Adventure Time

This NYROB reissue of classic Italian speculative literature makes the perfect gift for literary fiction fans, who are always looking for obscure gems.  A journalist for much of his life, Buzzati was adept at turning current events into fantasies that depicted social and political nightmares. He challenged the ideological complacencies of his era in accessible stories that solicit the reader’s vicarious response, mixing sentiment, humor, and tragedy. 

Kafka meets Bradbury in this surreal tale of a book censor who gradually becomes obsessed with the books he’s supposed to destroy. Eventually this leads him to the secret underworld of librarians, booksellers, and others trying to save the books—and ideas—from destruction. This is a good pick for the reader who can’t stop worrying about current events and could use some fictional catharsis.

Through an immersive storytelling, richly layered with drawings and footnotes on flora, fauna, and natural phenomena, Douglas preserves and reimagines ‘the movement of Jah people’ and the cultural memory of the African diaspora. This book is a labor of love that mothers and aunties can pass to their adult children, to show how much they care without ever speaking a word.

This stylistically complex memoir captures the highs and lows of a twentysomething trans woman’s life, which she frames in terms of “before” and “after.” Raw, poignant, funny, and glorious, this book is a sleeper hit your giftee will be able to say they found first, thanks to you.

Sci-fi fans are voracious readers who love a challenge. Originally published online, this expanded print version adds new twists and turns to the fight against antimemes, invaders that can destroy the very fabric of reality. But how can you fight an enemy you can’t see or remember? Guaranteed to keep SF/F and horror readers occupied so you can talk about football with no interruptions.

This pick works well for foodies and family history buffs and will get a reaction at the unboxing! Grant includes advice on preserving your family’s food traditions, a slew of mouthwatering recipes, and gorgeous photographs of the tombstones on which they appear.