The Ultimate Gift: Independent Press and NYC Big Book Award-Winning Authors Share Their Holiday Book Picks

Do you ever wonder what celebrated award-winning authors are reading? Recommending? Even better, if they had any book they could bestow as a gift, what would that book be? Well, I've asked dozens of award-winning authors from our NYC Big Book Award and Independent Press Award programs what their holiday pick would be. 

These literary luminaries, whose own works have garnered critical acclaim, reveal the single book they would bestow upon a loved one this year.

This exclusive list is more than just a set of book recommendations; it's a peek into the hearts and minds of the writers who shape our literary landscape. Moreover, the list below resulted in an eclectic, fascinating mix that spans genres and generations, offering a truly exceptional guide for your holiday gifting—or for your own cozy winter reading pile!

Whether you are looking for a gift that will be devoured in one sitting or a classic to treasure for a lifetime, this selection, curated by your favorite award-winning authors, is sure to contain the perfect title.

Here is the list:

"Secret Santa" by Andrew Shaffer - If you're looking for a holiday scare, this is my favorite! So creative, so horrifying and festive all at the same time. A quick and creepy read that just might become your new holiday favorite book.

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

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

“Santa’s Kid of the Year” by David Knoll

It is a fresh and exciting take on the magical land of Santa with fun characters and thrilling adventures. The theme of being kind is cool and being a bully is cruel will really resonate with children.

David Knoll

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9798892437691 

My favorite holiday novel is “The Legend of Holly Claus” by Brittney Ryan. Not only are the story, characters, and illustrations beautifully nostalgic in the vein of classic Christmas tales like “The Nutcracker” and “The Tailor of Gloucester,” but in 2005, Ryan invited young readers to write letters to “Holly Claus, The Royal Palace, The City of Forever, The Land of the Immortals,” and then wrote back as Holly, the daughter of Santa Claus, herself, adding an element of joyful interactivity. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Legend_of_Holly_Claus 

Erika Lynn Adams, author of “Allie's Adventure on the Wonder”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781643435268 

My favorite book to revisit during the holidays is "A Treasury of Christmas Poems," to which I had the joy of writing the foreword. Its pages are filled with timeless verse that never fail to lift my spirit, reminding me of the beauty in reflection and renewal. Each reading invites me to pause—to cherish the moments of the year gone by and to look with hope toward the year ahead.

David Bossert, author of “Find Your Happy Place: The 8-Step Guide to Boosting Your Creativity Through a Personal Retreat”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9798987058954 

“Audition” by Katie Kitamura makes an excellent gift for fiction lovers. It is sublime to read and a true page-turner, and—having been shortlisted for The Booker Prize this year—it's a buzzworthy book to discuss with others. 

Katherine Davis-Gibbon, author of “Words”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781737957690 

“The Almost Nearly Perfect People” by Michael Booth”.. a funny but kind comparison of Norwegians and Danes…

 Lee Woodman, author of the “SCAPES” series

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

For a super holiday gift I recommend the adventuresome, comedic The Mutant Critter Sitter's “The Electric Seal” by Heather Macht!

Happy reading! 

Robin Pullen, author of “Caro's Comet”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9798990346208 

I would like to recommend the book, "The GAP and the GAIN" by Dan Sullivan.

This is a great book for self-reflection at the end of the year on how far we have come. 

Hwee Peng Tan, author of “How To Be A Neuro-Affirmative Parent: The Truth About Raising A Neurodivergent Child”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9789811894060  

My favorite holiday pick is "Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times" by Katherine May. This book helps us tune into slower seasons of life and embrace the winter months with reflection, rest and intention. It's a must read for authors and book readers alike!

Jennifer Todling, author of “Dancing on My Own Two Feet: A New Life One Step at a Time”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9781647428785 

My favorite book for the holiday is Lucy Ashe's ballet novel, The Sleeping Beauties. Dancers and non-dancers alike will love the twists and turns through fact and fiction in this page-turning saga set in London, 1945. 

Kara Tatelbaum, author of the NYC Big Book Award for Performing Arts “Putting My Heels Down” https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781945060458

My all-time favorite books—I cannot pick just one—are The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Tolkien’s other works. The deeply wrought world, the marriage of myth and human stakes, and the varied, often lyrical prose make every return feel inexhaustible. These books, which I deeply admire, not only made me fall in love with reading but also gave me the desire to become an author and share worlds of my own.

Joe Sarkic, author of “Veil of Dawn's Promise” 

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9781738252565 

“The Catcher in the Rye" by J. D. Salinger is a classic for a reason; not only does it absolutely nail that awkward period of adolescence we all have to suffer through, but it made me realize I wasn’t alone in thinking and feeling the way I do.”

Michael Thomas Perone https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9798887472232 

The story of "1929" feels uncomfortably familiar--so if you like financial history that actually makes you feel the pulse of the past, this book is for you.

Cosmo P. DeStefano | Financial Strategist & Author

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners/9781544529844 

"The Book of Joy" by Dalai Lama and Desmond Tutu. This book is an uplifting roadmap to happiness. It is in the spirit of the holidays, emphasizing kindness, generosity, and giving.

Ellen Dee Davidson, Sacred Forest Bathing

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-winners/9781591435471 

"The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love" (2004) by bell hooks.   Wonderful writing about love and how it has become so elusive for both men and women.

Anthony Silard “Love and Suffering: Break the Emotional Chains that Prevent You from Experiencing Love”

https://www.nycbigbookaward.com/2025-favorites/9780981785370 

Anthony Silard, Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Director, The Center for Sustainable Leadership, Luiss Business School, Rome

Distinguished Visiting Professor of Leadership, Monterrey Institute of Technology

Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, "All the Way to the River." It is an Oprah’s Book Club selection. It is a very raw account of the death from cancer of the one person she calls the love of her life. While it is funny, it might not be the most uplifting book for the holidays. 

Maria Baltazzi, PhD, MFA, author of “Take a Shot at Happiness: How to Write, Direct & Produce the Life You Want”

https://www.independentpressaward.com/2025winners/9781637588604 

The book I would recommend that deeply moved me is An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I am always captivated when I hear her speak, but to get a personal glimpse of the powerhouse couple that she and her husband Dick were was incredible. Not to mention, you felt as if you were present during the 1960s and 1970s. Also, you listen to great speeches, but never think about where they came from. The role of a speech writer is so intense, and some of the greatest, most lasting speeches were written by Richard Goodwin. Especially, with our nation in such turmoil and the misrepresentation of history, this is a must-read chronicle of their lives, their love story, their brilliance, and mutual respect for one another, as well as the Kennedy & Johnson administrations.