Gift Guide from Your Daily Writing Prompt

I swear by all these books, you can't go wrong.

What is your word for 2024? When you look back at the past 12 months and think about how 2024 feels in relation to all the other years you’ve spent on this planet, what’s the overall theme? What word best encapsulates what you went through? I am personally going with “transformation” as my answer. It was a year of change, and I think (hope) for the better. I’m entering a new chapter in 2025 and I’m excited about it.

But before the year is over, we have some holidays to get through and if you’re a late-shopper like me (oh my God why do I always put it off until the last minute???) hopefully these gift suggestions will make everything a little easier for you.

FOR YOUR NIECE OR YOUR NEPHEW:

Any of these books by Thyra Heder.

You cannot go wrong with these books. How Do You Dance will get your kids on their feet moving around. Sal Boat is a sweet, funny story about perseverance and the importance of community. Alfie is a sweet, funny story about a turtle that gets lost (just wait until your kid realizes how long the turtle has been gone). And Nose to Nose is her newest book, and honestly my favorite (recency bias, but it is SO funny) about a dog who accidentally steals another dog’s ball and this whole neighborhood of dogs who all communicate with each other via pee messages. It’s hilarious and brilliant and it’s new, so it’s a pretty good bet that any kids you’re shopping for don’t have it yet.

FOR THE FAMILY MEMBERS WHO YOU HAVE DRAMA WITH:

Family Reservations by Liza Palmer.

Imagine The Bear meets high-end dining meets your most messed-up family get-togethers. It’s dark and funny and engrossing and perfect for any of the readers in your life.

FOR ANYONE IN YOUR LIFE WHO NEEDS THERAPY:

The Pop Prompts book series (yes, these are my books, I never said this list was un-biased).

These books will get you writing — and anyone can use them. Every page has a song title at the top of the page, then a thought-provoking prompt below it. You listen to the song first, let yourself feel the emotions of the song, then do the writing prompt. You can do them as therapeutic journaling, or if you’re a fiction writer you can write about your characters instead of yourself to come up with story ideas, scene ideas, and character backstory. You can even use the prompts as conversation starters at dinner. There are five books to choose from: Pop Prompts, Pop Prompts for Swifties, Pop Prompts the 90s, Pop Prompts Showtunes, and More Eras: Pop Prompts For Swifties Vol. 2. Get them directly from my website HERE if you want them signed.

FOR YOURSELF:

No Mistakes: A Perfect Workbook For Imperfect Artists by Keiko Agena.

I love this book. It will get you out of your head and get you creating, drawing, writing, all of the above.