Culture and Lifestyle Jenna Bush Hager's Favorite Books For Gifting This Holiday Season The cohost of NBC’s Today with Hoda & Jenna shares picks for every reader on your list. By Betsy Cribb Betsy Cribb Betsy is the Home and Features Editor at Southern Living. She writes about a veritable potpourri of topics for print and digital, from profiling Southern movers-and-shakers and celebrating family traditions to highlighting newsy restaurant openings and curating the annual holiday gift guide. Prior to joining the Southern Living team in 2017 as the style editor, she worked at Coastal Living as an assistant editor covering pets and homes. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Updated on January 19, 2023 Share Tweet Pin Email We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. BOOKS: ROBBIE CAPONETTO, STYLING: MARY BETH WETZEL When in doubt, books are a stellar present for the holidays. They’re the gift of time well spent and a new favorite story to dive into, perhaps even a new author, series, or genre rabbithole to spiral into. However, gifting a book is only a success story when they actually enjoy it. That’s the hard part. Recommending a book can be an intimate thing. You’re putting your taste to the test and hoping that they’ll love your chosen read as much as you do. The stakes are even higher when you’re skipping the recommendation stage and going straight for gifting them a book. When successful, sharing your favorite reads with a loved one can be a beautiful way to spread the love and precede many a gushing conversation as they make their way through to the back cover. Not everyone has the same taste in books as us though, and sometimes for readers who we don’t see eye to eye with (literarily, not literally), we turn to the experts. In this case: NBC’s Jenna Bush Hager. Here’s her top picks for the best books, from essay collections to novels, to gift every bookworm in your life. ILLUSTRATION: KENDYLL HILLEGAS Our Top Picks These Precious Days at Amazon Jump to Review The Bluest Eye at Amazon Jump to Review The Lincoln Highway at Amazon Jump to Review Remarkably Bright Creatures at Amazon Jump to Review Harlem Shuffle at Amazon Jump to Review The Cloisters at Amazon Jump to Review These Precious Days Amazon View On Amazon Price at time of publish: $16 “Ideal for your mom or sister, this collection of essays will make her laugh and cry.” The Bluest Eye Amazon View On Amazon Price at time of publish: $10 “This must-read novel is a beautiful present for any booklover.” The Lincoln Highway Amazon View On Amazon Price at time of publish: $25 “Share this epic adventure with your dad or brother; it’s sure to become a classic one day.” Remarkably Bright Creatures Barnes & Noble View On Amazon Price at time of publish: $16 “Give this to a friend who enjoys hopeful tales.” Harlem Shuffle View On Amazon Price at time of publish: $13 “It’s a great choice for people who like a heist story. It also kicks off a trilogy; two more books are in the works.” The Cloisters Amazon View On Amazon Price at time of publish: $18 “The unexpected ending will surprise even the most suspense-obsessed reader.” Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit