Most people use their Christmas vacations as an opportunity to go see all the Oscar-bait movies of the year. Show those people how much you judge them by giving them the gift of the book upon which the movies are based, which are inherently better.

Wild by Cheryl Strayed -- Fucking duh, guys. This book is fantastic and the movie looks especially great. Reese Witherspoon is a definite favorite for the 'Best Actress' categories, plus, thanks to 'The Mindy Project,' a "Wreath' Witherspoon is a new holiday tradition

Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand -- The Daddest Dad that ever Dadded. Your dad probably already keeps this book next to the toilet, but just in case he's unaware of books written by women, get him this one. It's this year's version of Team of Rivals (the book that inspired 'Lincoln').

Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon -- I'm not officially endorsing this because I hate Thomas Pynchon, but I love Paul Thomas Anderson more than I hate TP, so I will be seeing this movie, and skipping the book, like a true American.

"What We Talk About When We Talk About Love" by Raymond Carver -- A bit of a stretch, but the characters of 'Birdman' are working on a theatrical adaptation of this short story. The whole thing is very meta, and I have no idea if reading the story will enhance your understanding of an otherwise confusing but great film.

Honorable Mentions: 'The Hobbit' by JRR Tolkein and 'The Hunger Games: Mockingjay' by Suzanne Collins -- It is extremely likely that everyone has already read these books, but just in case they haven't, this is the final opportunity before it is officially too late to get in on these cultural touchstones.