Column 07: The gift guide

Yes, I did it...

I told myself I wouldn’t make a gift guide - the internet is already full of them. But here we are, with a small guide of gifts for the characters in our lives. Books first, of course, and then a few thoughtful additions.

The reader

Or: the one whose bag is always heavier than it looks

1. A writer’s diary, by Virginia Woolf (inspired, searching, alive with the rhythms of her mind)

2. A writer’s diary, by Fyodor Dostoevsky (raw, reflective and strangely intimate; a treasure for the serious reader)

3. Leuchtturm1917 notebook (a leather cover + great paper? Yes, please)

4. Byredo’s Bibliotheque (a candle that is everything)

5. A fountain pen (let it do the talking)

6. A clip-on reading light (the highest act of love is enabling bedtime reading)

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The host

Or: the one who can make a living room feel like a destination

1. Classic french recipes, by Ginette Mathiot

2. Eataly cookbook

3. A beautiful serving bowl that makes (even store-bought) food look intentional

4. Chocolates are always a good idea

5. A small jar of truffle sea salt (you can’t go wrong with truffle)

6. A set of linen napkins in a warm colour (the table will look beautiful)

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The business woman

Or: the one who’s allergic to inefficiency

1. Trust, by Hernan Diaz (financial intrigue + sharp structure = perfect)

2. The silent woman, by Janet Malcolm (precision as art)

3. A silk scarf (for power-softening)

4. A desk hourglass (for pacing a long workday beautifully)

5. A box of excellent chocolates for when she has to pull an all-nighter

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The soft one

Or: the gentle and generous

1. Stoner, by John Williams

2. Poems, by W. H. Auden (full of tenderness, precision, and unexpected warmth)

3. A soft throw blanket they’ll instantly adopt

4. A ceramic vase for fresh flowers

5. Incense sticks in a simple woody scent

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The minimalist

Or: the ones who own just what they need

1. Nine stories, by J. D. Salinger (spare, perfect, quietly luminous)

2. Mr. Sammler’s Planet, by Saul Bellow (intelligent, unsentimental yet deeply human)

3. Black-and-white art print

4. A soft candle

5. Fuzzy slippers (no words needed)

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The gentleman

Or: the dream

1. A moveable feast, by Ernest Hemingway

2. Dubliners, by James Joyce

3. A leather card holder that ages with him

4. A soft scarf

5. A bottle of good whisky