Ready or not, the holiday shopping season is here! Luckily, it’s also time for our annual holiday sale. Starting today, all books are 40% off, right here on our website—just make sure you use code HOLIDAY at checkout. The sale runs through 1/5, but make sure you order by 12/6 to qualify for holiday shipping!
Not sure what to buy? Don’t worry, we are here to highlight some of our recommendations for the season based on what we’re gifting. From past Juniper Prize winners to newly acclaimed titles, we outline a guide fit for sisters, friends, grandparents, colleagues, and many more. Below we have just a few standout recommendations, but if you’d like more, follow along with us on social media for the duration of the sale (Facebook, Instagram, X, or LinkedIn).
Among the top picks for our holiday campaign is The Lexington Six: Lesbian and Gay Resistance in 1970s America by author Josephine Donovan. Pulling from judicial hearings, newspapers, FBI files, and interviews, Donovan has masterfully pieced together the stories of the women and men who made a stand for their community. As Women’s Review of Books puts it, “Donovan’s book supports the fleshing out of a more multi-dimensional history that contributes to an ongoing reorientation of queer politics today.” Our intern, Rosemary, recommends this book for readers like her sister, who values advocacy and the history of such a courageous movement.
For someone who’s looking to explore the outdoors this winter season, Ben recommends checking out Traveling the Old Ski Tracks of New England by E. John B. Allen. From tracing the roots of skiing in New England to discussing the forgotten trails and stories of the area, Allen’s book provides a much-needed look into the history of skiing that is suitable for any reader. “There is a satisfaction in understanding what helped build the slopes we ski today,” Eric Wilbur, author of Thirty Years in a White Haze: Dan Egan’s Story of Worldwide Adventure and the Evolution of Extreme Skiing, remarks. Any lover of local geography, history, and winter sports, like Ben’s brother, would enjoy learning about the legacy of skiing in the Northeast.
However, if readers are looking for a poetry read, they can’t go wrong with Imani’s pick, But She Is Also Jane, by Juniper Prize Winner Laura Read. In her third poetry collection, Read confronts everything from memory and loss to her current struggles with sexism and women’s lives. Ellen Dore Watson, author of pray me stay eager, finds the collection full of “canny observations,” “instantly engaging questions,” and “invaluable detours” that create a piece that is “brilliantly constructed and deeply satisfying.” Imani feels that anyone who is as funny and raw as her friend is bound to love this book.
For music lovers, Hannah recommends checking out Freddy Cristobal Dominguez’s book Bob Dylan in the Attic. Drawing upon the musician’s career, Dominguez recontextualizes Dylan’s work as that of a historian. Dominguez looks at the ancient and modern influences of Dylan, analyzes his lyricism, and offers a unique perspective of the beloved artist. For those who enjoy music history and studying lyricism as Hannah’s brother does, this book is a must-read and a dream gift. Though, if readers are looking for another book on par with Dominguez, we suggest they check out We Gotta Get Out of This Place by Doug Bradley and Craig Werner.
Arriving just in time for the holiday season is our newest memoir, The Innermost House, by Cynthia Blakeley. “Brimming with personal and historical details, The Innermost House is a distinctive memoir with a keen sense of place and renewal,” remarks Foreword Reviews. It is not just a memoir about her life growing up on the Outer Cape, but a study of memory as she recounts secrets and unearths the history of her family. Hailey feels this is a perfect read for anyone like her best friend, who enjoys a good memoir on the beach. (Chelsey and Mary wholeheartedly echo this recommendation.)
Malcolm Before X by Patrick Parr will also be out in time for our holiday sale. In a starred review, Kirkus says, “Parr has written the definitive story of the youth and early adulthood of one of the most dazzling and controversial civil rights leaders in American history.” Pulling on never-before-used documents and prison records, Parr’s biography diligently reconstructs Malcolm’s early years and his transformation into the icon America knows today. Chelsey recommends this book to readers like her father, who enjoy biographies that provide an in-depth look into incredible people.
Though these are just a few standouts in our selection, UMass Press has around 1200 titles to choose from. Make sure to check out our Bright Leaf imprint and Juniper Prize selections, and much more! We can’t wait to see what you pick. Happy gifting!
