For the Foodie:

The Geometry of Pasta by Caz Hildebrand and Jacob Kenedy. Over the centuries, Italians have pioneered more than 300 shapes of pasta, each with a history, a story, and an affinity for particular foods. With more than 100 delicious recipes, histories, philosophies, and methods for creating true Italian pasta dishes, this book is a must-have for home cooks, chefs, and pasta enthusiasts!

 

Encyclopedia of Sandwiches by Susan Russo.Everyone loves sandwiches! But how do you keep a Dagwood from toppling over? Who was the genius that invented the Fluffernutter? Filled to the crust with tried-and-true recipes, tips and tricks, full-color photos, & fascinating trivia, this book is bound to leave you full.

The Cookiepedia by Stacy Adimando.  Cupcakes may come and go, but cookies are forever! This book features delicious recipes and inventive variations for all of the cookies everyone loves. From Amaretti, Butter Balls, and Chocolate Spritz to Gingersnaps, Rugelach, and Snickerdoodles, as well as dozens of other favorites—more than 50 in all.

Little Old Lady Recipes by Meg Favreau. Who doesn’t miss their grandmother’s home cooking? These recipes are simple, delicious, and ridiculously cheap and easy to make. So ditch the food processor, stop wasting money on overpriced organic frozen dinners, and start enjoying the classic dishes that our aunties and grandmothers have made for generations!

 

On a Stick! by Matt Armendariz. Why do the world’s most delicious foods—from grilled meats and vegetables to deep-fried pickles, mac ’n’ cheese, and frosted cakes—taste even better served on a stick? Inside readers will find 80 quick and flavorful recipes for party food, street-fair food, junk food—anything you can stick on stick.

The Perfect Drink for Every Occasion by Duane Swierczynski. Do you know someone who is getting married? Got a new job? This book offers mixed drinks for virtually every situation imaginable. Whatever the occasion, this book has the libation—complete with recipes, secrets, and tips.

 

For Pop Culture Junkies:

Star Trek Book of Opposites by David Borgenicht. Is your toddler leaving baby-talk behind to explore strange new words? Or are you a Trekkie in need of a goofy gift for a fan friend? With the help of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and two dozen images from across the galaxy, parents can teach their children the meaning of happy and sad, big and little, apart and together, and other key word pairs.

Geek Wisdom edited by Stephen H. Segal. Beginning with some 200 of the most powerful and oft-cited quotes from movies (“Do, or do not—there is no ‘try’”), television (“The truth is out there”), comics (“With great power comes great responsibility”), science, the Internet, and more, this book offers illuminating insights into the eternal truths to be found therein.

 

Broetry by Brian McGackin. Unlike regular poetry, which typically tackles confounding and serious topics, these poems encompass manlier topics, like: beer, sex, sports, and Bruce Willis. Broetry is poetry for the twenty-first century and speaks to every man, woman, and dude-child who understands that reading shouldn’t be a chore.

 

Gig Posters Vol. 2 by Clay Hayes. These posters are not only an homage to the rock gods, but also to those more artistically minded. This book compiles the most notorious band posters of recent times. Each page is perforated making this book one hell of a cheap way to decorate bare walls.
 

The Onion PRESENTS: Christmas Exposed by the Staff of the Onion features more than one hundred shocking takes of secret Santas, shopping mall mayhem, dysfunctional families, office parties gone awry, and much more.  In the tradition of David Sedaris’s Holidays on Ice and Lewis Black’s I’m Dreaming of a Black Christmas, this book is the perfect stocking stuffer for the well-informed in every family.

For History Buffs:

SIGNING THEIR RIGHTS AWAY by Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese chronicles a moment in U.S. history when our elected officials actually knew how to compromise—and put aside personal gain for the greater good of the nation. With 39 portraits and mini-biographies, and a Constitutional Cheat Sheet, this book offers an entertaining and enlightening narrative for history buffs of all ages.

 

This Saint Will Change Your Life by Thomas J. Craughwell describes the real-life histories of more than 300 saints and explains how they’ve become associated with certain people, professions, places, and things.  Whoever you are, whatever you do, there is a patron saint who wants to help you—specifically you—with your life. Also included are 300 full-color holy cards that depict these heavenly allies in all their glory.

For Fiction Lovers:

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith.  The story opens with our newly married protagonists, Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy, defending their village from an army of flesh-eating “unmentionables.” Poor Fitzwilliam is nipped by a dreadful. Within days, Mr. Darcy is destined to transform into a zombie. When Elizabeth hears rumors of a miracle antidote being developed in London, she realizes there may be one last chance to save the life of her true love—and for everyone to live happily ever after.

The Meowmorphosis by Franz Kafka and Coleridge Cook. Meet Gregor Samsa, a humble young man who works as a fabric salesman to support his parents and sister. Gregor’s quiet life goes strangely awry when he wakes up one morning late for work and finds that, inexplicably, he is now a man-sized baby kitten. His family freaks out: Yes, their son is so cute, but how dare he jump out the bedroom window to wander through Kafka’s literary landscape! Never before has a cat’s tale been so poignant, strange, and horrifyingly funny

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. A horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children who once lived here were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a desolate island for a good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

BEDBUGS: A NOVEL by Ben H. Winters. Meet Alex and Susan Wendt. They are the perfect couple in search of the perfect brownstone—and they find their dream house in the heart of Brooklyn Heights. The rent is so low; it’s too good to pass up! Big mistake: Susan soon discovers that the brownstone is teeming with bedbugs—or is it? She awakens every morning with fresh bites, but neither Alex nor their daughter Emma has a single welt.  Susan fears that she's going mad. She may literally be confronting the bedbug problem from hell. 

For the Family Man:

Stuff Every Husband Should Know by Eric San Juan. Finally, the priceless, practical wisdom that all wives hope their husbands possess is gathered in one book! Author Eric San Juan provides both new husbands and their long-suffering brethren with helpful knowledge of all kinds.

 

THE ART OF ROUGHHOUSING by Anthony T. DeBenedet, M.D. and Lawrence J. Cohen, Ph.D. NO RUNNING! NO SHOVING! NO YELLING! You see it everywhere: Active, rough-and-tumble play has become marginalized within our society. This book is here to shake things up (literally). Through scientific studies and firsthand observations this book explains why creative, physical activity nurtures close connections, solves behavior problems, boosts confidence, and more. With 50 illustrated activities, this book is the perfect gift for rowdy dads everywhere!

For Crafters:

CRAFTING WITH CAT HAIR by Kaori Tsutaya, with Amy Hirschman. Are you shopping for someone who’s favorite sweater is covered with cat hair? Are there fur balls piled up in every corner of their home? Do they love to make quirky and one-of-a-kind crafting projects? Crafters can make most of these projects in under an hour—with a little help, of course, from their feline friends!

MICROCRAFTS by Margaret McGuire, Alicia Kachmar, Katie Hatz, and Friends. Do you know someone who loves crafting but all of their crafts keep turning out too large? In this book, crafters find tips and tricks for microsewing, microcrocheting, and even microgardening, plus whimsical ideas for modifying microcrafts into accessories to wear. No previous crafting experience or pricey materials necessary, just a love of all things small!

Little Books to Stuff Your Stockings:

WOMEN KNOW EVERYTHING! by Karen Weekes. Women have been known to speak their minds, and now— with more than 3,000 quotations on fashion, family, science, art, history, friendship, love, laughter, and more, this book proves once and for all that women really do know everything!

 

HOW TO BEHAVE by Caroline Tiger. Move over, Emily Post. In the twenty-first century, “etiquette” means something different from pinkies held to attention during teatime. From the grocery store to the workplace, from standing in line to friending online, this book gives step-by-step instructions and multiple strategies for navigating the social situations of modern life.

 

THE JANE AUSTEN HANDBOOK by Margaret C. Sullivan is full of practical advice for navigating the travails of Regency life. This charming illustrated book also serves as a companion for present-day readers, explaining the English class system, currency, dress, and nuances of graceful living.

 

INSULTS EVERY MAN SHOULD KNOW by Nick Mamatas. From the ancient Chinese insult “Screw your ancestors for eighteen generations back” to Jeff Foxworthy’s “Just how many times were you circumcised?” this handsome anthology collects the world’s finest insults, along with commentary and historical context. Part of Quirk’s bestselling Should Know series, this book is the perfect companion to < Jokes Every Man Should Know.