december reading and last minute gift ideas

hello.

finals, christmas, and 2025 are coming at me like a freight train.

today’s letter is short, sweet, and simple— last minute gift ideas and a lofty unrealistic december reading list that will most likely carry over into the month of january.

let’s begin.

last minute gift ideas:

fragrances and things that smell good: molecule 01 (the best most unique fragrance), vanilla cashmere lotion (the coziest bedtime lotion), hot cocoa candle (the perfect christmas candle), orpheon shower gel (the most sensual best smelling luxe shower gel).

books: find a book on this list, write a little note on the first page, mark it with a kiss, annotate it if you love them.

journal + journaling accessories: hobonichi weeks, this sticker book (or this one), a pack of your favorite pens, and this mini portable photo printer to print 2x3 photos you can attach in your journals, wallets, etc.

a chess board: look, chess.com is fun. but when was the last time you met a friend at a coffee shop to kiki, play chess together, drink cappuccinos, and be serenaded by the sounds and ambiance of distant jazz, clanking espresso cups, and conversations between strangers?

hatch alarm: this is one of those gifts that will significantly improve your recipients life, but they probably won’t go out of their way to buy this for themselves.

tea set: a gift set like this paired with a cute mug.

food gifts/ food basket full of treats: bonne maman chocolate hazelnut spread, box of swedish gingerbread cookies, bonilla a la vista fancy chips, bonbon candy box,

diy gift ideas:

rosemary spiced nuts in festive mason jars: i make this recipe every year to gift family and friends. it’s sweet, salty, spicy perfection.

clay magnets: the perfect retro gift for your kitschy friend.

cookie box: filled with meringues, shortbread, chocolate chip cookies (maman’s recipe), linzer, biscotti, baci di dama, gingerbread, snow ball cookies, candied fruits (this is the cookie box blueprint-

thank you, ok

i love you)

altoid wallets: something like this

homemade candle: this is a bit of a project but if you’re willing to put in the work it’s worth it.

stovetop potpourri: add the ingredients to a mason jar and wrap a little bow around it.

okay, moving on to this month’s reading list… i highly doubt i will get through all of these. i’m in the midst of reading a few of them, but given the season, the festivities, work, final exams, life- some of these will have to carry into 2025.

enjoy—

a woman appeared to me by renée vivien
vivien’s prose is lush and feverish, weaving a semi-autobiographical tale of an intense, spiritual connection between two women. it’s romantic, tragic, and unapologetically queer, written in a time when such love was often silenced. every sentence feels like it’s holding its breath, teetering on the edge of ecstasy and despair, creating a story that feels both timeless and deeply personal—a poetic testament to forbidden love.

either/or by søren kierkegaard
kierkegaard’s philosophical masterpiece explores two ways of living: the aesthetic life, which pursues beauty and pleasure, and the ethical life, which seeks responsibility and purpose. it’s a deeply personal, reflective work that challenges readers to confront their values and choices.

a short history of decay by emil cioran
cioran’s collection of aphorisms and essays dives into the futility of human existence with biting wit and poetic despair. it’s a stark, brutally honest reflection on mortality, meaning, and the absurdity of life, making it both unsettling and strangely liberating.

the inseparables by simone de beauvoir
this novella offers a poignant and personal portrayal of de beauvoir’s intense friendship with zaza, whose life and death deeply impacted her. it’s a tender, tragic exploration of love, freedom, and societal constraints that feels as intimate as a whispered confession.

sex, love, and letters: writing simone de beauvoir by judith coffin
coffin uncovers the rich, intimate correspondence between simone de beauvoir and her readers, revealing a dynamic exchange of ideas about feminism, politics, and personal struggles. through these letters, we see de beauvoir not just as a towering intellectual figure but as a deeply human one, engaged in a collaborative dialogue that shaped her philosophy and resonated across generations.

a certain smile by françoise sagan
this novella is bittersweet perfection—an elegant exploration of fleeting desire and disillusionment. sagan captures the melancholy of young love with such restraint, making dominique’s affair feel intimate and achingly real. it’s light on the surface but lingers in a way that’s hard to shake, a reminder of how easily romantic ideals can collide with the quiet realities of life.

art objects by jeanette winterson
winterson’s essays on art are like sitting down with someone who truly sees the world. she writes with passion and precision, exploring how art changes us, challenges us, and reminds us of our humanity. it’s deeply inspiring and feels like a call to pay closer attention to beauty and meaning in everyday life. she seamlessly ties personal anecdotes to broader questions, making each essay as vivid as a painting and as raw as a confession.

poems of fernando pessoa by fernando pessoa
pessoa’s poetry is hauntingly introspective, capturing the loneliness and beauty of a fragmented self. his ability to write as different personas makes each poem feel like it comes from an entirely new world, yet it all ties back to that same existential ache. reading this feels like staring into a mirror that reflects not just your face, but every hidden thought and unspoken feeling.

i have more souls than one by fernando pessoa
this is pessoa at his most introspective, grappling with identity and the idea of being multiple selves within one body. it’s simultaneously unsettling and comforting, making you question who you are and whether that answer is ever really fixed. his words seem to echo through time, reminding readers that the self is as fluid and enigmatic as life itself.

the hour of the star by clarice lispector
lispector’s novella is devastatingly raw, a small book that feels infinitely expansive. it tells the story of macabéa, a poor and unremarkable young woman, with such existential urgency that it becomes a meditation on life itself. lispector writes with a quiet ferocity, pulling you into macabéa’s world and forcing you to confront the fragile, fleeting nature of existence.

chess story by stefan zweig
zweig’s novella is a psychological masterclass, unraveling the obsessions and mental torment of two men locked in a high-stakes chess game. the writing is taut and suspenseful, yet it’s less about the game and more about the fragility of the human mind under pressure. it’s a story that feels claustrophobic and electric, a perfect study of the interplay between intellect and madness.

the art of cinema by jean cocteau
cocteau’s reflections on filmmaking are as poetic and unconventional as his films. he writes about cinema not just as a medium but as a living, breathing art form that transcends technical boundaries. his insights are as much about life and imagination as they are about the craft, making this a must-read for anyone who wants to view film through the lens of an artist who was always ahead of his time.

okay, that’s all for today.

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i love you.

bye.

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