Now that the 2011 holiday season has officially begun, it's time to tackle those shopping lists. If you have any book lovers among your friends or family, here are a few suggestions:

FOR THE HISTORY BUFF

An eye-opening account of a little known event in American history, "The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration" by Isabel Wilkerson tells of the decades-long migration of almost 6 million black citizens as they relocated from the South to cities in the North and East in search of a better life from 1915 to 1970. Meticulously researched, Wilkerson takes an expansive topic and makes it personal. Also recommended: "The Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Medicine, Madness and the Murder of a President" by Candice Millard or "Lost in Shangri-La" by Mitchell Zuckoff.

FOR THE VIDEO GAME ENTHUSIAST

If someone in your life adores spending hours with a gaming system, they are sure to enjoy "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline. Set in 2044, the world has turned into a bleak place, and Wade Watts escapes his grim reality by spending most of his time inside a virtual environment called OASIS. For years players within the giant networked world have been searching to find and solve puzzles hidden by one of the creators in the hopes of winning the grand prize. What follows is a fast-paced and exciting adventure story with a unique technological spin. Also recommended: "Reamde" by Neal Stephenson and "Robocalypse: A Novel" by Daniel H. Wilson.

FOR THE MYSTERY FAN

For those in Stieg Larsson withdrawal, "The Keeper of Lost Causes" by Jussi Adler-Olson might be just the thing to fill the void. The author, highly regarded in his native Denmark, makes his American debut with a complex and absorbing page-turner which features a flawed, but appealing, protagonist who is put in charge of cold cases and discovers that one of the purported victims in an old case is still alive. Also recommended: "The End of Wasp Season" by Denise Mina or "The Boy in the Suitcase" by Lene Kaaberb