You’ll notice I have very few political books on this list.  In my experience, people buy those books themselves.  The only exception would be if you are able to give a signed book. (Plug: CPAC book signings are a great opportunity for getting boat loads of personally signed books, so plan ahead for next year!)

For History Buffs:

Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas — How can you beat a subtitle like that?  This is the only book on the list I haven’t had a chance to read.  I gave it to someone as a birthday gift and I’ve heard great things.  I’m also a fan of Eric’s other books. 

America: The Last Best Hope (Volumes I and II) by William J. Bennett — I am not a history buff, but I enjoyed these books.  Dr. Bennett is a great storyteller.  What gets lost in most scholastic history books is the interesting tidbits that make names, dates and places come alive.  Years later most of us only remember the interesting things like Washington’s “wood” teeth.  In America: The Last Best Hope, all the interesting parts are actually true.  Leave it to public schools to remove the humanity out of history!

For Fashionistas, Reality TV fans, Girls Like Me:

My Fair Lazy by Jen Lancaster — This book chronicles Jen’s transition from reality TV junky to cultured woman.  Jen is one of my favorite authors.  Read more about her here.

Good Enough to Eat by Stacey Ballis — I’m reading this book right now.  This could easily go in the next section, but I think the storyline is more important.  The gist of it: Starting over is hard.  Making perfect mashed potatoes is easy!

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell — Warning: this book is only loosely based on what you know about Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City, so don’t obssess.  It’s not soul-shattering prose, but the last page makes it worth it.  Don’t skip ahead though!

For Foodies:

Hungry Girl 1-2-3 by Lisa Lillien — Ok, this one is not really for foodies, but for women who want to cook low-calorie meals without having to think about it.  The Hungry Girl series is pretty popular, so she must be doing something right.

At Blanchard’s Table: A Trip to the Beach Cookbook — I love this book because it takes me away from D.C.  Pair with the Blanchards’ memoir, A Trip to the Beach, which chronicles a Vermont couple who left the “concrete jungle” to open a restaurant in Barbados and live life on “island time.”

Kitchen Confidential and Medium Raw by Anthony Bourdain — If someone you know is a fan of the Travel Channel’s “No Reservations,” they’ll obviously love these books.  Just make sure they don’t already have them.  I’m a fan of the TV series, but only read Kitchen Confidential recently.  I recommend buying both just because I prefer the older Bourdain to the younger Bourdain.

Cooking for Mr. Latte by Amanda Hesser — This book is similiar to Good Enough to Eat in that it’s a memoir with recipes.  The author is a food writer for the New York Times but, surprisingly, it’s not pretentious at all.  That’s the problem most of negative reviewers have with the author, so ignore them.

Also be on the look out for church, Women’s League or any collaborative cookbooks.  They have great family recipes and purchasing them helps support local organizations.

For Sports Fans:

Andy Roddick Beat Me with a Frying Pan by Todd Gallagher — This book is perfect for people who sit around thinking about who was the greatest this or that or whether this team from yesteryear could beat the current team.  Some of the questions the author actually tested include: Could an average guy start in the WNBA?  Would an obese man be the best goalie ever?  Could an average swimmer beat a Olympic swimmer who could only dog-paddle?  (FYI, ladies, this book will probably end up in the bathroom.  Take it as a sign that he’s actually reading it!)

For People Who Have My Sense of Humor (i.e. Awesome People):

The Perry Bible Fellowship Almanack by Nicholas Gurewitch — I love this comic strip.  The book is a perfect way to introduce your favorite awesome person to this ridiculously funny comic strip.

The Bible of Unspeakable Truths by Greg Gutfeld  — This is the most political book on my list, but I’m including it in this section because Gutfeld’s sense of humor is more important than his politics (which are also pretty great). This is the political book I wish I could write.

For Parents:

The Dangerous Book for Boys and The Daring Book for Girls  — I’ve given this book several times and it always ends up in the hands of the parents.  I think it’s a good primer for teaching your kids how to do cool things like making the perfect paper airplane and how to tell a good ghost story.

(In case you missed it, also check out my online shopping guide here.)

I don’t go to malls unless it’s the only way to get to a Chick-fil-a.  Other than the grocery store and Target, I really don’t go to any brick-and-mortar stores.  As such, I’m a very experienced internet shopper.  About 90% of my gifts are purchased online.  Over the years I’ve found some pretty cool sites.  Here is my annual list of online stores for unique and fun gifts:

Amazon.com — Ok, you probably knew about this one.  I like it because they literally have EVERYTHING.  It’s really great for dog lovers.  Just put in the breed and you’ll get hundreds of fun items with their breed of choice — socks, stationary, PJs, etc.  Ditto for anyone else that’s really in to something or someone or some team.  It’s also a great way to support smaller retailers since most of the stuff that will come up isn’t directly sold by Amazon.

PerpetualKid.com – This is my favorite site for stocking stuffers and fun gifts.  My friends and family will definitely recognize some of the stuff on here.  Best category: Robots and Cupcakes.  My favorite item: the Stress Wiener.

UncommonGoods.com — Lots of great things for family and friends who entertain.  Also, great for finding unique gifts.  A few years ago I bought a friend who is a die-hard Yankees fan a pair of cufflinks made from the seats at the old stadium.  They also have a helpful gift section that can help you narrow down items by price, recipient, sale items and what’s new.  On my Christmas list: Arm Warmers

KuKuRuZa.com — Gourmet popcorn in really yummy flavors.  It ships a lot better than cookies.  I’ve spent lots of time and dough (hee hee) shipping cookies to people and then finding out they were a crumbly mess when they arrived.  Wouldn’t your loved ones rather have Maple Bacon popcorn than crumbly week-old cookies?  Or Egg Nog with Brandied Chocolate Popcorn?  Or Cashew Caramel Popcorn?  Or Rocky Road Popcorn?  Or Hawaiian Sea Salt Popcorn?  Um, yeah, I recommend the Sample Packs.

Forever21.com — Don’t laugh!  They have really cute costume jewelry and hair accessories. 

CafePress.com — There are several sites that offer a similar service, but this is the one I use.  Take a photo someone has taken or photo of their dog (I obviously know a lot of dog lovers) and make it into cards or a jewelry box or calendar or whatever.  Just be sure to think ahead since this isn’t your best bet for a last-minute gift.

Coming soon… My list of books that make good Christmas gifts. Good news: most of them aren’t political!

I did a fun interview with Glen Asbury (@glenasbury) as part of his weekly “Twitter Personality of the Week.”  The questions were great!  Excerpt:

6.      You must have, by this point, many fascinating stories to share about your interactions with various political celebrities. Can you share 2 or 3 of your top anecdotes?  

 

 Wow, this is a hard question!  I have a friend who calls me the Forrest Gump of the conservative movement, so there are a few to choose from.  The first thing that comes to mind is when I was traveling with Ann Coulter to Tallahassee, my hometown.  I was really excited about the trip.  She was coming from New York and I was coming from D.C.  I took the metro with my mom, who was on the way to her job at the Pentagon.  I made my flight, but Coulter and I never made it to Tallahassee that day.  My flight was grounded in Columbia, SC.  The flight attendant said there was a “national emergency.”  It was the morning of September 11, 2001.  Within a few minutes, I was able to get in touch with my mom, who was still at the Pentagon.  Coulter was on her way to the airport when it happened and was stuck in Queens.  I don’t want to be one of those people who make a national tragedy about them, but it was just one of those moments when the real world and my Forrest Gump life collided.

Finally meeting Rush in person was so unbelievable that I barely remember it.  I know we spent about 20 minutes in the green room, but I don’t remember much about it.  We took photos.  He asked what had been the biggest news to come out of the conference.  I have no idea what I said.  As it turned out, it hadn’t happened yet.  The most auspicious moment of CPAC 2009 was definitely Rush’s first “National Address to the Nation.”  It was probably the most significant moment leading up to the 2010 elections.  When Rush spoke, it was one month after Obama’s inauguration.  Conservatives were on the ropes, but Rush gave a message of hope.  The fight for freedom wasn’t lost; it was just beginning.

Read the entire interview here.