Just in time for last-minute Christmas shopping, the "world's librarian" Nancy Pearl, who is also a best-selling author herself, shares her favorite books for giving (or reading yourself) this holiday season (find titles and links below). Nancy also shares her advice for testing out a new friendship: give your new friend a book for Christmas, and whether they bother to read it (or love it or hate it) might inform whether your friendship has longterm potential.  Here our Nancy's picks for this holiday season: The Company: A Novel of the CIA by Robert Littell The Quiet Americans: Four CIA Spies at the Dawn of the Cold War-a Tragedy in Three Acts by Scott Anderson The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas (illustrated) by Gertrude Stein and Maira Kalman Here We Are by Graham Swift Hench: A Novel by Natalie Zina Walschots Set My Heart to Five: A Novel by Simon Stephenson Ninety-Nine Glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown Find Nancy on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or at her website.  -------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!