Holiday Gift Guide for Booklovers

Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse

35 Maryland Ave, Annapolis, MD 

At Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse, the early bird gets the bookworm. They open bright and early at 8 AM daily. Parking is free on Maryland Avenue and in the commercial zones downtown until 10:30 AM. So, why not start your morning with a cup of coffee from their own cozy coffee shop? Take advantage of perusing the shelves, nooks, and crannies before the shop gets busy.

“One of the best things about shopping at a local bookstore is interacting and conversing with the booksellers there—ask them for recommendations,” said Jinny Amundson, co-owner Old Fox Books & Coffeehouse. 

Speaking of recommendations, here’s what Jinny shared:

Fiction

The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

Time of the Child by Niall Williams

Nonfiction

The Serviceberry Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Picture Book

Knight Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise

Where to Hide A Star by Oliver Jeffers

Local Authors at Old Fox Books

You’ll find books by Annapolis authors such as Erika Robuck, Christina Harrington, Kate Myers, Michelle Douglas, and Jay Fleming.

“We also make sure to have some of our favorite ‘we claim em’ Chesapeake watershed authors on our shelf, too,” Jinny added. “Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Laura Lippman, Sujata Massey, Kate Milford, Jason Reynolds, and Anne Tyler.”

And, these are just the writers still writing . . . Jinny reminds us that you can find books by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Frederick Douglass, Robert Anson Heinlein (a USNA grad), James Michener, Tom Clancy, John Barth, and Edgar Allan Poe on their shelves.

Last order of business: Don’t wait to order or buy that book you’ve got your eye on—popular titles often sell out mid-season. And, if you want to avoid Amazon (like the Scoop team), you can try Bookshop.org to support local bookstores.

Park Books & LitCoLab

555 Baltimore Annapolis BLVD. Severna Park, MD

Did you know you can order books online to ship or to pick up from Park Books & LitCoLab? Just make sure you order for any books not in the store by December 10 to ensure holiday delivery.

Fun fact: They ship books worldwide and display a large map in the children's section showing all their shipping destinations. Shipping typically costs about $6. If you'd like them to ship your holiday books, make sure you order by December 1.

Time-saving hack: Put a note in the comment section of your online order that you want books gift-wrapped. It’s always free! They'll wrap your gifts and have them ready for pick-up. If you’re shopping in-store, please allow extra time for gift wrapping during busy evenings and weekends.

Melody Wukitch, owner of Park Books, also wants us to know customers can get author signed copies. “We feature many signed books from authors near and far,” she said.

If you're unsure what to pick, Melody and her knowledgeable booksellers will have just the answer. Here are some suggestions:

Fiction

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig  

The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave

Intermezzo by Sally Rooney

Nonfiction

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

Framed by Grisham & McClosky

Why We Love Football by Joe Posnanski

The Anxious Generation by Haidt

Romance

Variation by Rebecca Yarros

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava

Window Shopping by Tessa Bailey

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Young Adult

Heir by Sabaa Tahir

Spectacular: A Caraval Holiday Novella by Stephanie Garber

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Picture Book  

Chicka Chicka HO, HO, HO by William Boniface

Grumpy Monkey Play All Day by Suzanne Lang

Night Owl and Early Bird by Christopher Denise

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Middle Grade Fiction (ages 8-12yr)

Hot Mess: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Dog Man: Big Jim Begins by Dav Pilkey (Releases 12/3)

Unraveled 9.5 (Keeper of the Lost Cities) by Shannon Messenger (Releases 12/5)

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Middle Grade Nonfiction (ages 8-12)

Norse Mythology: The Illustrated Edition by Neil Gaiman

Stars of the NBA by Kjartan Atli Kjartansson

Early readers/early chapter books

The Princess in Black and the Perfect Princess Party by Shannon Hale

Bear and Bird by Jarvis

Peruse their digital holiday gift catalog for more ideas.

 Beyond books, Park Books also sells bookmarks, totes, and stickers that make for great stocking stuffers. Moreover, they carry puzzles and puzzle accessories, games for the family, journals, mugs, and an array of unique candles. 

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Wyrd Bookstore

135 Mitchells Chance Rd, Edgewater, MD

This holiday season, let Wyrd Bookstore provide inspiration for your holiday gift giving. Their handmade Cratefuls are reusable gift baskets filled with books, mugs, tea, candles, journals, and other delights that are as unique as the people on your holiday list. They can also customize them for those on your list who are tricky to shop for.

Below are some of Wyrd’s favorite books to give as gifts. You can even special order them and get them gift-wrapped.

“Most of them are new this year, but since we love the used books on our shelves too, we included a few older titles that always make great gifts,” said Wyrd Bookstore Owner Amy Murphy.

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Fiction

The Life Impossible by Matt Haig

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

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Nonfiction

The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon

Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Romance

The Games Gods Play by Abigail Owen

A Novel Love Story by Ashley Poston

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo: Deluxe Edition by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Young Adult

Nothing Like the Movies by Lynn Painter

The Reappearance of Rachel Price by Holly Jackson

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

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Picture Books

The Yellow Bus by Loren Long

The Gift of Nothing by Patrick McDonnell

The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams

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Just the Right Gifts

The Little Frog's Guide to Self-Care: Affirmations, Self-Love and Life Lessons According to the Internet's Beloved Mushroom Frog by Maybell Eequay

The Boy, the Mole, The Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy

Booze & Vinyl: A Spirited Guide to Great Music and Mixed Drinks by André Darlington and Tenaya Darlington

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Here are a few of Wyrd’s beloved Maryland authors, and a great first book to pick up by each:

The Secrets of the Little Greek Taverna by Erin Palmisano

Too Like the Lightning: Prose Poems to My Almost Loves by Teresa Spencer

Excavations by Kate Myers

The Tide and the Stars by Dylan Roche (Hi Scoop writer, Dylan!)

The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human-Canine Connection by Jen Colbeck and Stacey Colino

Wandering Words

Cool concept, Wandering Words doesn’t actually have an address . . . The mobile bookstore regularly updates their website and Instagram (@wanderingwordsmd) about where they’ll wander.

Wandering Words Owner Kali O'Leary, recently told us, “I am hoping to work like a food truck where neighborhoods and events invite me.”

Two events coming up are the Wildberry Farm Vintage Christmas Market in Crownsville on December 7 and December 14, both from 2 to 6 PM. 

With holidays in mind, Kali shared her book recommendations and advice: “Cozy up, grab a cup of hot chocolate, it’s time to read,” she said.

Holiday Romance

Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison 

How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Megan Quinn

Wreck the Hall by Tessa Bailey 

The Christmas Cafe by Eliza Evan’s

In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren 

Young Adult

Snowed In by Rachel Hawthorne 

Eight Nights of Flirting by Hannah Reynolds 

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Children’s Books

The Crayons Christmas by Drew Daywalt

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh by Mo Willems

How To Catch an Elf by Adam Wallace

Meet the Latkes by Alan Silbeberg

Eight Knights of Hanukkah by Leslie Kimmelman 

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Under the Radar Books

Last but not least, we asked each bookstore to name one book that’s flying under the radar but is a must read. Here’s what they picked.

Old Fox Books: Tove Jansson’s illustrated Alice in Wonderland—which finally got released in the USA. Jinny tells us, “the illustrations are lovely.” 

Park Books: All Fours by Miranda July: for the reader who likes a book that is a bit edgy and will surprise them. Melody couldn’t resist sharing a second suggestion: James by Percival Everett. This narrative is from Jim’s POV from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

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Wyrd Bookstore: We Solve Murders by Richard Osman. A delightful new entry in the mystery genre for Osman that’s funny, suspenseful, and cozy all at once. With memorable characters and witty dialogue, it’s perfect for mystery-lovers.

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Wandering Words: All The Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker. Kali describes this as part true crime, part coming of age. It’s heartbreaking and uplifting all at the same time.

One final novel idea in closing. Gift cards are always a safe bet for gifts and are available at Old Fox Books, Park Books, and Wyrd. While Wandering Words doesn’t have gift cards yet, they plan to offer them in the future.

Happy Reading!