Welcome, reader friends! Christmas is fast approaching, and if you’re anything like me, you’re still searching for the perfect gift for some of your family and friends. 😬 Last year, my dear friend Rel (from Relz Reviewz) and I put our heads together to give you some great recommendations to make your Christmas shopping a little bit easier, and we had so much fun we decided to do it again! As a result, here is Katie & Rel’s Novel Gift Guide for 2019!
Any book lover will tell you that one book is never enough 😉 so Rel and I have given some whole series recommendations, but we’ve also given you some options for gifting the reader in your life some “series firsts” collections. There’s nothing quite like discovering a new author or series and knowing there are more books by them waiting to be discovered, so when you give the gift of multiple “series firsts”, your gift has the potential to keep giving exponentially!
However you decide to give, we hope you find this list useful. And if you find a few books for yourself in the process, well, Merry Christmas to you!
To learn more about any of these titles, you can click on the cover (affiliate links to Amazon) or ask us questions in the comments. And don’t forget to check out what Rel has to say about these recommendations in her post!
Contemporary Romance
Got a foodie in your life who loves contemporary romance? You can’t go past Carla Laureano’s Supper Club series. Gift the first two in the series now, and pre-order the third to arrive in early February. It’s like Christmas twice! Or perhaps you’d like to help someone discover a new series with three “series firsts”, suggested by Rel. In either case, you’ll find each of these contemporary romances offers a lot more than “just” romance.
Katie recommends:
The Supper Club series by Carla Laureano (final book releases Feb 2020)
Rel recommends:
When He Found Me by Victoria Bylin
Just Look Up by Courtney Walsh
Once Upon a Montana Summer by Lisa T. Bergren
Cozy Mystery
If variety is the spice of life, my “series firsts” recommendations will offer your cozy mystery lover plenty of that. Or if your cozy mystery lover is also a humour lover, Rel’s recommendation of Jenny B. Jones’s Enchanted Events series might be all you need!
Katie recommends:
A Caffeine Conundrum by Angela Ruth Strong
Rules of Murder by Julianna Deering
Belinda Blake and the Snake in the Grass by Heather Day Gilbert
Rel recommends:
Enchanted Events Mystery series by Jenny B. Jones
General Fiction
General fiction isn’t a genre that lends itself to series, but each of these writers has more than one title to their name, so you’ll be introducing your gift recipient to a world of future reading no matter which books you choose from our recommendations. These books will be best suited to the reader in your life who’s looking for a deep read—something to grapple with and, in some cases, spend a few tissues on!
Katie recommends:
We Hope For Better Things by Erin Bartels
How the Light Gets In by Jolina Petersheim
Missing Isaac by Valerie Fraser Luesse
Rel recommends:
The Solace of Water by Elizabeth Byler Younts
Send Down the Rain by Charles Martin
The Feathered Bone by Julie Cantrell
Historical Fiction
Have a family member or friend who enjoys reading historical fiction about real people? My historical fiction recommendations are for you! Becoming Mrs. Lewis is the improbable love story of Joy Davidman and C.S. Lewis; Of Fire and Lions tells the story of the biblical prophet Daniel; and My Dearest Dietrich tells the story of well-known German theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer during the years of WWII.
Alternatively, for the historical fiction reader who prefers reading about fictional characters, Rel has given some fabulous recommendations that I can heartily second, including Allison Pittman’s superb novel The Seamstress, which tells the story of a minor (but memorable) character from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities.
Katie recommends:
Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan
Of Fire and Lions by Mesu Andrews
My Dearest Dietrich by Amanda Barratt
Rel Recommends:
Many Sparrows by Lori Benton
The Seamstress by Allison Pittman
Historical Romance
We have plenty of “series firsts” recommendations for your historical romance lover, and from a wide range of times and settings from medieval England (Rel’s recommendation Merciless) all the way up to 19th Century Australia (my recommendation Carry Me Home)!
Katie recommends:
A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh by Carolyn Miller
Carry Me Home by Dorothy Adamek
One Plus One Equals Trouble by Sondra Kraak
Rel recommends:
The Matrimonial Advertisement by Mimi Matthews
The Spice King by Elizabeth Camden
Merciless by Tamara Leigh
Novellas
My novella recommendation (Booknerds and Boyfriends) is for the reader in your life who enjoys a light-hearted, chic-lit style read. Or maybe your reader is looking for something seasonally appropriate, in which case, Rel has you covered.
Katie recommends:
Booknerds and Boyfriends series by Sarah Monzon (available individually or as a collection)
Rel recommends:
A Shot at Love by Sarah Loudin Thomas
A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
Christmas at Whitefriars by Elizabeth Camden
Romantic Suspense
Got a romantic suspense lover in your life? Get them started on some great series with my recommendations, or give them a truly binge-worthy series with Rel’s recommendation.
Katie recommends:
Living Lies by Natalie Walters
Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason
Wild Montana Skies by Susan May Warren
Rel recommends:
The Montana Marshalls series by Susan May Warren
Speculative
For the reader who likes something out of this world, whether it be fantasy, science fiction, or even a real-world setting with some “out of this world” elements, you can’t go wrong with either Rel’s or my recommendations here!
Katie recommends:
The Baggage Handler by David Rawlings
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
One Mind’s Eye by Kathy Tyers
Rel recommends:
Brand of Light by Ronie Kendig
Mark of the Raven by Morgan L. Busse
The Pages of Her Life by James L. Rubart
Suspense/Thriller
Does anything need to be said here? These covers all speak for themselves if you ask me! Give the reader in your life some thrills and spills this Christmas.
Katie recommends:
Storm Rising by Ronie Kendig
Mind Games by Nancy Mehl
The Line Between by Tosca Lee
Rel recommends:
State of Lies by Siri Mitchell
Synapse by Steven James
The Gryphon Heist by James R. Hannibal
Time-Slip
For those not in the know, time-slip novels have two interconnected storylines split between two different times (usually a historical setting and a contemporary one). Unless you’re Kristy Cambron, in which case you have THREE interconnected storylines! Kristy’s Lost Castle series is my recommendation for time-slip lovers, and Rel’s recommendations offer some great variety in mood and setting and are all compelling reads in their own rights.
Katie recommends:
The Lost Castle series by Kristy Cambron
Rel recommends:
The Hidden SIde by Heidi Chiavaroli
Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
Echoes Among the Stones by Jaime Jo Wright
Women’s Fiction
Women’s fiction is another genre that doesn’t lend itself to series, my recommendation Things I Never Told You being an exception to that general rule. The second and third of my recommendations will particularly appeal to the traveller or, as per Rel’s recommendation, you could introduce your reader to Catherine West’s excellent and varied output. Either way, you’ll be providing the reader in your life with plenty of variety in their women’s fiction reading.
Katie recommends:
Things I Never Told You by Beth K. Vogt
The Heart Between Us by Lindsay Harrel
The Enlightenment of Bees by Rachel Linden
Rel recommends:
As the Light Fades, Where Hope Begins, and Yesterday’s Tomorrow by Catherine West
Young Adult
Last, but not least, for the young adult (or young at heart) in your life. Whether they’re after fairytales, fantasy, or royalty, these selections are sure to please.
Katie recommends:
Coral by Sara Ella
Orphan’s Song by Gillian Bronte Adams
Heart of a Royal by Hannah Currie
Rel recommends:
The Lost Princesses series by Jody Hedlund
These are all excellent suggestions! Thank you for taking the time to compile such an awesome one-stop list.
I love these suggestions!!
Wow! What an amazing list! Definitely agree with those I’ve read of these. So many incredible stories. Love the idea of giving the start of a series and preordering the rest. Preorders are so much fun. Especially when you forget their actual release date and get a fun surprise in the mail 😀 Thankyou!!!
Wow, what a fantastic list, Katie and Rel! I see quite a few of my favorites there, along with many I have my eye on but haven’t had a chance to read yet. Thanks a bunch!
You’re most welcome, Winnie. Happy reading!
Love this post!
So glad you love it. Thanks for stopping by 🙂
Yay for great reads! Thanks Katie for including A Hero for Miss Hatherleigh among your recommended reads! ❤️
You’re welcome! It’s a fun list to put together 😁
This is an incredible list! I’m honored to see Between Two Shores listed among other top-notch favorite stories in the historical category! And from a blogging standpoint, the work that went into formatting this post–whew! I salute you. Thanks for taking the time to put together such a helpful resource.
Thanks Jocelyn! Yes, you could say it took us both a considerable amount of time 🙂 But we loved it!
Definitely a labour of love, but an enjoyable one 🙂
I have bookmarked this page, because it is so chock full of such great recommendations! That TBR pile will be toppling over! 😊 Thanks, ladies!
Excellent idea! A TBR isn’t a true TBR if it isn’t toppling over! 😁
Excellent recommendations! I’m making a list myself for 2019 reads
Great idea, Lori!
I love these posts y’all do!
Thanks, Carrie! ❤️