Short List: Stocking Stuffers

A Day in Tuscany, in which Dario Castagno rescues the region from clichés by taking us on an intimate tour of his Tuscan village.

The Sword of Venice, the second novel in Thomas Quinn's planned Venice trilogy about two families in the Renaissance era.

Prayer of the Dragon, Eliot Pattison's latest crime novel set in Tibet, with local color and memorable characters.