2023 Holiday Gift Guide: Part 3

We’ve arrived at the third and final installment of our 2023 gift guide! In addition to rounding out the booksellers’ favorites, we’re spotlighting some last-minute gift ideas at the end of the post. (Good news: They don’t require shipping anything in time for Christmas arrival!). But don’t worry, you still have a few days of wiggle room. Place your holiday online orders with expedited shipping by our deadline of December 16, or come see us in-store!

ASHBY’S FAVORITES Never Met a Duke Like You (Taming of the Dukes)

By Amalie Howard

This locked room regency rom-com starts with Lady Vesper and Lord Greydon, who have known each other since infancy, locked in a room together as friends turned enemies, then enemies turned friends but really enemies turned lovers. Of course there is lots more going on. A mother’s failed marriage. An inheritance to save. A father wrongfully institutionalized. A rescue from an asylum. And lots of verbal sparring.

Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide

By Rupert Holmes

This is Rupert Holmes who wrote The Pina Colada song? YES! Begin with the premise that there are ethical reasons for killing someone AND there is a school to teach you how to do it. Take classes, practice on classmates, write a thesis that is your murder plan, get it approved by your professors, and kill. Entertaining throughout, and the graduates’ targets seem worthy of being bumped off.

The Wishing Game: A Novel

By Meg Shaffer

Need some magic? Reading this book is like the Golden Ticket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Lucy wants nothing more than to adopt seven-year-old Christopher. Her only hope is to win the contest run by her favorite childhood author. Jack Masterson’s Clock Island books were Lucy’s escape. She goes back to the island in Maine where she once ran away to try and land herself inside Jack’s fictional world.

The Corset & the Jellyfish: A Conundrum of Drabbles

By Nick Bantock

His Griffin and Sabine books told entirely through correspondence mesmerized me so I was thrilled to see he had come up with a new, intriguing format. Each drabble is exactly 100 words and is paired with a drawing. It is up to the reader to solve the mystery of how they are connected. How can you not be fascinated by a story that starts, “During the night the cat and the clock traded identities.”

CHERYL’S FAVORITES Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution

By R. F. Kuang

Speculative fiction about the control of words. Oxford is the only depository of translations of words from the languages of the world. Exceptional students are selected for their language skills. The words are worth more than the silver on which they are engraved. Words have political power. in how they can be translated leading to colonialism. Brilliant!

Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Temples from Destruction

By Lynne Olson

Imagine Spielberg and Hitchcock making a movie of an adventurer as a student reading hieroglyphics at a dig in Egypt, later joining the Paris Resistance, uncovering tombs, and saving ancient temples from drowning in the Nile dam by uniting unfriendly nations. This is not a male role but the true story of a daring determined female Louvre Egyptologist.

The Covenant of Water (Oprah’s Book Club)

By Abraham Verghese

This is not a short novel, nor is it short on brilliant character development. It takes place in India starting after WWI and ends in 1977, so history is part of the setting. The reader will gasp at some of the decisions resulting from a belief in a family curse. The plot has surprises. There are quotes worth underlining. It’s an investment in time to complete but it will stay with you after the last page.

JAKE’S FAVORITES I Have Some Questions for You: A Novel

By Rebecca Makkai

A perfect balance of addictive mystery and fine-tuned literary fiction, Rebecca Makkai’s latest is a true masterpiece. Following a professor’s efforts to solve the murder of her former roommate, this is an incredible satire of true crime as well as a moving character study, expertly written with literary prowess and precise prose. I Have Some Questions For You is my single favorite novel of the year.

West Heart Kill

By Dann McDorman

Among the best of the recent meta murder mysteries, West Heart Kill follows private detective Adam McAnnis as he accepts an invitation for a weekend among the fabulously wealthy (and equally suspicious) members of an exclusive hunting club. But with bodies piling up as quickly as clues disappear, a killer must be hiding. Equal parts captivating and educational, West Heart Kill is my favorite whodunnit of the year.

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

By David Grann

When a group of castaways from a British naval ship wash ashore, they share a torrid tale of survival. But months later, a separate group of castaways appears and accuses the others of mutiny. An investigation begins, and the guilty will surely be tried and hanged. A gripping book that reads like pitch-perfect fiction, The Wager is hard proof that David Grann is one of the finest nonfiction writers alive.

KATHY’S FAVORITES The River We Remember: A Novel

By William Kent Krueger

Compelling mystery, small town sheriff with big secrets, Native Americans..do you like Longmire or Dark Winds? You’ll love this book!

West with Giraffes

By Lynda Rutledge

This could be the “word-of-mouth” book of the past year. 75 showed up to the book club meetings, 75 people raved! Give this to someone who wants a feel-good, well-written, escapist read.

The Queen of Dirt Island: A Novel

By Donal Ryan

4 generations of Irish women and their triumphs and tragedies, fierce loyalties and betrayals, a family full of love peace and refuge from life’s cruelties. This is a novel told in all 2-page chapters, so easy to read with brilliant writing.

LINDSAY’S FAVORITES The Story of Art Without Men

By Katy Hessel

When E. H. Gombrich first published The Story of Art in 1950, he only featured art by men–in 2023, art historian Katy Hessel has some things to say about that. Her beautiful book, The Story of Art Without Men, is a crash course in art history, featuring centuries of work left out of the predominately white, male art history canon. This is a gorgeous and necessary book.

In Memoriam

By Alice Winn

Alice Winn’s incredible debut has one of the most arresting love stories I’ve read in a long time. Set during WWI, In Memoriam follows the young boys who were sent to the front, and the lengths two of them will go to find one another. Get ready to feel your feelings—don’t say I didn’t warn you!

PATSY’S FAVORITES The Book of (More) Delights: Essays

By Ross Gay

This new collection of short essays is perfectly enchanting: a child’s wave, garlic sprouting in the garden plot, the new moon, dreaming of an unaged parent. Poet Ross Gay has a gift for observing the small moments of joy in everyday life. This is the book you didn’t know you needed.

RJ’S FAVORITES How Can I Help You

By Laura Sims

Two small-town librarians, one with a deadly past and the other with an unstoppable curiosity, come face to face in this story of paranoia and obsession. This tense psychological novel had me engrossed from beginning to end.

As You Walk On By

By Julian Winters

As You Walk on By is a funny and heartfelt story of complex friendships, house party hijinks, and high school identity with a Breakfast Club-like ensemble cast readers will absolutely love.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal

By Adriana Herrera

This lush, deeply emotional historical romance follows an aristocratic artist who convinces a duchess (and ruthless businesswoman) to give her a tour of Paris’s secret Sapphic delights. A gorgeous and highly original take on the genre.

SYDNEY’S FAVORITES Monica

By Daniel Clowes

I’m just going to say it—this is the best graphic novel of 2023. Daniel Clowes is a comic mastermind, and this work (five years in the making) knocked my socks off. Blurring the lines between what feels like every genre, Monica is a breathtaking collection of short stories following its female protagonist whilst interweaving horrific accounts from the Vietnam War.

Bright Young Women: A Novel

By Jessica Knoll

Sadly, notoriety in the true crime realm mainly goes towards perpetrators, not victims. Jessica Knoll flips that notion on its head with this fictional retelling of the Bundy murder spree, focusing on the female victims and the repercussions that impact their friends and family. That judge may have called Ted Bundy a bright young man, but this story is about those Bright Young Women.

Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller

By Oliver Darkshire

Before I started working as a bookseller some-odd years ago, I, too, overly-romanticized what it must be like to work at a bookstore. I’ve since had plenty of bizarre experiences to wake me from that perfect fantasy—but for those of you who don’t see yourself slinging books for a living anytime soon, I highly recommend Darkshire’s chronicles of working in an antiquarian bookshop. Cynical and cozy all at once!

TARA’S FAVORITES With Love, from Cold World

By Alicia Thompson

This is the perfect book to warm you up during the wintertime. Set in the fictional Cold World (think knock-off theme park but with ice), this book follows nemesis Asa and Lauren as they’re forced to work together to try to save Cold World. With Love, from Cold World is full of high jinks, humor, and heart.

The Villa: A Novel

By Rachel Hawkins

The Villa is a mashup between Daisy Jones and the Six and season 2 of White Lotus, which makes for such a fun reading experience! This is the perfect book to cozy up with on a rainy day.

Between Us: A Novel

By Mhairi McFarlane

I could not put this book down. While this is a romance, parts of the book read like a mystery with you trying to put the pieces together alongside our heroine. If you’re a fan of Sophie Kinsella or Beth O’Leary, you HAVE to read this.

THEO’S FAVORITES Tasting History: Explore the Past through 4,000 Years of Recipes (A Cookbook)

By Max Miller, Ann Volkwein

I discovered my love of food history when I found Max Miller’s YouTube channel back in 2020. I am so excited to now have my favorite recipes in book form! His pumpion pie recipe from 1670 has become a staple of my family’s Thanksgiving celebration. Even if you don’t like to cook, this beautiful book is a great introduction to regional cuisine from ancient Babylon to Reconstruction America.

LAST MINUTE GIFTS!First Editions Club

The perfect gift for the bookworm in your life who seems to have read everything! Each month, members receive a first edition of the selected book of the month, signed by the author. Books are carefully chosen by our staff of readers, and our picks have gone on to earn major recognition including the Pulitzer Prize, the National Book Award, and the PEN/Faulkner Award. Plus, there’s no membership fee or premium charge for these books. Build a treasured library of signed first editions and always have something great to read!

Love, Parnassus

Our brand new subscription box! Love, Parnassus is a monthly subscription box for romance readers curated by the experts at Parnassus Books. Each month you will receive a first edition book (which is sometimes signed), a letter from the author, a custom sticker, and a bookmark to track your reading. The Love, Parnassus selection will focus on debut and new-to-you romance authors. This subscription will include books that are explicit in nature, so it’s best suited for folks 18+.

ParnassusNext

ParnassusNext is the book subscription box for YA lovers. Every member of ParnassusNext receives a first edition hardcover of each month’s selected book, signed by the author. There is no membership fee to join — and no line to stand in for the autograph. Not only will you have one of the best YA books of the month when it comes out, you’ll have it straight from the author’s hands, with an original, authentic signature! Set up a subscription for yourself or buy a gift membership for your favorite YA reader.

Spark Book Club

Spark Book Club is the first editions club for middle grade readers (typically ages 8-12). Every month members will receive a first edition middle grade novel picked by the expert children’s booksellers here at Parnassus — plus a letter written by the author especially for club members! Makes a great gift for the voracious independent reader.

Sprout Book Club

Sprout Book Club is the book subscription box for picture book lovers. The club is geared towards kids from birth to age 7, but it can be for anyone! Every month members will receive a new first edition picture book handpicked by the Parnassus team. If you know anyone expecting a new addition to the family, this would make a perfect holiday gift. Help them build a sweet library of modern classics!

Gift Cards

When all else fails, gift certificates make great gifts for the book lover in your life! They can be used online in addition to in-store shopping, so you can give them to a loved one even if they don’t live in Nashville.

Browse through these recommendations and many more in our 2023 Holiday Catalog!