Reader TTS

To help narrow down the myriad of choices, bookseller Daniel Goldin of Boswell Book Company in Milwaukee shared his top picks for this season’s holiday gifting. “I think a good book to gift

is one that has the gift receiver in mind, but also the giver,” said Goldin. “There should be a little bit of the giver in the gift.” For his guide to great books to give this holiday,

Goldin selected from multiple genres, both fiction and nonfiction. He also included some selections for kids. Here are 11 of his favorites: STAY CONNECTED TO WISCONSIN NEWS — YOUR WAY Get

trustworthy reporting and unique local stories from WPR delivered directly to your inbox. This is a full-color, oversized book of maps and infographics for a good price, Goldin said. It’s a

visual-oriented book full of zany maps like one of the longest non-stop flights in the world or another that maps out the worldwide distribution of lions. It’s a good book for dipping into

and coming back to later. “The less we use maps, the more we find them interesting for our coffee table,” said Goldin. Set in small town, 1970s Missouri, this is a coming-of-age novel about

a teenage boy, Boady, who befriends his new neighbors, one of the few African American families in town. After an incident of theft at the town’s local plant is blamed on the African

American accounting clerk who has gone missing, Boady is forced to come to terms with the race and class divisions of the town and plenty of secrets hidden in plain sight. The unfolding

mystery might be appealing to readers of author Larry Watson or the book “Crooked Letter” by Tom Franklin, Goldin said. Among the many nonfiction, pop culture books published for the

holidays, Goldin chose a film book that fascinates him. Author Jeanine Basinger, who lives part-time in Madison, has written a “memory-inducing” comprehensive history of all elements of

movie musicals focusing on the 20s through the late 60s. Basinger will appear at Boswell Books Monday, Dec. 16. You can learn more about the event on their website. While this book may look

like it’s for children at first glance, this is a different kind of nursery rhyme book. Described as “deeply disturbing,” Goldin recommends this graphic novel to fans of Edward Gorey,

calling it “a little obsessed with death.” Author Landis Blair also illustrated the book “From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death,” written by popular author,

mortician and death acceptance advocate Caitlin Doughty. This triangular-shaped board book for children offers an animal question on each page with a flap that reveals the answer. Children’s

board books like this one are a great option to purchase rather than borrow from a library. This book is very sturdy, good for infants to 2- or 3-year-olds when kids are able to handle

pages on their own, Goldin said. “These days a lot of children’s books don’t go into paperback after hardcover,” explained Goldin. “Instead they go into board book.” “Peek-A-Who Too?” is

published only as a board book, but Goldin also recommends the book “Winter is Here_“_ by Kevin Henkes and Laura Dronzek, recently republished as a board book. Romance novels are making a

comeback with some changes for current times, like more diversity, disability inclusion and female agency and empowerment, Goldin said. This romance novel focuses on Nina who works in a

struggling bookstore, plays competitive trivia in her free time and, after growing up with just her mom, finds herself inheriting a whole family when her estranged father passes away and

puts her in his will. “This woman’s voice (Nina Hill) really harkens back to ‘Bridget Jones’s Diary,’ or more recently ‘Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine,’ in that the voice so draws you

in so that you just love the character and everything else is gravy,” said Goldin. In this novel two former, unlikely boarding school roommates find themselves back in touch under unusual

circumstances. Madison’s new stepkids are moving in, and she wants Lilian to help her out, mostly because the children burst into fiery, beautiful flames when under stress. A quirky,

humorous storyline builds into a complex story of parental love that Goldin said is a bit odd, but you can’t stop reading. Kevin Wilson’s book has been a big hit, with a front page review in

the New York Times and selling out too quickly to keep in stock. This is one of many fiction novels out this year revolving around feuding sisters, said Daniel. These identical twin sisters

share an obsession with words, which bonds them as toddlers but is a source of friction as they enter adulthood. The conflict comes to a head over a war of the family’s most-prized

possession — a copy of “Merriam Webster’s New International Dictionary, Second Edition.” Goldin said those who love grammar and syntax books will love it, as will fans of Mary Norris, Anne

Tyler or Elinor Lipman. After Papa Monkey and Little Monkey get stuck in city traffic, Little Monkey grabs onto a firetruck to explore. The pages are filled with where he goes next, from an

aquarium bus to a jewel-thief’s getaway car. This is a wordless children’s picture book, which are not always Goldin’s favorite, but this one wins him over with the artistic style and the

detail. “Each car or truck is a story in itself. It reminds me of Richard Scarry too, mostly in that it’s so busy,” Goldin said. This book has been named a favorite of the year by many and

even deemed Ann Patchett’s best work yet by some critics. It follows a brother and sister who lose their expansive, childhood home when their “wicked” stepmother kicks them out. The memory

and meaning of this house hangs over the kids and their bond as siblings helps them survive living on their own, thrown from the riches of their childhood. “House books are a genre unto

themselves,” said Goldin. Goldin loves to read narrative nonfiction with some social impact. He even has an entire shelf in his book case just for education-focused ones. Author Paul Tough

studies what the early moments of college are like for first year and first generation students, from testing to admission to what kind of support they receive that freshman year. This book

provides his findings that despite what advocates for meritocracy say, a lot of programs put into place don’t really help first generation students, Goldin said. _Wisconsin Public Radio, ©

Copyright 2025, Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System and Wisconsin Educational Communications Board._