You know exactly who we're talking about.
They “don’t need anything.” They’re impossible to surprise. They have extremely specific tastes — or, somehow, no identifiable tastes at all.
You start thinking about them in October. You keep thinking about them in November. And by December, you’re muttering to yourself: “Why are they like this?”
This year, skip the generic gift card and the apologetic smile. Because here’s the secret: a book is always the answer. A book doesn’t add to the clutter of things they insist they don’t need. A book is an experience. It’s a small and meaningful invitation to think, laugh, wonder, escape, or feel something new.
And if you choose the right one? They’ll be delighted that someone finally cracked the code.
Below, we’ve matched the trickiest people on your list with the books that finally, miraculously, make them easy.
For the Person Who Already Has Everything
They’ve got the gadgets, the cozy throws, the fancy olive oil. They’ve taken up pottery, subscribed to multiple coffee roasters, and casually dropped into conversation that they now “collect wine.” They buy themselves what they want the moment they want it — which is wonderful for them, and significantly harder for you.
But here’s the thing: even people who “have everything” still crave delight. They love being surprised. They love learning something new. They love a gift that feels thoughtful, unexpected, and just a little bit brilliant. That’s where the right book comes in — not more stuff, but an experience they never saw coming.
Featured Pick: The Salmon Cannon and the Levitating Frog by Carly Anne York
It’s a wildly delightful dive into the strangest experiments in science — the kind that make you laugh, then marvel at the creativity behind them. York blends Mary Roach–style humor with Bill Bryson–level wonder, revealing how curious questions lead to real breakthroughs.
This one is impossible to predict and impossible to forget.
