For the essay lovers' holiday gift list, picks from Kristen Radtke

Demon Camp by Jen Percy - A gorgeously sustained book-length essay about soldier’s struggles with PTSD and the lengths some will go to exercise their (sometimes-literal) demons, Percy is a fierce and unsentimental writer.

Ultrasonic by Steven Church - The latest collection of essays from the editor of the always-cool literary magazine The Normal School, Ultrasonic is an investigation of sound and how it impacts our experiences and emotional responses.

Lena Finkle’s Magic Barrel by Anya Ulinich - Funny, beautifully drawn and overwhelmingly relatable, Ulinich’s latest graphic novel is essayistic in its digressive rendering of family, love and dating.

Thrown by Kerry Howley - Full disclosure: I worked publicity on this book, but my admiration for Howley’s work far proceeded our professional relationship. This is one of the smartest book-length essays I’ve read in years.

On Immunity by Eula Biss - An obvious heavy-hitter this year, and for good reason. Biss continues to be one of the most measured and meticulously reasoned essayists in America.