One of the best surprises to find nestled under the tree or tucked into a stocking at the holidays is a book. There is truly something for everyone, depending on their interests, and it's hard to go wrong with something useful or entertaining. Books are windows into other worlds, ways to educate ourselves on new things, tools to explore the universe without leaving our bedrooms, and doors to discovering empathy, emotional connections, and growth. When you give someone a book, you give them a story that could change their life, or skills that can make them happier and more confident--and who doesn't want that?

That said, the idea of selecting the perfect read can be overwhelming. The best place to begin is selecting a book that's been personally impactful--I tend to give away three or four copies of Rebecca Stead's "When You Reach Me" every holiday because that story means so much to me. But if you haven't read anything life changing lately, we pulled together a list of some of our must-reads and must-gives for this holiday season.

Momofoku by David Chang

David Chang, master restaurateur and chef, and Peter Meehan, respected food writer, have teamed up to bring Chang's delicious, loving, and modern cooking into your hands. You don't have to be obsessed with Asian cuisine to learn a thing or two from this book, as Chang's flawless technique is demonstrated in broth making, pork handling, and even elevating every day dishes. Chang is best known for revolutionizing American cooking with his collection of incredible restaurants, Momofuku Noodle Bar, Ssäm Bar, Ko, Má Pêche, Fuku, Nishi, and Milk Bar. Not only does this hardcover share his successes, but his learning curves, mishaps, and philosophies about dining. It's not just a cookbook, but a delightful read, giving insight into one of the most brilliant culinary minds of our century. Chang inspires readers to examine even the simplest ingredients for quality, to relish the most simple of dishes, and to master simple techniques that will truly change the way you think about cooking--especially frying a chicken!

Superficial: More Adventures from the Andy Cohen Diaries by Andy Cohen

Bravo Executive Producer, pop culture guru, talented journalist, host of "Watch What Happens Live," and the man responsible for cultural zeitgeist franchise "The Real Housewives," Andy Cohen also proves to be a wildly entertaining writer. The third of his personal diaries to be novelized, this installment carries him through his tender pooch Wacha's white coat syndrome, the launch of his Sirius radio station Radio Andy, the endless remodels of his home, and maybe...just maybe...falling in love. Studded with hot celebrity gossip, unfiltered opinions on celebrity life, and recaps of pot-fueled Grateful Dead concerts and birthday parties (including Madonna's!), "Superficial" is a hilarious, dishy read. Cohen doesn't pull punches on sharing about his journey as a gay, 40-something year old man dating in the frying pan of New York, nor does he hold back on sharing his insecurities and mishaps along the way. Perfect for any Bravo fan, this book is also great for pals into pop culture, or just really sharp, hilarious writing.

Love is Love by Various/IDW Comics

The comic book industry has come together to honor and pay tribute to the lost lives of the Orlando shooting tragedy. Created by some of the most talented writers and artists in the industry, such as Sina Grace, Damon Lindelof, Elsa Charretier, Jesus Saiz, Leinil Yu, Matt Wagner, Mike Carey, Phil Jimenez, Olivier Coipel, Patton Oswalt, Paul Jenkins, Phil Jimenez and Steve Sadowski, all proceeds go to the families of the victims, survivors, and their families. Even if you aren't shopping for a comics fan, this book cannot be missed. It celebrates love in all forms, and reminds us that even in the face of unspeakable loss, the LGBTQ community will prevail. This oversize comic is loaded with heartwarming, tear jerking, and thought provoking stories that ultimately serve to remind us how precious love is, and how hard we must fight to protect it.

What If?: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions by Randall Munroe

From the creator of the mega-popular webcomic "xkcd," this book is loaded with hilarious and informative answers to important questions--questions you probably never thought to ask! If you aren't familiar with "xkcd," Munroe uses stick figures to explain everything from theoretical science, to censorship, to relationships and language. With panache, brevity, and insight, Munroe has built a loyal readership, who frequently ask him off the wall questions which inspired this book. In pursuit of answers to their burning queries and more, Munroe runs computer simulations, obsesses over piles of declassified military research memos, tackles differential equations, and even consults with some legit nuclear reactor operators. His answers are not-to-be-missed for anyone who loves to learn (or at least loves to consider how many scenarios will end in really, unimaginably massive explosions!)

1. Just unplug

Easier said than done, it may seem, but absolutely necessary. It's okay to walk away from your Facebook feed, from your Twitter stream, from reposting on Instagram, and from replying to texts, phone calls, and emails. The constant intake of news can be too much to process and you need to give yourself appropriate boundaries to preserve your sanity, stress level, and help you feel fit to engage meaningfully. It may seem like unplugging looks like you don't care, but it sends a very different message--that you care enough to give your best support on social media. Your friends and family seeing you intentionally take breaks is going to empower them to do the same. We should always think before we share, research before we pass on news, and fact check before we spread information, and all of that requires more energy than most of us have when we're feeling emotionally compromised already. Make some simple rules, such as no screens during meals, no screens a couple hours before bed, and at no screens for a quick walk around the block. Restoring balance to our lives and giving our brains and hearts a rest is going to help us stay focused on spreading the right information and supporting our community.

2. Take a luxurious bath or shower

Nothing calms me down quite like a soak in my tub, even though it's small and cramped. The feeling of being surrounded by warm water, even in less than spa-like circumstances, works some kind of magic on my weary body. Water is soothing and cleansing, both metaphorically and literally. Why not take twenty minutes to wash the day away and pamper your senses? If you have a tub, add a handful of Epsom salts, a few drops of essential oil, some lemon peel, a cup of instant oats, or even a capful of shampoo to make it feel more calming. Bring in your favorite paperback and spend some time reading, lounging, and detoxifying your body? If you don't have a tub, light some candles or incense in your bathroom, turn down the lights, and sit on the floor of your shower. Take deep breaths as the spray washes over you. Lie down if you feel like it. Even just soaking your feet in a bowl of warm water with bath salts while watching TV is going to feel like delicious self-care.

3. Eat your feelings

Stress eating, emotional eating--who cares, as long as you're doing it mindfully. Make a meal into a ritual of self-care, starting with a nice walk or drive or home-delivery order of groceries. Take time selecting the ingredients, treat yourself with one or two items of higher quality than usual, and set aside a couple of hours to cook. Even if you're just making something simple like chicken soup, the act of getting up to stir, add a pinch more salt, or take a taste is keeping your body moving. It's putting love and attention into something external that will nourish you. As you cook, think about the cycle of care in the ingredients--herbs grown from the earth, minerals from the soil, pure water, and so on. Invite friends over and feed them, sharing of the act of love you've created in your kitchen. If you don't have the time or energy to cook, do what you can to make easy meals nice. Use a real plate and fork, pour your drink in a glass, sit down and be thoughtful about how you're nourishing yourself. If the weather is nice, go outside and get some fresh air while you eat. Whatever you do, make sure it's done with love and focus on healing yourself.

4. Immerse yourself in something beautiful

Go to your local library and check out some art books, comic books, graphic novels, photography books, or travel books. Go home and put on your comfiest pajamas, make a cup of your favorite beverage, and sit down to lose yourself in the pages. Really look at every image, drink in the story, marvel at the talent of creation. Take some notes on what inspires you--is it the way light plays off tree leaves? Or the way Batwoman's cape looks silhouetted against a building? Dig into the art and focus on what speaks to you, how it makes you feel, and why. Taking your mind off the garbage fire of the world to immerse yourself in natural or created beauty is a silent, simple protest. You don't have to watch tragic, hate-filled media, you can step away and relish in the small pleasures of a book. Review your notes of what inspired you and try creating something on your own. It doesn't have to be perfect, just spend time playing. Cut up old magazines to make a collage, or write a story based on a photograph, or raid your closet to put together a new outfit based on something you've seen.

Be good to yourselves.

1. Tell me a little bit about yourself

Seems easy, right? Straight forward, no nonsense, and no wrong answer--or is there?

When a potential employer asks you this question, they are looking for several things: what you consider the best attributes of yourself, how quickly you build relationships, and how personable you are. Think about a few things that make you shine, that make people stand up and pay attention. Are you a community volunteer? Did you just complete a marathon? Spend time with rescue animals? Show some personality without sharing anything too personal, and inspire your interviewer to want to know more about you. Avoid discussing things like age, religion, marital status, and health--a potential employer isn't legally allowed to inquire about those things, and it might make them uncomfortable if you bring them up. Stick to safe topics, including some aspects of your career that you're proud of.

2. What would you former boss/co-workers say about you?

This is a great place to show confidence, but also be realistic about what you're known for. It's a good idea to actually ask these people, just in case they are called as a reference. What your potential employer is looking for are the notable contributions you've made. Keep it real, but don't be shy about sharing what makes you a great person to work with. Something simple, like: "They would say that I'm hard-working, creative, and have a great sense of humor, even when things get tense. I like to bring levity into stressful situations and it's important for me to maintain scope of our work."

Demonstrate a sense of awareness about your contributions, both technically and personally. They want to hire an actual human being and not just a robot who gets tasks done.

3. What interests you in our company?

Do your research before you walk in the door. Is this a place you want to work? If so, come up with some authentic reasons why. For the interviewer, this is often a first sample of your work--how much did you look into the organization? How does it relate to your skill set? Do you want to work there specifically, ro are you just looking for any job? It's important for them to see what grabbed your attention and how you think you can support, advocate, and contribute. For example, "Your company has a reputation for giving back to the community, which is incredibly important to me, as I've done community volunteer work for the past six years. As well, I respect your high school internship program and would love to be a part of connecting with young adults interested in this field."

4. What kind of leadership do you like?

This speaks volumes about how you could potentially fit within the organization, so it's important to be honest--remember, it's not just about your background and talents, but about how you can work with the existing employees. Speak to experience, and spend some time thinking about what former supervisors have done that you responded well to. Don't worry about sounding needy, the more specific you are, the more it shows you pay attention to your professional relationships and can communicate your needs. "The best working relationships I've had were built on mutual respect, open and honest communication, and flexibility. My previous supervisor set clear expectations about deadlines, but allowed me to complete the work in my own way, which made me feel very invested in the assignments."

5. What are your areas of weakness?

Whatever you do, don't shoot back some veiled response designed to make you look good--interviewers can see right through it. Instead, be honest. If you're lacking technical skills or are unfamiliar with parts of the business, be upfront--and have a second part to your answer about how you see yourself improving! No one wants to hire a workaholic perfectionist; they want someone who can contribute, be a good teammate, and bring something fresh to the job. It's okay to have flaws, just be real about them and what you need to overcome them. Try something like, "I've always struggled with ambiguous deadlines, so it's easier for me to seek clarity in the moment and set a schedule that works for my business partners."

6. Why should we hire you?

And now the golden ticket: this is question that will leave the strongest impression. Like with every other question, be authentic and don't be afraid to sell yourself. By now, you should have a clear idea on what the interviewer is looking for, and you can use this opportunity to reinforce your strengths. Be sure to speak to your professional background as well as your personality, but don't overdo it. This answer should be short and sweet, demonstrating confidence. Consider something like, "From our conversation today, I feel like I understand the objectives and goals of the company--not only are the values something I connect to personally, but something I would feel challenged and motivated by professionally. My experience is a great fit for the role, and I would bring a diverse background and a fresh perspective to the team."

Thank me when you're hired!

1. Stop Telling Yourself What You "Should" Do

One of the best parts of being an adult is having full autonomy over your life. While there are certainly things it's in your best interest to do--like regular doctor's appointments, financial planning, disaster insurance--it's important to remind yourself that you're doing them because you want to. Because you value responsibility. Because you've worked hard for what you have and it's a privilege to care for it. There will always be tasks you don't love, but they come with the territory of adulthood and approaching them as a get-to-do in stead of a should is critical for your mindset. When it comes to other people telling you what you should do--like how you should be married, should lose fifteen pounds, should learn to cook like your mom--that's where it's perfectly acceptable to draw a hard, permanent boundary. Your life's terms are defined by your wants and needs, so it's well within your rights to dismiss what allegedly well-meaning outsiders have to say about the direction you're taking. If anyone pulls the should card with you, the only thing you should do is walk away.

2. Put Yourself First

In between jobs, family, passion projects, relationships, and chores, it can seem nearly impossible to make time for yourself. But you know what? You won't be good at any of those things if you aren't keeping yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy. By taking care of yourself, you'll eliminate regrets--no lamenting over vacation time wasted somewhere you didn't want to go, no pining for a break you didn't take, no dreading going to work because of your backlog of assignments. Build self-care time into your routine daily, even if it means flexing your schedule 20 or 30 minutes in your favor. Advocate for your health by making (and keeping) medical appointments, avoiding stressful family get togethers, saying no to friends when you're stretched too thin, and by asking for help when you're feeling overwhelmed.

3. Take Risks

When was the last time you did something unpredictable? It doesn't matter how critical it was--anything from cutting off all of your hair to leaving a safe job for something uncertain. If you can't remember, odds are you've stopped taking any kinds of risks in your life. I'm not talking about eating a tuna sandwich out of a vending machine kind of risks, I mean things that are reasonably safe and won't end in disaster. Things like asking your crush out, or exploring different parts of your city, or branching out and making new friends. It's important to remind yourself that while you know what you like and what path you're on, the unknown still beckons--and sometimes, you should answer it. Be safe, but live a little and embrace mistakes with the same vigor you cultivate success. How else will you keep growing and learning?

4. Be Prepared for An Emergency

How can we call ourselves "adults" if we don't have the basic necessities for an unexpected emergency? Two weeks ago, I cut my finger while cooking and realized I didn't have a single Band-Aide in my house. I had to wrap my bleeding finger in a paper towel with a hair tie around it. Not safe, and definitely not mature. Buy a first aide kit. Keep a bag of emergency supplies, like medication, a change of clothes, a small amount of cash, a flashlight, a cell phone charger, and three days worth of food and water. Make sure you have safety basics in your home, such as a fire extinguisher, emergency candles, extra pet food, and water. You never know when an unfortunate disaster might strike and it's always better to be prepared than desperate.

5. Focus on the Positive

Remember the days where drama was a chaotic sort of fun? And then it slowly felt like a chore to keep up with who-said-what and who-was-backstabbing-who? That's because it's a waste of time. Instead of spending your energy on fights, gossip, mean-girl behavior, and people committed to negativity, just walk away. If someone isn't supportive of you, wish them well on their journey and say good-bye. This includes family members, which can be complicated--just remember, you don't owe anyone your happiness, well-being, or sanity. You don't have to engage in pettiness, cruelty, or social grooming in order to fit in. Surround yourself with friends who have the same goals, the same priorities, and above all, the same commitment to kindness.

6. Celebrate Yourself

This ties in to self-care, but is slightly different. As an adult, no one is clamoring to throw us birthday parties, to give us holiday gifts, or put our drawings on the fridge. So it's time to do those things for yourself. Even if it's just something as casual as bragging on Facebook about how you finished your taxes early, take the time to throw a little confetti on your own head. Share your wins, ask for celebration, and, in turn, encourage others to enjoy their own milestones. Life's more fun that way.