Here’s something every underemployed librarian already knows: reading is really good for you. And it doesn’t just make you sexier and more empathetic — according to the research, it can also reduce your stress by 68-percent in just six minutes.
Since we’re not big fans of gift guides here at Range (who really needs more stuff, right?) we scoured the back shelves of our favorite bookstores — and our Instagram messages — to bring you the ultimate lit-giving gift guide instead. Here are the surprising and delightful books, subscriptions and coffee-table tomes to help make everyone on your list a little smarter and a little less stressed this season. Bonus points awarded for coming in the easiest known shape to wrap.
For The Artist in Your Residence
The Jungle Book: Contemporary Stories of the Amazon and Its Fringe
by Yann Gross
Through simple yet richly staged scenes, photographer Yann Gross explores contemporary life along the world’s longest river: the Amazon. Cliches sold separately.
Make Ink: A Foragers Guide to Natural Inkmaking
by Jason Logan
You know how the old adage goes: One man’s cigarette butt is another man’s ink. Founded by artist Jason Logan in 2014 as a citizen science experiment, the Toronto Ink Company sources eco-friendly ink from street-harvested pigment. This coffee table exploration of science and craft is a thought provoking stunner for anyone who still loves pen and paper.
by Alison Nastasi
From Hemingway’s famous six-toed kitties to Alice Walker’s furry felines, this collection of writers photographed with their favorite companions (well, we’d like to think so) is both sweet and stylish.
For Your Favorite Nasty Woman
Feminist Icon Cross-Stitch: 30 Daring Designs to Celebrate Strong Women
By Anna Fleiss and Lauren Mancuso
Cross-stitch patterns for your favorite lady heros — the notorious RBG (Ruth Bader Ginsburg) and Michelle Obama, among others — all accompanied by biographies that actually do them justice. Fingers crossed you get a Beyoncé embroidery as a thank you.
WorkParty: How To Create & Cultivate the Career of Your Dreams
by Jaclyn Johnson
Jaclyn has had some meteoric success at helm of Create & Cultivate (only the fastest growing online platform and conference for young women in business), but like all good underdog stories, her wins didn’t come without some serious turmoil.
For the GORP Crew
She Explores: Stories of Life-Changing Adventures on the Road and In the Wild
by Gale Straub
If you’ve ever done an online search for “outdoor women,” you’ve undoubtedly come across She Explores. Creator Gale Straub collects some of the most empowering and inspiring essays from her digital platform and binds them in this compelling coffee-table treasure.
Women Who Hike: Walking With America’s Most Inspiring Adventurers
by Heather Balogh Rochfort
This smart anthology of stories imparts wisdom from some of the country’s most inspiring outdoor women — Wylder Goods founders Jainee Dial and Lindsey Elliot, pro skier Caroline Gleich, Outdoor Afro founder Rue Mapp, among others — all told through the lens of hiking.
The Best Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument Hikes
by Morgan Sjogren and Michael Versteeg
Political failures aside, one positive that came from all the news surrounding Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments over the past few years is their renewed relevance for outdoor lovers. Trail runner Morgan Sjogren provides the ultimate low-impact guide to seeing the monument by foot while being respectful to sensitive historical and cultural areas.
For the Preschool Set
By Becca Barnet and Kaleigh Hastings
Your kid has more in common with a water bear (Google it) than she thinks. This smart and vividly illustrated children’s book implores Gen Z to treat the planet with care and compassion. Really, it’s a message readers of any age could use a refresher on.
Hike It Baby: 100 Awesome Outdoor Adventures with Babies and Toddlers
By Shanti Hodges
“Life as you know it will end completely when you have a baby,” said no one who’s ever read Shanti’s blog about parenting in the Great Outdoors. The author and mom presents 100 adventures across the country you can take with little ones in tow.
For The HGTV Aficionado
Surf Shacks: An Eclectic Compilation of Surfers’ Homes from Coast to Coast
Already a staple on our own shelves, this collection of interiors proves surfers come in all shades, at least when it comes to home design. From tiny Hawaiian huts to lush NYC apartments, this book might be definitive proof that surfers really are cooler than the rest of us.
Small Space Style: Because You Don’t Need To Live Large to Live Beautifully
By Whitney Leigh Morris
Remember when a 400-square-foot apartment was anxiety inducing? Neither to we thanks to the resilience of tiny living. This guide is packed with big ideas, practices and tips for styling even the smallest of micro-apartments.
by Tim Romano and Michael J. Medrano
If you don’t have a coffee table to put it on, this massive tome could probably just be the table. Packed with sun-soaked shots of life along Texas’ intracoastal waterways, this book contains more than 400 homes to keep your eyeballs busy.
Vanlife Diaries: Finding Freedom on the Open Road
by Kathleen Morton, Jonny Dustow, and Jared Melrose
A celebration of the nomadic lifestyle and the community that lives it, this loving collection of photographs and interviews treats “vanlife” less like a trend and more like a true way of living, on the grid or otherwise.
For the Nat Geo Loyalist
A Subscription to Something New
Print is not dead — as proven by a new slew of richly shot and thoughtfully produced magazines. Beside explores the intersection of humans and nature, Sidetracked gets raw with adventure, and Modern Huntsman fully dislodges any cliches hanging around about hunters. Let’s not forget RANGE Magazine Issue 9. Pick your poison.
Swell: A Sailing Surfer’s Voyage of Awakening
by Captain Liz Clark
If you don’t already follow Patagonia ambassador and world traveler Liz Clark, do that, and then come back here to invest in this gorgeous memoir, which spins stories about the seafaring voyages that helped her discover her true connection to the planet.
For The Person Who Has Everything
Everyday Magic: Rituals, Spells, and Potions to Live Your Best Life
By Semra Haksever
For the friend who is definitely going to check out that holiday special of The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, this is a no-fail gift idea.
Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents
by Pete Souza
Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza spent more time along President Obama than almost anyone. Now, he spills the tea on two very different presidencies from his unique vantage point behind the lens.
XX Johnie Gall