So it's that time of year again the holiday season is upon us christmas presents need to be bought
and you're sitting there thinking what on earth am I going to buy
well presumably if you've click on this video there's at least one person in your life that you'd like to get
a bookish gift for and perhaps by the end of this video there will be quite a few
because I have a tonne of christmas gift ideas for you and hopefully a gift for everybody
in your life or at least I'll give it a shot
but one thing we don't have time for is to dilly dally so let's have a look at the books
if the person you're buying for is a fiction fan then I've got a few 2016 releases
to share with you because the more recently it came out
the less likely they are to have it already
and since it's a gift you want that fiction to be beautiful both inside and out
and that means that Picador has pretty much got you covered
I have four books in particular from our recent catalogue that stand out to me as
excellent christmas presents the first is Emma Donoghue's
latest novel The Wonder, her first book since the release of the film adaptation of Room, which went down incredibly well
So even if they're not already a Emma Donoghue's writing fan
they may have seen the film and be interested to check her stuff out
Well The Wonder inspires the same emotional attachment to the characters as Room
But is instead set in 1850s rural Ireland
and is about a young girl who supposedly hasn't eaten a single thing in four months and a nurse is enlisted to find out the truth
not to mention there's one thing that's always perfect on a book cover at Christmas time
which is gold foiling
but from another one of our beloved authors here at Pan Mac and Picador
we have The Muse by Jessie Burton
another stunning cover this one's set across two time periods
in 1960s London and 1930s Spain
and as it follows a piece of missing artwork if you have any friends or family in your life
who are particularly art connoisseurs this is probably right up their street
but if you're looking for something in particular that they might never have discovered before
then you might want to try What Belongs to You by Garth Greenwell
this is his debut novel but it has gone down a storm
it's about a man in America still struggling to figure life out
after a life long battle with homophobia it's short, compact but incredibly moving
and an excellent one to gift this christmas
talking about compact I have Miss Jane by Brad Watson
this is an absolutely delicious little book if that's an appropriate way to describe one
it's about a woman who grows up in 20th century rural Mississippi
who struggles with a birth defect that makes traditional life as a woman in this time particularly difficult
but if you'd like to go for something a little more thematic for this time of year
and know somebody who just absolutely loves Christmas and everything about it
then there's always books set at Christmas
we have Christmas Under the Stars by Karen Swan
a gorgeously consuming novel set in snowy Canada about friendship, family and love
or for those cosy comfort mystery fans this is always the perfect time of year
to crack out a new one so why not try Murder in Advent by David Williams
because what more could you want this christmas
than snow and crime
but one book that always sums up this time of year for me
is in fact Picador's Carol Ann Duffy Christmas poem
and this year, yes, we have another one to add to that collection
this year Carol Ann Duffy brings us The King of Christmas
which is gorgeously fully illustrated Christmas poem to go alongside all of her others in this collection
so whether you know somebody who has been collecting thes for years
or hasn't already checked them out but you know is a poetry fan
then you can either pick up the latest in the series or get a few
and just give them a whole collection
but to turn back time a little bit there's always a classic, this year
we released the Macmillan's Classics Library which were these gorgeous new editions of some of your
favourite stories and potentially some of your friends' anad family's favourites as well
we've got Charles Dickens, J. M. Barry, Jane Austen, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and many more
if you know somebody's favourite classic already a beautiful edition
of one of their favourites is always a gorgeous gift but if you don't know their favourite and just know
that they like a beautifully packaged book and like a bit of fantasy or romance and want
to pick up a new book for them then I have already filmed a video all about classics recommendations for every reader
which you can check out if you're interested
but I meant it when I said buying somebody a beautiful edition of their favourite book
is a lovely thing to do at Christmas time and even if they're not
into their 19th century literature there might be a modern classic for them instead
for example the new Picador modern classic edition of Bridget Jones's Diary
there's a good chance you know somebody that's already a Birdget Jone's fan or somebody
that loves the films but has yet to read the books
you'll be doing them a favour
but given that I probably wouldn't give Bridget Jones to my father another one I've got to show you is
the new edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series
if you know somebody that loves science fiction or loves comedy or loves both
then this series is the perfect gift, these lovely new editions
have sprayed edges which just make them look absolutely gorgeous
and a slightly metallic covers and each one is slightly different but
matches, this is the first one 'The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'
let's be honest though, not everybody is a massive fiction person
and Christmas time is the perfect time to gift a little bit of knowledge too so
why not try some non-fiction - for starters the easiest
bet is always an autobiography or biography
of somebody that you know that they love so
maybe the person you're buying for is a sports buff and would like Damon Hill's autobiography
Watching the Wheels
alternatively they may have been a Time Team of Blackadder addict so why not gift them
Tony Robinson's autobiography No Cunning Plan
but if that person you're buying for is slightly younger and into their more contemporary television
they may be familiar with Scarlett Moffatt from Goggle Box
and this is Scarlett's ponderings on life the universe and everything
but whilst we're on the topic of television one book I'm pretty sure is going to go down a storm
this christmas is The Secret History of Twin Peaks
if you have a Twin Peaks fan in your life then this is a must gift this christmas
and it's the kind of book that you're not as likely to treat yourself to
it's absolutely phenomenally laid out
with a dossier full of
of behind the scenes information
and the packaging makes this one a pretty special one to find under the tree
some more non-fiction that I think may be particularly appropriate this year that came out in 2016
includes Walls Come Tumbling Down by Daniel Rachel
now this one's perfect for that person in your life who was around during the 70s, 80s and early 90s
because it is an oral history of the political music scene of those decades
so does somebody you know like to listen to The Clash or The Specials
well they'll probably thank you for this one, then we have
Black and British: A Forgotten history which is based on the BBC documentary series
that came out recently, this book spans from the Roman empire
all the way up to the 20th century and unequivocally demonstrates that black history if British history
and the two cannot be separated, but from history to a more
contemporary Britain I have This is London by Ben Judah
this book talks to immigrants across London from various different
social classes and walks of life
through this it examines the landscape of contemporary culture
but not everybody just likes to sit around a read all the time - I know
weird
the person you're buying for may be interested in a book with a little bit more practical guidance
in hand or even some things to do
regardless of who your buying for this Christmas one that you should probably
give a look is How to Hygge The Secrets of Nordic Living
this is a gorgeous book that explores the secrets of Scandinavian living which is all about
cosiness and healthy hedonism which is perfect for this time of year
it's full of ideas of things to do, tips on how to live a more Scandinavian lifestyle and even some and even
some delicious recipes from savoury to sweet and a little bit of alcohol in there too
but I appreciate that not everybody in your life is necessarily over the ages of 12 so I do
have some children's book recommendations for christmas gifting this year
as well - for gifts that they'll keep for a lifetime I have these gorgeous editions
illustrated by Mabel Lucie Atwell of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Peter Pan and Wendy
you know even if there's an adult in your life whose favourite childhood story was one of these
you may have a gift in one of these two
cause they are stunning and full of gorgeous illustrations as well as words
for the littlest ones in your life there's always more Gruffalo
this year we brought out the new Gruffalo Puppet Book, which I'm demonstrating here
and having a great time regardless of age, but we also have
The Gruffalo Crumble, which is a lovely gift that you can share with little ones in your life because it' all about
fun little recipes that you can do together, some of which might even turn out looking like some of their
favourite picture book characters
if they're getting a little bit older though the perfect book is the new illustrated edition
of The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge illustrated by the spectacular Chris Riddell
this is another one that's a gorgeous gift for people that are already fans of the book
but also a lovely way to introduce them to a fabulous, magical story - another one that
I think is lovely to share with others is A Poem For Every Night of the Year
this is another beautiful book that you can keep for a lifetime and is wonderful
to read to children and for them to read themselves when they're a little bit older
but if it's stocking fillers you came for and my classics weren't enough don't worry
I've got you covered first up I have Sad Animal Facts by Brooke Barker
which is an illustrated collection of adorable and humorous animal facts
then there's 101 Bets You Will Always Win by Richard Wiseman
which is one of those books that once you five somebody on christmas morning they're
going to then spend the rest of christmas day absorbed in and trying out on you
but then probably the perfect way to finish your christmas gifting and this gift guide
is mindfulness moments which is perfect for pretty much anybody because
pretty much everybody gets stressed - this compact little book
is a combination of both colouring in to destress to and also little
tips and pieces of advice of things you can do in your everyday life
to help relax - but if I've not managed to recommend a book
for everybody in your life in this video I'll be pretty surprised
if I have missed somebody out though do feel free to ask
for some recommendations if you know what kind of thing they're into in the comments down below
and I will give it a shot because I'm pretty certain there is
a book for everybody this christmas in the mean time
give this video a thumbs up if you liked it and good luck with your christmas shopping