UU World’s 2025 inSpirit Bookstore Holiday Gift Guide

As the weather gets colder, the days get shorter, and the holidays seemingly sneak up on us, it can be all too easy to put off buying gifts until the last second! If you’re feeling vexed, dear reader, by the daunting task of choosing what to give your loved ones, have no fear: UU World is here with our second annual inSpirit Bookstore Holiday Gift Guide.

Featuring great new books from Beacon Press and Skinner House, as well as delightful UU merch, hand-picked with love by yours truly for all the special people on your list.

For those in the greater Boston area, you can visit inSpirit, the official bookstore of the UUA, in person. The bookstore is on the first floor of the Unitarian Universalist Association headquarters in the Seaport District and is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

The bookstore can also ship online orders to customers in the United States and Canada. Shoppers who want to send orders to other locations should call inSpirit at 800-215-9076, or email bookstore@uua.org. Choose expedited shipping if you would like to be sure your order will arrive before a specific holiday!

InSpirit has titles from a wide variety of publishers. In this article we mostly highlight new releases from Beacon Press and Skinner House Books, the UUA’s two publishing operations.

Prices are listed on the inSpirit website. Read on for some of our favorite finds!

inSpirit Holiday Gift Guide: Books

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin (Beacon Press, 2025)

The cover of James Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son." — © Beacon Press

Baldwin’s famous essay collection, first published by Beacon Press in 1955, is no less urgent and relevant today. This 2025 edition, a beautiful clothbound hardcover, is one of many highlights in the Beacon Classics series, a selection of sixty beloved Beacon Press titles being released between now and 2029 to celebrate the press’s 175th anniversary.

For readers returning to Baldwin’s brilliant writing on race and culture, or those who are discovering his work for the first time, this gift is an ideal choice. And if you’re interested in other Beacon Classics from writers like Howard Zinn and Thích Nhất Hạnh, you can review the full list of released titles on the Beacon Press website.

Blue Boat Home written by Peter Mayer and illustrated by Sue Todd (Skinner House Books, 2025)

The cover of "Blue Boat Home." It shows the earth, moon, and sun. — © Skinner House Books

A 2012 survey of UU World that asked readers to name their favorite hymns found the most popular response was “Blue Boat Home,” a catchy, joyful tune with lyrics that honor our connection to the Earth and the universe. Set to a nineteenth-century Welsh song, with lyrics by singer-songwriter Mayer, the hymn is a beloved UU staple and a total earworm.

Fans of the hymn will be happy to see “Blue Boat Home” born anew as Blue Boat Home, a children’s book pairing Mayer’s lyrics with gorgeous illustrations by Todd. The new book is a dazzling union of song, story, and visuals, sure to charm anyone who loves the hymn that inspired it.

You can also read the UU World article on how “Blue Boat Home” became a book, featuring insights from Todd and Mayer on their creative process.

The Cost of Being Undocumented: One Woman’s Reckoning with America’s Inhumane Math by Alix Dick and Antero Garcia (Beacon Press, 2025)

The cover of "The Cost of Being Undocumented." It shows the silhouette of a person with the statue of liberty visible in the silhouette. — © Beacon Press

What are the true, comprehensive costs of being an undocumented immigrant in America? This is the question that Dick and Garcia seek to answer. Dick is a filmmaker, researcher, and writer, originally from Sinaloa, Mexico; Garcia is an associate professor at the Stanford Graduate School of Education.

With raw honesty and vulnerability, Dick shares her experience as an undocumented immigrant—tallying up the physical, spiritual, and economic toll levied on her and millions of other undocumented people in the United States. At a time when immigrants around the world are facing widespread bigotry and persecution, The Cost of Being Undocumented addresses one of the most critical issues of our time with a rallying cry for compassion and solidarity.

For more on this remarkable book, read the UU World Q&A with its authors.

The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide, Seventh Edition, edited by Sofía Betancourt (Skinner House Books, 2025)

The cover of the Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide. It shows a UU chalice. — © Skinner House Books

As the last version of the Pocket Guide was over six years old, this new edition is a welcome source of updated spiritual grounding, inspiration, and connection to our faith. Whether you’re a lifelong UU or in the early stages of exploring Unitarian Universalism, this approachable, portable text will be a faithful companion on your journey.

Edited by UUA President Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt, with contributions from visionary UU leaders such as Rev. Cheryl M. Walker and Rev. Nancy McDonald Ladd, this little guide fits a lot of wisdom into a small package. A rewarding read for anyone invested in the history and future of the faith.

Field Guide for Accidents: Poems by Albert Abonado (Beacon Press, 2024)

The cover of "Field Guide for Accidents: Poems" — © Beacon Press

Poet and essayist Abonado, born in the United States to Filipino immigrants, has crafted a collection of poems so tactile and richly rendered that you can see, smell, and taste them. Rooted in his experience as a “third-culture kid” in the Asian American diaspora, Abonado wields language with sensuous dexterity as he writes on themes such as family, identity, and mythology.

His poems must be read to be believed, and you can find more of his work on his website. Field Guide for Accidents is sure to be a welcome gift for any poetry fans in your life, or anyone who enjoys a great phrase for its own sake.

The Stonewall Generation: LGBTQ Elders on Sex, Activism, and Aging by Jane Fleishman (Skinner House Books, 2020)

The cover of "The Stonewall Generation." — © Skinner House Books

Stemming from years of interviews with LGBTQIA+ elders, this collection of stories presented by sexuality researcher Fleishman is a moving, galvanizing look at the ongoing movement for equality. The book, structured as a series of profiles of people who came of age around the time of the Stonewall Riots, is sharply written and engaging, telling the stories of individuals who have fought and sacrificed while fighting for civil rights and social justice.

This book profiles leaders such as Mandy Carter, a renowned Black lesbian activist, and Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, an author, sex worker, and community organizer who passed away earlier this year. The Stonewall Generation was also celebrated with a starred review in Kirkus Reviews, which called it, “An indelible collection of wise voices resonating with experience, pride, resilience, and revolution.”

Fleishman’s book is a great gift for anyone with an interest in LGBTQIA+ history, American social movements, or creating social change today.

inSpirit Holiday Gift Guide: Apparel and more

An image of a black bag that says "Create Climate Justice" on the side. — © UUA