Some people are easy to shop for. They have hobbies and collections. They like to do stuff. Some folx are more focused in their interests, which can make purchasing and gifting much more stressful. Even those folks have something they love, however, and if you can find out what it is, there no doubt exists a big,  gorgeous, glossy tomb to celebrate it.

The gift book! Last refuge of the “What in the name of all that is holy do I get Uncle Steve?”

These hefty (and some not-so-hefty) collections are also great for anyone in your life who is obsessed with a particular topic for any reason, is doing research and needs a good survey, appreciates exquisite design, or just really likes books.

Here are some favorites we discovered this year:

Batman: The Animated Series – The Phantom City Creative Collection (Insight Editions)

Whoever did the design on this book is an absolute genius because the cover grabs you, shakes you, and screams “open me!” There’s just something about a duochrome Batman with nice sharp lines that makes you want more, and style is, of course, one of the reasons Batman: The Animated Series remains a perennial favorite Dark Knight incarnation. I’m also a sucker for concept art, which this book has in spades, showing the evolution of episode posters from sketch to final product which… *drool.* In large format. *More drool* There are even villain and hero card designs at the back. The hero cards have Joker graffiti on them.

Throw this at someone the next time they claim comics and animation aren’t art. It will either change their minds or knock them out. Either way works.

Maker and Muse: Woman and Early Twentieth Century Art Jewelry edited by Elise Zorn Karlin (The Monacelli Press)

I was supposed to attend a lecture with this same name at the Frick Museum in April and considered myself lucky that they mobilized very quickly to shift it online as soon as Pennsylvania issued its first stay-at-home order. It was a fantastic lecture and also my first exposure to the Association for the Study of Jewelry and Related Arts (which I promptly joined).

This book is not only a catalog of the exhibition, which I’m bummed I never got to see IRL but hey, small price in the grand scheme, but also a really excellent history of the ways in which increasing involvement in jewelry making and design, and the arts and crafts movement helped women gain social, and then political, independence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Sawbones Book: The Horrifying, Hilarious Road to Modern Medicine by Dr. Sydnee McElroy and Justin McElroy (Wheldon Owen)

Human bodies are gross. The history of medicine is even more disgusting, but if you have the fortitude, a tinge of darkness to your sense of humor, and a thirst for strange facts to pull out at parties, this is the book for you. The hosts of the Sawbones podcast have pulled together some of the most bizarre, fascinating, WTF facts about the things we’ve done to ourselves in the name of what is supposedly science that will leave you wondering how, exactly, we’ve managed not to kill ourselves off yet. You might even learn where the phrase “Don’t blow smoke up my ass” came from. As a treat.

Star Trek: The Wisdom of Picard edited by Chip Carter (Adams Media/S&S)

For many Gen X Star Trek fans, Jean-Luc Picard will always be OUR captain. Arguments can be made for Kirk, Sisko, Janeway… and Archer (maybe?), but Picard’s leadership, gravitas, and wisdom were the stuff of legend. He appeared at an incredibly formative time in our lives, spoke to our inner souls, and persevered. Because here it is, 33 years after “Encounter at Farpoint” introduced that slightly stuffy, bald quasi-French/quasi-British captain, and we’re still hanging on his every word.

That’s why it was SUCH A BIG DEAL to finally see Sir Patrick Stewart return to the role in Star Trek: Picard, and even bring along a few old friends for good measure. The Wisdom of Picard is a wonderful little gift book that collects hundreds of golden nuggets of Picard wisdom (organized into topics such as philosophy and humanity, history and science, and exploration and adventure) from across seven seasons of The Next Generation, four feature films, and the new season of Picard.

It’ll make you long for true leadership in our own time.

–Jamie Greene

Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks: Celebrations Around the World from Fall to Winter by Graham Allan, Rebecca Cline, and Charlie Price (Disney Editions)

If there’s one massive doorstop of a book on this list, this is it. And it’s an absolute must-have for the Disney fan in your life. Halloween and Christmas are when the Disney parks look their most… different from the rest of the year. The parks typically go all out and dress themselves to the nines to celebrate the holidays. And this book is a celebration of those celebrations.

With almost 1,900 breathtaking photographs (two-thirds of which are brand new and taken specifically for this book), Holiday Magic at the Disney Parks brings you on a gorgeous photojourney across 12 theme parks, four countries, dozens of hotels and resorts, numerous cruise ships, and more than 60 years.

It’s a comprehensive look at Disney properties (but mostly the parks) during Halloween and Christmas and the passionate artists and cast members behind it all. And it’s the ultimate wintertime coffeetable book. (Check out our interview with coauthor, and Walt Disney Archives director, Becky Cline here, from just before the 2015 D23 Expo!)

–Jamie Greene

The World of Critical Role: The History Behind the Epic Fantasy by Liz Marsham and the cast of Critical Role (Ten Speed Press)

If you have a Critter on your holiday list, then this one’s a no-brainer. Critical Role is a phenomenally popular show (er… “fantasy RPG livestream”), and I guarantee you know someone who loves it.

What began in 2015 as a group of friends (who also happened to be actors and professional storytellers) filming themselves playing D&D has since spun into a multimedia empire with legions of fans around the world.

The World of Critical Role is a deep dive into the show, the stars, their characters, and detailed insights into the world they’ve created. It includes behind-the-scenes and archival photos, exclusive interviews, never-before-seen illustrations, and an appreciation of the massively hands-on fan community. There’s also a foreword by Felicia Day. (Check out our interview with stars Laura Bailey and Travis Willingham here!)

–Jamie Greene