Here's an array of even more books that we think would make ideal gifts for that special someone, a couple of which we reviewed earlier this year.
Beloved fantasy author Susanna Clarke welcomes the darkening season and its festivities with The Wood at Midwinter (Bloomsbury, $16.99), a bewitching fairy tale about a woman "between different worlds... compelled to try and reconcile the irreconcilable." On a snowy day approaching Christmas, the uncannily gifted Merowdis strolls through a living wood, whose trees and creatures enchant her understanding of traditions and the seasonal rhythms of nature. This kindhearted legend features lavish illustrations by Victoria Sawdon and comes bound in rich violet cover art inlaid with gold foil detail. Pair it with the brand-new 20th-anniversary edition of Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (Bloomsbury, 30.99).
Every year the holidays urge us to rush, even as the changing seasons implore us to rest. So what better present to offer your loved ones than the gift of respite. In We Will Rest!: The Art of Escape (Little, Brown Spark, $26), Tricia Hersey, the "Nap Bishop," offers insight and guidance into the subversive spiritual act of rest. This beautifully illustrated meditation offers contemplative poetry and reflective storytelling to help regain a healthy perspective on the transformative power of relaxation. You may want to bundle it with Hersey's companion volume, Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto (Little, Brown Spark, $28)
For the Swifty on your list, award-winning music journalist Annie Zaleski has compiled Taylor Swift: The Stories Behind the Songs (Thunder Bay Books, $29.99). This slick and impressive volume documents the singer-songwriter's stratospheric rise up the music charts and into mega-stardom, pairing canny and insightful analysis of Swift's songcraft alongside eye-popping, full-page photos of her most striking fashion choices. Covering her self-titled debut through this year's Tortured Poets Department, there may be no better companion to the Taylor Swift songbook, for casual fans and completists alike, than Zaleski's marvelous comprehensive review.
A gift that'll keep on giving for the creative dresser on your list, DIY Thrift Flip: Sewing Techniques for Transforming Old Clothes into Fun, Wearable Fashions (Quarry Books, $24.99) by April Yang (aka influencer Coolirpa) offers an easy-to-follow guide for anyone interested in altering and upcycling clothing, whether from their own closet or purchased secondhand for the express purpose of alteration. Turn a dress shirt into a bow-tie blouse. Create a pair of overalls from a matching pants and shirt set. Transform curtains into a tiered miniskirt. Navigable and cheerful, DIY Thrift Flip is a handy, encouraging resource for new and experienced crafters alike.
And for the naturalist, Wisdom from the Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben (Greystone, $15.95) is an enchanting, pocket-size collection of insightful gems lifted from Wohlleben's splendid international bestseller The Hidden Life of Trees, whose recent graphic adaptation is reviewed in this issue. Revel in the everyday drama unfolding in forests as trees go about their business of enticing bees with scented blossoms, pumping water into land-locked areas, and sharing news with each other through a dense underground network referred to as the "wood wide web."