So, it’s a wrap.

Everything’s under paper and under the tree. You’re done with all your shopping, except for one person. Or two. Maybe four.

So what do you get for that hard-to-buy-for person who never likes anything? Well, as they say, a book is a present they’ll open again and again, so why not head to your local bookstore for these great gifts:

FICTION

For the reader who loves a little bit of romance with their ghost story, “The Ghost Clause” by Howard Norman is a good choice to wrap up. It’s the story of a ghost and his reflections on his marriage, as he observes the union of the new owners of his former home. Wrap it up with “The Plus One” by Sarah Archer, a novel about a robotics engineer who needs a date for a wedding. So why not just make one?

The traveler on your list will love reading “Layover” by David Bell. It’s the story of a man who meets an intriguing stranger in an airport and falls in love with her. What happens next isn’t a love story… Wrap it up with “The Dollmaker” by Nina Allan – because it is a sort of love story.

On your list, there’s undoubtedly someone’s mom, or maybe someone who has decided not to be. In “Motherhood” by Sheila Heti, a woman wrestles with a “to be or not to be” question and all that comes with it. Will she have children, or won’t she?

For the giftee who loves being organized, wrap up “Careful What You Wish For” by Hallie Ephron, a novel about a professional organizer whose husband is a hoarder. Good for her, though, she has a couple of new clients who will give her something else to think about – except one thing leads to another and she finds herself in a much, much bigger mess. Wrap it up with another makes-you-think novel: “The Lightest Object in the Universe” by Kimi Eisele, a story of the end of the world, and a chance to rebuild society anew.

For the reader who loves historical fiction, “Quintland Sisters” by Shelley Wood will be a great gift to give. It’s a fictionalized tale of the Dionne Quintuplets, as told by their nurse in novelized form.

Readers who enjoy crime fiction will love “The Shameless” by Ace Atkins. When a twenty-year-old suicide suddenly becomes of interest to a couple of big-city reporters, Sheriff Quinn Colson wonders why – but before he can find out, he’s embroiled in another, more recent crime and an election that could send Tibbehah County into a crime-ridden tailspin.

The lover of magical novels, wrap up “The Daughters of Temperance Hobbs” by Katherine Howe. It’s a novel about a young woman who’s keeping a secret from her colleagues and the world: she’s a descendant of a possible witch, and she possesses powers that have come down the bloodline, but can it save a loved one’s life?

NON-FICTION

For road trippers, “The Vagabonds” by Jeff Guinn” makes a great gift idea. It’s the story of ten years’ worth of road-trips taken by friends Henry Ford and Thomas Edison: the things they saw, the places they visited, and why they had to stop their (very much beloved) vacations together. Wrap it up with “Two-Buck Chuck & The Marlboro Man: The New Old West” by Frank Bergon, a lively book that takes readers on a trip to meet people who hold the image of the West that used to be, and how it fits in with what the West is today.

Newlyweds will love reading “The Long Accomplishment: A Memoir of Hope and Struggle in Matrimony” by Rick Moody. It’s a no-holds-barred story of Moody’s second marriage, the good and the bad, and the love inside it. Wrap it up with “The Deer Camp” by Dean Kuipers, another warts-and-all book about spending time with the people you love.

For the lover of scary stories, “Virginia’s Haunted Historic Triangle, 2nd Edition” by Pamela K. Kinney will be a big treat to unwrap. Here, full-color pictures accompany hair-raising tales of weirdness and ghosts. Also for lovers of the Unknown: “Lost Civilizations” by Jim Willis, a book about the ancients and what they knew that we need to know now.

Still need more creepiness beneath your tree? Then find “Celebrity Ghosts and Notorious Hauntings” by Marie D. Jones, a book about Hollyweird’s weirdness, and others; and “Unexplained” by Richard Maclean Smith, a book of hair-raising stories that will show you that there are things to learn from a good scare. Wrap them both up with “I Know What I Saw” by Linda S. Godfrey, a book about monsters, urban legends, and things that go BUMP in the night.

Imagine how your science-minded giftee will love “The Royal Society & The Invention of Modern Science” by Adrian Tinniswood. It’s a book about the early days of the Royal Society of London, the work it did (and does) and the very bumpy road it took to become one of science’s best institutions.

The person who likes to surprise others will be surprised to get “Magic is Dead” by Ian Frisch. It’s the story of magic and prestidigitation, how Frisch became immersed in a secret organization of magicians, and how it changed his life. Speaking of secrets, if your giftee is so inclined, “Cover-Ups & Secrets” by Nick Redfern may be a really good addition to your gift. It’s all about conspiracies, deceptions, UFOs, Hollywood rumors, and other great topics for thought.

The lover of justice will both enjoy unwrapping “Life and Death in Rikers Island” by Homer Venters. It’s the story of one man’s incarceration in prison for a small theft he didn’t commit. It’s the tale of his suicide, once released. And it’s the story of what prison will do to a person, both physically and mentally. Wrap it up with “Free Cyntoia” by Cyntoia Brown-Long; it’s the story of Brown-Long’s days as a sex worker, her wrongful conviction and incarceration, and her life after prison; or “The Master Plan: My Journey from Life in Prison to a Life of Purpose” by Chris Wilson with Bret Witter.

If there’s a musician on your gift list, or someone who plays in a band, then “Guitar” by David Schiller is exactly what you should put under the tree. This lavishly-illustrated book is all about the instrument, both electric and acoustic; the artists who owned the guitar, and sometimes, who made the instrument that made the music.

The person who’s fascinated by the way the world works might like to unwrap “Radical Suburbs” by Amanda Kolson Hurley. It’s a book about how our cities have changed and how our perception of them needs to change, too. For a doubly-great gift, wrap it up with “Archaeology from Space” by Sarah Parcak, so your giftee can see what things are like on earth from beyond…

Christmas has a reason for the season, and if your giftee is exploring his or her beliefs, then “The Handy Christianity Answer Book” by Stephen A. Werner, PhD, will be a great present to open. In a Q&A format, this book looks at Christianity and all aspects surrounding it. Wrap it up with “Signs from the Other Side” by Bill Philipps, a book that will comfort anyone who’s lost a loved one.

The person who has a hard time tearing himself away from a certain show on television will love to read “Generation Friends: An Inside Look at the Show That Defined a Television Era” by Saul Austerlitz. It’s a nice look back at TV that mirrored real life, even for just a minute of our lives. And speaking of generations, look for “Connecting Generations” by Hayim Herring. It’s a good look at the disparities between Boomers, Gen Xers, and Millennials, and how we can all learn to come together for the betterment of all involved…

Not just for a farmer, “Farming for the Long Haul” by Michael Foley will also inspire back-to-the-land folks and anyone who wants to take the next step toward it. This book espouses small farms and other new ways of farming that don’t hurt the groundwater or the land itself. Beware that this may be controversial. Beware that it may launch a few farmers on your list. Wrap it up with “Farm + Land’s Back to the Land” by Frederick Pikovsky and Nicole Caldwell. It’s a guide to living and working outdoors and perhaps going back to the land; or “The Farmer’s Son” by John Connell, a story of life on an Irish family farm.

Your favorite armchair astronomer will love unwrapping “When the Earth had Two Moons” by Erik Asphaug because there are so many things to learn about what’s “out there.”

For readers who love history, “Born to the Badge” by Mark Warren might be the gift to get. Part novelization, part history, it’s the story of Wyatt Earp and his years in Wichita before moving to Texas to escape his past.

YOUNG ADULT BOOKS

For the “good student” who breaks out now and then, “The Revolution of Birdie Randolph” by Brandy Colbert might make a great gift. It’s a novel of Birdie, a girl who works hard to make her parents proud of her, even though it means giving up all the things she loves to do. But then old family secrets, a long-estranged aunt, and a new love change everything…

The young adult who has a whole passel of close friends will enjoy reading “The Echo Park Castaways” by M.G. Hennessey. It’s the story of three teens who are in the foster system and when a fourth joins them, life takes a big, daring turn. Another book to wrap up is a book that questions what “friendship” is: “I’m Not Dying with You Tonight” by Kimberly Jones and Gilly Segal. It’s a book about two very different teens who must rely on one another to survive.

Who doesn’t love a good scare? Your giftee sure does, and “Dead Voices” by Katherine Arden is the thing to wrap. It’s about a snowy day that turns into a very snowy night, a sinister skiing lodge, and three friends who keep seeing and hearing things that aren’t there. Or are they?

For the teen reader who loves all things pirate, or who loves reading about strong women, “A Pirate’s Life for She” by Laura Sook Duncombe might be the book to give. It’s arrrgh look at women behind at the helm of pirate ships, Matey, and the arrrrrrful things they did.

And now the homework:

Books change, release dates change, things get cancelled, none of this is brain surgery or set in concrete. If you have any questions, need more ideas, or need help finding things, be sure to ASK your local booksellers. They’re the ones wearing invisible SuperHero logos, because they know things and they know how to make your giftee smile.

Seriously, they’re just that good.

Season’s Readings!