Host a Bookish Holiday Party
Inspiration for a holiday book exchange.
It’s that time of year again. That time when I catch myself spending every minute of every day thinking about the Grossy Pelosi Annual Holiday Cookie Exchange.
WHAT ON EARTH IS THE GROSSY PELOSI ANNUAL HOLIDAY COOKIE EXCHANGE?
Every year, one of my favorite internet chefs, Dan Pelosi, hosts a legendary holiday cookie exchange in his NY apartment. He invites all of his friends—chefs and non-chefs alike—to bring a batch of cookies. Every baker sets their goods on the butcher-paper-covered dining table and writes the name of their cookie in Sharpie. All are handed a cookie container to fill with a bounty of sugary treats.
What charming chaos! And think of the stories that must be behind each recipe! I can’t get enough.
Each year, I dream of hosting my own cookie exchange, but a selfish thought inevitably stops me.
I don’t eat dairy.
Like, at all. It gives me migraines. In fact, up until the point when I stopped eating dairy eight years ago, I thought everyone on the planet walked around with a small headache all the time. Life is better for me without it.
But oh, how I yearn for the cookies!!!!!!!!
ENTER THE HOLIDAY BOOK EXCHANGE
A few days ago, I realized that I can have alllllllllll the charm and chaos as I want without having to get a migraine. Because you know what is dairy-free? Books!
Picture this. Everyone you love has gathered together in your home. There’s a table covered in books. Novels. Memoirs. Science-y nonfiction. Hardcovers and paperbacks, new and used. Everyone in attendance brought a copy to give away, and they’ll each walk out your door with a different book in hand.
Your favorite pine-scented candle is burning. From the Bluetooth speaker, A Christmas Gift for You From Phil Spector fills the spaces between the bookish conversation. There are snacks and sips and laughs.
Sounds scrumptious, huh? You can make this happen. Here are some ideas for hosting your own Holiday Book Exchange.
1) MAKE THE ASSIGNMENT CLEAR.
Ask everyone to bring one book to give away. You could give the book exchange a theme, like:
favorite novel released in 2024
all-time favorite celebrity biography
book you’d put in a time capsule to represent 2024
Or, you could simply ask guests to bring a book that knocked them sideways recently. A book they’re just dying to talk to someone about. Maybe they’ll meet that someone at your party.
2) DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE HUMBLE COFFEE GET-TOGETHER.
This time of year is dripping from the trees with evening cocktail gatherings. Why not try something different, inviting your book babes to arrive at 10 or 11AM for an open house with coffee and hot chocolate?
If you want to make the gathering feel really special, whip up some candy cane marshmallows for your guests to dunk in their hot beverages.
3) SET A STACK OF BOOKMARKS ON THE BOOK TABLE.
Have everyone fill out a bookmark with a brief description of what they love about the book they’ve brought for the exchange. These bookmarks are something you can easily make by hand, or whip one up on Canva like I did:
Be sure to have them write their names. Perusing the bookmarks will be an instant convo-starter among guests.
4) LET THE BOOK EXCHANGE COMMENCE!
And relish the feeling of bringing good books into the lives of your family and friends.
WHAT I’D BRING TO THE BOOK EXCHANGE
Here are a few books that blew my socks off this year. I’d relish any chance to share these titles with beloved friends.
Log Off by Kristen Felicetti · A coming-of-age novel set entirely on LiveJournal.
Worry by Alexandra Tanner · Every page of this Seinfeldian novel about two sisters made me roar with laughter.
Fake Piñata by Ashleah Gonzales · Okay, I’m tremendously biased, because the press I work for put this out, but these poems really are something else.
Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten · I’ve been waiting my entire Ina-revering life for this memoir, and it certainly did not disappoint.
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