The Icelandic Holiday Tradition We All Need

Plus 10 Books to Gift This Year

There are some things that other countries truly excel at, like universal health care and paid family leave, but another one of those things is Jólabókaflóð (The Christmas book flood), and the Icelandic tradition where you gift your friends and family books on Christmas Eve and then you all read together!

The tradition officially traces its roots back to World War II, when economic hardships made other types of gifts difficult to get. Paper remained one of the few things not rationed and books became the primary type of present during the holidays.

On Christmas Eve, after exchanging books, friends and families often settle down with hot chocolate and spend the evening reading together.

I cannot think of a better holiday to embrace right now.

On Instagram I asked the EYP community for their best reads of 2024 and there are hundreds of recommendations - check it out here.

Your local indie bookshops and Barnes and Nobles are open for a couple more days and I’ve rounded up some of the perfect books to gift, all of them chosen as favorites by our community. Everything on this list is fiction and provides the right amount of escapism with plenty to talk about around the holiday table or in front of a cozy fireplace.

House in the Cerulean Sea

This book is a heartwarming exploration of found families, acceptance, and the transformative power of love.

Linus Baker is a caseworker for the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s sent to evaluate an orphanage on Marsyas Island, home to unusual children like Lucy, the Antichrist, and a were-Pomeranian named Sal. As Linus gets to know the kids and their caring headmaster, Arthur Parnassus, he discovers that life might just have possibilities he never imagined.

Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books

Lula Dean, a staunch advocate for censorship, purges the local library of "inappropriate" books and sets up a little free library filled with her approved selections. However, her plans are thwarted by Beverly Underwood, a school board member whose daughter secretly replaces Lula's books with banned titles.

As townspeople unknowingly borrow these subversive works, their lives begin to change in unexpected ways. Miller's novel deftly explores the tension between censorship and intellectual freedom, blending humor with social commentary.

A Love Song for Ricki Wilde

Imagine "Notting Hill" meets "La La Land."This enchanting romance follows Ricki Wilde, a flower child born into Atlanta high society who's more interested in petals than parties. Life has a way of moving in unexpected directions when a mysterious musician walks into Ricki’s world. Against the vibrant backdrop of modern Harlem these two creative souls discover a connection that feels written in the stars.

Think modern fairytale meets soulful love story, sprinkled with family drama, artistic passion, and the infectious energy of New York City. It's about finding your own path, even if it means stepping off the perfectly manicured family lawn and into the wild, wonderful unknown. From the author who brought us "Seven Days in June" comes another tale that proves sometimes you have to plant your own garden to find where you truly belong!

The Rachel Incident

Rachel Murray is a college student in Cork, Ireland, during the tumultuous period of the 2008 financial crash. The story revolves around her complicated friendship with James Devlin, a closeted gay man, and their entanglement with Rachel's married professor, Dr. Fred Byrne. After discovering James and Byrne in a passionate encounter, Rachel navigates a web of relationships that includes her own romantic struggles with her boyfriend Carey and the fallout from a pregnancy that ends in miscarriage.

Framed as a retrospective triggered by news of Byrne's coma, the novel explores themes of love, loss, and the complexity of human connections.

Margot’s Got Money Troubles

20-year-old Margo Millet finds herself navigating the chaotic waters of single motherhood after a brief affair with her married English professor leaves her pregnant and alone. With an estranged father, a Hooters waitress for a mother, and eviction looming, Margo must get creative to make ends meet. When her father, Jinx, a retired pro-wrestler, moves in to help with childcare, Margo turns to OnlyFans as a last-ditch effort to support herself and her baby boy, Bodhi.

Blue Sisters

Coco Mellors' Blue Sisters tells the story of three estranged siblings—Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky—who reunite in New York City one year after the death of their beloved sister, Nicky. Each sister grapples with her own issues: Avery, a recovering heroin addict turned successful lawyer, faces the unraveling of her seemingly perfect life; Bonnie, a former boxing champion, now works as a bouncer in LA after a devastating defeat; and Lucky, the youngest, models in Paris while trying to escape her hard-partying lifestyle. As they confront their shared grief and the impending sale of their childhood home, buried secrets and unresolved tensions resurface, forcing them to reckon with their past and each other.

By Any Other Name

In By Any Other Name, Jodi Picoult tells the intertwined stories of Melina Green, a contemporary playwright in New York, and Emilia Bassano, a poet in Elizabethan England. Struggling to gain recognition in male-dominated artistic worlds, Melina discovers her ancestor Emilia was England's first published female poet. Inspired by Emilia's life, Melina writes a play under a male pseudonym, navigating the challenges of identity and authorship. Meanwhile, Emilia battles societal constraints as she seeks to assert her voice in a world that silences women.

On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous

This lyrical novel weaves together the story of a family shaped by the Vietnam War, immigration to America, and intergenerational trauma. As Little Dog grows up in Hartford, Connecticut, he navigates his identity as a gay Vietnamese-American while trying to understand his complex relationships with his mother Rose and grandmother Lan. The narrative centers on his first love affair with Trevor, a white working-class teenager he meets while working on a tobacco farm—a relationship that unfolds against the backdrop of America's opioid crisis. Through this intimate letter that his mother will never read, Little Dog explores the challenges of language, cultural translation, and expressing love across generational divides, all while reflecting on the brief, precious nature of beauty and life itself.

Such a Bad Influence

Olivia Muenter

brings us Evie Davis, a popular lifestyle influencer who mysteriously disappears during a live TikTok stream, sending shockwaves through her massive online following. Her older sister, Hazel, skeptical of the influencer lifestyle and protective of Evie, dives into the dark corners of social media to uncover the truth behind her sister's vanishing act. As Hazel navigates a chaotic landscape filled with Reddit threads, podcast discussions, and parasocial relationships, she confronts the dangers of internet fame.

Anita de Monte Laughs Last

Meet Raquel Marquez, an ambitious art history student researching Anita de Monte, a once-prominent Cuban American artist who mysteriously vanished at the height of her career in 1985. As Raquel digs deeper into Anita's story, she uncovers a complex web of deception, appropriation, and power dynamics in the 1980s New York art world. The novel alternates between Anita's rise to fame as a performance artist in the gritty, exhilarating downtown art scene of 1980s Manhattan, and Raquel's present-day investigation that reveals how the art world's racism, sexism, and classism impacted Anita's career and legacy.

We Solve Murders

Retired cop Steve Wheeler enjoys a quiet life filled with pub quizzes and his beloved cat until his daughter-in-law, Amy, a private security officer, calls for help. While protecting world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio on a remote island, Amy finds herself targeted by a killer after a body is discovered and a bag of money goes missing. With several of Amy's former clients turning up dead, she fears she's being framed. Steve reluctantly joins her in a globetrotting adventure to uncover the truth and stay one step ahead of danger. This witty mystery blends humor with suspense as the unlikely duo navigates threats and family dynamics in their quest for justice.

The Displacements

Imagine what would unfold in the wake of the first catastrophic Category 6 hurricane hitting shore in the US. The story follows the Larsen-Hall family, led by sculptor Daphne, as they are thrust into a FEMA megashelter in rural Oklahoma. Through the eyes of Daphne, a relief worker named Rainn, and an opportunistic con-man named Tate, Holsinger explores the effects of displacement and the fragility of societal norms in times of crisis.

The Sicilian Inheritance

From my podcast co host

Jo Piazza

, this book is a perfect escape to the gorgeous, yet dangerous island of Sicily for fans of White Lotus and Liane Moriarty.

Reeling from a failed marriage and business, Sara travels to Sicily to unravel the story of her great-grandmother Serafina, a fierce woman who defied early 20th-century societal constraints. As Sara investigates Serafina's rumored murder, she confronts local mafia threats and uncovers a powerful narrative of female resilience. Alternating between past and present, the novel explores themes of family secrets, women's empowerment, and the enduring strength of those who challenge the status quo.

Happy Holidays!

I hope you have a wonderful holiday week filled with rest, relaxation, joy, laughter and love. I’m going to take next week off from sending out newsletters, but you can always find me on IG!