The publishing industry is gearing up for its prime selling season. Roughly 25 percent of all book sales happen between Thanksgiving and Christmas, with adult nonfiction and children’s literature topping the holiday list.
I decided to reach out to a cross-section of local readers I know and ask a key question: “If you were to give one book as a gift for Christmas, which one would you recommend?
Thanks to all who responded, serving up a mixture of new releases and classics that still resonate, in both fiction and nonfiction.
They’ve checked their lists. They’ve checked them twice. Our local bibliophiles certainly know which books are naughty or nice. Here are their choices:
The Five Wishes of Mr. Murray McBride by Joe Siple
Meagan Friberg, Central Coast Writers Conference director: It’s a lovely story of a lonely, 100-year-old man named Murray and a spunky, yet very ill, 10-year-old boy named Jason. They form a close bond as they check off the boy’s bucket list. Together, they learn that young people and older folks have a lot more in common than they imagine, and the importance of opening their hearts to new friends and possibilities. I laughed, I cried, I cheered them on!
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Erica Stewart, mayor of San Luis Obispo: I really enjoyed it. It gave me the Choose Your Own Adventure vibes from the books I loved as a kid. What would one’s life look like if they had opened a different door? This book shows a fictional character looking at her many outcomes through different books in the library. It was a fun adventure through her life and an interesting thought exercise to reflect on my own life.
The Rush by Nathaniel Philbrick
Jim Gregory, author and historian: The California Gold Rush changed us suddenly and sometimes violently: San Francisco’s population grew from 1,000 in 1848 to 25,000 in 1849 and the 1848 San Miguel Mission murders were committed by Gold Rush ship jumpers and refugees from the gold fields. The Union victory in the Civil War was funded by California gold: the modern equivalent of $3.47 billion left San Francisco, headed east, between 1861 and 1865. Philbrick is a gifted popular historian; I’ve particularly enjoyed his In the Heart of the Sea (the basis for Melville’s Moby-Dick) and The Last Stand, which revealed in its closing that the Custer Battlefield may be one of the most haunted places in America.
Night Boat to Tangier by Kevin Barry
Kevin Clark, poet: Here’s a book for people who like literary tough guy novels. It’s about 200 pages. Irish. Two wise guys holed up in a bar on the coast waiting for a daughter. The language is fast and brilliant. The book asks how the past influences a present state of friendship.
The Vanishing Family: Love, Fate, and the Quest to End Dementia by Robert Kolker
Karen Grencik, literary agent: It’s my favorite new book. It shows how and why we should never take things personally or make assumptions about others. We never know what’s going on in somebody’s life, and I wish people had more grace and patience.
On the Record: Music That Changed America by Anna Harwell Celenza
Lloyd Tanner, Festival Mozaic executive director: As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, Celenza offers a compelling exploration of how music has shaped the American experience, influenced political movements, challenged social conventions, and reflected the nation’s evolving identity. The author examines the powerful relationship between music and history, demonstrating how composers, performers, and popular artists have helped define pivotal moments in American culture. It is particularly worth reading because it moves beyond the music itself to consider its broader cultural and civic significance, how music gives voice to competing ideas, brings communities together, and sometimes challenges the status quo. For us at Festival Mozaic, it offers an engaging perspective on the role of music in telling America’s story and reinforces the idea that music is not simply entertainment, but an essential part of our cultural heritage and national conversation.
The Three Mothers by Anna Malaika Tubbs
Katy Dore, writer/director: It’s a non-fiction book about the mothers of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and James Baldwin. It’s an interesting account of how these three women influenced their sons and thereby influenced a nation.
Blockers: Rebels in the Deep State by Michael Lewis
Guy Rathbun, public radio: It’s an inside look at the early days of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), told through the eyes of several public servants targeted by it. One central figure worked with DOGE, was fired, and rehired by another government agency. It’s a roller coaster ride bolstered by Lewis’ narrative style, who has said he’d love skeptics of government to read it. Moneyball and The Big Short are two of his previous major works (for those not familiar with his name).
Five Smooth Stones by Ann Fairbairn
Theresa Slobodnik, Ballet Theatre San Luis Obispo artistic director: I was 15 years old, living in a red-lined community, when my Humanities class had a required reading list. This title intrigued me, as I thought of David in the Bible. Reading Five Smooth Stones really opened my eyes to the complexities of the civil rights movement and the deep human cost of those struggles. Even as a teenager, I felt the gravity of the characters’ choices and the social landscape they navigated. It left a lasting impression on my understanding of history and empathy that has stayed with me all these years.
Likeable Badass: How Women Get the Success They Deserve by Alison Bagale
Caren Ray Russom, mayor of Arroyo Grande: For any woman moving toward positions of leadership in their job, or in the elected realm, this book is right on. It definitely fits for men too.
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
Brent Keast, actor: Believe it, or not, it’s far better than the movie. Imagine a bedside fairy tale told to a young boy about adventure, sword fights, good people and bad. Most importantly it’s got romance, and the greatest story ever told about someone who is the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world: Buttercup, the princess.
Colonel Baker’s Field: An American Pioneer Story by Judy Salamacha & Sandra Mittelsteadt with historic illustrations by Jody Salamacha-Hollier
Judy Salamacha, Estero Bay News columnist: If you hail from Iowa, Visalia, or Bakersfield, explore the narrative nonfiction about Colonel Thomas Baker, a founder of two California cities. Your contribution will directly benefit the Historical Society of Morro Bay, where Judy and Jody now call home.
Partita by Barbara Kingsolver
Kara Woodruff, district director for State Sen. John Laird: I just finished Kingsolver’s latest. It’s different than her other books. Very creative and recommended. Strong (sometimes) female character, inspirational story of a woman through life, overcoming a challenging family and great losses, and figuring out happiness with the help of her first love: classical piano. (My favorite for 2026 by far was The Nightingale. Not new but Kristin Hannah’s best in my mind. Brutal and beautiful.)
The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating by Elizabeth Tova Bailey
Susan Hoffman, Volumes of Pleasure Bookshop: This small, humble paperback has become my favorite book of all the books I’ve read in 2026. It’s about a woman with a life-threatening illness who finds deep inspiration from observation and research of a resident snail in her house. Her writing reminds me of Annie Dillard, Wendell Berry, and Mary Oliver. I saw this book for the first time at Volumes of Pleasure—where it’s currently a best seller—started reading it and couldn’t put it down.
When Harry Met Minnie by Martha Teichner
Dr. David Canvasser, cardiothoracic surgeon: Teichner, a CBS news correspondent, shares the true story of how a dog brought two New Yorkers together, post 9/11. It starts out with some of my favorite things: Early mornings, New York City, Farmers Markets, and dogs. I’ve read it several times. Always enjoyable.
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl
Elizabeth Barrett, KCBX Radio host: My recommendation is a deeply profound and life-changing book published in 1946 after Frankl’s release from Auschwitz at the end of WWII. This memoir begins with his experiences in the concentration camp where he leaned on his skills as a psychiatrist to aid his fellow prisoners and deepen his understanding of the nature of man. His insights and resilience went on to inspire his life’s work in creating Logotherapy, which is the roadmap for finding personal meaning, purpose and a life worth living. I read this book every year, give it to friends who are feeling a bit lost, and assign it to my students to help inform their own life adventures.
Eat. Cook. L.A.: Recipes from the City of Angels by Aleksandra Crapanzano
Randi Barros, writer/director: A former film producer who got to know many L.A. restaurants revisits her favorites, with three recipes from each. An excellent cookbook and a fun dive into some of the best restaurants in L.A. We made a bunch of the recipes and then went to the restaurants to try them.
The China Study: The Most Comprehensive Study of Nutrition Ever Conducted and the Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-Term Health by T. Colin Campbell and Thomas M. Campbell
John Lindsey, meteorologist: One of the most important books I’ve read. It changed how I think about food, nutrition, and how our bodies can respond to healthier choices. For me, this isn’t just a scientific idea; it’s personal. In 2019, I weighed about 75 pounds more than I do now, and my hemoglobin A1c was in the prediabetic range. I knew I needed to make a change. I took my health more seriously, changed my lifestyle, and paid more attention to what I ate. Now, I’ve lost about 75 pounds, my A1c is normal, and I am staying active at 66.
An Exaltation of Larks, the Ultimate Edition by James Lipton
Charlotte Alexander, SLO Review publisher: The perfect gift for any writer or reader who enjoys a good turn of phrase, this still-in-print reference book first published in 1968 is an illustrated compilation of collective nouns for animals, objects, professions and more. It’s scholarly but entertaining, especially when you encounter pithy and poetic expressions such as “a kindle of kittens,” “a jangle of hangers,” and “a rash of dermatologists.”
And finally my own personal recommendation:
Dorothy Parker in Hollywood by Gail Crowther
Parker was a literary icon and social critic, mostly known for her time at the legendary Algonquin Round Table in New York with the writers of her day. But Parker also spent considerable time in Hollywood as a screenwriter, achieving Academy Award nominations and constant heartbreak in a whirlwind, over-the-top, life. Crowther is an excellent writer and brilliantly captures what she calls Parker’s “silver-tongued conundrum.”