The Gift of Books This Holiday Season

I love giving the gift of books, most especially at Christmas! Books are a gift that they will return to on repeat, often reading more than once. They are gifts that remain useful for years to come.

Books make great gifts for everyone on your list. Think teachers, families, expectant parents, you name it.  Books are common among the Four Gifts (something to wear, something you need, something to read, something you want). Then there are the 25 Days of Christmas Books as well. This is a growing advent calendar like trend. Wrap 25 Christmas books and let the kids unwrap one each night between December 1 and Christmas day. What a wonderful way to welcome the Christmas season.

As you shop for friends and family, think about their likes. That way, you are sure to find a book about their interests. In this way books are easy while keeping it personal. I've selected a variety of books for my family to share with you:

A Beginner's Guide To Essential Oils by Hayley Hobson

Holistic medicine and wellness: Homeopathic and alternative medicines are gaining in popularity daily. Hayley Hobson's A Beginner's Guide to Essential Oils can become your first step to a healthier life through holistic health.

Learn about essential oils from an expert: Hayley Hobson is an internationally known author and inspirational speaker. She presents uplifting and educational programs in well over 50 countries. After leaving her career as a lawyer, Hayley began teaching Pilates and yoga. After which she built her essential oils business from the ground up. As the fastest ranking Wellness Advocate in her company for multiple achievements, she remains a top performer. In addition to developing online courses and trainings, Hayley is a sought-after speaker at many global business events. Along with her outreach to entrepreneurs, Hayley still works in her business daily and is consistently trending on social media. With over 65,000 Facebook followers she remains an influence among wellness advocates and an expanding network of peers. Visit Hayley at http://www.hayleyhobson.com.

Geek Sweets: An Adventurer's Guide to the World of Baking Wizardry by Jenny Burgesse

#1 Amazon New Release! ─ Easy baking recipes and unique theme party ideas

Geek Sweets: The ultimate guide to creating 60 confections for the legions of geek fans out there.  The recipe contents range from Star Wars to Game of Thrones to Harry Potter and much more!

Easy baking recipes: Geek Sweets is organized so even a beginning baker can have success. It's a baking cookbook full of beautiful photographs, with easy baking recipes for the 'truly geeky'.  Geek Sweets is filled with cupcakes recipes, easy cookie recipes, and that special cake pops recipe.

Theme party ideas: Geek Sweets delivers step-by-step how-to's for every adventurer.  There are difficulty levels for the beginning squire, or a well-worn dragon slayer looking for a challenge. Geek Sweets also includes theme party ideas with cocktail recipes and a companion website with printables to enhance all of your geeky gatherings, including your Game of Thrones viewing parties, as well as theme party ideas with fantasy-adventure themes.

The Magic of Crystals & Gems by Cerridwen Greenleaf

Did you know that wearing an amulet of green jade on an interview will help get the job? Have you heard that an amethyst ring can help break bad habits and even encourage sobriety? Anyone looking for love can place two pink quartz crystals in the bedroom; you’ll not be alone for long! These are just a few of the hundreds of secrets explored in this definitive guide to the enchanted world of crystals. Semi-precious stones and gems have long been known for their magic as well as their beauty. In this book of charms, readers learn everything there is to know about the powers of crystals from birthstone magic to gem divination to jewelry spells. This is a fun, entertaining, and enlightening book that will appeal to everyone who's ever worn a birthstone, kissed the ring of a lover for luck, or bought a crystal for good energy.

The Magic of Crystals and Gems imparts a treasure chest full of the ancient wisdom of crystals. The handy-how-to is also filled with little-known lore, providing the myth, meanings and specific magical qualities of hundreds of crystals, both common and very rare including many meteorites. Author Cerridwen Greenleaf shares secrets to how and why crystal balls work, scrying with obsidian, crystal astrology, divination, healing, psychism and connections between the stars in the sky and gems of the earth. This one-of-a-kind work on the power of crystals will help readers understand which ones are right for them and how to unlock the mystery of sacred stones. It belongs on the bookshelf of everyone interested in the magical gifts of Mother Nature.

Anime Impact The Movies and Shows That Changed The World of Japanese Animation by Chris Stuckman

#1 Amazon Best Seller! — The life-changing power of Anime

A celebration of Anime: While many books on anime simply offer a list of “essential titles” and recommendations, Anime Impact goes deeper by showcasing the many voices of anime’s biggest fans. You’ll find many distinct stories that only each specific writer could tell, all painting a fun and surprisingly touching portrait of the true impact of anime over multiple generations.

Iconic movies and TV shows from Japan: Japanese animation—or anime—holds a special place in the hearts of countless fans around the globe. Since the early days of Osamu Tezuka’s Astro Boy to Makoto Shinkai’s astounding success with Your Name, anime has left an undeniable impact on our culture.

Insights from filmmakers, authors, and YouTube stars: Anime Impact explores the impression the medium has left on various fans with detailed discussions on television shows and movies from the 1960s all the way to the present. You’ll hear from YouTube film critic Chris Stuckmann and many others like Ready Player One author Ernest Cline and YouTube stars Robert Walker, Bennett “BennettTheSage” White, Tristan "Arkada" Gallant of Glass Reflection and manga artist Mark Crilley. Learn how anime has impacted culture from authors, artists, critics, anime enthusiasts, and super fans such as John Rodriguez, Alicia Malone, Emma Fyffe, and many more.

This post is part of the Chasing A Better Life Holiday Gift Guide 2018. Be sure to check out all the entries! Disclaimer – This product was provided for free in order to review and add it to this list.  All opinions are my own. Everything on this list is something I have used for myself and would buy.