S tumped for gift ideas for the book lovers on your list?

Check out the Oak Harbor Library’s recently released “2018 Gifts for Readers” book list.

The list is divided by age and literature categories, including fiction and nonfiction, for adults as well as lists for children and teens.

In addition to the title and author, a short description of each book is provided.

“Teen Librarian Jessica Aws and I have put together a recommendation list of great books for gift giving this holiday season, helping people find great reading choices for gift giving,” Oak Harbor Librarian Jane López-Santillana said.

The list is available at the library as well as local bookshops.

This is the eighth year they’ve come up with a holiday list, which contains titles that were published within the past year.

“Jessica and I consider many factors when selecting our choices. We research many ‘best reads for 2018’ lists from book industry stakeholders and established critics,” López-Santillana said. “We also read prolifically in our free time — despite the stereotypes, librarians don’t get to read at work.”

They considered many factors, she said, including asking questions such as, “will this read be an exciting gift to receive and will it make someone want to start reading immediately?” “Will this book have a lasting impact or value for the reader?” and “Will a book make someone want to share it with others?”

This year’s titles include “The Clockmaker’s Daughter,” by Kate Morton, a story back in time about mystery, murder and love in Victorian London; “The Library Book,” by Susan Orlean, a chronicle about the unsolved arson case of the Los Angeles Public Library in 1986, which was the most devastating library fire in American history; “Cooking Scrappy,” containing 100 recipes to help you stop wasting food, save money and change your cooking habits; and “Ocean Meets Sky,” by The Fan Brothers, a tale of a young boy on an imaginary journey to visit his beloved grandfather.

“We are also mindful of making our list of best reads diverse, including titles that will appeal to readers of various interests, ages and backgrounds and inclusive of different experiences and perspectives,” López-Santillana said.

“We usually start out with huge piles of books that we want to recommend then work hard to whittle it down to just five choices in each of the age/genre categories, which can be very painful, as we sometimes have favorites that don’t make it to the list.”

Librarians are always pleased to get asked for their recommendations, she said — in fact, it’s one of their favorite things, and it doesn’t have to be a book, it could also be a movie or music, she said.

“We can always help people find something that will be enjoyable,” López-Santillana said.

There will be book talks based on a librarian’s recommended reads during the upcoming Friends of the Oak Harbor Library Holiday Party, 3 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20.