Best Books for the Holiday Season

Every month, Amazon staffers sift through hundreds of new books searching for gems. Here’s what they chose especially for Post readers this holiday season, whether you’re looking for a thoughtful gift or just a good story to tuck into after the turkey’s gone.

Fiction

Paris in the Present Tense
Riverhead Books

Paris in the Present Tense

by Mark Helprin

A 74-year-old artist and veteran lives between the beauty of the present and his past struggles.
Overlook Press

Fresh Complaint
Viking

Fresh Complaint

Jeffrey Eugenides

This collection of short stories by one of our greatest authors is both brilliant and varied.
Farrar, Straus and Giroux

The Rules of Magic
Scribner

The Rules of Magic

by Alice Hoffman

The beloved author has written a prequel to her equally beloved Practical Magic.
Simon and Schuster

Book
Penguin Press

Manhattan Beach

by Jennifer Egan

During WWII, a woman becomes the first female diver at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she repairs ships.
Scribner

Book
Scribner

Sleep No More: Six Murderous Tales

by P.D. James

Here’s a collection of six short stories by the late, great master of the detective novel.
Knopf

Nonfiction

Book
Knopf

Leonardo da Vinci

by Walter Isaacson

The author paints a fascinating portrait from the Renaissance master’s notebooks.
Simon and Schuster

Book
Clarkson Potter

Grant

by Ron Chernow

Hamilton’s biographer has written a giant, gripping biography of one of the most misunderstood presidents in our history.

Penguin Press

Book
PublicAffairs

The Storm Before the Storm

by Mike Duncan

The creator of the wildly popular podcast The History of Rome sets the stage for the fall of the Republic.
PublicAffairs

Book
Doubleday

Promise Me, Dad

by Joe Biden

The former VP chronicles the year following the day his son Beau, diagnosed with malignant brain cancer, uttered those words.
Flatiron Books

Book
(Ballantine)

Franklin D. Roosevelt

by Robert Dallek

A one-volume biography of the incomparable politician and deal-maker.
Viking

Gifts

Book
Knopf

Sisters First

by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush

Former first daughters share family stories of adventure and sisterly bonds.
Grand Central Publishing

Book
Clarkson Potter

The Pioneer Woman Cooks

by Ree Drummond

What does the Pioneer Woman cook when she just doesn’t have the time?William Morrow

Book
PublicAffairs

Eat What You Watch

by Andrew Rea

Recipes from more than 40 iconic movies make this the perfect gift for movie buffs and foodies alike.
Dovetail

Book
Doubleday

Harry Potter: The Wand Collection

by Insight Editions

This guide fits as well on your coffee table as it does on your child’s bookshelf.
Flatiron Books

Book
(Ballantine)

William Wegman: Being Human

by William A. Ewing

Enjoy more than 300 images from the artist’s personal archive.
Chronicle Books

This article is featured in the September/October 2017 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. Subscribe to the magazine for more art, inspiring stories, fiction, humor, and features from our archives.