This Is Me: A Girl’s Journal
by Julie Metzger
Most women can remember those guided journals that helped you navigate the ins and outs of keeping a diary with fill-in-the-blank exercises. They still exist, and here’s a great one you can gift the preteen girl in your life. Jam-packed with girl power in the form of insightful quotes, interesting questions, sound advice, and encouraging ideas, along with beautiful illustrations, this book will help her find her own voice and learn how to tell her own story. DIANA M. LE
$16.99, sasquatchbooks.com.
Trances of the Blast
by Mary Ruefle
This collection of poems is refreshing for those of us who just don’t “get” poetry and wonder why poets don’t just get to the point. Ruefle is a lyrical wordsmith whose work is comforting and smart without being condescending. Her poems pack in a lot of story with little meandering, leading The Boston Review to call her a “verbal hunter-gatherer.” This will be a great gift for poetry lovers, poetry explorers, and maybe even poetry haters. DML
$18, wavepoetry.com.
Tibetan Peach Pie
by Tom Robbins
Prolific fiction writer, American icon, and Seattle resident Tom Robbins delivers something different with the tale of his crazy life in Tibetan Peach Pie. He tells his story with the signature voice and whimsy that brings his unconventional and charmingly weird novels to life, whether recounting his Appalachian childhood or his many adventures around the world. Filled with insight into the making of some of his novels, this will be a great read for any Tom Robbins fan. DML
$27.99, harpercollins.com.
Hip Hop Family Tree 1975–1983 Gift Box Set
by Ed Piskor
The incredible story of hip-hop, from its roots to its impact on contemporary pop culture, is told through the medium of comics in this collection. Piskor’s vivid storytelling and beautiful art work together to tell the tales of early hip-hop heroes, eliciting nostalgia for both hip-hop and comics with yellowed pages and that classic newsprint smell. DML
$59.99, fantagraphics.com.
Film Noir 101: The 101 Best Film Noir Posters from the 1940s–1950s
by Mark Fertig
Winter is the perfect season for classic noir. The weather is cold and dark, and so are the people—not cheery, but definitely beautiful, with talent like Mary Astor, Barbara Stanwyck, Lauren Bacall, Rita Hayworth, and Glenn Ford gracing the posters found in this collection. Fertig also provides sharp and concise synopses of each film. Perfect for film-noir lovers interested in seeing another film lover’s carefully curated collection of his favorites. DML
$35, fantagraphics.com.
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