Friday Links: The Book Roundup Edition

The end-of-year booklists started raining down a couple of weeks ago. I know they get a bit out of control, but I still love poring over them to find what I’ve missed. I try hard to keep a holiday shopper’s eye engaged when I review them, for gift-giving purposes. However, I will admit I frequently keep as many book purchases as I wrap up for someone else.

This week’s links focus on books, and I’ve tried to curate some of my favorite lists of the year. I know I’ve missed plenty, and more are coming, but this seems a great start. Some are best-of lists, and others focus on other deciding factors. But for those of you shopping for friends and family, there are plenty to choose from. And if you’re looking for some personal inspiration, I’m pretty sure we’ve got that covered as well.

More writerly shopping ideas coming early this week. Meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this bookish links roundup and have a wonderful weekend. Happy reading, and don’t forget to write!

This Week’s Links:

Art of the Hand-Sell. – A recommendation from a bookseller can be gold. Here a few share their favorite reads, the ones they like to talk up the most.

NPR’s Book Concierge 2019. – NPR posts my favorite annual year-end book list. This year’s bosts 369 titles across all genres, and as always, they allow you to search by topic, some of which are pretty unusual. Great for finding something for that stubborn reader on your list, or just seeing a huge visual of the year’s best offerings.

A Year in Reading: The Millions. – Another annual favorite. This features multiple posts each day where various writers share what they’ve read over the year. Sometimes they focus on one or two titles that made an impression, sometimes they discuss more broadly. It’s a wonderful peek into people’s tastes and also mentions works across the years instead of just recent releases. The master post updates each day with new links.

The Costa Awards 2019 Shortlist. – 20 books from authors writing in the UK and Ireland. Some great reads here.

11 Forgotten Books of the 1920s Worth Reading Now. – Looking for something a little unusual? Shopping for a history buff? One of these might serve.

Publishers Weekly Best Books 2019. – Divided by genre, with the added plus of links to lists from previous years.