📚Kyla's musings: Gift guide inspired by 2023 books, Part 2
New list of present ideas based on some of the year's most popular books! Just in time for the holidays.
Hi friends,
I had so much fun putting together the gift guide inspired by some of my favorite 2023 books—Happy Place, Babel, The Fraud Squad (😉)—that I decided to do a Part 2!
NEW Giveaway!
The season of giving is going strong, so here’s a new giveaway for Valley Verified along with another book! 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.
Print copies up for grabs, so hit the ‘Enter’ button below before the giveaway ends on Dec 14 👇
And even if you don’t win, you can always request to read Valley Verified early and for free on NetGalley!
More 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. Valley Verified by moi
You know I had to :P Valley Verified is fashion meets tech. It’s about a fashionista who fights to stay true to her sartorial identity in a place where Patagonia vests embossed with company logos reign supreme. It’s also about what it takes to stay afloat when working at a startup that threatens to take over your whole life.
As Booklist said: “Zhao’s latest is a contemporary novel that will appeal to STEM and fashion girlies alike.” And so would these gifts:
New Folder Wallet, Nikolas Bentel
My main character, Zoe Zeng, has a very fun, whimsical, and quirky style. So she would totally dig a wallet shaped like the New Folder icon on a computer. Her way of injecting a little tech-inspired flair into an accessory.
This Site Uses Cookies T-Shirt, Unfortunate Portraits
One of my favorite quirky shirt brands (and one of Zoe Zeng’s favs too!). Love a good white tee with some tech humor 😉 Zoe would 100% wear this to the office. Comes in both a men’s version and a women’s version, so it’s perfect for everyone.
Polka-dot print laptop case, Seletti
One of my (and Zoe’s) favorite accessory brands. Using a distinctive laptop case is a great way to express your personality—and also how you feel about working at a tech startup when you are more knowledgeable about couture than code.
Tech carryall, Cuyana
Someone that Zoe butts heads with is Lillian Mariko, the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the startup. Lillian is polished, cool as a cucumber, and always on top of things. In other words, Zoe finds her hugely intimidating. Writing how Zoe and Lillian’s relationship unfolds is one of my favorite parts about Valley Verified. And unlike Zoe, Lillian wouldn’t be caught dead with the laptop case above, but she would 100% use this carryall made of Italian leather that’s just as sleek as she is.
Koi press-on nails, Paintbox
What is work-life balance when you are working at a tech startup? Zoe soon finds herself staying at the office till late at night almost every day—why leave when you can get a free dinner at 8pm and there are even sleeping pods for you to catch a quick snooze before going back to work? But Zoe isn’t about to let her style slip up just because she doesn’t have time to get a manicure.
2. Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I would read even a grocery list written by TJR, and I absolutely devoured her latest novel. Carrie Soto can seem unlikeable in a lot of ways, but it’s impossible not to root for .
Matchpoint candle, Otherland
You know I’ve got to include some tennis-themed gifts. First up, this candle that smells like “tennis balls, cut grass, cucumber”. Cucumber?! But mmhmm.
US Open Tennis Poster, Paul Thurlby
This is just such a fun print and I love the vintage vibes. And it’s so fitting given that the novel kicks off with a scene at the US Open tournament where Carrie makes the monumental decision to come out of retirement.
Carrie’s tumultuous relationship with her father/coach is one of the most poignant and emotional subplots in the novel. If you’re want more parent-child sports stories, this movie about Richard Williams (the father of Serena and Venus Williams) makes for a great watch.
Sporty Mix candy, Sugarpova
For a large part of the book, Carrie’s main rival is Paulina Stepanova—the ice queen to Carrie’s fiery personality, and whom many readers suspect is based on Maria Sharapova. Treat yourself to these tennis ball-shaped gumballs from Sharapova’s candy line.
A Perfectly Useless Afternoon, Mr Jones Watches
One of the key themes in the book is how Carrie learns to relinquish her singular focus on being the best. This fun watch reminds me of that. The design is inspired by a Chinese quote: “'If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless manner, you have learnt how to live'.” The pointing leg is the hour hand and the rubber duck is the minute hand—mega adorable.
(I just ordered one and am impatiently waiting for it to arrive!)
3. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
An uplifting book about a female scientist who parlays her love for chemistry into a hit cooking show thatinspires women all around the country to stand up for themselves. It tackles serious themes with an unexpected (but perfectly balanced) dose of humor.
Dinner needlepoint pillow, The Six Bells
Just because a woman can cook doesn’t mean she has to. 😉
Small Pasta Gift Box, Fiona’s Pasta
Have you ever seen pasta this beautiful!! The vibrant colors and patterns are handmade with organic herbs, vegetables, and superfoods.
Beaker Wine Glass, Periodic Tableware
A fun, chemistry-inspired take on the classic wineglass. For your friend who works hard (in the lab) and plays just as hard (or harder).
Rodgers Lunch Box, State
The book opens with the main character Elizabeth Zott packing a lunchbox for her daughter—and the lunchbox helps kickstart her eventual TV stardom.
Blueprint Dinner Mat, Asterisk*
This is just so Elizabeth Zott-coded.
Other gift guides
Check out Gift Guide: Part 1, inspired by R.F. Kuang’s Babel and Emily Henry’s Happy Place and moi’s own The Fraud Squad here.
Check out the Gift Guide for Quirky Book Lovers here.
Writing this gift guide has been so much fun but it’s getting a bit too long so I’ll stop here. 😊 I hope November ends well and December gets off to a great start for you. Take care and look out for my next newsletter!
Love,
Kyla