a 2022 completely booked gift guide

Is it me or are gift guides and advent calendars having a year? Maybe next year I’ll sell completely booked advent calendars but that would require me being a different person who could do stuff like that.

But a thing about me is I like to give gifts and if I had a lot more money, I’d give gifts constantly, which is maybe why I don’t have any money. Something to think about another day.

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[A completely booked gift guide]

Donate to a cause in someone’s name. When I turned 30, my friend Erin gave me a lovely card with a heartfelt sentiment and a receipt showing that she donated to a planned parenthood in Georgia in my honor. It was such a great gift and forever inspired me to do the same, especially for your friends and family members that are either a) hard to shop for or b) have enough shit. It’s also a perfect gift for when you’re like, oh shit, the gift exchange is tomorrow. Don’t forget the heartfelt card!

Subscribe to some newsletters. Newsletters are a great gift because people are always seeking reading material and a full ass book just doesn’t work for everyone, and if they’re a gift subscription, you’re supporting a lil’ artist! I’ve included free and subscription-option newsletters in this list for people pinching pennies. In that case, I recommend a cute twist like making a recommendation document for a loved one with links to free newsletters, podcasts, songs, etc. they might enjoy rather than signing them up for a bunch of newsletters without their permission.

• the same songs over and over by Alicia Thompson (free)
  Alicia is the author of Love in the Time of Serial Killers and she’s also a good person and hilarious, nice friend. the same songs over and over is a newsletter with reflections on writing, upcoming book news, and whatever song Alicia has on loop.

• No One Asked by Kerry Winfrey (free)
  Kerry is the author of Waiting For Tom Hanks, Not Like The Movies, Very Sincerely Yours, and more! No One Asked is about romcoms and it’s wonderfully written and nostalgic and thoughtful.

• Yesterday’s Horoscope by Jane Mitchell (free)
  A lot of newsletters start to sound and feel the same but you’ll never experience that with Yesterday’s Horoscope. Hilarious and unique, Virgos should especially subscribe to this one.

• WormBeauty by Becca Rose (free with paid options. gift a subscription!)
  Becca Rose is not just an extremely talented person but she somehow holds an incredible number of facts about animals and nature. Becca is also genuinely hilarious, which rounds it all out to be a perfect newsletter.

• A List of People I Am Mad At by Scaachi Koul
  This is really a list of people and things Scaachi is mad at. It’s funny and it’s infrequent, ensuring it stays funny and not overdone.

• Good Drinks by Julia Bainbridge
  I love Julia’s alcohol-free and cannabis cocktail recipes so much. I also enjoy her research and reflections.

• Culture Study by Anne Helen Petersen
  I find Anne’s writing on work, office culture, and various other cultural topics to be approachable and community-based. There’s a free and paid option(s!) for Culture Study; the paid option will give you a really cool community that feels like the good ol’ message-board days.

• And of course, you can gift a subscription to completely booked by clicking the button above.

Buy some books. My favorite books to give as gifts are:

• Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
  I’m just about through my second re-read of Wintering and I already know I’m going to make it an annual tradition. I genuinely think everyone would take something from this book and if you’re like me, you’ll take everything from it.
• Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed
  Letters are approachable and books that you don’t have to consume from start to finish are a great gift. It’s less like an assignment and more of a suggestion. As an anonymous columnist called Sugar, Strayed answers a variety of letters tackling everything from sudden death and grief to weird sexual fantasies. She’s affirming and funny and reading it will inspire a lot of crying, which I think people need more of in their lives.
• The Novel Cure: From Abandonment to Zestlessness: 751 Books to Cure What Ails You by Ella Berthoud, Susan Elderkin
  Someone bought this for me a few years ago and even though I admittedly don’t refer to it often, it’s a very good book idea. Everything from heartbreak to celebrating a new job, this book will tell you what book to read in any circumstance.
• Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema by Lindy West
  You gotta make sure your recipient is a movie person or this gift will fall flat. West is funny and a little annoying but she tackles some really familiar, nostalgic faves like Titanic, duh. Little funny essays about movies that again, you don’t have to read from start to finish. (I skipped the movies I’ve never seen.)
• I Remember Nothing: And Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
  Ephron’s wit and writing style is sorely missed. Her books are all still so good but I particularly enjoy I Remember Nothing. A good laugh-and-cry.
• The Comfort Food Diaries: My Quest for the Perfect Dish to Mend a Broken Heart by Emily Nunn
  I really enjoy books that include recipes (Heartburn by Nora Ephron, another fave) and Nunn’s memoir has stuck with me for years now. Her heartfelt writing and journey across the country making family recipes and connecting with loved ones is something I very much wish I could do.
• I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution by Emily Nussbaum
  Make sure your recipient is a television person first! If they are, Nussbaum’s I Like to Watch is a great gift. Nussbaum is a sharp critic and even when I don’t agree with her take (rare!), I enjoy reading her insights about television and entertainment.

A fave idea is to give the gift of a streaming site. There are oh-so-many to choose from, after all. We did this for my coworker’s birthday this year and it was such a great gift and super affordable if you split with a group. Most streaming sites are about $130-150.00 a year, though rising all the time! This gift also has that oops-I-waited-too-long-and-need-a-gift-now bonus.

And so does this: apps! There are a few apps I really like but just can’t justify spending money on. Headspace and Calm are both great gifts. A year for each of those apps is under $100 which is reasonable for a gift even if it feels unreasonable for the average person to spend. You can really go wild in the app store if you want. You know your people—maybe they want some creative artsy app or a yoga app or a baking app.

Before I wrap this up, a couple of quick go-tos.

• Tart vinegar

• Check your local pastry/coffee shops for coffee tins, loaves of bread, and hot sauce packs, if you’re in Seattle

• Homesick or Birthdate or A24xJoya Genre candles. If you want to spend a lot of money on a really nice candle, my favorite is D.S. & Durga.

• Commission Portrai Me or scour etsy/instagram for specific customizable gifts. Not the really cheap, mass-made stuff, but find the good artists. I like to filter and search by “Washington” so I get someone local, both for support-purposes and for quicker shipping purposes.

• Big fan of The Night Sky.

• I’m never above giving the gift of wine, liquor, non-alcoholic goods, weed, and food. Otherwise known as the essentials. (But for real, the gift of a good pre-roll? Can’t touch that.)

Beyond being thoughtful, I try to be practical when I give a gift. Don’t give your wife a vacuum cleaner or anything but think about what the person might want without knowing they want it. Maybe they’ve been really stressed and can’t sleep at night and have been curious about meditation, enter the Calm app. Maybe they love good wine but really don’t like to spend the money on it, come through with a few bottles of your favorite good wine. Maybe they don’t need anything and have plenty of money and stuff—that’s when a donation to a cause that means something to them comes in so clutch. Maybe it’s your local abortion fund or maybe it’s a bottle of nail polish that benefits their favorite podcast or maybe it’s their local library system.

Share widely and if you want more book recommendations, comb through past issues of completely booked, especially the “what I recommend” section.

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, animals. I hope you make it through unscarred and unscathed. Remember to tell people to fuck off if they’re bothering you.

xo

Completely Booked is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.