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Holiday Gift Guide: Books

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Our 2021 Holiday Gift Guide for Book Lovers has the perfect gifts for anyone on your Christmas list. 

 

Holiday Gift Guide: Cookbooks

holiday gift guideThe Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook By Bridget Thoreson

The Unofficial Hocus Pocus Cookbook is filled with fare inspired by everyone’s favorite witches and their spells, potions, and schemes. It is the ultimate must-have for fans of all ages—but don’t worry, no children were harmed in the test of these recipes. Inside you’ll find frightfully delicious recipes for:

  • Burning Rain of Death Punch
  • William’s Wormy Grave Tombstone Cake
  • Dead Man’s Toes Sausage Appetizers
  • Baked Witch Casserole
  • “Way to Go, Virgin” mocktails
  • And much more!
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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 2The Unofficial Hogwarts Cookbook for Kids

Make magic in the kitchen with easy, friendly recipes designed for kid chefs and inspired by the Harry Potter series!

 

Calling all Potterheads! It’s time to whip up something spellbinding in the kitchen. With 50 easy-to-follow, low-mess recipes, you and your kids will learn to cook all of the best wizarding world favorites. From breakfast all the way to dessert, this book makes any meal or snack extra special, with recipes like:

 

  • Pumpkin Pasties
  • Cauldron Cakes
  • Muggle-Style Pizza
  • Chocolate Frogs
  • Great Hall Sandwiches
  • And many more!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 4Introducing The Magical Girl’sGuide to Life: Find Your Inner Pow-
er, Fight Everyday Evil, and Save the Day with Self-Care [978-1-64604-248-7; $17.95; Ulysses Press; December 2021] by Jacque Aye.
Complete with fun exercises, journal prompts, and personality tests, this
book will teach you how your self-care journey starts by uncovering the
magical girl within.
The magical girl genre, also known as mahou shoujo, originated in
Japan back in the 1960s with the beloved anime Sally the Witch. The
genre gained massive popularity in the 1990s and early 2000s through
series like Sailor Moon and Cardcaptor Sakura. Magical girl influences
eventually reached around the globe and inspired Western shows like
Winx Club, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug & Cat Noir, Steven Universe,
and Star vs. the Forces of Evil.

Sharing from her own personal experiences to tap into her magic, au-
thor and fellow magical girl Jacque Aye serves as your stand-in familiar

to help you learn more about yourself, your monsters, and how to defeat
them with your inner power, intelligence, and strength.
“Once I consciously took on those magical girl traits and applied them
to myself in real, tangible ways, everything changed!” she says. “I found
myself, I found my community, and my existence became more than
just a constant trudging. While life can still be dull, as life tends to be,
I’ve finally found how to inject a bit of magic into it through mindfulness,
friendship, purpose, and love.”

What is a magical girl? To put it simply, magical girls are weapon-
wielding, adorable costume–wearing, crime-fighting cuties! With the

company of an anthropomorphic furry familiar, they fight bad guys, using
magic, in the name of friendship and love. In the world of magical girls,
unlike the real world, femininity, emotional openness, and softness are
associated with power, intelligence, and strength.

“This book will serve as your official guide to becoming the most mag-
ical version of yourself here in the real world,” Aye says. “You’ll learn a

lot about me, even the ugly, ordinary parts. I’ll be sharing my highest
highs and lowest lows because they seem to go hand in hand, and
because I want you to see what goes on behind the veil. In the process

you’ll learn much more about yourself, your monsters, and how to de-
feat them with your newfound magical powers!”

With gorgeous illustrations and entertaining animated characters, The
Magical Girl’s Guide to Life reveals how self-love, sisterhood, and
magic go together.

Holiday Gift Guide: Books 5Mixology and Murder

Pour yourself a drink and discover your latest true crime obsession with this guidebook that pairs 75 deliciously chilling cocktails with the infamous true crime stories that inspired them.

 

From terrifying serial killers to baffling cold cases and secretive cults, murderinos can’t get enough of true crime. Now, you can have yet another way to dive into these horrifyingly true stories with a first-of-its-kind cocktail book that gives a new meaning to the phrase “bad and boozy.”

 

Inside Mixology and Murder, you’ll find 75 step-by-step drink recipes alongside the terrifying stories that inspired them, from must-know cases like JonBenét Ramsey and Ted Bundy to lesser-known stories like the Ant Hill Kids cult and the Circleville Letter Writer. This cocktail book is your go-to resource for true crime info and delightfully boozy drinks, including:

 

  • Fugitive Fizz
  • Sazer-Ax Murderer
  • The Perfect Lime (Mojito)
  • Amityville Amaretto
  • Colada Confessions
  • In Cold Blood Orange
    And More!

Mixology and Murder is the perfect gift for any true crime junkie who knows that, sometimes, the best way to deal with the excitement of a serial killer finally getting caught or the frustration of finding out that case is still unsolved is a good, strong drink.

 

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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 7Making Vegan Meat: The Plant-Based Food Science Cookbook

To all food lovers and enthusiasts out there. Making Vegan Meat is a staple cookbook for kitchens where home cooks, professional chefs, foodies, vegans, vegetarians, and the vegan curious can find super vegan meat recipes.

 Foodie, food scientist. and YouTuber Mark “Saustache” Thompson shows you a multitude of filling vegan dishes to deeply satisfy your tastebuds. Step out of your comfort zone and have fun with healthier, delicious, plant-based cuisine, from mouth watering BBQ ribs made from mushrooms to crispy bacon from a daikon radish. You will have your dinner guests exclaiming, “Wait! That’s a vegetable?” Discover our amazing author on Mango!

 

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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 9Otaku Food!: Japanese Soul Food Inspired by Anime and Pop Culture

With dishes inspired by otaku culture, this cookbook brings Japanese anime and manga to chefs of all levels. Japan fever has taken the West by storm. Praised for its attention to detail, it’s no wonder that some of the most appealing images are colorfully culinary. From beautifully animated bowls of ramen and curry to cakes and confectionery, Japanese food culture never looked so good. If only you could reach out and take a bite…and now you can!

With our increasing hunger for Japanese pop culture, comes an appetite to match. And with dishes from pop culture icons like One Piece and Naruto, manga and anime can finally be enjoyed in the comfort of your very own kitchen. Whether you’re enjoying Japanese ramen from Naruto or fried rice from Food Wars, readers and foodies can learn about Japanese cooking basics and some new series to enjoy, featuring recipes like: Mitarashi Dango from Samurai Champloo, Onigiri from Fruits Basket and Yakiniku from Rurouni Ken shin. Discover our amazing author on Mango!

 

 

Holiday Gift Guide: Books 10Keto Meal Prep by FlavCity 

Now available in paperback, the Keto Meal Prep by FlavCity shares a week of delicious Keto meals in one hour of meal prep! With over 1,000,000 fans, FlavCity is known as the go-to spot for low-carb, healthy meal prep, and keto recipes that help you lose weight and actually taste good. Bobby Parrish has been featured on The Rachael Ray Show and the Food Network and is proud to call himself a home cook, just like you.

 

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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 12Tired of eating bland, boring, healthy food? Bobby and Dessi Parrish know good food. On their hit YouTube channel, they’ve shown you can lose weight on the keto diet without sacrificing the joy of delicious food. In this Flavcity cookbook, the Parrish duo show you how to maximize your time and prepare seven days of healthy meals in one evening―and maintain your ketogenic diet. You’ll spend less time cooking and more time enjoying delicious dishes. This Flavcity cookbook includes over 125 low carb recipes full of flavor. Mix and match the base recipes and your meal combinations are endless. Discover our amazing author on Mango!

Keto Junk Food features 100 recipes that can easily and mindfully fit into your ketogenic lifestyle. The book includes recipes for diner favorites (Loaded French Toast, Biscuit Eggs Benedict, Glazed Sour Cream Doughnuts); Burger Joint staples (Bacon Double Cheeseburger, Fried Chicken Tenders Wrap, Loaded Zucchini Fries); Pizza Night party ideas (Meat Lover’s Pizza, Mozzarella Sticks, Garlic Breadsticks); Asian Takeout go-to’s (General Tso’s Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Keto Pad Thai); Taco Tuesday specials (Chips and Queso, Chicken Fajitas, Carnitas Tacos); decadent desserts (Brownie Bites, Quadruple Chocolate Cake, Ice Cream Sundae Waffle, Chocolate Overload Milkshake); and even happy hour drinks and bar bites (White Russian, Classic Margs, Strawberry Daiquiris)!

 

There’s a reason we crave these junk food classics – they’re delicious and oh so satisfying! And with the 100 keto-approved recipes in Keto Junk Food, you can manage your macros with minimal effort and never feel deprived again!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Children’s Books

Holiday Gift Guide: Books 14WEIRD BUT TRUE! NEW YORK CITY (National Geographic Kids Books, ages 8-11) is a fascinating and fun romp through the 5 boroughs. 
  • Did you know that 25 species of shark swim off NYC's coastline?
  • ...Or that astronauts can see the lights of Times Square from space?
  • ...And get this: In New York, Sesame Street is a real place AND there's a library where you can visit the actual stuffed animals that inspired the characters in Winnie the Pooh!
Bright and browsable, Weird But True! New York City reveals little known and bizarre facts about the city's storied past, wild truths about present-day New York, and even introduces readers to a couple of goats that held up traffic on the subway. The city that never sleeps (and this book!) truly has something for everyone -- from giant pillow fights to epic Broadway musicals to pizza-loving rats. Holiday Gift Guide: Books 1
 
 
 
Holiday Gift Guide: Books 16ABC, Rise Up and Be!
An Empowering Alphabet for Changing the World
Annemarie Riley Guertin
Sandie Sonke 
In this empowering alphabet to inspire kids to become their best selves, readers will discover traits like humble, just, mindful, persistent, and twenty-two other character-building words with thought-provoking advice designed to empower and encourage. Each page includes an adorable illustration of kids with famous heroes who have exemplified each of these traits: kind like Mother Teresa, generous like Clara Barton, encouraging like Anne Frank, respectful like the Dalai Lama, and more!
 
 
 
 
 
 
Holiday Gift Guide: Books 17Your Life Matters
Chris Singleton
Illustrated by Taylor Barron
★“Equal parts homage to Black historical and contemporary figures and a reminder of the greatness that lives within each Black child, this is a title for every collection.” —School Library Journal, starred review
 
"[S]hines in its positive messaging to children . . . . A welcome addition to any Black Lives Matter collection.” —Booklist

 

 

 

Holiday Gift Guide: Misc. Books

Food Americana: The Remarkable People and Incredible Stories behind America’s Favorite Dishes

David Page changed the world of food television by creating, developing, and executive-producing the groundbreaking show Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Now from the two-time Emmy winner David Page comes the book Food Americana, an entertaining mix of food culture, pop culture, nostalgia, and everything new on the American plate. The remarkable history of American food. What is American cuisine? What national menu do we share? What dishes have we chosen, how did they become “American,” and how are they likely to evolve from here? David Page answers all these questions and more.

Food Americana is engaging, insightful, and often humorous. The inside story of how Americans have formed a national cuisine from a world of flavors. Sushi, pizza, tacos, bagels, barbecue, dim sum―even fried chicken, burgers, ice cream, and many more―were born elsewhere and transformed into a unique American cuisine. Food Americana is a riveting ride into every aspect of what we eat and why. From a lobster boat off the coast of Maine to the Memphis in May barbecue competition. From the century-old Russ & Daughters lox and bagels shop in lower Manhattan to the Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival. From a thousand-dollar Chinese meal in San Francisco to birria tacos from a food truck in South Philly. Discover our amazing author on Mango!

Holiday Gift Guide: Books 18The Herbal Healing Handbook: How to Use Plants, Essential Oils and Aromatherapy as Natural Remedies

The Herbal Healing Handbook is a spiritual guidebook for using plants, essential oils, aromatherapy, and other natural elements to treat ailments and help prevent illness.

Draw upon ancient knowledge. While health care debates rage all around us, one way to take good care of yourself and your loved ones is with the “kitchen cabinet cures” in this book. When our great grandmothers needed to attend to the cuts, bruises, colds, flu’s fevers and other illnesses their family suffered, they didn't have a corner drugstore. Instead, these wise women relied on simple wisdom, common sense, and pantries well stocked with herbal remedies. These preparations were made from plants that grew in the kitchen garden or wild weeds gathered outside. The Herbal Healing Handbook combines the wisdom of our elders with a modern kitchen herbalist’s sensibility. Discover our amazing author on Mango!

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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 20
 
The Signature Lifestyle Planner from Luxe Papeterie is a 12 month dated planner, inspiring women and creatives alike to be more productive through intentional planning
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Highlighted features include: 
2022 Calnder Overview 
Important Dates 
Annual Goals
Monthly Budget
Weekly To-Do List 
Wellness and Habit Tracker. 
as well as Quarterly Overviews as well as Note pages. 
 
 
It is an amazing gift for the busy mom, business owner, or college student trying to find balance. 
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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 23UPGRADE YOUR LIFE: What ambition(s) or projects have you been holding back on? Improve your health, write a novel, start a business? What will be your Pursuit?
We've designed a proprietary goal planning journal that utilizes a unique, down to earth method for productivity, motivation, mindfulness, and goal planning. Meet the Pursuit Goal Journal.
 
This journal has been used by businesses, schools, and individuals to help them identify goals and achieve them in a realistic manner. In addition to that, the journal is often sent as a gift - one of my favorite hobbies is to monitor and read the inspirational gift receipts our customers create for their loved ones. We often have repeat buyers who share the Pursuit Goal Journal with others in their lives going through transitory struggles or working on important goals.
 
  • 👀 ALL GOALS IN A SINGLE VISUAL: Each week you are provided a single funnel-down visual that displays all your goals: from your overall Pursuit (ambition), down to your Monthly, Weekly, & Daily goals.
  • ✅ HACK INTO YOUR REWARD SYSTEM: Leverage the scientifically proven positive-reinforcement that comes with checking off tasks and goals. Develop the habit of doing a little bit each day to progress in your Pursuit.
  • 🌏 REALISTIC METHOD: Contrary to other methods, you are encouraged to be practical during the process. Start & pause at your leisure. Take days off. Modify your goals as you progress.
  • 👜 HANDY DESIGN: Flexible, smooth, soft-touch-laminated cover (you'll love it). Sturdy Spiral-Bound construction lays the booklet nice and flat. 6 x 8.5 inch size (fits nicely in your carrying bag). Designed and Manufactured in the USA.
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Holiday Gift Guide: Calendars

Holiday Gift Guide: Books 25Ocean Unseen Wall Calendar 2022

a tribute to the beauty of the ocean depths.

Celebrate the extraordinary and diverse life underneath the waves.
 
A colorful sea dragon floats above a forest of kelp. A sea turtle rests on a soft bed of seaweed. Clownfish nestle in the protective tentacles of a sea
anemone. And mother and baby humpback whales swim side by side, just below the surface. As climate change and pollution put the world’s oceans at risk, this is a calendar whose time has come. Each month is a vivid reminder of what’s at stake. For divers and for nature lovers, it’s a breathtaking tribute to the beauty of the ocean depths. For nature and science enthusiasts of all ages.
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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 27Magical Activity Wall Calendar 2022

Let your imagination be the star.

Pure magic for kids 8+: a calendar featuring a fun, interactive activity (and stickers!) every month.

“Magical” is exactly the right word to describe this interactive calendar for kids from Hello! Lucky’s Sabrina Moyle and Eunice Moyle. Each hand-drawn grid of the Magical Activity Calendar! is a visual delight, printed in bright colors (including neon green!) and packed with charming illustrations, activities, and prompts to help kids’ imaginations take flight. “What’s in this magical closet?” “What’s on this mystery planet?” “Finish these monsters!” The calendar includes 500+ stickers, an electrifying 12" × 24" poster, and unicorns. Lots of unicorns. Printed on uncoated FSC-certified paper.

• Includes more than 500 stickers specially designed to complete each month's picture and mark events, plus a cool foldout poster
• For kids ages 8 and up

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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 29The Original Pocket Pigs Mini Wall Calendar 2022

The Teacup Piggies of Pennywell Farm

Little pigs, little calendar, huge charm!

Here they are, ready for their close-ups: Reeve and Marcus, looking dapper in matching bowler hats. Sporty Juniper about to take her tiny kayak for a spin. Little Francis, grooving to his favorite tunes. And, for a sweet February valentine, Gigi peeking through a heart-shaped wreath adorned with pink flowers. Pudgy, pink, as little as can be, the famous pocket pigs of Pennywell Farm are back in a mini 7" x 7" calendar that’s the perfect showcase for their pint-size adorability. These little piggies know how to put on the charm. The vibrant photographs are enhanced with spot-on captions. 
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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 31

A Year of Gratitude Page-A-Day Calendar 2022

A Network for Grateful Living

Like a gratitude journal in a calendar—a daily reminder that life is a gift.

No matter what’s happening in the world around us, there are always reasons for gratitude. Inspired by the book Everyday Gratitude by A Network for Grateful Living—a global nonprofit organization that promotes mindful gratitude—this calendar features a year of quotes, prompts to inspire contemplation, and Grateful Practices to lift your spirits. Write down your most meaningful experiences and keep them in a jar to reflect on later. Rather than look externally, tap into the happiness inside you. And ponder wise words from wise people, including Ralph Ellison: “Nothing, storm or flood, must get in the way of our need for light and ever more and brighter light. The truth is the light and light is the truth.”

 
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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 335-Minute Daily Meditations Page-A-Day Calendar 2022

A Year of Growth, Authenticity, and Introspection.

Get centered with daily meditations that speak to everyday problems and emotions.

In this time of collective anxiety and uncertainty, it’s no surprise that people have been turning to meditation to find peace of mind. Downloads of meditation apps have surged, and YouTube reported a 40 percent increase in daily views of meditation videos. Introducing a different approach—a brand-new calendar featuring 5-minute meditations to help readers get centered, focused, and in the right mind frame to take on each day. Meditation teacher Sah D’Simone, author of 5-Minute Daily Meditations and Spiritually Sassy, leads a heart-based healing movement rooted in tried-and-true, ancient techniques and infused with joy and authenticity. In these short but powerful meditations, he addresses the hardships and emotions we commonly face and illuminates a path to enlightenment and inner calm every day. For seekers who celebrate diversity, authenticity, and freedom both in life and on the spiritual path. 

"A perfect reminder to take a moment (or five) to breathe, sit quietly, or just reflect. In the busy rush of the days, who doesn't need a reminder now and then?”
—Sharon Salzberg, author of Real Happiness

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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 35Cat Trivia Page-A-Day Calendar 2022

Cat Quotes, Cat Jokes, True or False, Owner's Tips, Famous Cats, Know Your Breeds, and More!

Fascinating feline trivia, quizzes, breed information, care tips, and more!

Cat lovers will purr with delight at a new year of trivia, quizzes, tips, and more, adorably illustrated in full color. True or False: The Cornish Rex breed can be traced back to a single kitten named Kallibunker. (True! Born in 1950 in Cornwall, England, Kallibunker had curly hair due to a genetic mutation.) The Word on Wildcats: Did you know Snow Leopards, found in Central Asia, can leap up to 50 feet? Owner’s Tips, including how to tap into your cat’s hunting instincts with “fetch the kibble.” Plus Name That Breed, Why Does My Cat Do That?, You Gotta Be Kitten Me!, and quotes and sayings, including this Italian proverb: “A cat’s sneezing is a good omen for everyone who hears it.” 

 
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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 37

A Year of Ghost Stories Page-A-Day Calendar 2022

Indulge in a Year of Chills, Thrills, and Sheer Obsession with Daily Mystical Stories, Urban Legends, and More

Who can resist a good ghost story?

Not many! For the legions of fans of ghost-related TV shows, podcasts, and movies to feed people’s love for a good fright, Ghost Stories presents a whole year packed day after day with creepy myths, mystical folklore, urban legends, and hair-raising first-person accounts. Learn about scary specters, like the ghost with an ax in his head who will chase you through the Colorado wilderness. Or friendly phantoms, like a ghost horse who warns boats in danger of wrecking. Plus all about seances, profiles of professional ghost hunters and famous spirits, and ghosts in literature and entertainment. 

 
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Holiday Gift Guide: Books 39Dog Trivia Page-A-Day Calendar 2022

Dog Quotes, Dog Jokes, True or False, Owner's Tips, Famous Dogs, Know Your Breeds, and More!

Fun facts to feed the dog lover’s obsession.

Dog lovers, test your knowledge about “man’s best friend.” This calendar indulges dog people with a year of canine fun illustrated in lively full color: trivia, tips, profiles, humor, and more. Know Your Breeds: Did you know that Greyhounds can reach speeds of 45 miles per hour and that at their fastest, their feet touch the ground only a quarter of the time? Notable dogs, including King Edward VII’s Wire Fox Terrier, Caesar, who had his own footman and led the king’s funeral procession. True or False: The Great Pyrenees breed is naturally nocturnal. (True! They were bred as watchdogs to guard shepherds’ flocks at night.) Plus owner’s tips and wise words on why we love dogs: “Courage without ferocity, and all the virtues of man without his vices.”—Lord Byron. 

 
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Chasing a Better Life is my take on chasing more out of life. Chasing a Better Life hopes to encourage readers to learn, get inspiration, go and do. Chasing a Better Life provides information for informational and educational purposes. The information provided should not be misconstrued as medical advice. Any opinions on medical matters presented are what we seek on our own journey and we do not claim to be medical professionals. Please note that I am not qualified as a medical professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this website. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide keto recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website. For our full Disclaimer Policy, click HERE..
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