LC Scott, owner of eFrog Press, reflects on books published in 2014. Next week she will focus on titles for children.

As I look back over books we have worked on at eFrog Press in 2014, I have some wonderful holiday gift recommendations for the readers in your life. Not sure how to gift an ebook? All of the big ebook sellers provide a simple process. I don’t mean a gift card. I mean there is a method to send a person a specific ebook that you think they would enjoy reading. For example, Barnes & Noble’s website allows you to select the book you want to gift and then click on “Buy as Gift” (to the right of the Buy Now button) to send the gift to the recipient. On Amazon, find the book you’d like to send and select the “Give as a Gift” button (to the far right of the page, under the Buy button).

So here are my recommendations.

Science Fiction

For a futuristic page turner, consider gifting Philippe de Vosjoli’s I AM the Other and his sequel, The CyberBardos. An unknown entity is taking over computer screens around the world and transmitting puzzling messages that inspire fear in some and awe in others. Governments, religious groups, and individuals struggle to make sense of the ongoing messages. The second volume may be even better than the first so put this fast-paced series at the top of your list for science fiction lovers. Available in print and ebook.

Classic Westerns

Prefer Westerns? Will James was a real cowboy who wrote and illustrated tales based on his own experiences in the Wild West. James published a 22-book set on the range and now, for the first time, Bareback Publishing has released four titles through eFrog Press as ebooks: Cowboys North and South, The Drifting Cowboy, Lone Cowboy: My Life Story, and Smoky: The Cowhorse. In the preface to Cowboys North and South (1922), James writes, “The cowboy’s life can’t be learnt in a day or even a year, it’s a life you got to be raised at to understand, and I’ve had it proved that in my work even tho it may be rough, all the folks of the cow countries are backing me in what I say, and I hear the same holler as I used to when riding the side-winding bucker ‘stay a long time cowboy.’” Written in authentic cowboy vernacular, these titles bring the West back to life and are accompanied by illustrations by the author. Now available as ebooks.

New Western

How about a rollicking new Western with scientific touches? Screenwriter and video game designer Wynne McLaughlin’s The Bone Feud is the real story of a bitter feud between two paleontologists as they scoured the Wild West for skeletal remains of undiscovered dinosaur species. Scientist-adventurers Edward Cope and O.C. Marsh inadvertently unleashed “dinosaur fever” across the globe, and their amazing discoveries became the subject of bidding wars by universities, museums, and even the great showman P.T. Barnum. Their story has never been told, until now. This book is a fun read with a strong thread of truth. Available in print and ebook.

Historical Fiction

Any historical fiction lovers on your holiday list? Richard Fitchen’s writing combines storytelling with meticulous historical research. As a former professor, social sciences bibliographer at Yale University, and research librarian and bibliographer at Stanford, Fitchen does his homework and is passionate about making history come to life for his readers. His An American Saga series is a bold undertaking following feuding American families through the centuries from the 1700s to modern day.

Republic in Triumph: Jessie’s America covers 1908 to 1964. Attorney Jessie LaBarre practices judo and serves as an advisor to presidents. She spurs the growth of civil liberties, labor relations, women’s rights, and collective security, and she paves the way for a revolutionary culture of automobiles and airplanes. Readers of this historical novel meet leading men and women of the tumultuous decades from Theodore Roosevelt to Lyndon B. Johnson. Her family’s nemeses, the Camerons, plot to destroy Jessie and her family. Although she wins some convictions against them in court, a ruthless new Cameron generation extracts a terrible price. Available in print and ebook.

Christmas Picture Book

Need a gift for a family that celebrates Christmas? ‘Twas the Late Night of Christmas by Ann Whitford Paul and illustrated by Nancy Hayashi is a fun picture book that adults and kids alike will enjoy. This delightful retelling of the classic Christmas poem gives Mrs. Saint Nick a starring role and the recognition she deserves.

‘Twas the Late Night of Christmas and all through the house
Everyone was exhausted, even the mouse.
The children were whining. The house was a mess.
Mom slumped in despair from all of the stress.

The perfect gift for hassled parents overwhelmed by the crazy-making business of Christmas. View the book trailer and let Malcolm in the Middle‘s Jane Kaczmarek tell you more. Available in print, ebook and read aloud.

The Joy of Gifting Ebooks

The best thing about gifting ebooks is you can wait until the very last minute to make your purchases without paying for expedited shipping!

What are your favorite books to gift at this time of year? Share with us below in the comments.

The Unknown Reader opines about how to gift ebooks this holiday season. Although she hides her face behind her Kindle, the Unknown Reader never hides her opinions. Read on to learn why ebooks make the ideal holiday gift!

Cyber Monday might be a distant, foggy memory. At this point, you probably hate to think about any more holiday planning or browse Amazon & eBay yet again. But, if you need to (or if there are also winter birthdays to shop for), there’s the instantly-delivered digital gift of an ebook.

I’m all for giving ebooks as gifts because it’s . . .

1. Convenient

Though shopping burnout happens by this point in December, shopping for ebooks is relatively painless. View some excerpts, read some reviews, and find the ebook that your recipient will enjoy. Even the iBookstore has caught on and added ebook gifts this season.

2. Easier on the budget

While convenience is a main reason to go for ebooks, it’s also a matter of budgeting. A good ebook can easily cost under $15—and incur zero shipping & handling fees, which can mean huge savings compared to one- or two-day shipping. Giving an ebook also means that you don’t have to disclose how much you’re spending on the gift, as you would with a gift card.

3. Easier on the environment

Giving an ebook means one less thing to feel guilt over this holiday season. Without sending any packages on trucks, packing gifts in plastic, or giving something that will someday end up in a landfill, you can feel great about your choice of gift. (And you don’t spend gas money going to a bookstore or resources to wrap a traditional book!)

4. Thoughtful

With any book, it’s clearly the thought that counts and expresses your unique connection with the recipient. When you know what a person will really spend their time reading, or a topic that you two share, an ebook is a great gift. (And you’ll know them well enough to know what device to buy the ebook for!)

5. Not tricky to learn how           

Starting a new gift giving tradition can be daunting. That’s why it’s key to find some great how-to’s.

Check out these guides to begin:

• How to give ebooks via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBookstore, Kobo, and Sony’s Reader Store (videos)
• How to give ebooks via Amazon, B&N, iBookstore, Kobo, and All Romance Books/OmniLit (text)
• How to use QR codes to give free Project Gutenberg books on gift labels, cards, etc. (text & screenshots)

Ebook Suggestions for Last-Minute Gifts

‘Twas the Late Night of Christmas

This fun take on the classic ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas is a great gift for families, kids, parents, but especially moms worn down by the demands of the season! Sit by your fireplace (where the stockings are hung) and sip egg nog as you order from Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, or iTunes (Read Aloud version). Perfect for Christmas!

View book trailer starring Malcolm in the Middle’s Jane Kaczmarek and read interview with Mrs. Saint Nick about her featured role in this fun book.

Bloody Lessons: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery

Have a friend who loves mysteries or historical fiction? Bloody Lessons: A Victorian San Francisco Mystery by M. Louisa Locke is both–a cozy mystery set in Victorian San Francisco. This is the third book in the series so you could gift the first title, Maids of Misfortune, but Bloody Lessons is a great read and gives enough context to be read first. Especially  fun for teachers! The author is a retired history professor who knows the Victorian period well.

Unveiling

Need a gift for a friend who likes more recent history, stories about other cultures, or a bit of romance? We have the perfect new title–Unveiling by S. Woffington. The heroine, Sara, is passionate about art and her culture’s ancient traditions but flees her sheltered family life to live in America and pursuit her art. Two men follow and she faces two possibilities for her future. The author lived in Saudia Arabia and her love for the country and people shine through.

View the book trailer and read what S. Woffington blogged about this new title.

 Dear Ann, Dear Mary: A Correspondence of Grief and Friendship

But what to get for your friend who is grieving and dreading the holidays? The friend who cannot bear to hear one more “Ho, ho, ho!” or another “Merry Christmas!” Dear Ann, Dear Mary is the ideal gift. Written by Ann Carli and Mary Scherr as they struggled to cope with the deaths of their husbands, these two women documented their journey in an email correspondence full of wisdom and even humor as they supported each other. This honest book has already helped others. Here is a recent review from a reader: “Touching, heartfelt and theraputic for a person who had lost a loved one. Highly recommended. I bought 5 copies, two as digital books to share with friends.”

Authors Ann Carli and Mary Scherr blogged about their book.

Are you giving ebooks this season?

If so, what’s your main reason for going the ebook route? And don’t forget to check out ereaders to give as gifts this year, too