Happy holidays to all! Since 1924, New Dominion Bookshop has been the place to find special holiday gifts. Support your community bookstore by shopping local and early for your gifts this year! Below are our hand-picked recommendations for everyone on your gift list.
How to Order
To order books, email us at staff[at]ndbookshop[dot]com or fill out the contact form on our website here. For personal recommendations or to purchase gift cards, give us a call at 434-295-2552. New Dominion Bookshop also offers curbside pickup and shipping (normal rates apply). Free gift-wrapping is available for all orders!
General Nonfiction
Magnificent Rebels: The First Romantics and the Invention of the Self
By Andrea Wulf
Weaving together the lives of early Romantics, Andrea Wulf writes a group biography of the modern idea of the self. (Knopf )
The Philosophy of Modern Song
By Bob Dylan
In over sixty essays that span modern American music, Dylan shares a lifetime of musical wisdom. (Simon & Schuster)
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us
By Ed Yong
“An Immense World is a journal of discovery and animal magic, and a sensory exploration that is a joy to read.” —Susan Orlean (Random House)
Women Holding Things
By Maira Kalman
Painter Maira Kalman’s whimsical works are accompanied by brief tales of the women who inspired them, from family members to Gertrude Stein. (Harper Design)
Index, A History of the: A Bookish Adventure from Medieval Manuscripts to the Digital Age
By Dennis Duncan
A fascinating dive into the storage and control of information through the ages. A perfect gift for the true bibliophile! (Norton)
Soul Culture: Black Poets, Books, and Questions that Grew Me Up
By Remica Bingham-Risher
Essays and interviews with Black literary luminaries are interwoven with personal essays on community in contemporary poetry. (Beacon Press)
Seeing Like an Artist: What Artists Perceive in the Art of Others
By Lincoln Perry
“Lincoln Perry has written an irresistibly readable, companionable, and quotable artist’s memoir.” —Joyce Carol Oates (David R. Godine)
Sacred Nature: Restoring Our Ancient Bond with the Natural World
By Karen Armstrong
Known for her work on comparative religion, Armstrong now examines the spiritual power of nature. (Knopf )
Inciting Joy
By Ross Gay
Among essays on gardening, grief, and caring for his father, poet Ross Gay finds love in the everyday challenges of life. A powerful and uplifting read. (Algonquin)
What If? 2: Additional Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions
By Randall Munroe
Delight your relatives with funny scenarios treated with the utmost scientific rigor! For fans of the classic The Way Things Work. (Riverhead )
Biography & Memoir
Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe
By David Maraniss
“Path Lit by Lightning is a masterful look at this country’s first super-athlete.” —Howard Bryant (Simon & Schuster)
The White Mosque
By Sofia Samatar
Samatar, raised in an American Mennonite community, travels the Silk Road to investigate her heritage in a mix of memoir and history. (Catapult)
Every Good Boy Does Fine: A Love Story, in Music Lessons
By Jeremy Denk
A memoir of piano lessons and coming of age, this new book from renowned pianist Jeremy Denk delves into how we learn to play, and appreciate, the greats of classical music. (Random House)
Also a Poet: Frank O’Hara, My Father, and Me
By Ada Calhoun
“It’s a big valentine to New York City past and present, and a contribution to literary scholarship, molten with soul.” —New York Times Book Review (Grove Press)
Solito
By Javier Zamora
At nine years old, Zamora was sent alone on the 3,000 mile journey to the United States. He reflects on this harrowing time in a beautiful and important memoir. (Hogarth)
Letters to Gwen John
By Celia Paul
In this powerful combination of biography and the epistolary form, artist Celia Paul examines her connection to artist Gwen John. (NYRB )
Fiction
Demon Copperhead
By Barbara Kingsolver
Against the backdrop of Appalachia, a modern-day David Copperfield finds adventure alongside a rich cast of characters. (Harper)
Fairy Tale
By Stephen King
Good triumphs over evil in this thrilling fantasy for fans of The Dark Tower. (Scribner)
Shrines of Gaiety
By Kate Atkinson
Bohemian 1920s London is another main character in this portrait of family struggle and success in the wake of the Great War. (Doubleday)
The Last White Man
By Mohsin Hamid
From the bestselling author of Exit West, this modern take on Kafka’s The Metamorphosis offers a timely fable of identity and empathy. (Riverhead )
Carrie Soto Is Back
By Taylor Jenkins Reid
“An epic adventure about a female athlete perhaps past her prime, brought back to the tennis court for one last grand slam.” —Elle Magazine (Ballantine)
Dinosaurs
By Lydia Millet
New neighbors move into a glass house, and Gil finds himself drawn into their lives in this funny exploration of the families we choose in life. (Norton)
The Singularities
By John Banville
Released from prison, a mysterious man appears at his former estate, but the new tenants have goals of their own. Enter a beautiful woman from his past… (Knopf )
Horse
By Geraldine Brooks
Kentucky horseracing in the 1850s, a mysterious equestrian painting, and a forgotten Smithsonian skeleton all connect in this novel for any lover of American history. (Viking)
Mysteries & Thrillers
The It Girl
By Ruth Ware
Taking place in alternating “before” and “after” chapters at Oxford, The It Girl is an unputdownable thriller from the author of The Turn of the Key. (Gallery)
Long Shadows
By David Baldacci
In the next installment of the Memory Man series, FBI consultant Amos Decker travels to Florida to investigate an unusual case. (Grand Central )
Marple: Twelve New Mysteries
By Leigh Bardugo, Lucy Foley, and More
Join twelve bestselling mystery authors as they reimagine short stories starring the indomitable Miss Marple. (William Morrow)
The Cloisters
By Katy Hays
Full of tarot and twists, this art-filled thriller considers fate in the setting of The Met Cloisters. For fans of the dark academia trend. (Atria)
Poetry
Weaving Sundown in a Scarlet Light: Fifty Poems for Fifty Years
By Joy Harjo
Joy Harjo selects fifty of her own poems in this celebratory collection spanning the course of fifty years. (Norton )
Selected Books of the Beloved
By Gregory Orr
Gregory Orr’s generosity and guidance make this landmark collection the perfect gift for lovers of language and life’s many mysteries. (Copper Canyon)
Togetherness
By Wo Chan
UVA alum Wo Chan explores growing up in their family’s restaurant in these poems of humor and belonging. Limited signed copies available. (Nightboat)
Let Us Believe in the Beginning of the Cold Season
By Forough Farrokhzad
Translator Elizabeth Gray brings Iranian poet Forough Farrokhzad’s iconic poems of desire and longing to light in English. (New Directions)
Cookbooks
I Am From Here: Stories and Recipes from a Southern Chef
By Vishwesh Bhatt
Mississippi chef and James Beard Award–winner Vishwesh Bhatt shares the secrets of Southern cuisine with an Indian culinary twist. (Norton)
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking: 30th Anniversary Edition
By Marcella Hazan
The perfect gift for someone just starting out in the kitchen, this cookbook covers it all, from simple pasta dishes to how to make a versatile tomato sauce. Buon appetito! (Knopf )
Dinner in One: Exceptional & Easy One-Pan Meals
By Melissa Clark
Keep things simple this winter with Melissa Clark’s stellar collection of hearty one-pan favorites, including cheesy meatball parm, miso-glazed salmon, baked lemony feta, and more. (Clarkson Potter)
Everyday Cake
By Polina Chesnakova
Bundt, layer, sheet…buttermilk, chocolate, fruit-filled…the options are endless. Learn how to bake (and eat!) cake every day with baker Polina Chesnakova. (Sasquatch Books )
Children’s
Roar! I’m a Dinosaur
By Merrill Rainey
Experience the transformative power of literature by putting your face behind the cut-outs to become a dinosaur. Roar! Ages 0 – 4. (HarperFestival)
This Book Is Not a Present
By Max Greenfield
Illustrated by Mike Lowery
Laugh along with the kids at this hilarious book about what kind of gift it isn’t. For the kid who wants something more fun than a book! Ages 4 –8. (Putnam)
And I Think About You
By Rosanne L. Kurstedt
Illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang
This book will make you cry, in a good way! Kids and their families go to work and to school during the day, but they still love each other while they are apart. Ages 3 – 6. (Kids Can Press)
Berry Song
By Michaela Goade
A girl and her grandmother go berry-picking in this lyrical love letter to the joys of connecting with the earth. From the illustrator of We Are Water Protectors. Ages 4 –8. (Little, Brown)
The First Cat in Space Ate Pizza
By Mac Barnett
Illustrated by Shawn Harris
This hilarious graphic novel will have the whole family laughing and looking forward to eating some pizza. Ages 8–12. (Katherine Tegen Books)
Farmhouse
By Sophie Blackall
Learn about the daily life of a family living in a big farmhouse together. A book that truly understands the mind of a child. Ages 4 –8. (Little, Brown)
Iveliz Explains It All
By Andrea Beatriz Arango
Illustrated by Alyssa Bermudez
Iveliz navigates the rollercoaster ride of seventh grade in this breakout novel in verse by a Charlottesville author. Ages 10 –14. (Random House)
Signed Copies
The Boys from Biloxi
By John Grisham
The Marriage Portrait
By Maggie O’Farrell
Into the Forest: The Secret Language of Trees
By Susan Tyler Hitchcock
The Sisters of Luna Island
By Stacy Hackney
In addition to the titles listed above, New Dominion Bookshop will also be receiving a limited supply of signed copies of other new titles this holiday season. Stop by the shop or give us a call at 434-295-2552 to inquire about our current stock of signed books.
Classics
An Extraordinary Egg
By Leo Lionni
The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Painted Edition
By Arthur Conan Doyle
Emily Post’s Etiquette, The Centennial Edition
By Lizzie Post and Daniel Post Senning
Haroun and the Sea of Stories
By Salman Rushdie
Coal Miner’s Daughter
By Loretta Lynn
The Awakening and Selected Stories
By Kate Chopin
The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a More-Than-Human World
By David Abram
How To Love
By Thich Nhat Hanh
Illustrated by Jason DeAntonis
Brave Companions: Portraits in History
By David McCullough
Generations: A Memoir
By Lucille Clifton
Let My People Go Surfing
By Yvon Chouinard
Elvis and Me
By Priscilla Beaulieu Presley
Holiday -Themed
The Joyful Book
By Todd Parr
Eating together is joyful, sharing stories is joyful, seeing family is joyful…celebrate joy with charming pictures from many traditions around the world. Ages 0 – 3. (LB Kids)
The Lights That Dance in the Night
By Yuval Zommer
Celebrate the winter solstice by following the Northern Lights as they bring delight to the creatures of the Arctic and beyond. Ages 4 –8. (Doubleday)
The New York Times Happy Holiday Book of Mini Crosswords
By Joel Fagliano
A perfectly satisfying stocking stuffer for the crossword lovers out there! Includes 150 “easy” puzzles. Ages 12 and up. (St. Martin’s Griffin)
The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories
Edited by Jessica Harrison
There’s something for the romantic and the hopeful cynic in these Christmas stories, from Shirley Jackson to Muriel Spark. All ages. (Penguin Classics)