Books are a fairly standard go-to holiday gift idea. They’re easy to buy, there’s a bazillion to choose from, and they’re relatively inexpensive. But they’re also really difficult to buy for someone, unless you know that person really well.

Have they already read the book? Is it a genre they like? Do they not care for the author? Is it part of a series, which requires a hefty commitment? Do they not have a lot of time to read, so a pile of unread books might cause anxiety?

Just because someone happens to like the Star Wars movies doesn’t mean they enjoy reading all science fiction… or even want to read a Star Wars novel.

For these reasons (and a bunch more), I tend to shy away from gifting novels or text-heavy, in-depth nonfiction books. (Plus, Shiri already compiled an admirable list of those here.)

But there are still a LOT of great books on the shelves that are begging to find their way into someone’s pile of gifts this holiday season. Books you can pick up and put down whenever. Books that spark fun conversations. Gorgeously designed books.

So, without further ado, here are our picks for the best books to give to the geeky reader on your list this year (roughly organized by price)…

How Not to Get Eaten by Ewoks and Other Galactic Survival Skills

by Christian Blauvelt (DK Publishing)

If you’ve got a Star Wars fan on your shopping list, there is perhaps no better (or easier) gift available this year than this hilarious book. In the vein of all those “survival guide” and “worst-case scenario” books, this tongue-in-cheek guide will help you make it through all kinds of messy situations that are bound to pop up in the galaxy far, far away. In addition to the titular problem, you’ll also learn how to survive a crash landing, work with droids, make polite conversation with aliens, avoid the Hutt cartel, and survive encounters with Force users. Among so many more potential sticky situations. But it’s not entirely a joke book. Sandwiched in the survival advice is a ton of information about Star Wars, the characters who inhabit the galaxy, and oodles of fun (and not-so-fun) places they go. It is, hands down, the most original Star Wars book I’ve seen a LONG time.

Be More Leia / Be More Lando

by Christian Blauvelt (DK Publishing)

Need something else for the Star Wars fan? Or have more than one on your list and need something different for each? Both of these “inspirational” books present life lessons from everyone’s favorite princess/general and scoundrel. Be More Leia promises to help you “find your rebel voice and fight the system,” whereas Lando’s book tells you “how to get what you want (and look good doing it).” Each book pulls legit nuggets of wisdom that can be gleaned from Leia and Lando’s lives and experiences, and then applies that wisdom to the real world. From “get your priorities straight” to “appreciate the good times” to “don’t suffer fools,” these are fantastic gifts books that might seem gimmicky and funny at first but are surprisingly deep and meaningful.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: The Poetry of Mister Rogers

with art by Luke Flowers (Quirk Books)

We reviewed this one back when it first came out earlier this year. With last year’s Won’t You Be My Neighbor documentary and the upcoming A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood feature film (starring Tom Hanks!), Fred Rogers is finally getting his due. And this gorgeous book is like mainlining nostalgia for a more carefree time. If Mister Rogers Neighborhood was in any way a part of your childhood, you owe it to yourself to lose yourself in these pages. The book collects the lyrics for 75 songs from the show, accompanied by Luke Flowers’s amazingly perfect illustrations. His art captures the childlike wonder and imagination of the show, and this marriage of fresh art with timeless, lyrical poetry makes A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood pretty much the perfect gift book.

Share Your Smile: Raina’s Guide to Telling Your Own Story

by Raina Telgemeier (Graphix/Scholastic)

Though it came out several months before Raina Telgemeier’s newest graphic novel to dominate bestseller lists and library hold requests, Guts, I feel like this book didn’t get the attention it deserved. I’d be surprised if you have or know a young reader who’s unfamiliar with Raina’s books, and I’d be even more surprised if that young reader hadn’t been inspired by those books to make their own graphic novel. To that end, Share Your Smile is a bit like a how-to guide. It’s part first-person account of Raina’s creative process, part template for telling your own story. It walks you through the process of getting ideas onto paper, sketching designs and concepts, and how to marry words and pictures in the graphic novel format. This is perfect for any Raina Telgemeier fan (of which there are legion) or anyone who might want a guiding hand to make a graphic novel.

The Twilight Man: Rod Serling and the Birth of Television

by Koren Shadmi (Humanoids)

We also reviewed this one relatively recently since it was such a surprise. A lot of books land on our desks every month. Many are good, some are great, but few are genuine surprises. The Twilight Man seemingly dropped out of nowhere and is such an incredible book that it should be on your list for anyone who’s a fan of old-time radio and early television, The Twilight Zone, Night Gallery, or Rod Serling in general. This is a graphic novel biography (told in black and white, naturally) of Serling’s life from 1943 through his death in 1975. We follow a young Serling through WWII and see how his experiences there affected his life and career to follow. We see him on the precipice of a new industry as television took off. And we see The Twilight Zone grow into a phenomenon. It’s an incredibly fascinating look at an incredibly fascinating person – and it’ll make you feel ridiculously inadequate to see just how much Serling achieved in his too-brief 50 years.

The Sesame Street Guide to Life Boxed Set

(Imprint/Macmillan)

I’m an unashamed Sesame Street fan, and this box set absolutely hits the sweet spot. It’s composed of three separate “inspirational” titles: The Pursuit of Grouchiness, The Joy of Cookies, and The Importance of Being Ernie (and Bert). It should probably be evident by the titles which characters are central to each book. Each presents a guide to life from that character’s point of view, pulling together relevant quotes – and adorable photos – that are guaranteed to bring a smile to your face. We all know someone who grew up with Sesame Street; the show is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. And these books make the perfect gift for everyone from the show’s original fans to those of us in Gen X who were treated to the show in its prime through to kids today who watch on HBO.

Travel Goals: Inspiring Experiences to Transform Your Life

(Lonely Planet)

If you haven’t been paying attention, Lonely Planet has been quietly reinventing itself. The truth is that traditional print travel guides are one step above obsolete, so Lonely Planet has recently put a heavy emphasis on photo books, travel writing, and other pictorial books that celebrate specific themes around the world. And we’re all the luckier for it. Travel Goals is a more realistic version of those “1,001 places to see/things to do/whatever before you die” books. Plus, it’s not as foreboding. It presents travel bucket list items meant to inspire everyone to get off their couch and explore the world. The ideas here aren’t specific “see the Taj Mahal at sunset,” “walk atop the Great Wall of China” ideas. Rather, Travel Goals inspires with ideas meant to help you, for example, “experience culture shock,” “try something new,” “appreciate the ordinary,” and “travel without plastic.” Nestled under those big ideas are specific suggestions, but none of these ideas requires you to travel to far-flung, exotic locales. You can help an endangered species in South Africa or Peru, for sure, but you can also do it much closer to home. This book is perfect for any travel-hungry victim of wanderlust (or those just dreaming of escape) you might have on your list.

The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance: Inside the Epic Return to Thra

by Daniel Wallace (Insight Editions)

Know someone who’s a fan of Jim Henson’s classic The Dark Crystal? I can almost guarantee you they’ve also seen – and LOVED – The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance on Netflix. Listen, I’m a huge fan of the original, and this show is everything I’ve wanted for the past 35 years. And this gorgeous oversize book details the creative process that brought Thra and its characters back to life and continued the legacy of Henson’s original film and vision. Seriously, this book will send any fan of The Dark Crystal over the moon. Aside from mainlining the show on infinite repeat, there’s no better way to dive into the world of the film – both in front of and behind the cameras. Turn on Daniel Pemberton’s masterful score for Age of Resistance, sit back with this stunning book, and enjoy life.

One Day at Disney: Meet the People Who Make the Magic Across the Globe

by Bruce C. Steele (Disney Editions)

This massive book should be THE gift for the Disney fan in your life. Chronicling a single day across the Disney company, the book spotlights many of the employees who don’t normally find the spotlight. From the fruit and vegetable sculptor at Disneyland Paris to actors in The Lion King musical to creative executives at Walt Disney Imagineering to Big Iger himself. OK, that last one usually finds the spotlight, but he’s one of the few exceptions. The conceit of the book is to take a snapshot of the amazing breadth of the company and try to capture the scope of the work happening on a single day across the Disney parks and resorts, film studios, TV studios, Imagineering, stage productions, and more. It’s also a complement to an upcoming documentary and short-form series (of the same name) that will air on Disney+. Perfect for any Disney fan who’s interested in getting a behind-the-scenes look at what makes the company tick.

Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood: A Visual History

by Melissa Wagner, Tim Lybarger, and Jenna McGuiggan (Clarkson Potter)

Told you Fred Rogers is having a moment. If the previous book on this list tickles the Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood nostalgia, then this book is for those who want to dive in head first and completely submerge themselves in love for the man and the show. It’s a fully illustrated, beautifully designed book that features exclusive photographs; a guide to the characters, puppets, and episodes; original interviews; and rare ephemera. It documents the origins of the show, details the creation of the iconic puppets and sets, chronicles the development of the music, and highlights the pure love Rogers himself embodied. It’s the perfect gift to remind us of “simpler” times, when all we needed was sometime to tell us, “It’s OK to be you. I like you just the way you are.” How novel.

Lair: Radical Homes and Hideouts of Movie Villains

by Chad Oppenheim (Tra Publishing)

Sometimes evil can be seductive. Let’s face it; movie villains usually have style. From their clothes to their one-liners to their homes, it’s hard to deny the magnetism some of them display. Lair takes a good, hard look at the last of these: the ostentatious homes and supercool hideouts we see in movies like… well, pretty much any of the James Bond movies. But this book also features homes from The Incredibles, Ex Machina, Blade Runner 2049, North by Northwest, Superman, Lethal Weapon 2, and more! Written by an architect and featuring interviews with production designers, directors, and other industry professionals, Lair is probably the most unique book on this list. Perfect for the movie buff on your list, the genre movie fan, architect, or modern design nerd.