The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the excitement of giving and receiving gifts. For bookworms like myself, there’s nothing quite like the anticipation of unwrapping a new book to add to our ever-growing collection. As we make our wish lists and eagerly await Santa’s arrival, here are the top ten books I hope to find under the tree this year:

1. “The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by V.E. Schwab – This highly anticipated novel follows the story of a young woman who makes a Faustian bargain to live forever but is cursed to be forgotten by everyone she meets.

2. “Mexican Gothic” by Silvia Moreno-Garcia – A chilling and atmospheric tale of a Mexican socialite who travels to a decaying mansion in the Mexican countryside to look after her ailing cousin, only to uncover dark secrets and horrors.

3. “Such a Fun Age” by Kiley Reid – A provocative and timely novel that explores race, class, and privilege through the story of a young Black babysitter and her well-meaning white employer.

4. “The Vanishing Half” by Brit Bennett – A sweeping and beautifully written novel that follows the lives of two sisters who take diverging paths and the consequences of their choices on their families and communities.

5. “The City We Became” by N.K. Jemisin – An imaginative and immersive urban fantasy novel that follows the struggle of New York City’s five boroughs to defend themselves against a malevolent presence.

6. “Deacon King Kong” by James McBride – A heartwarming and humorous novel that follows the residents of a Brooklyn housing project as they come together to solve a mystery involving a shooting and the local church deacon.

7. “The Glass Hotel” by Emily St. John Mandel – A mesmerizing and haunting novel that weaves together the interconnected lives of a group of characters caught up in a Ponzi scheme and its aftermath.

8. “The Pull of the Stars” by Emma Donoghue – Set during the 1918 flu pandemic, this gripping novel follows a nurse in a Dublin maternity ward as she cares for expectant mothers and grapples with the challenges of her own past.

9. “Real Life” by Brandon Taylor – A powerful and provocative novel that follows a young Black man navigating life at a predominantly white Midwestern university and grappling with issues of identity, desire, and belonging.

10. “Little Eyes” by Samanta Schweblin – A mesmerizing and eerie novel that explores the connections between humans and technology through the story of small, robotic creatures called “kentukis” that are controlled by strangers around the world.

As I eagerly await Santa’s arrival, I can only hope that one or more of these captivating books finds its way into my hands. Whether I’m lost in a fantastical world, contemplating the complexities of human nature, or simply relishing the beauty of a well-crafted story, there’s no gift quite like a good book. Here’s to a holiday season filled with literary delights and new adventures between the pages.