows the rise of industrial agriculture and how that conflicted with Native farming values in one family.

You need to gift a gorgeous, heavy book or put one on your own coffee table:

Project 562 was a past recommendation on Fakequity, and I’m bringing it back because it is that gorgeous and that important to showcase Native Americans and Indigenous people how they want to be seen.

I’m also putting Crowned in this category (not as heavy as Project 562) because it is another gorgeous book that would look great on a coffee table, and is appropriate for kids and adults.

A book about disability justice for you or someone else

Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist is the autobiography of Judith Heumann, a legendary disability justice activist. She died recently but her legacy lives on.

Looking for a cookbook for the cook who has every cookbook

Make it Japanese just came out a few weeks ago. I follow Rie McClenny on the Tasty channels and was very excited to see her new cookbook. In the cookbook, she focuses on home cooking of Japanese food, not the exclusively fancy stuff you see on fancy menus. I am excited to try some of the recipes this holiday season.

A cookbook for the bakers and pie makers

I’m intimidated by pie making. The crust and all the steps sound way more complicated than other desserts. But the pies in this book may force me to try again, OR I could gift it to someone and hope they will make all the pies and share them with me. 50 Pies, 50 States: An Immigrant’s Love Letter to the United States Through Pie is just what the title says, a pie for every state and some bonus cities and countries. The cookbook is truly a love story of the author around pies, places, and many of her friends who she dedicates the pies to.

For junior bakers, The Only Way to Make Bread (picture book) is a nice introduction to talking about cultures, differences, and similarities. This book just came out too so there is a good chance people don’t have it yet.

Your friend wants to start a revolution, or at least spark some change.

Ijeoma Oluo has a new book coming out in January 2024,  Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World–And How You Can, Too. If this holds true to her past books, it will be fab and help people learn about race and how they can work for racial change.

Back to Nature

Connecting to nature and the outdoors is a huge part of diverse POC experiences. I was reminded of that while browsing at the library and picking up the Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults edition. This adaptation is as special as the adult version, Braiding Sweetgrass. Pick up both and enjoy them and gift them to many people.

You need some graphic novels for middle school kids?

My kid, the graphic novel lover, recommends City of Dragons. She’s excited the second book was just published. The books are about a girl named Grace, the death of her father, and an egg that hatches into a dragon and the adventures they have together.

My older kid, recommends the Amulet series for upper elementary grade. For middle schoolers, he recommends Boxer and Saints. When I gifted copies of all of these to several schools the librarians were thrilled to have additional copies for their shelves, they said these titles are often checked out.

Someone is having a baby and you want to give them books

Golden Domes and Silver Lanterns: A Muslim Book of Colors is a gorgeous book with really nice prose. I was excited to see it in board book format.

Freight Train by Donald Crews is a classic. There is no real story, no plot, but the text is so captivating. This was my kid’s favorite book when he was a baby. The copy we had literally fell apart from so many readings and handling by the baby.

You need a picture book or books for younger kids

Goddess: 50 Goddesses, Spirits, Saints, and Other Female Figures Who Have Shaped Belief The goddesses are diverse and inclusive of many cultures. I was impressed with the breadth and depth of the book. The illustrations are attractive. It is better for older elementary students.

My Culture, My Gender, Me is an inclusive look at different cultures and the inclusion of LGBTQ and especially trans people. The author is white, but including it since the illustrator is POC.

There are so many other books to recommend. If you’re looking for a category not listed here, check out some of Fakequity’s other book recommendation lists. Hope you find some good books to read and gift this season.

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