#37 The best books to buy this Christmas
On what I've read this year, "jolabokaflod" or the Christmas book flood.
Are you one of those people who leave Christmas shopping last-minute? Me too.
My excuse is that I am overthinking each and every present – so far, nothing new.
I want my dear ones to feel happy and special. I want them to see that I put the effort in despite running to buy wrapping paper and sellotape at the eleventh hour. I want to show my love and appreciation for having them in my life.
Teodora, it’s the thought that counts. Yes, indeed, but if you have the chance to make someone smile at Christmas, why would you not do everything it takes to accomplish this?
My solution: go and buy a book. (I mean, did you expect anything else from me?)
Even better: celebrate Christmas as Icelandic people do! Jolabokaflod – or the roughly translated “Christmas book flood” – is a tradition that sees people giving each other books on Christmas Eve that they would read around the fire later that evening.
Tell me a better way to spend Christmas… you can’t!
In all seriousness, can you ever go wrong with a book? Not when you have me to provide you with great recommendations!
I made a list of the best fiction and non-fiction books I’ve read this year. I think there’s something in there for everyone, but if I’m wrong, comment below or hit the reply button and tell me what type of book you’re looking for. I’ll do my best to not let you down!
Without further ado, let’s begin! *yay*
A book for…
The friend who is going through an existential crisis:
“The Panic Years” by Nell Frizzell
themes: the limits of female fertility, the pressures women have around the idea of conceiving, and the necessities of childcare: financial security, time, employment prospects etc.
you can pair it with: Dolly Alderton’s “Everything I know about love”
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ A well-intentioned book, occasionally funny, and probably too honest. Do we really need a detailed chapter on how it’s like to be in labour?! Uhm…
“Can’t Even: How Millenials Became the Burnout Generation” by Anne Helen Peterson (who also writes “Culture Study” on Substack)
themes: mental health, burnout (obviously!), the fetishisation of lovable work, and the growing disillusionment with the “do what you love” ethos.
you can pair it with: Ethan Kross’s “Chatter: The Voice in Our Head and How to Harness It”
personal rating: 2/5 ⭐ Don’t be put off by this – I remember being angry with Peterson for writing about burnout only from an American perspective. To me, this was a huge faux-pas, but I’m sure there are other people who are more indulgent and willing to learn about burnout from a social perspective.
The friend in need of a pep talk:
“Manifesto: On Never Giving Up” by Bernardine Evaristo
themes: a thought-provoking commentary on success, boundaries, rejection, activism, conventions, creativity, and making history as the first Black woman to win the Booker.
you can pair it with: Brené Brown’s “Dare to lead”
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ Here’s a chance to revisit my thoughts on Evaristo’s first memoir/manifesto.
“Walk Through Walls: A Memoir” by Marina Abramović
themes: the impressive tale of the girl who was raised under Tito’s regime in postwar Yugoslavia to become an extraordinary artist through discipline, authenticity, and thinking outside the box.
you can pair it with: Matthew Parris’ “Fracture: Trauma, Success and the Origins of Greatness”
personal rating: 4/5 ⭐ Abramović is considered the godmother of performance art. I call her a goddess.
The friend who wants to be an influencer:
“My Body” by Emily Ratajkowski
themes: an insight into the modelling industry, beauty standards, compromise, power dynamics, misogyny, and abuse.
you can pair it with: Roxane Gay’s “Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body”
personal rating: 2/5 ⭐ This book is a quick read, and if you’re keen, you can finish it in one sitting. However, it’s difficult to sympathise with Ratajkowski when she fails to acknowledge her place in perpetuating the very structure she claims to be fighting against.
The friend who suffers from FOMO:
“Beautiful World, Where Are You” by Sally Rooney
themes: Rooney “gestures toward big topics” such as climate change, politics, art, capitalism, and sexuality to quote a Goodreads reviewer.
you can pair it with: Sally Rooney’s “Normal People”
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ Does this book live up to the hype? I think Rooney should get a grip.
The feminist friend:
“The Authority Gap: Why women are still taken less seriously than men, and what we can do about it” by Mary Ann Sieghart
themes: gender inequality and politics, biases, and exercising authority.
you can pair it with: Caroline Criado Pérez’s “Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men”
personal rating: 4/5 ⭐ An insightful read, a painful reality. I started this book thinking I already know an awful lot on this topic. I ended up being gobsmacked by the extent to which the authority gap is exercised within our society. Perhaps it’s true that equality will be reached when mediocre women will be treated in the same way as mediocre men.
“The Soul of a Woman” by Isabel Allende
themes: a triumph when it comes to womanhood, ageing, the power of education, romance, and marriage.
you can pair it with: Mikki Kendall’s “Hood Feminism: Notes from the Women That a Movement Forgot”
personal rating: 4/5 ⭐ Next time I get asked what author I’d like to have dinner with, I won’t hesitate. Mrs Allende, please. Also, can we take a moment and appreciate how this woman still kicks ass at 79?!
The friend who wants to save the planet:
“Eating Animals” by Jonathan Safran Foer
themes: animal rights activism, veganism, climate change.
you can pair it with: Michael Pollan’s “The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals”
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ This should come with a content warning – there is a lot of cruelty described in this book. Ultimately, Foer wants to raise awareness and make us understand we don’t need to split into different camps – those who love and care about animals and those who don’t. It’s about reevaluating the relationship we have with the animal-based food we eat.
The friend who wants to learn more about identity and belonging:
“Border Nation: A Story of Migration” by Leah Cowan
themes: abolishing borders, capitalism, and immigration enforcement.
you can pair it with: Elif Shafak’s “The Island of Missing Trees”
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ Essential and succinct reading and an explanation of how borders perpetuate hierarchical myths. My takeaway is that fear makes us fall into bigotry, racism and bullying. The fear of having taken away what is “ours,” and the fear of “others.”
“It’s Not About the Burqa” by Mariam Khan
themes: Islamophobia, the hijab and wavering faith, love and divorce, queer identity, sex, and the threats of a disapproving community and a racist country.
you can pair it with: Nikesh Shukla’s “The Good Immigrant”
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ This book should be compulsory reading.
The friend who likes future trends and being ahead of the curve:
“Sex, Robots & Vegan Meat: Adventures at the Frontier of Birth, Food, Sex and Death” by Jenny Kleeman
themes: sex robots, cultured meat, euthanasia machines, and artificial wombs – and no, it’s not sci-fi!
you can pair it with: Amol Rajan’s “Rethink: How We Can Make a Better World”
personal rating: 4/5 ⭐ A truly gripping read. Read more about it here as I explain why Kleeman’s scepticism on new technologies is valid, especially when money dictates and morality is rarely taken into account.
“12 Bytes: How We Got Here. Where We Might Go Next” by Jeanette Winterson
themes: AI, technology, mythology and religion, physics, unconventional relationships, non-binary people.
you can pair it with: Kazuo Ishiguro’s “Klara and the Sun.”
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ I love Winterson, but somehow she managed to write a book that is both underwhelming and overwhelming. The former because the feminist perspective could have brought an interesting twist to the topic of AI& tech but instead it offered lots of examples and not much analysis beyond some truisms. Yet, I can’t deny that she’s simultaneously forward-looking and past-probing. Good idea, bad execution.
The friend who is a fan of escape rooms and cosy murder mysteries:
“The Thursday Murder Club” by Richard Osman
themes: the grey area between the law and each character’s moral code.
you can pair it with: The second part of the series, “The Man Who Died Twice”.
personal rating: 3/5 ⭐ Easy to read, very short chapters, mildly funny, but the commercial success this book has had cannot be justified.
The friend who has a complicated relationship status:
“The Dry Heart” by Natalia Ginzburg
themes: a story about marriage, grief, infidelity, and ultimately, escape.
you can pair it with: Françoise Sagan’s “Bonjour Tristesse”
personal rating: 4/5 ⭐ Revisit this issue for a full commentary.
“The End of the Affair” by Graham Greene
themes: love, adultery, jealousy, and faith/religion
you can pair it with: Julian Barnes’s “The Sense of an Ending”
personal rating: 4/5 ⭐ I have a love and hate relationship with this book. Here’s why.
The absolute best friend:
“The Inseparables” by Simone de Beauvoir.
themes: a beautiful, coming-of-age story about friendship, intimacy, respect, and unrequited love
you can pair it with: Elena Ferrante’s “My Brilliant Friend” (and the other Neapolitan novels).
personal rating: 4/5 ⭐ This book has reminded me of Simone de Beauvoir’s brilliance, as well as my sweet spot – falling in love with someone’s mind.
Hope you found this helpful. I will resume the cultural recommendations and literary news next Friday. Until then, best of luck with the Christmas preparations!
Take care and keep safe,
Teodora x