Just the Thing: Books to go with those artisanal & DIY gifts

Nobody Cares by Anne T. Donahue (ECW Press) For your BFF, pair those funky and fun enamel pins and handmade scarf with the cross-stitched cover art of Anne T. Donahue’s Nobody Cares, a funny, honest collection of personal essays about friendship, failure, and work in your twenties and thirties. A collection that Bustle says “you’re destined to underline furiously and return to again and again,” Nobody Cares is perfect for sharing your favourite passages over a late-night phone call or sleepover with your BFF. 

Magyarazni by Helen Hajnoczky (Coach House Books)For the person on your list that has more crafting materials in storage than a warehouse full of IKEA organizers could house, we recommend Magyarazni—a beautiful collection of folk art poems has all the heartfelt feeling of something handmade. Adorned with her own personal illustrations, Hajnoczky draws the reader in, breaking down all sense of separation and closely weaving the story of her heritage, growing up as a first-gen Hungarian Canadian, seemingly into one’s own. Through her artwork and a language that breathes on its own, Hajnoczky creates a sensory experience for the reader that mimics the travails of her own past. With a glue gun in one hand and knitting needles in the other, your giftee is going to wish they had another set of hands to add this book into the mix. * * *

Don’t forget: we’re giving away a set of our holiday gift cards for FREE when you purchase either (or both!) of these books until Dec 20th. Not seeing what you need yet? Check out our full list of #ALUJTT picks.