The Ultimate Gift, Part Two: More Holiday Book Picks from Independent Press and NYC Big Book Award Winners

Last month, I invited NYC Big Book Award-winning authors and leading voices from the independent press to share their recommendations for the best book to give this holiday season. This issue continues that tradition, offering a second round of diverse and captivating picks. In this next installment, a number of contributors recommend their own compelling titles, explaining why their work makes the perfect gift. Hope you’ll agree!

John Clark, publisher of Old Stone Press, recommended:

"THE LEGEND OF CHRIS MOOSE" by Allen Northcutt

Young children everywhere are naturally industrious and playfully search for purpose in their daily lives. In this meaningful story, Ugly the moose finds his usefulness and becomes a happier, more beautiful being. Through the attractive cadences of "The Night before Christmas" and the spunky illustrations of forest life, "Chris Moose" is an appealing addition to your family's holiday library.

Elizabeth Campbell Rightmyer, Ed. D, Early Childhood Literacy Specialist

Head of Lower School, Louisville Collegiate School

https://www.printedwordreviews.com/bookreviews/9781938462016

My favorite holiday children’s book has to be "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Seuss. It’s a timeless classic that all generations can enjoy! 

Paige Pedroli, author of “Welcome to the NIC Zoo”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9798218307080 

“The Night Before Christmas” by Clement C. Moore

Every holiday season until he passed, my dad's belly shook like a bowl full of jelly as he read “The Night Before Christmas” to our family, forever cementing it as our family's quintessential Christmas "must read." 

Liz Fahey, author of NOLO

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2024df/9798990449619 

My favorite is Megan Patterson’s “Mary Magdalene Revealed.” Hay House NY 2019

An eye opener for everyone at holiday time. 

Sieglinde Othmer, author of “Joyous Longevity”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9781737602804 

My childhood favorite, the Caldecott Medal Honor Book, “Mr. Rabbit and the Lovely Present,” sweetly and simply brings me back to the true meaning of the holidays, how a gift is not how much money you spend on it, or how it has to be the latest material fad, but rather a true gift is one that is thoughtfully selected from the heart.

Angela Greenman, Author of “The Child Riddler”, 2025 NYC Big Book Winner, Action Adventure

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781642473650 

A book that always brings a smile to my face at Hanukkah is “The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming,” by Lemony Snicket. I love it because it blends humor with heart, reminding us that even the simplest traditions carry deep meaning and joy.

David Singer, Author of From Cab Driver to Carnegie Hall

https://nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9798822935211 

Amid the challenges of living with a father’s schizophrenic, a family discovers  resilience, compassion and the healing power of a mother’s love. A mother who turned a life of struggle into a legacy of hope.

Olga’s story continues to touch hearts in ways the author never could have imagined. The book reminds me that stories do more than preserve the past - they plant seeds for the future. Even in life’s  darkest moments faith and compassion can kindle  a light that never fades. Three women confront the stigma of mental health and with their stories break the silence and offer hope. A feel good read in these harried times.

Kathleen Geuder Martin, author of “Life in the Shadows: A Story of Resilience: Second Edition: Celebrating Olga's Legacy”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9781949053173 

A favorite is “Blue Christmas” by Mary Kay Andrews. She’s one of my favorite authors and always makes me laugh out loud with her character’s antics. 

C. D'Angelo, author of “The Gift”

https://nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781737262442 

“Bellosio,” an intricate fantasy novel about a fight for power and scientific enlightenment, is now an audio book narrated by Ray Montecalvo whose talented voice brings out the depth of characters even the author didn't fully appreciate.  

John Shekleton, author of “Bellosio”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9798991455800 

Our favorite book for the holidays would have to be “Trusted Friends and Lovers” from Burkey & Breakfield

In “Trusted Friends and Lovers,” Breakfield and Burkey invite you on a heart-pounding journey through the wild, untamed terrain of trust, the most fragile and powerful currency in any relationship. What transforms a stranger into a confidant, a lover into a lifeline? The answer lies in the raw, unfiltered moments of connection, betrayal, and redemption that define us. 

Burkey & Breakfield, Independent Press Award Distinguished Favorite

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners/9781946858771

My favorite Holiday Book is "The Adventures of Sherrie and Chubbie... Self-Control" for several reasons...

One, it is part of the Sherrie and Chubbie Legacy. Secondly, it is a story that I wrote to express the joy of my real-life brother's birth. Though it is fiction, it has real-life connections. In addition, we all need self-control, and this book allows children the chance to see it in action while building unconditional love, self-awareness, and developing good character... all wrapped up in a Christmas Bow. Though it was not recognized as one of my award-winning works, it is quite popular with kids and it holds a special place as a heart-warming lesson for the ages! 

Dr. Sherrie Poitier-Liscombe, author of the "Sherrie and Chubbie" series

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9798303312456 

“Exploring Wine Regions” has it all for traveling to beautiful wine regions with insider information about the wineries, restaurants, accommodations, and interesting activities.

Michael C. Higgins, PhD

Author, PhotoJournalist & Publisher

Exploring Wine Regions

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9780996966061 

“A Choice to Yield”

“She was warned who to love—until one man made her question everything.”

From Pages to Screen, it's a book turned into a feature film. Written with enough drama to hold you captive.

Lonz Cook, author of “Diminishing Veil”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9781943904174 

“The Christmas Chronicles” by Jeff Guinn - these warm-hearted, modern day Christmas stories are just what my soul needs amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. The Autobiography of Santa Claus is my favorite.

Michele Kwasniewski, author of The Rise and Fall of Dani Truehart Series

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025favorites/9781950544349 

“Bring down the House” by Charlotte Runcie

…a startling account of theater critics…

“Being Duchess Goldblatt” by anonymous!

…very clever story about self-definition…

 Lee Woodman, author of the “SCAPES” series

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners/9781962082204 

“Trini Christmas is the Best” by Teneil Brown — I love how it captures the unique warmth, food, music, and cultural traditions of a Trinidadian Christmas, reminding me of home and the joy of community.

“The Christmas Catch: A Sweet Holiday Novella” by Toni Shilloh — It’s a tender, faith-filled romance that wraps you up like a cozy blanket and reminds you that love, like the season, brings light and hope.

Scarlet Ibis James,author of “Scarlet Birthright: What They Left Behind”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9798991590976 

An Authors' FAVORITE

(hey, we know something about favorites!)

Charles Dickens's timeless novella, “A Christmas Carol,” was a popular favorite amongst the award-winning authors. It stands as an indisputable holiday classic, cherished by readers and writers alike for its potent themes of generosity, redemption, and seasonal magic. Here, several of our authors share their heartfelt reasons why Ebenezer Scrooge's transformative journey holds a special and enduring place in their hearts. 

“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens

I’m a huge fan of Dickens and modern authors owe him so much. This is just the perfect seasonal story, but it’s also the perfect story about the possibility of redemption, and the wonders of simple goodness. Plus, it’s just so atmospheric, with enough spookiness to make you run the gamut of emotions.

Stephanie Bretherton, author of “The Fire In Their Eyes”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781068718571 

“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, because it highlights the power of gratitude and generosity (my two core values) and demonstrates how they can transform someone’s life. 

Lida Citroën, author of “The New Rules of Influence: How to Authentically Build Trust, Drive Change, and Make an Impact"

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781523006663 

My favorite book for the holiday season, one I've been reading almost every year since I was a teenager, is Charles Dickens's “A Christmas Carol:” it never fails to charm and amaze me, and send me back to the happiest moments of my childhood, no matter how often I read it. Dickens's prose is more vivid than any movie, richer than any music, wiser than my wisest aunt, and funnier than my craziest uncle.

Christopher Bernard, author of  “Otherwise: The Judgment Of Biestia: A Tale for Children and Their Adults”

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners/9781587906718 

“A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. I chose that because it has a powerful message how people should change for the better. 

Rey Banda 

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9780989809030 

It's not even close.  My all-time favorite holiday book is, “A Christmas Carol,” by Charles Dickens.

Norman Jetmundsen

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners/9798218420192