Holiday Gift Guide | Fiction Edition (2017)

Hi everyone! So.. it is that time of year and I decided to bring back my gift guides for you all. I really like doing these kind of posts because it allows me to talk about a bunch of books and give mini reviews.. similar to if you were a customer in a bookstore and I was giving you a quick sales pitch on the title. I didn't do a fiction edition last year since I was mostly reading "grip-lit" but this year there are some fun titles that I think would make fantastic gifts for any book lover or even non-reader in your life. These are titles that I haven't spoken about before on the blog because I want to feature some newer titles for you all. I plan on making other gift guides so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for those posts. Let's get started!

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami (✮✮✮✮✮ - 5/5 stars)
Publishing Date: May 9, 2017
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 240

My Pitch: Murakami is hands down my favorite author ever and it's a no brainer that I would recommend one of his books right off the bat. This is short story collection of 7 stories about men who find themselves without women. I am a bit biased because the text is partially translated by a professor of mine: Ted Goossen, and I'm a big Murakami fan, but I really enjoyed this short story collection. Samsa in Love is my favorite one. It just has the magical aura that Murakami's writing always has and I love the way he takes simple every day people and offers them such poignant backgrounds and inner narratives. The way he describes "feelings" and just how one interacts with another individual is just so special. I can't describe it more than that, but Murakami's writing always feels quite magical to me. If you haven't read Murakami before, this is a nice way to get into his work via short stories. This is must-have for your shelf!

Available for Purchase: 
Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Amazon - Book Depository
Disclaimer: A copy of this book was sent to me by PRHC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

Uncommon Type: Some Stories by Tom Hanks (✮✮✮✮ - 4/5 stars)
Publishing Date: October 17, 2017
Publisher: Knopf Canada
Pages: 416

My Pitch: There are tons of people in Hollywood who I really admire and Tom Hanks is definitely one of them. He is just a genuinely good person and I was so excited to learn that he was going to be writing a fiction book of short stories. (Do you see a theme in my gift guide recommendations so far?) When celebrities tackle writing, it often comes in the form of a biography/memoir so this was quite a nice departure. There are 17 short stories and they all follow various individuals and a typewriter is the common denominator between all of them. There's even a Holiday-esque short story titled "Christmas Eve 1953" - the story examines the night before Christmas in the Beuell household. It was such a sweet story and I really liked how Davey kept the secret of Santa Claus alive and well for his younger sister Jill. The typewriter in this specific story is where the kids write their letters for Santa. As everyone gathers to bed, Virgil Beuell, the patriarch, stays up late to call an old friend named Bud. They had previously spent a Christmas Eve together when they both served together and in a small phone call exchange and moments of Virgil heading to bed, you get a sense of what they experienced as soldiers and how their experiences still affect their day to day life. It's a bittersweet story in a way because the Beuell family is well as they approach the new year, but what Virgil and Bud went through years ago still lingers and has a sense that it will always linger. I think this was my favorite story out of all of them simply because of how I felt when I finished reading it. Hanks' writing is just beautiful and I'm genuinely pleased with this lovely collection of short stories. I think there is something in this book for everyone and there's also a nice added touch of photographs throughout the collection as well.

Available for Purchase:
Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Amazon - Kindle - Book Depository
Disclaimer: A copy of this book was sent to me by PRHC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (✮✮✮✮✮ - 5/5 stars)
Publishing Date: February 3, 2015
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pages: 448

My Pitch: I listened to Isabelle and Viann's story a few years back on audiobook, but the story still stays with me daily. I always find an opportunity to recommend this book whenever I can because it was such a beautiful and gut-wrenching story that lingers after you've read it (and in my case: for years). I loved reading about how two sisters dealt with WWII. Viann happy with her husband and child finds her world forever changed when her husband is sent off to fight the war, and she has to handle a Nazi-occupied France, even going so far as having one of the soldiers forcibly stationed with her. In contrast, you have determined and stubborn Isabelle who wants to do more with the current situation that help her sister Viann. She feels helpless and wants a more important role during these difficult times. Their relationship is tested time and time again, and there are so many moments that literally had me bawling my eyes out. I just loved this book so much. I will also say that those I have recommended this book to also love it. So basically, everyone loves it and if you haven't read it yet, you really need to change that ASAP.

Available for Purchase:
Indigo/Chapters - Kobo - Amazon - Audible -  Kindle - Book Depository

That's it from me folks! I plan on making more of these holiday edition guides so be sure to look out for them. Let me know in the comments below what is your number one fiction gift recommendation for this holiday season!