As a resident bookworm and gift-giver enthusiast, I understand the difficulty of finding the perfect gift without directly asking the gift-receiver-to-be what they want. Finding the perfect book, however, requires a more intense kind of dedication that is not for the faint of heart. If you do not want to resort to this level of investigative work, this article makes it easy for you. Listed below are my top book recommendations for a handful of popular genres. All you need to know is what genre the gift receiver enjoys, and your work is all done!

Dystopian — “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins

This prequel to “The Hunger Games” takes place 64 years earlier during the 10th Games. Coriolanus Snow — who would grow up to be the despised president of Panem during the span of “The Hunger Games” — is only 18 years old and the narrator of this novel. He is desperate to escape the poverty that is haunting his family, and being a mentor to the District 12 tribute Lucy Gray Baird is his ticket to doing so. Snow and Baird soon become reliant on one another for survival, but as was the case for Katniss and Peeta, emotions have a way of further tangling already complicated situations. 

Murder mystery — “Still Life” by Louise Penny

This novel is set in the town of Three Pines, a rural town in Canada so small it cannot be found on any map. It’s the type of town where everyone knows each other by name and feels so safe that no one bothers to lock their doors at night. That is until the murder of Jane Neal, a sweet school teacher who was thought to be beloved by all — or almost everyone, it seems. Chief Inspector Gamache, a surprisingly gentle man, and his posse are brought in to discover exactly what secrets are being hidden by this inconspicuous community.

Romance — “Romancing Mister Bridgerton” by Julia Quinn

Penelope Featherington is madly in love with her best friend’s older brother, Colin Bridgerton. It’s rather hard not to be in love with him with his good looks and flashy smile — even though the sentiment is not returned. For over a decade, Colin Bridgerton did not think of Penelope as anything more than a friend. He rarely thought about her at all it seemed, until one day a secret was revealed that changed everything for him.

Psychological thriller — “The Silent Patient” by Alex Michaelides

Alicia and Gabriel Berenson were happily married for seven years before Alicia shot Gabriel in the face — five times. There was never an explanation as to what made this talented artist suddenly snap. She went completely mute after the murder and like every good internet sensation, she was quickly forgotten after some time. That is, forgotten by everyone except forensic psychotherapist Theo Faber. Six years after the murder and Alicia’s case still invades his mind. He is desperate to help her, not just as a psychotherapist, but as a fellow flawed human being. He refuses to give up on her, vowing to discover exactly what –– or who –– pushed her over the edge.