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Feathers and Stripes

Boston mom blogger | motherhood, baby + kids, family travel, + home

life · November 29, 2016

Best Books to Gift

One of my favorite gifts as a kid was a brand new book (I was obsessed with the Baby-Sitters Club series!), and as I’ve gotten older my love of reading hasn’t really gone away. Even though I had to read a lot while getting my MBA, I still choose to read books about marketing and entrepreneurship for work, and I also love a good beach read for vacations or to help me fall asleep at night. Here is a breakdown of some of my favorite books and who I would gift them to.

For your mom, mother-in-law, or friend:

My Paris Dream by Kate Betts
MAUDE by Donna Mabry
GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn
ORPHAN TRAIN by Christina Baker Klein
INSIDE THE O’BRIENS by Lisa Genova
WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND by Ellen Marie Wiseman
THE LIFE-CHANGING MAGIC OF TIDYING UP by Marie Kondo
THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt
All Souls: A Family Story from Southie by Michael McDonald (perfect if she’s from Boston!)
Empty Mansions by Bill Dedman (bonus points if she loves history)
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J.B. West

For your best friend or sister:

IN HER SHOES by Jennifer Weiner
THE ROYAL WE by Heather Cocks (great for teens, too!)
MODERN GIRLS by Jennifer S. Brown
PRIMATES OF PARK AVENUE by Wednesday Martin
Coming Clean by Kimberly Rae Miller
The Vacationers by Emma Straub
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse

For your coworker:

I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This by Kate White
Getting Things Done: The Stress-Free Art of Productivity by David Allen
BY INVITATION ONLY: HOW WE BUILT GILT AND CHANGED THE WAY MILLIONS SHOP by Alexis Maybank
Bargain Fever: Our Obsession with Getting More for Less by Mark Ellwood

Also see: Gifts under $100, gifts for the girls, gifts for the guys

Posted In: life · Tagged: gift guides, holidays

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Comments

  1. Savvy WorkingGal says

    December 4, 2016 at 1:15 pm

    I wish you were my co-worker! I’m adding both By Invitation Only and Bargain Fever to my reading list.

    Reply
    • FeathersAndStripes says

      December 5, 2016 at 11:09 am

      They’re both great reads!

      Reply
    • Alyssa Loring says

      December 19, 2016 at 9:33 am

      They’re both great reads!

      Reply
  2. Allie says

    December 7, 2016 at 10:20 am

    Great ideas! Thanks for the suggestions.

    XO,

    Allie

    https://alliesfashionalley.com

    Reply
    • Alyssa Loring says

      December 19, 2016 at 9:34 am

      Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
  3. Rachel Gordon says

    December 7, 2016 at 10:20 am

    I think if I gave my mom the life changing magic of tidying up, she’d take it as a personal insult, lol. But great list!

    Reply
    • FeathersAndStripes says

      December 10, 2016 at 8:20 pm

      Aw haha! I know some people who haven’t read it yet and have been meaning to, so it definitely depends on who the person is!

      Reply
    • Alyssa Loring says

      December 19, 2016 at 9:33 am

      haha! I know my mom would take it as something helpful – just depends on the person, I guess!

      Reply
  4. Lauren Kunin says

    December 7, 2016 at 10:24 am

    Thank you for this list! I was actually looking for a blog post like this.

    Lauren

    TheZenFashionista.com

    Reply
    • FeathersAndStripes says

      December 10, 2016 at 8:20 pm

      Glad it was helpful!

      Reply
    • Alyssa Loring says

      December 19, 2016 at 9:33 am

      Glad you found it helpful!

      Reply
  5. The Adored Life says

    December 19, 2016 at 9:19 am

    We are both talking about books today! Although mine are cookbooks so they aren’t quite the same, but I love your recs!

    The Adored Life

    Reply
    • Alyssa Loring says

      December 19, 2016 at 9:34 am

      I love a good cookbook! I’ll swing over and check it out 🙂

      Reply

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About Alyssa


Hi, I’m Alyssa. Mom of three, wife, dog mom, blogger. I write tips and tricks on motherhood, focusing on baby gear reviews, the best toys for kids, family travel, and home organization.

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