I told you that I'm only gifting books this year. Yeah, if you don't like it, oh well!
I feel that a book can be a great gift and there's certainly an art to choosing the right book for the right person so it's not entirely effortless ( and you won't hear you family saying you don't care. Well,maybe.)

This is a small guide with some of my favorite books and who could really enjoy it.
Let's dive in!!

For your teenage niece/daughter/sister: We were liars - E. Lockhart
A surprisingly good YA book that follows an unreliable narrator through a mysterious story that you'll never guess how it ends. It's also a twisted love story and the narration is unique. I read it and gifted countless times and it's always interesting to see how people react to it. Remember: If you know how it ends: LIE!

For your artsy friend: Leaving the Atocha Station - Ben Lerner
Ben Lerner used to be a poet and writes prose like it's still poetry. It's a delight to read but the story itself is enchanting, weird, funny, intense, poignant and confusing. It's a ride, an experience, a visceral read that will make a mark on you. You can't go wrong with it.

For your programmer/software deve/IT friend:Life in Code - Ellen Ullman
This is a collection of essays about technology from a software dev that was there to see it evolve almost from the start. It's very interesting that each essay are published as written back then so they do not benefit from the advantage of hindsight. It's like being a time traveler. Ellen is on point a lot more than you'd think and her insight will influence the way you look at our current state of technology.
But what really sold this to me is that it is written incredibly well and poetic. Certainly from someone who loves sofrware with a passion. 5 stars.

For the ever curious:Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Noah Harari
This book will change your life..or at least how you think about the the future. The level of ideas discussed in this book are beyond anything I COULD imagine and on a very different level. It's a privilege to have access to it and it's a short fast read that feels like discussing ideas with a very smart friend. Best book of the year for me.

For your mother:The Janissary Tree - Jason Goodwin
Yashim is an eunuch detective in Istanbul in 1836. He is the start of this series of detective novels that are both unique and fascinating. You'll love the imaginary, the foods that Yashim cooks while he thinks and the whole feel of the book. And if you love it, there's more books in the series! My mother loved it, maybe your will too :)
Cool fact: Jason Goodwin wrote a cookbook with all the recipes that appear in these series.

For the wannabe-cook:The Food Lab - J. Kenji López-Alt
I am a little obsessed with beautiful cookbooks. Some are good for recipes too. However this one is amazing and it will teach you everything that you never knew you need to know about cooking and it will make you a better cook. Kenji is a real scientist that happens to love cooking. It's expensive but worth it!

For your father:Andre Agassi - Open
The best sport autobiography ever. If he is a tennis fan is a must read, if he is a sports fan of any kinds is the one we will measure all sport autobiographies ever. An enormously interesting insight into the life and mind of a champion.

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Oh boy, this got long and I'm not even half-finished!! I'll have to make it a part 2 tomorrow!!
All books can be ordered from Amazon or Bookdepository with free shipping.

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PS: Who do you want to buy a book for this year. Tell me something about them and I'll try to recommend a book in the comments!