Christmas time is a wonderful time of the year, but it can also be a bit stressful. So many gifts to buy, so many things to figure out. And what in the world do you get for the teen or young adult in your life whose answer to the question of “What do you want for Christmas?” is “I don’t know.”? (And maybe that teen is you. If that’s the case, I’m about to share some great ideas you can pass onto the next person who asks that question!)
Well I don’t have all the answers, and I have definitely been the teen without an answer to Christmas gift conundrum. I mean question. But one thing I’ve found is that books make excellent gifts!
When you give a book, you give an adventure, an experience, and hours of a journey into the imagination. Plus, when you give a book, you’ve already done the hard work of sorting through the millions of options and selecting one you think they’ll enjoy. Not to mention, books are notoriously easy to wrap. And when you’re facing mountains of presents to “Christmas-fy”, easy wrap jobs are a must.
Okay, have I convinced you? Are you ready to charge off and start buying boatloads of books?
Then awesome! I’ve already curated a list of excellent options. Let’s dive in! (The below links are affiliate links)
**Quick note: I’ve read several of these books, but others are high on my TBR list because I’ve heard fantastic things about them from friends who have wonderful book taste.
- Recruit of Talionis by CJ Milacci A teen with a dark past. A secret military force that kidnaps new soldiers. Can she survive as a Recruit of Talionis?
- Calculated by Nova McBee This entire series is one of my all-time favorites (Book 2 is Simulated and Book 3 is Activated)! Perfect for the adventure loving reader in your life…or for you personally. Zero judgement if you want to buy all these books just for yourself!
- Dust and Shadow by Kara Swanson. This duology is a fantastical retelling of Peter Pan. I was captivated from the start, and I know you will be too!
- The Wonderland Trials by Sara Ella This book surprised me. It is a fairytale retelling mixed with dystopian elements. Definitely worth the read!
- A Time to Die by Nadine Brandes If you’re looking for a great dystopian story that’s clean and has Christian elements woven in, you’ll love this series by Nadine Brandes. She’s one of my favorite authors and this series is one I loved!
The following books are the ones I haven’t read, but plan to read very soon!
- The Chase by Bradley Caffee “Win the chase. Be the hero. Or die trying.” A dystopian story.
- Seconds by Abigail Wilkes Forbidden children. Forgotten history. A power no one has witnessed in living memory.
- Wishtress by Nadine Brandes Her tears grant wishes. Her next tear will end her life.
- Drawn in Ash by John W. Otte Forced to marry the man sworn to destroy her kind. (An Esther retelling with fantastical elements)
- Alight by JF Rogers Three friends. Evil seeks to corrupt them. If they survive…what will it cost?
- Sacred Fire by Karen Grunst A dream of belonging. A populace seething with malice. Can this budding peacemaker stand strong in the face of darkness?
- Ignite by Jenna Terese What if superhumans weren’t considered heroes?
- And for the middle grade reader in your life: Jack Zulu and the Waylander’s Key by SD Smith and JC Smith
There you have it! A nice hearty list of books to get you started. If you check out any of these books, I’d love to hear what you think! Contact me and let me know.