📚Kyla's musings: Gift guide inspired by 2023 books, Part 1
Hefty list of present ideas based on some of my favorite books—there's something in here for everyone!
Hi friends,
It’s basically the holidays, so I thought I’d do a little something different with this newsletter. 😉 I love reading, I love shopping, and I love gifting—and I get to do a bit of all three by putting together this gift guide inspired by my favorite books from 2023!
A giveaway!
Also in the spirit of giving—here’s a new giveaway for Valley Verified! The theme is Strong Women, which is just so fitting.
ICYMI, here’s Valley Verified in a nutshell:
When a fashion writer is forced to dive into the Silicon Valley startup scene, her future’s on the line as she battles judgmental tech bros, eccentric billionaires, and her own insecurities in this cutthroat industry where it’s every man for himself.
5 print copies up for grabs, so hit the ‘Enter’ button below before the giveaway ends!
And even if you don’t win, you can always request to read Valley Verified early and for free on NetGalley!
A list of very fun and pretty things!
Now, moving on to the gift guide—for each book, I curated a selection of things that 1) I love and 2) capture the vibe/theme of the novel. Without further ado…
1.The Fraud Squad by moi
I had to sneak my own book onto this list :P The Fraud Squad is all about high society decadence, glamorous parties, luxurious fashion, scheming socialites, and juicy scandals.
This scent doesn’t scream luxury, but it certainly whispers it. 😉 (Diptyque, in general, serves up the same lushness that I think of when it comes to TFS.) It’s also rather festive thanks to the notes of dried fruit, vanilla, and patchouli.
The whole premise of The Fraud Squad is, well, fraud. And each of the three main characters are a fraud in their own way. So a Janus necklace is very fitting, given that Janus is the two-faced god in Roman mythology.
Lavender Haze Eye Mask, Drowsy
A good eye mask is not to be underestimated, and this one feels especially luxe because it’s padded silk! I also admit I’m partial to this one because the lavender color reminds me of Samantha’s dress on the book’s cover. 😊
Mother-of-Pearl Spoon, Goop (cheaper alternative here)
In The Fraud Squad, there’s this scene where Samantha (who has never eaten caviar in her life) is told by another socialite that caviar should always be served on mother-of-pearl spoons. (And mother-of-pearl is just incredibly pretty.)
Conversation Starter Game, TableTopics
The Fraud Squad was formed when three people from different walks of life came together for a group scheme (motivated by their individual agenda). They got to know one another really well (plotting makes for great bonding). But if you want to make friends in a tamer way, use this pack of 135 conversation starter cards. They come with fun, thought-provoking questions like “What do you love about your hometown?” and “How will our culture change in the next 100 years?”
2. Happy Place by Emily Henry
I think this might be my favorite Emily Henry book so far (although Book Lovers is also one of my all-time top reads mmhm). This novel explores love, friendship, and found family—set in a small coastal town in Maine.
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Matthew Perry
Happy Place is fundamentally an uplifting book, but it doesn’t shy away from delving into mental health and how that affects relationships. This is something that Matthew Perry also explores in detail in his own memoir—a very poignant and timely read.
This book is set in Maine and when I think Maine, I think lobster (rolls). 😋 Also, one can never have too many quirky bookmarks.
Seaglass Windchime with Sailboat Ornament, ChimeUp
I love the coastal setting of Happy Place because it allows me to indulge my love for sea-themed ornaments and accessories.
Quirky Ceramic Bud Vases, ClayConnaisseur
[SPOILER ALERT] By the end of the book, our heroine Wyn quits her neurosurgeon residency and takes up pottery. And I’m a sucker for quirky pottery.
[SPOILER ALERT] One of the worst fights in the book took place when Sabrina dragged her friends to get friendship tattoos despite their reluctance. But if your friend has been thinking about getting inked, you can gift them this temporary tattoo for them to try it out!
3. Babel by R.F. Kuang
One of the cleverest books I’ve ever read. I was honestly moved by the amount of thought, research, and care that clearly went into crafting this story. And I am amazed by how R.F. Kuang tackled the very lofty topic of colonialism with such a clever metaphor of manufacturing silver bars through translation.
Lost in Translation Retro Poster, Fenyx
Speaks for itself 😉 (pun intended)
Mooncake Signet Ring, Soft Good Studio
Something about a signet ring is just so… dark academia-esque. But I love the mooncake motif because it ties in nicely to Robin’s lifelong struggle of reconciling his new colonial home with his Chinese heritage.
Silver Bar Necklace, Oak and Luna
Is this gift a little too on the nose? Maybe. But a dainty silver necklace is a classic that goes well with just about any outfit.
(Friends, this Babel gift section has been the easiest one so far… The gifts practically suggest themselves.) But really, there’s no gift quite like the gift of education! And if your friend’s new year resolution is to learn a new language in 2024, this is your way of helping them commit to the goal.
My favorite word game—nay, my favorite game of any kind. It’s like Scrabbles x Crosswords; super fun and super portable. And y’know, it’s a word game… and Babel is about words, so :D
Bonus: Orange Caramel Scone Soy Candle, 1803Candles
I tried to keep every list to only 5 items, but like I said earlier, this Babel gift guide basically wrote itself… Reading the descriptions of scones in the book (and the obvious delight Robin took in trying them) gave me such a deep craving for these crumbly pastries. The next best thing: a scone-scented candle.
Other gift guides
Check out Gift Guide: Part 2, inspired by Bonnis Garmus’ Lessons in Chemistry and Taylor Jenkins Reid’s Carrie Soto is Back and moi’s own Valley Verified here.
Check out the Gift Guide for Quirky Book Lovers here.
This newsletter is getting a little too long so I’m gonna stop here. But if you like this gift guide, let me know what other books you’d like to get gift ideas for and I’ll oblige (provided I’ve also read it 😜). Just respond to this newsletter/email me at kyla[at]kylazhao[dot]com to tell me which books I should do next.
That’s all from me, friends! Take care and look out for my next newsletter. 😊
Love,
Kyla
I loved this gift guide!!! I can attest to how good Matthew Perry's memoir is; I'm obsessed with Duolingo; and I LOVED Babel. Excited for Valley Verified!