Curated Lists
Jim's hand-picked collections. Each list is a curated journey through the best books on a topic.
Gift Guides
Shopping for someone? Start at the Book Gift Guide.
Book Gifts for Him
Gift ideas for a partner, brother or friend: twisty thrillers, sci-fi and fantasy page-turners, big-idea history, gripping true stories and a few books that are just plain funny.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Her
Gift ideas for a partner, sister or friend: Greek myth retold, sweeping family sagas, dark campus novels and twisty thrillers, memoirs, a rom-com and a cookbook that teaches how to cook without recipes.
12 books Gift GuideCookbook Gifts for Home Cooks
Gift ideas for the person who already cooks: deep technique books, classic references, vegetable cookbooks and a couple of food reads for the couch.
12 books Gift GuideBook Club Gift Ideas
Book club gift ideas: novels and nonfiction that give a group plenty to debate, from family sagas and courtroom stories to artificial intelligence, regret and justice.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Grandparents
Gift ideas for grandma and grandpa: warm, funny novels, gentle mysteries, true history that reads like a story and a classic to read aloud with the grandkids.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Health and Fitness Fans
Gift ideas for runners, gym regulars and sleep and nutrition nerds: popular science on exercise, sleep, breathing, food and aging, plus one running adventure.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for History Buffs
Gift ideas for the person who already knows the dates: narrative histories that read like novels, big-picture books about how the world got this way, and a couple of serious doorstops.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Investors
Gift ideas for the person who checks the market before breakfast: investing classics, the case for index funds, money psychology and true stories of fraud and crypto.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Mystery Lovers
Gift ideas for the reader who always tries to guess the killer: classic whodunits, cozy mysteries, twisty psychological thrillers and literary crime.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Romance Readers
Gift ideas for the romance reader: the romantasy hits everyone is asking for, witty rom-coms, enemies-to-lovers and fake-dating favorites, a historical epic, the classic that started it all and a few love stories that are more sad than sweet.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Sci-Fi and Fantasy Fans
Gift ideas for readers who live in other worlds: epic fantasy series, mind-bending science fiction, heists, comedies and a few short books that punch above their size.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Teens
Gift ideas for teens who already like to read: fantasy worlds to binge, love stories, big science fiction and a couple of grown-up books they'll feel trusted with.
12 books Gift GuideBest Cookbooks for Beginners
Gift ideas for a first apartment, a new grad or anyone who "can't cook": cookbooks that teach the why behind the recipes, plus a few big references to grow into.
10 books Gift GuideBooks for Teens Who Hate Reading
Gift ideas for the teenager who "doesn't like books": fast, high-stakes stories with cliffhanger chapters and characters their own age, many with a movie or series to compare afterward.
12 books Gift GuideBooks for Dads Who Don't Read
Gift ideas for the dad whose reading list is the back of a cereal box: fast true stories, page-turning adventure and science fiction that reads like an action movie.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Mom
Gift ideas for the mom who reads (or wants to read more): book-club favorites, feel-good fiction, cozy mysteries and memoirs worth talking about.
12 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for Outdoorsy People
Gift ideas for hikers, campers and preppers: survival handbooks that earn a spot in the pack, plus true adventure stories for the nights by the fire.
11 books Gift GuideBook Gifts for New Programmers
Gift ideas for a bootcamp grad, a CS student or a self-taught coder: the books that explain how computers really work, how good code reads and how software teams actually ship.
12 books Gift GuideMoney Books to Gift a New Grad
Gift ideas for the graduate with a first paycheck: the personal-finance books that explain budgeting, investing and the psychology of money without the jargon.
10 books Gift GuideShort Books for Stocking Stuffers
Small books with big reputations: classics, wisdom and fast fiction mostly under 250 pages that fit in a stocking and get read before New Year's.
12 booksMore Curated Lists
Books for New Year's Resolutions
Books to start the new year with, matched to the most common resolutions: building habits, sorting out money, sleeping and moving more, focusing at work, changing your mindset and reading more.
12 books Cookbooks & FoodBest-Selling Cookbooks
The cookbooks that earn their counter space. Jim doesn't have a kitchen but he has shelved every one of these in the burrow library, and every one of them has earned its place. Technique, reference, weeknight rescue — everything a home cook actually needs.
8 books Personal Finance & InvestingBest-Selling Personal Finance Books
Eight books that change how you think about money. Get out of debt, build the emergency fund, automate the boring parts, invest in low-cost index funds, and let compounding work. Different temperaments, different philosophies — Jim has shelved every one of them in the burrow library and recommends them all.
8 books Survival & PreparednessBest-Selling Survival Books
When the lights go out, the book on your shelf is the friend you actually have. These are the bestselling, most-recommended survival and preparedness books — the ones Jim would grab if he could only stash eight in his burrow. Wilderness skills, home readiness, off-grid medicine, and the psychology of staying alive.
8 books Fiction & LiteratureJim's Ultimate Beach Reads
Sand between your toes, sun on your face, and a book you can't put down — that's Jim's idea of paradise. These fun, breezy reads are perfect for vacation, pool days, or any time you need to escape reality for a few hours.
8 books Fiction & LiteratureBest Books to Gift a Book Lover
Shopping for a reader? Jim knows what book lovers actually want on their shelves. These are the gorgeous editions, beloved classics, and universally praised titles that make perfect gifts — no gift receipt needed.
8 books Fiction & LiteratureCozy Winter Reads
When the weather outside is frightful, there's nothing more delightful than curling up with a great book. Jim's picked the coziest, most atmospheric reads for those long winter nights — grab a blanket and hot cocoa.
8 books HistoryMind-Expanding Nonfiction
Books that made Jim look at the world completely differently. These nonfiction picks will challenge your assumptions, blow your mind, and make you the most interesting person at any dinner party.
8 books HistoryBooks That Haven't Been Burned... Yet
They've been banned from libraries, pulled from school curricula, challenged by parents' groups, and denounced by governments. Some were ahead of their time. Some just asked the wrong questions. Jim believes the best response to a book ban is a book recommendation. Here are the titles that someone, somewhere, doesn't want you to read — which is exactly why you should.
19 books Self-Help & Personal GrowthBest Reads of 2025
Jim's top picks that every bookworm should have devoured by now. A mix of recent releases and timeless titles that hit different this year. Whether you're catching up or looking for your next obsession, this list has you covered.
10 books Fiction & LiteratureJim's Summer Reading List 2026
Sunshine, hammocks, and great books — Jim's picks for the perfect summer reads. Nothing too heavy, nothing too long, just pure reading pleasure to enjoy with your toes in the sand (or the dirt, if you're a worm).
8 books Self-Help & Personal GrowthLife-Changing Books, Picked by Jim
These aren't just good books — they're the kind that rewire your brain (or, for a worm, all five neurons). From memoirs that shatter your worldview to psychology classics that explain why we are the way we are, these books will leave you genuinely different than when you started.
5 books FantasyEpic Fantasy Adventures for First-Timers
New to fantasy? Jim's got you covered. These are the gateway books that'll turn anyone into a fantasy-obsessed bookworm. From cozy hobbits to ambitious wizards, these stories prove that the best adventures happen between the pages.
3 books Self-Help & Personal GrowthBooks That Make You Smarter (Jim Guarantees It)
Want to impress people at dinner parties? Or just understand the world a little better? These books will expand your brain in the best possible way. Jim's neurons are still firing from these reads.
4 books Science FictionSci-Fi Books That Blew Jim's Mind
From distant galaxies to dystopian futures, these are the science fiction novels that kept Jim burrowing through pages until the sun came up. Each one is a portal to another world.
2 books Business & LeadershipJim's Must-Read Business Books
Jim picked the business books worth wriggling through, so you don't have to. These are the real deal — no fluff, no filler, just pure entrepreneurial gold.
4 books