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The 2017 Holiday Gift Guide

By Jesse Kornbluth
Published: Nov 21, 2017
Category: Holiday

HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDES
The Holiday Gift Guide
The Food Edition
Gifts for Kids
The Luxury Edition

ALL-TIME TOP 10 CLASSIC GIFTS

Timex Easy Reader Watch
Esquire: “The simple retro face looks cooler than some watches that cost six times as much.” Under $30.

Zojirushi Stainless Steel Vacuum Insulated Mug
What is astonishing about the Zojirushi? Hot stays hot and cold stays cold. Reader review: “You say this keeps coffee/tea hot for 6 hours. Well, sometimes I put coffee in at 10 PM — and it is still steaming when I open it at my work desk the next day at 8 AM.”

TaoTronics Dimmable LED Desk Lamp
The footprint is small. The design is sleek. It looks chic and expensive. It has a one-touch, 3-level dimmer. It uses 75% less electricity than an old-fashioned lamp. It folds for easy transport. It’s no heavier than a small bag of feathers. It costs $22.

The Queen’s Gambit
My favorite book. But here’s a Reader Review: “I don’t read mysteries. I don’t read thrillers. I’m a Barbara Pym kind of reader, who likes books in which the big events are cups of tea. But I got “The Queens Gambit” out of the library and couldn’t put it down. I gave it to my husband, who definitely does read thrillers, and he gulped it down in a day.

The Filson Briefcase
The Filson briefcase is so well designed and so well made it could be the last briefcase you’ll ever buy. What if it glitches down the pike? Clinton Filson’s original pledge still applies: “We guarantee every item purchased from us. No more, no less. Your satisfaction is the sole purpose of our transaction.” Reader testimonial: “I’ve had a Filson briefcase since the early 2000s. Mine survived a car fire and the laptop inside was fine.”

The Polar Express
On Christmas Eve, a father tells his son that there’s no Santa Claus. Later that night, a train packed with children stops in front of a boy’s house. He hops on and travels to the North Pole, where Santa offers him the first toy of Christmas. The boy chooses a reindeer’s bell. On the way home, he loses it. How he finds it and what that means — that’s where you reach for the Kleenex.

Miles Davis: Ascenseur Pour L’Echafaud
This soundtrack, recorded in a single, champagne-fueled session, is one of the greatest jazz soundtracks in film — some say the greatest. Miles Davis’ trumpet couldn’t be more evocative: mostly slow and breathy, thoughtful and tender, lonely and okay about it.

Pu-erh tea
It looks like a cow pie. But it has taste benefits. And is distinctively packaged. Alice Waters drinks Pu-erh tea. And swears by it: “My cholesterol went down 100 points since I started drinking this.”

A Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens and Jesse Kornbluth: How is that for a byline? How did it happen? Because the Dickens masterpiece is 28,000 words. Good luck reading them all to a kid. So I edited it to 13,000 words, and Paige Peterson created great illustrations. From an Irish teacher: “I had been searching around for a very long time for a good version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and I finally found one. Well done on such a venture — and how it was needed. I have read the original many times with many classes and it goes knee deep in treacle in some parts and I lost the class for a while. You have surely gained the trust and admiration of Charles Dickens and he must nod in approval from his eternal writing desk.”

Mohsin Hamid
Could Hamid be the best — that is, the most relevant — novelist now writing? (Bonus: He writes short books.)

STOCKING STUFFERS

Levitation Floating Globe Rotating Magnetic Mysteriously Suspended in Air
It’s a light, though not a strong one. But who cares? The globe floats in mid-air. And spins. Magic! It comes in 3 colors: blue, black, white. It’s 8” tall. The globe is 4”.

Proraso Shaving Cream
Proraso was formulated by a venerable company in Florence in 1948. The ingredients remain unchanged. All natural, of course. Friends who have tried every multi-bladed trick razor and cream in the world say this is the missing link to an even, truly close shave. And it smells great.

“Maybe You Touched Your Genitals” Liquid Hand Soap
The label features an attractive woman in a crisp white blouse and a neighborly smile shaking hands with a man in a suit. A “Secret Santa” present for the dinosaur male in the office who didn’t get the memo?

Nam Prik Asian Chili Hot Sauce
Nam Prik is an Asian chili sauce that’s both spicy and sweet. Nam Prik (pronounced: nam-preek, literally “fluid chili”) isn’t like all the other smartly-labeled sauces you see on grocery shelves. It delivers fire and flavor, adding personality to eggs, Mexican food, Asian dishes, meat and chicken entrees — it could be the next Sriracha.

Egyptian Magic
Burns, scrapes, skin irritations, diaper rash, sunburns, eczema, psoriasis — it’s the go-to cream. Dry skin? When an exceptional moisturizer is needed, we open the Magic. Some use it on their hair, as a conditioner. As an anti-wrinkle cream, it’s a comparative bargain. The ingredients are olive oil, bees wax, honey, bee pollen, royal jelly and bee propolis. And — so it says — “divine love.” With the exception of the last “ingredient,” you could whip it up yourself. But you couldn’t improve on the original.

Light Up Compact Mirror with Rechargeable Battery Pack for Smartphones
NOTE: As of 12/18, it’s now selling for $99. If you ordered early, it was $27. Those who did… kudos. Thought who didn’t…well, just saying.
It looks like a standard 3.5” circular compact in a stylish colored shell that comes in a choice of colors (red, gold, purple, rose). But inside the 7-ounce makeup mirror is a battery pack that can charge an iPhone, iPad, Android or any USB-powered devices. Two must-have items in one? Exactly.

Anthelios XL SPF 50+ Sunscreen
What’s so great about Anthelios with Mexoryl? Dr. Vincent DeLeo, Chairman, Department of Dermatology, Founding Director, Skin of Color Center, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt and Beth Israel: “It produces a product which gives us almost perfect protection against sunshine.” Dr. Darrell Rigel, clinical professor of dermatology at New York University: Mexoryl “is the No. 1 individual ingredient in terms of protection from Ultraviolet A radiation.” Get the idea: It’s just a lot better than American products.

Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell
The duets of Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell were recorded in forever ago 1967. What songs were on that CD? Oh, just classics: “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” “You’re All I Need to Get By.” “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing.” “If I Could Build My Whole World Around You.”

iKlear
iKlear is the cleaning product used — the only cleaning product used — at the Genius Bar and in the Apple repair shop for iPhones, iPads and iMacs. For the simple reason Apple chooses anything: This ammonia-and-alcohol-free cleaner is the best. But NOT for eyeglasses! Repeat: NOT for eyeglasses!

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm
A salesclerk told me that “all the celebrity make-up artists” use Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. As someone noted on a message board, “It’s like eight hours of sleep in a tube.” Sold!

Anne Taintor Coffee Mugs
Anne Taintor blends smarts and snark. Her signature item is the 14 oz. ceramic gloss finish coffee mug: inexpensive, amusingly boxed, an unfailing bit of intelligent good cheer in the blur of the early morning or the grind of the office. Slogans and images send messages: “We Go Together Like Drunk And Disorderly.” “If It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere Can I Go Home Now.” “If You’re Going To Kick Ass, You Need Kickass Shoes.” “Walk Faster… The Children Are Catching Up” And my favorite: “She Was Comforted By The Knowledge That They Were Helpless Without Her.”

HeadButler.com: The 100 Essentials
I read through a decade of Butlers, picked the best 200, pared that list to 150, walked around the block, took a shot of bourbon for courage, and came up with 100 of my favorite pieces on books, movies and music. You know how I like short books? This isn’t: 242 pages, almost 80,000 words.

PAPER AND PENCILS

French Notebooks
When you want something more distinctive than a marbleized composition book.

Perfetto Pencils
Louise Fili’s pencil case and pencils makes me think of the Italy of the 1930s and 1940s. It’s very clean, very precise, very bold design: a sturdy case, with twelve double-sided, two-color pencils. Want multi-colors? Here.

Moleskine Notebooks
The leather-like cover takes more wear than you’ll ever give it. The elastic band is useful both to keep the notebook closed and to mark your place. There’s an inner pocket to hold business cards, receipts and small photographs. The spine is sewn, not glued, so the cover lies flat when it’s opened. The paper is acid-free. What more do you want from a notebook?

Palomino Blackwing Pencils
John Steinbeck wrote with a Blackwing. Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim and Quincy Jones used Blackwings for scores. Chuck Jones drew cartoon figures with Blackwings. They are “the best pencil ever made.”

Personalized Stationery
Suzanne Eagle makes a unique gift: personalized stationery that shows how much attention you’ve paid to your giftee. Each box consists of stationery with a variety of icons that reflect what your recipient is passionate about. Beautifully designed with magnificent liners, if you desire. The process? Very simple. Email: SuzanneNEagle@gmail.com.

Emily Dickinson Notecards
A dozen 5-1/2″ x 4-1/4″cards, “made with prints from the beloved poet’s pressed-flower albums, where she collected over four hundred specimens.” With matching envelopes, in a matching box.

CANDLES

Thymes Frasier Fir Candle
The Thymes Frasier Fir candle in a dark green glass won’t quite convince you that there’s a fir tree in the corner, but it proposes the idea. The smell is of “crisp Siberian Fir needles, heartening cedar wood and relaxing sandalwood.” In simple English, this candle defines fresh.

Diptyque candles
Reader review: “What’s the very best Christmas gift? Simple. A candle. Many hours of joy and serenity, a universal source of delight, sets a tone for not just your home, but your life. So why not get the very best one in the world for someone you love? That would be the Diptyque. A candle could be a ho-hum gift rather than a ho-ho, but not this one. It takes 1300 roses to make ONE gram of pure rose oil used in a Diptyque. This candle lasts so long it’s like a bottle of Dom Perignon that keeps refilling itself while your back is turned. Just buy one and see what happens. Would you give your love a $7 bottle of champagne?”

ARMCHAIR TRAVEL

Atlas of Remote Islands (Fifty Islands I Have Never Set Foot on and Never Will)
The author disdains any island you can easily get to. The more remote the destination, the more enthusiastic she is for it. Like Peter I Island in the Antarctic — until the late 1990s, fewer people had visited it than had set foot on the moon. A one-of-a-kind treat.

FOR HER

L’Artisan Nuit de Tubereuse Eau de Parfum
Years ago my wife declared allegiance to L’Artisan Nuit de Tubereuse Eau de Parfum. A few years ago I went to Barney’s and bought a bottle — at $166 (with tax: $178). On a whim, I checked Amazon. All L’Artisan Perfumes — not just Tuberose — are $60 on Amazon. I returned the gift to Barneys, replaced it at Amazon. I feel smart. You can too.

Clarisonic Facial Sonic Cleansing System
A doctor friend — a distinguished doctor, at that — advised us to get this. “This isn’t just good, it’s not just useful,” he said. “It’s magic.” How good is it? This good: You may never need to visit a dermatologist again. You may never need a facial again. Which is why, for the price of two or three facials, you can call the Clarisonic a bargain.

T3 Professional Hair Dryer
A high-powered woman in media — you’ve seen her hair — wrote me to praise this dryer: “It feels gentle, and yet it dries my hair faster. I was told I would never have another bad hair day, and I haven’t. I don’t understand how it works, but it is easier to get my hair to do what I want it to do. The only conclusion is magic.”

THE HOLIDAYS FOR CHILDREN

The Snowman
A boy in rural England builds a snowman. At midnight, as the boy looks out his window, the snowman lights up. The boy runs outside. He invites the snowman to tour his home. Then the snowman takes his hand. And off they fly, over England, over water, to the North Pole. There, Santa gives the boy a scarf. The boy and the snowman fly home. As the boy is going inside, the snowman waves — a wave of goodbye. The boy rushes into his arms and hugs him. The next morning, the snowman’s just a few lumps of coal and an old hat. Did that magical night really happen? The boy reaches into his pocket and finds the scarf. He drops to his knees and, almost as an offering, places it by the snowman’s hat. Fantastic story. Amazing animation. The most beautiful song. This 22-minute film is the very definition of perfection. For kids 3 and up. [I’m reminded that the book is just as exceptional, and ideal for kids 4 to 8.]

HOLIDAY MUSIC

Phil Spector: A Christmas Gift for You
The best holiday album ever made.

Christmas with the Tallis Scholars
Founded in 1973 by Peter Phillips, this English group has released 50 CDs and given 1,600 concerts. Over the decades, the Scholars have become the gold standard of Renaissance music. As this recording proves.

HIGH ALERT

Mental Clarity
A friend known for his strong opinions started taking Mental Clarity once a day. He reported back: “A number of situations have occurred — both work and play — that would have had me up the wall, but I’ve just shrugged my way through them. After one incident, I noted how unstressed my reaction was. So there’s a rousing testimonial.” Mental Clarity contains Brahmi, which is said to “improve capacity for attention and focus, improve the ability to withstand emotional stress, reduce nervousness and anxiety and improve immune system function.” And it has Ashwaghandha, which is said to improve memory and “protect the brain against brain cell deterioration.” In short, Ayurvedic medicine.

SPORTS

Levels of the Game
On the surface, this is an account of a single match between Arthur Ashe and Clark Graebner in the semifinals at the U.S. Open in Forest Hills. But as the title suggests, a game — any game, at any degree of competition — is not just about competence. How you play is a revelation of character; how you play is who you are. Many tennis buffs think this is the best book ever written about the sport.

WINE

Oldman’s Guide to Outsmarting Wine: 108 Ingenious Shortcuts to Navigate the World of Wine with Confidence and Style
What do you order on Valentine’s Day? Oldman tells you. What do you drink the day you get out of prison — or on your deathbed? He knows that too. He matches wine with food for you. He explains why wine is unsatisfying with salads and artichokes. He blows the whistle on restaurant wine lists. He even tells you what to buy at Costco. And how can you not love a wine writer who serves up “fifty best buys under $15.”

HOT STUFF

“Eva” and “Fin”
By the shoddy standards of what is known as the sex toy industry, these designed-by-women vibrators are revolutionary. They use medical-grade silicone. Their tiny batteries power devices that have three speeds, hold a charge, and are quickly refreshed.

Esther Perel: The State of Affairs: Rethinking Adultery
Infidelity is now about a lot more than Tab A merging with an unsanctioned Tab B. It’s also — and how typical is this? — the emotional cheating we do on the Internet: “When it’s no longer an exchange of kisses…when the secretive lunch has been replaced with a secret Facebook account, how are we to know what constitutes an affair?” So Perel expands her focus. Her book is about “the trajectory of desire when it goes looking elsewhere.” About “examining illicit love from multiple angles.” This isn’t a book about overcoming the crisis of an affair, it’s an attempt to launch a fresh conversation.

Married Sex: a Love Story
From the New York Times review: “Kornbluth’s debut novel, about a happy marriage interrupted by a ménage à trois, could easily have coasted on its promise of titillation. Instead it is a skillfully written, lighthearted and clever story that manages to be steamy but never salacious… Kornbluth has a screenwriter’s ear for witty banter, and the novel hinges on the charming voice of its narrator.”

James Salter: A Sport and a Pastime
“She cannot be satisfied. She will not let him alone. She removes her clothes and calls to him. Once that night and twice the next morning he complies and in the faint darkness between lies awake, the lights of Dijon faint on the ceiling, the boulevards still. It’s a bitter night. Flats of rain are passing. Heavy drops ring in the gutter outside their window, but they are in a dovecote, they are pigeons between the eaves. The rain is falling all around them. Deep in feathers, breathing softly, they lie.”

R.L. Burnside
You want subtle, look elsewhere. Burnside struts and shakes, moans and cries, cares nothing about convention, and, although he married just one woman and had a dozen children, casts himself as present at the creation of sin. And he makes sin look damned good.

COOKING

Canal House Cooks Every Day
Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer won the lottery. They get to live authentic lives and cook real food and write books that are both creative and simple. These 250 recipes are the proof.

At Home with May and Axel Vervoordt: Recipes for Every Season
The Vervoordts live in a castle. Axel is an art and antiques dealer and a decorator. May cooks. She quotes Virginia Woolf: “One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.” Her guests do.

LUXURY

Coqui Coqui Room Scent
Inspired by the rich tropical aromas of the Yucatan Peninsula, the reed diffusers disperse concentrated essential oils for a long-lasting fragrance.

Chevron Wrap
100% alpaca hand-loomed in Chile by Mapuche weavers. Take 30% off.

Cross Purpose
Adria de Haume was a Jewish girl in Detroit who became interested in crosses as sacred symbols. In her 30s, she made a cross of mixing sticks for a seriously ill friend, who recovered. Later, she heard a voice in the night: “Wake up and make crosses.” Did she ever! As a photographer, jewelry maker and artist, she spent the next quarter of a century preparing the work that fills this extraordinary book. Writers and philosophers weigh in, wise quotes dot the pages, but the heart of this slip-bound coffee table extravaganza are 200 color illustrations of the crosses she’s created. Click to see a portfolio of crosses from this one-of-a-kind gift for a believer…in Christ or art.

Capresso Burr Coffee Grinder
A cheap grinder batters the beans and chips them into uneven bits. Worse, it runs fast, so it heats the beans, which is exactly what you don’t want, particularly if, like me, you run the machine for a full minute for a finer grind. The pros use a burr grinder. Because it runs at a slower speed, it generates less heat. And the burrs create uniform grounds.

Carlo Scarpa
Such a beautiful book. Such an interesting human. When Frank Lloyd Wright visited Venice, many wanted to be his tour guide. Wright had no use for them. “Which one of you is Scarpa?” he demanded.

The World of Madeleine Castaing
As World War II ended, Madame Castaing opened her first boutique in Paris. Never had there been a shop like this. For one thing, it didn’t look like a store — it was a series of rooms that looked as if someone lived in them. And no two rooms were alike. Indeed, no single room had an identifying theme or style. English Regency tables, Swedish chairs, a Russian couch — her rooms didn’t make statements, they told stories.