Still searching for that perfect gift for grandma? Need some suggestions for smart-sounding books to impress your friends and co-workers? You've come to the right place. This year we'll be tailoring our suggestions to books for all those hard-to-please readers in your life, so be sure to check back in the coming days and weeks for novel gift ideas hand picked by the Overlook team. And if you're looking for any recommendations not covered here, be sure to comment on the blog or give us a shout out on Twitter or Facebook for more suggestions. Happy hunting!
Today, publicist Michael Goldsmith shares his selection of recommended Overlook titles for that MTV-watching, Twitter-updating, book-loving teen sitting at your holiday dinner table.
If you haven't already started attending the onslaught of holiday parties that December always promises, now would be a good time to prepare yourself for the impending marathon of cocktail parties and family dinners that awaits you in the days and weeks ahead. If party-hopping's in your plans, you'll want to be ready for that inevitable moment when you have to improvise a gift for someone below the age of twenty. Between nieces and nephews, children of friends and co-workers, and perhaps even your own offspring, you're bound to encounter at least one post-adolescent this season in need of a quality gift. Can't afford that Kindle? Try a book. It's basically the same thing, and nine out of ten kids can't tell the difference. If you've passed your teenage prime and the thought of shopping for a millennial fills you with dread, don't sweat it. That's where we step in. Today's gift guide features three books that are sure to appeal to today's trendy literate teen.
If you haven't already started attending the onslaught of holiday parties that December always promises, now would be a good time to prepare yourself for the impending marathon of cocktail parties and family dinners that awaits you in the days and weeks ahead. If party-hopping's in your plans, you'll want to be ready for that inevitable moment when you have to improvise a gift for someone below the age of twenty. Between nieces and nephews, children of friends and co-workers, and perhaps even your own offspring, you're bound to encounter at least one post-adolescent this season in need of a quality gift. Can't afford that Kindle? Try a book. It's basically the same thing, and nine out of ten kids can't tell the difference. If you've passed your teenage prime and the thought of shopping for a millennial fills you with dread, don't sweat it. That's where we step in. Today's gift guide features three books that are sure to appeal to today's trendy literate teen.
If we know teenagers as well as we think we do (YOLO's still a thing, right?) then we're sure they'll love Cole Stryker's Hacking the Future. Today's teens grew up on the internet, and as such, may feel immune to some of its more sinister underpinnings. Stryker's follow up to last year's Epic Win for Anonymous is "one of the most well-informed examinations of the Internet available today" (Kirkus) and offers a primer on web anonymity, explaining why the online identity issue may be the most important decision individuals face in the coming decade. A must read for any tech-savvy teen who want to stay one step ahead of big brother in 2013.
We love Adele. Teens love Adele. It's as simple as that. Buy your teen a copy of Chas Newkey-Burden's Adele: The Biography. Inside, they'll discover fun facts including tidbits and anecdotes from the queen of pop's life, ranging in subjects from smoking and stage fright to celebrity crushes and online dating.
Everyone knows that kid's say the darnedest things. That's why they'll be sure to enjoy Jen Campbell's Weird Things Customer's Say in Bookstores, an illustrated compendium showcasing the most unusual and uproarious comments observed and overheard by booksellers around the world. Teens with an appreciation for the absurd are sure to enjoy such entries as "Did Charles Dickens ever write anything fun?" and "Do you sell screwdrivers?"
To help spread the holiday cheer, we're giving away one complete set of all three recommended books for that special teen in your life. You can enter to win the whole shebang in three different ways:
1. Comment on this post
You can enter once in each area until 8am tomorrow morning, and we will be announcing a winner in the next gift guide post later this week. Happy holidays to everyone from the Overlook Press!
