Get into the spirit with our 2025 Holiday Gift Guides!
There’s something special each year about the transition from fall into winter and the holidays. Everything sparkles a little more than before, the festive decor all around makes everyone a bit more jolly, and the chill in the air gives me an excuse to curl up with a good book and a cup of hot cocoa to watch the snow fall outside.
When the Old Town Books team began reading for the 2025 Holiday Gift Guides in July, it was hard to conjure that cozy scene. Instead, we focused on the loved ones we’ll be sharing that holiday joy with and read the books we think would make great gifts for each of them.
I'm so proud of our annual Holiday Gift Guides and this year is no exception. We’re so excited to share these titles with you and to help you bring a little of that Old Town Alexandria holiday magic home.
No matter who you’re shopping for this year, these gift guides have something for every reader on your list. Maybe it’s your dad who only reads nonfiction history books. Or your best friend who devours fantasy novels, but is hesitant to pick up anything else. Or your sister-in-law with a serious thriller collection. Maybe you have a brand new reader or a precocious tween looking for an exciting new read. Browse our gift guides and stop by the bookstore to ask our team for recommendations to help you make your list and check it twice.
Happy reading + gifting!
- Ally
How to use the gift guides
We have two Holiday Gift Guides - one for adults and one for kids and teens - full of both fiction and nonfiction titles for readers of all sorts. As we read this summer and fall, we kept who each book might be top-of-mind and included that recommendation as a header for each title within the gift guides.
Our Adult Gift Guide is separated into fiction, nonfiction and young adult titles, indicated by the colored header. Green are our fiction recommendations, starting with literary fiction and ending with fantasy. Nonfiction titles are noted in blue and include history, poetry, social science, nature and cooking recommendations. And finally, our young adult titles are highlighted in purple.
On the other hand, our Kids and Teens Gift Guide is broken out by age, with a special section for novelty and nonfiction titles that make great holiday gifts. From picture books for the littlest readers to thrilling reads for even the most precocious teens.
You can shop all of our guide picks in store or online at oldtownbooks.com. Got a reader who prefers audiobooks or lives far away? We’ve got you covered! You can also shop our Holiday Gift Guide picks on Libro.fm or Bookshop.org.
We also created a way to help you get the books you want for the holidays! Grab a copy of our Adult Gift Guide and on the inside, you’ll find a place to make a wish list of your own. Simply put your name at the top, fill in the titles you’re most excited about and bring it back to us. We’ll keep your wish list on file to share with any loved ones who stop by and ask.
Need some additional guidance to pick the perfect gift?
We’d love to help! Our book buyers, Kim and Melissa, will be hosting special events this month to help you make your list and check it twice.
Join Melissa on Friday, November 14 and 21 for Kids Gift Guide Live, where she’ll share her top picks for kids ages 2 - 16 while sharing hot cocoa and getting into the holiday spirit. There will also be time for personal shopping with Melissa and, as a special bonus, you can leave your purchases for our elves to gift wrap!
Kim, our adult book buyer, will also host Cozy Town Books on Thursday, November 13 and 20. Similar to Kids Gift Guide Live, Kim will offer a preview of what’s in our Holiday Gift Guides and she and our bookish elves will help you shop for everyone on your list while the hot cocoa flows and the holiday lights twinkle. All of our Gift Guide picks will also be 5-for-4 at these special events.
Our November 20 Cozy Town Books will also feature an extra special hot cocoa bar hosted by chocolatier and author Chef Phillip Ashley Rix, who will be on-site all evening serving up hot cocoa and signing his new cookbook, FOR THE LOVE OF CHOCOLATE - one of our gift guide picks for the chocolate lover in your life!
If you can’t make it to these events, not to worry! Our team will be happy to help you select gifts for even the most difficult-to-buy-for readers on your list. Stop by from 10-7 every day, tell us what your reader likes and we’ll recommend something they’ll love.
Don’t forget to shop early with us on Plaid Friday for special deals, too!