10 Gifts for the Hostess with the Mostess

The world can be bleak at times, and the 24-hour news cycle and influence of social media makes it difficult to escape the tragedies occurring around us. In this profound and meditative book, Anne Lamott reminds us that the seeds of our own happiness can be found within us.

If your host loves mixing cocktails and making the perfect drink for guests, The Mini Bar is an absolute must-buy. It consists of eight small notebooks in adorable packaging, and the recipes are organized by the base ingredient, ensuring that the giftee can become an expert in making all kinds of drinks—and even create their own.

This fun set of postcards from Pop Chart Lab is a sure conversation-starter. Twenty-four postcards in 12 unique designs diagram the first sentence from popular works of literature. They can serve as a charming hostess gift, or you can send them to friends and family. (Who doesn’t love a love note—or a thank you note?)

If your host loves their morning cup of joe, this guide will show them how to prepare, store, and even drink the world’s favorite morning beverage. This isn’t so much about etiquette and protocol as it is about how to best enjoy coffee at home or in the café. It also answers popular questions about the beverage and busts myths (who knew darker coffee isn’t always stronger?).

For the host who loves to visit foreign countries or thoroughly enjoys armchair traveling, this incredible guide to Mexico City will make a perfect gift. It’s not your typical travel guide: as a resident herself, Abby Clawson Low focuses on lifestyle, using gorgeous pictures and design to show off the best of the city.

Who doesn’t like cake? It’s an almost universal love, which is why All About Cake makes the ideal hostess gift. This collection of lip-smacking recipes covers everything to do with cake, including microwavable mug cakes to the fanciful creations that Christina Tosi makes at Milkbar.

This field guide is the perfect book for wine-lovers, especially those who enjoy terroir and the art of European wines. Parr describes how wines from different regions of Europe should taste—a tour of taste buds, if you will. Whether your host or hostess considers themselves a vino expert or someone just getting into grapes, this book will have something for them.

When it comes to Celtic mysticism, John O’Donohue was one of the best known and most inspirational names out there. Now, his close friend John Quinn has taken O’Donohue’s timeless exchanges and collected them into this seminal work, sure to become a spiritual classic.

Flights is a story collection interlinked by the themes of travel and the human body. Each tale has a thoughtful connection to a part of the body and what it means to be a person in this world; after all, we’re all travelers just searching for our place. This book might just help each of us find it.

For the constant photographer (particularly users of the FujiFilm Instax Mini Instant Camera), this gift is picture-perfect. A journal sized for mini photos, it’s a great way to turn a collection of loose pictures into a keepsake they’ll be able to revisit for years to come.