Looking for the perfect book to curl up with over the holidays? Or searching for an ideal gift for the bookworm in your life? You’ve come to the right place! I’m excited to share my curated book guide filled with reads that promise to offer an enchanting escape into the realms of music, self-reflection, luxury, and more. Read on to discover my favorite books & authors from the past year.
- Bird Milk & Mosquito Bones by Priyanka Mattoo
From a wry, insightful, and very funny new voice, here is one woman’s peripatetic search for home, from Kashmir to England to Saudi Arabia to Michigan to Rome and, finally, to Los Angeles. In forty years, Mattoo accumulated thirty-two different addresses, and she chronicles her nomadic existence with wit, wisdom, and an inimitable eye for light within the darkest moments. Buy it here.
- “My Name is Barbra” by Barbra Streisand
Like Barbra herself, this book is frank, funny, opinionated, and charming. Barbra recounts her early struggles to become an actress, eventually turning to singing to earn a living. From the years of effort involved in making Yentl to her direction of The Prince of Tides and her political advocacy, Streisand touches on everything, even the fulfillment she’s found in her marriage to James Brolin. Buy it here.
- “Have I Told You This Already?” by Lauren Graham
In this collection of essays, Graham combines her signature sense of humor with down-to-earth storytelling. She shares personal stories about her life and career—from her early days spent pounding the pavement while waitressing in New York City, to living on her aunt’s couch during her first Los Angeles pilot season, to thoughts on aging gracefully in Hollywood. Buy it here.
- “World Within a Song” by Jeff Tweedy
Featuring fifty songs that have both changed Jeff’s life and influenced his music—including songs by the Replacements, Mavis Staples, the Velvet Underground, Joni Mitchell, Otis Redding, Dolly Parton, and Billie Eilish—as well as Jeff’s “Rememories,” dream-like short pieces that related key moments from Jeff’s life, this book is a mix of the musical, the emotional, and the inspirational in the best possible way. A great gift for the music lover in your life. Buy it here.
- “The Luxury Collection: Hotel Secrets Book”
The seventh volume in The Luxury Collection series, this read discovers the hidden stories of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Showcasing a curation of exclusive sights, decadent flavors, and unparalleled history, explore the unique experiences that make each Luxury Collection property truly distinct. It’s a literary escape into the lap of luxury, perfect for armchair travelers and jet-setters alike. Buy it here.
- “Good Material” by Dolly Alderton
Warm, wise, funny, and achingly relatable, Dolly Alderton’s highly-anticipated second novel is about the mystery of what draws us together – and what pulls us apart – the pain of really growing up, and the stories we tell about our lives. Alderton’s witty and relatable writing style makes this a page-turner for those seeking both laughter and introspection. Buy it here.
- “The Path to Paradise” by Sam Wasson
Granted total and unprecedented access to Francis Ford Coppola’s archives, conducting hundreds of interviews with the artist and those who have worked closely with him, Sam Wasson weaves together an extraordinary portrait. Here is Coppola, charming, brilliant, given to seeing life and art in terms of family and community, but also plagued by restlessness, recklessness and a desire to operate perpetually at the extremes. Buy it here.
I’m always on the hunt for new additions to my reading list and would love any of your book recommendations! Please feel free to email your favorites to me at juliette(dotted)hohnen(at)elliman(dotted)com. And if you enjoyed any of these recommendations from my holiday book guide, I’d love to hear about it!