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
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
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
by Alice Hoffman
The beloved author has written a prequel to her equally beloved Practical Magic.
Simon and Schuster
Manhattan Beach
by Jennifer Egan
During WWII, a woman becomes the first female diver at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where she repairs ships.
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
Leonardo da Vinci
by Walter Isaacson
The author paints a fascinating portrait from the Renaissance master’s notebooks.
Simon and Schuster
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
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
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
Franklin D. Roosevelt
by Robert Dallek
A one-volume biography of the incomparable politician and deal-maker.
Viking
Gifts
Sisters First
by Jenna Bush Hager and Barbara Pierce Bush
Former first daughters share family stories of adventure and sisterly bonds.
Grand Central Publishing
The Pioneer Woman Cooks
by Ree Drummond
What does the Pioneer Woman cook when she just doesn’t have the time?William Morrow
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
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
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.