Alex Nierenhausen's holiday gift guide to fiction and nonfiction reads

Alex Nierenhausen's the co-owner of Pulp Books, Verdun's go-to English bookstore. After spending years slinging books, curating shelves, and watching what resonates with readers, he opted to open his own shop with Daphnée Anctil in 2023. From pulpy horror to literary criticism, debut novels to career-defining memoirs, they see what flies off the shelves.

These days, they're more about matching books to the right people, which means they've seen every kind of gift-giver walk through the door: the last-minute scrambler, the thoughtful planner, the person who just wants something that won't end up on a donation pile.

So we asked Alex to put together a holiday gift guide. Far from a list of algorithmic bestsellers or bookstagram bait, these are books they've read, stocked, and recommended to customers who come back asking for more.