December 20, 2025
Here is a selection of gift-y books for the holidays, including new and old classics: boxed sets of favorite authors in editions anyone would relish; a collection of nonfiction by an iconic writer; two beautiful seasonal stories from Ireland and Norway; a revamped fairy tale for all ages; a vintage collection of ’60s comic strips by some of our most accomplished writers, artists, and poets; and the final volume in an important survey of Black art.
Still looking for that perfect gift? Stop by The Center to browse our staff holiday picks and bundles of themed books to help you choose for family and friends on your list. There are plenty of stocking-stuffers, too, along with newly designed CFF notebooks. Warm up with a hot cider or another seasonal special from our Café & Bar while you browse.
Happy reading,
Melanie Fleishman
Buyer, The Center for Fiction Bookstore
Featured Books
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I Write to Find Out What I Am Thinking
By Joan Didion
Published by Everyman's Library
Didion passed away almost exactly four years ago. This, the second omnibus collection of her work, brings together her final four books of nonfiction, including the bestselling classic, The Year of Magical Thinking. Bound together, you can revel in this display of her scintillating mind at work.
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My Brilliant Friend
By Elena Ferrante
Published by Europa Editions
Translated by Ann Goldstein
The quartet of bestselling novels is gathered in a 10th anniversary boxed set with sprayed edges celebrating the enduring and complicated friendship of the Neapolitan girls, Elena and Lila. Included are individual volumes of My Brilliant Friend, The Story of a New Name, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay, and The Story of the Lost Child.
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Winter Stories
By Ingvild Rishøi
Published by Grove Press
Translated by Diane Oatley
This prize-winning Scandinavian author has written a triptych of stories: a woman teetering on the edge of poverty; a recently released prisoner; and three siblings who flee a collapsing family. Like Claire Keegan’s novellas, we discover kind acts amid the tough times that bring comfort in the cold.
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Pride and Prejudice
By Jane Austen
Published by British Library Edition
A handsome three-volume edition of perhaps Jane Austen’s most cherished novel—published to coincide with the 250th anniversary of her birth. The lovely edition also contains folded personal letters written by the author herself. Marbled paper and deckled edges combine to make this facsimile of the first edition a literary object of beauty.
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A Long Winter
By Colm Tóibín
Published by Scribner
This heartbreaking novella about a mother and son set in the Catalan Pyrenees is a family tale of hope and grief. The text includes a bonus essay about creating the story and is a perfect gift for any fan. Keep an eye out for Tóibín’s event at The Center this spring.
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A Little Life Boxed Set
By Hanya Yanagihara
Published by Knopf
This makes a great keepsake for those who have read, reread, and loved Yanagihara’s opus. Or a wonderful introduction to these four indelible friends from a small Massachusetts college. Marked by love and found families set against childhood trauma and tragedy, this edition celebrates its tenth anniversary, broken into four volumes, accompanied by illustrations.
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Black Artists in America
By Ellen Daugherty, Earnestine Lovelle Jenkins, Julie L. McGee & Kevin Sharp
Published by Yale University Press
This volume, the third in a survey of Black art, is a milestone publication that collects significant artwork from the late 70s to 9/11. These artists mark a generation of creativity that brings the survey up to the late 20th century. They include Jean-Michel Basquiat, Romare Bearden, Faith Ringgold, Kara Walker, and Carrie Mae Weems.
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Hansel & Gretel
By The Brothers Grimm & Stephen King
Published by HarperCollins
What a trifecta of talents! Text by the classic pre-eminent makers of twisted fairy tales and the contemporary master of horror, with illustrations by the beloved Sendak. This beautiful coffee table book that reimagines the haunting story will please children and adults alike—a must-have edition.
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The Complete C Comics
By Joe Brainard
Published by New York Review Of Books
Cult-favorite artist and essayist Joe Brainard invited his accomplished pals, including the poets John O’Hara, John Ashbery, and Ron Padgett to collaborate on a reimagining of the old-fashioned comic strip in the ’60s. Some of the brightest minds of that era offer a Dada-like selection, filled with humor and intellectual cunning.
