FEATURES

Mallternatives
You don't need a Cinnabon to have a positive shopping experience
If you dread holiday shopping, you have only yourself to blame. Most likely, you're doing it all in one go at the mall, where you search frantically alongside other panicked shoppers, and end up buying a gift everyone has seen in a catalogue a million times over.
BY GENEVIEVE RAJEWSKI

Better to give
Ten books that will set you apart come gift-giving time
The gift book is an odd beast. No one is supposed to go into a bookstore and buy a $75 book for themselves. No. Books like that are created to be the safe bet when buying someone a present.

Inspect a gadget
Plug in, turn on, press play - for less than 300 bucks
Each year, the mainstream media proclaims the holiday season "The Year of the Gadget." As the mainstream media's b.s. detector, we are here to tell you that this is the first bona fide Year of the Gadget.
BY RYAN STEWART

The gift of partying
You don't have to wait for New Year's Eve to get all drunk, sweaty, and happy
Thanks to the ingenious marketing minds behind fine retail establishments everywhere, the holiday season now starts on November 1.
BY CHRISTINE WALSH

Boston's punk-rock arts and crafts
The ultimate DIY holiday-shopping list
People really do try hard. You know this, and you understand how difficult holiday shopping can be. But frankly, since you've become a big kid, the gift situation has gone somewhat awry.
BY NINA SCHWARTZ

Toy glory
Be the cool aunt or the deranged uncle this holiday season
Let the other folk in your family buy the iDog or the RoboRaptor. You're going to get gifts the kids will actually remember - for better or worse.
BY BILL JENSEN