So, some holidays are coming up and many of us are now in full search mode for just the right gift. Assuming your ambitions are realistic and your budget is modest, books can be ideal gifts, as they convey a sense of meaning and suggest to your recipient that you tried to be thoughtful. In that regard, then, we have a few suggestions of newly published books that address various aspects of aging. So clear your shelves and take a look at the following.

First up are some non-fiction selections. Trained as a geneticist and now blogging about the body’s process of aging, Dr. Beth Bennett has just published a book entitled, Defy Aging: A Beginner’s Guide to the New Science of Longer Life and Better Health. Described as an easy-to-read introduction to what’s now happening in your body as you age, and what choices you can make to lengthen your health span along with your life span, this book is for young and older alike, as the author wants to impress upon you that lifestyle choices will affect the genes in your body that influence how you age. So grab that free weight and learn more here.

Also addressing the aging process, but from a very different perspective, is the new book by Anna I. Corwin, Embracing Aging: How Catholic Nuns Became Models of Aging Well. From the perspective of those who have spent their lives living in the community of a convent, Corwin distills many lessons of how a positive embrace of the aging process, welcomed as a natural occurrence rather than a feared or dreaded state of being, can lead to a happier and healthier experience as one enters her later years. She analyzes the communal and supportive relationships that sustain nuns in their later years, in contrast to the independence so many of us try to hang onto as the clock ticks away. Whether you’re an adherent or not, there are valuable lessons to take away from Corwin’s book. Find out more about the book here and read an interview with Corwin here.

One last non-fiction recommendation is the just-published book of interviews, conversations, and lessons from Grace Bonney, the Founder of the immensely popular (and now defunct) website Design Sponge. Bonney’s new book is entitled Collective Wisdom: Lessons, Inspiration, and Advice from Women over 50. With words of wisdom from over 100 fascinating women over age 50, this book is sure to find a welcome place in your own library or that of your best girlfriend. Participants ranged in age from their 50s to centenarians and represent such diverse professionals as artists, athletes, and even astronauts. So clear some room on your coffee table and find out more here.

Finally, in the realm of fiction is a recommendation that comes with no cost to you! Retired California attorney Ron Katz was inspired to create a mystery series after taking a writing course at Stanford. With some wit, wisdom, and a little “lifting” from his own life and those of his peers, he created the fictional couple Barb and Bernie Silver, who solve mysteries (while dealing with marital challenges in their retirement years) under the heading “The Sleuthing Silvers.” Katz encourages you to think of the Silvers as “one of the Hardy Boys married to Nancy Drew 50 years later!” and each episode is a quick 15-20 minute free read. You can find all of the stories in the series here and follow the Sleuthing Silvers on Facebook here. So with no cost (and no gift wrapping necessary), this may be the perfect gift to share with all your mystery-loving Baby Boomer peers. Find out more about the author Ron Katz, and his inspiration for creating this series, here.