Hi, guys! So I'm here to do what has become my annual Christmas gift guide, it looks like.
I have done videos like this in the past, so I'll link those down below if you want to check them out.
Obviously I'm going to avoid repeating stuff in this video that I've mentioned in other gift guides.
So those are still completely relevant and, although some of the books might have been specific to that year on release,
they're probably still phenomenal Christmas gifts.
If I do say so myself as a expert Christmas gift picker, apparently.
Uh, regardless of whether you celebrate Christmas or people you know celebrate Christmas,
this—this gift guide—is general just suggestions
for gifts for people who have bookish inclination;
very few of them are specifically Christmas themed.
But without further ado, let's get into the video,
shall we?
So beginning in no particular order, really,
let's kind of just go for the biggest one first, shall we?
And that is The One Hundred Nights of Hero by Isabelle Greenberg.
This here is a graphic novel, and a graphic novel to beat all other graphic novels;
not only is it huge, so you're getting a lot of bang for your buck,
but it is absolutely beautiful both in art and story.
And I think this a particularly good gift because
it will appeal to lots of different people.
So whether you know somebody who already loves graphic novels,
or has been trying to get into graphic novels,
this is an excellent suggestion.
It's also one for the readers that aren't necessarily looking at graphic novels,
uh,
just out of chance,
but enjoy kind of fairy tale-esque, folk lore-esque stories.
This is very much a story within a story, within a story, within a story-type narrative.
It is centres on two female lovers, who live in a world—the Early Earth—that doesn't allow female-female relationships,
nor does it allow women to read, or basically do anything.
And in the style of One Thousand and One Arabian Nights,
it's about them telling a story every single night,
in order to stave off an unwanted, uh, suitor.
One of the things that does make this a particularly beautiful gift is the inside,
these are a few of the illustrations that you'll find inside—
a real mixture of different colours.
And this is Isabel Greenberg's second full-length graphic novel,
and though I adored her other one, The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, this, I have to say, I think is even better.
And it did only just come out this year.
But since I said there aren't a lot of specifically Christmas-themed books in this video,
I'll the one that is specifically Christmas related out of the way, in case it doesn't interest you,
and that's Christmas Days: 12 Stories and 12 Feasts for 12 Days by Jeanette Winterson.
This is one is a particularity beautiful-packaged book that will make a particularly beautiful gift to unwrap on Christmas Day.
There's lots of little images hidden in this border,
like unicorns and donkeys,
and it's equally as beautiful on the back.
This is a collection of Christmas, winter-themed fairy tale-typed stories,
written by Jeanette Winterson who's prose are out of this world.
And whether they're already a Jeanette Winterson fan or not,
this is a perfect one to gift for any book lover this Christmas.
I mean, look at those end papers!
But I thought the next one would be particularly good for non-fiction fans, essay collections fans,
but anyone, really.
I do think most of these books make beautiful gifts for so many different book lovers.
And actually this one's maybe even for people who don't read quite as much,
but are really interested in what's going on in the world.
And that is The Good Immigrant edited by Nikesh Shukla.
This is a collection of essays by various different people in the UK from various different ethnic minorities,
about their experience of coming from a family of immigrant, or being an immigrant.
I think this book has done a beautiful job of strikingly packaging what is a very serious,
very important book. And what better than to gift a little of understanding and awareness this Christmas.
The next books I have to show you are actually a set of books,
which obviously, you can gift individually or as a whole set, depending on your budget,
and those are the new Vintage Classics editions of Virginia Woolf's works.
Not her complete work, but a [inaudible] of picked out [inaudible] of her most well known and most venerated titles,
and packaged them up in these beautiful covers.
I mentioned last year, the Brontë sisters version that they did of these.
So, if, uh, you know somebody that's collected the Brontë versions of the Vintage Classics, or the Jane Austin Ones,
these will sit very nicely along side them of the shelf.
We have To The Lighthouse,
The Years,
Mrs. Dalloway,
The Waves,
Orlando,
and A Room of One's Own.
And they have beautiful French flaps, so just gorgeously put together books,
all with different prints on the inside, as well.
So one for lovers of female authors, feminist literature, historical works, uh, classics, and just beautiful books all around,
there's a bit of fiction and non-fiction in here.
But whilst we're on the topic of Virginia Woolf,
I have to show you my next gift, which will break up the books slightly,
as it is this beautiful, Virginia Woolf quote print from the Literary Emporium,
this says "No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself." -Virginia Woolf
And this absolutely gorgeous and I think in general, bookish-themed,
uhm, knick knacks for the house or decorative items, if people are into that kind of thing,
make gorgeous gifts, espcially if you're not sure what someone hasn't read,
and you'd rather just get something to do with the book you know they love.
And I also have a gorgeous Jane Austin print on my wall behind me
that I'll do a close of up, so you can see that one as well.
But this one in particular, I just think is so so so beautiful,
and just a beautiful sentiment, that even if somebody hasn't gotten around to reading Virginia Woolf yet, but would like to.
But like I said, generally bookish gifts aren't actually books make obviously beautiful gifts at Christmas.
I, in the past, have bought friends bookish-themed candles, which I don't have any to show you of here, but,
but I can link the shop I bought them from down below, and she was really pleased with those,
and I was also once gifted myself a gorgeous little silver book necklace from Lauren at Reads and Daydreams,
which was last Christmas from the Literary Emporium.
Sadly, I left that in Edinburgh, but will be picking it up this Christmas
because I adore that necklace, uhm, but like I've mentioned Literary Emporium already,
they also have these gorgeous pins, which I wanted to show you, which I have two of here.
The first one being this one, which has just a selection of authors on it,
on little spines; it has Austin, Brontë, Plath, and Woolf.
and that's a gorgeous little one if you know someone's into those authors,
or we have one that simply reads "I read banned books."
Which is so much fun.
And pins seem to be getting more and more popular these days.
They're cute and fun but also still really well made,
so I think pins make gorgeous gifts.
And they appeal to people who don't necessarily wear jewelry.
But the next one is particularly good for poetry lovers this year,
and that is The Map and the Clock edited by Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke.
And this is a massive compendium of various verses over fourteen different centuries from the UK,
so it's almost like a history of Scotland, Ireland, England, and Wales through poetry.
So it's good for those poetry addicts,
those that are into their historical literature, and also those that are trying into poetry.
To get that exposure and find out what is right for them.
Maybe all of it's right for them.
And let's not forget the beautiful, beautiful packaging; this is what it looks like.
But speaking of beautiful books, the next one I have is actually a children's book,
but one that you can gift to anybody of any age, as well as children,
and that is The Wild Swans by Hans Christian Andersen,
and this is the new illustrated edition,
and it's full of little black and white illustrations like this.
And Pushkin have also brought out The Snow Queen in this same edition.
So obvious, make lovely gifts together as well as separately,
but there's something you can collect as they add more to,
and I just thought this one was particularly beautiful if you're gifting for a child,
or you know somebody who loves the stories of Hans Christian Anderson, and would like a nice edition of one.
So the next one's actually a book you can get involved in,
and even write on.
And that is Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra.
This is published by Granta Books, and it does have something of a narrative,
but, you kind of go through the story by doing the tests inside of it.
So like the title implies, you start off with multiple choice questions like here.
It's, uh, sectioned into different sections, and as it goes on, the test get harder and harder,
until you're writing questions, filling in the blanks, answering questions in full,
doing close reading exercises.
And throughout the author is commenting and making a statement about education and politics,
and Chile, as he experienced them.
So there's a lot going on in this, but wrapped up in what is quite a quirky format.
But the next one, I'm sure, will initiate lots of fun,
wacky conversations when gifted is The Book of Barely Imagined Beings: a 21st Century Bestiary
by Caspar Henderson.
And this is a non-fiction book all about real creatures that exist in the world, but that you just can't believe really do.
but that you just can't believe really do,
because they sound like they're something out of a science fiction or fantasy novel.
So this is perfect for both fans of things like fantasy,
and people who enjoy genuine non-fiction.
Plus it's the kind of book that, once you've read about one of the creatures,
you desperately want to talk to somebody else about it.
You're like "Did you know this?" So, that's quite a nice thing, I think, to gift.
But we're almost there, I only have three more things to show to you,
and the first two come together, because they're both, in sense, diary-type things.
They're not actually books for reading, but I wanted to include them in this video because
I think they'll still appeal to a lot of the people you're probably gifting to.
And they they're very much in contrast with one another,
so I think one or the other will pretty much cover everybody you know,
and this is what they look like.
The first one is Good Things are Happening, which is this lovely little hardback book,
and this is a journal for tiny moments of joy.
It's not dated like a diary, but, it everyday it says "Today's three moments of joy".
So the intention is that somebody would fill this in as regularly as possible,
and it's just full of lovely coloured pages,
and just write down three things that just make them happy that day.
And it could be as simple as they had a really good cheese toasty that day,
to they graduated university;
whatever works for whoever's using the book.
But I think this is a really, really lovely gift, and obviously one you don't just have to gift at New Year,
uhm, it's for all year, all the time, any year.
But if the person you're gifting is slightly more sarcastic or cynical,
they might like this one.
And that is The Perpetual Disappointments Diary.
Now, I love both these books.
I think there's a little bit of both in me.
But this one is actually a diary, but it's not dated.
So the days from January the 1st to December the 31st are filled in on this,
but it doesn't say whether it's a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, Sunday, ecetera,
and you can write that in depending on where you choose to start it.
But what is particularly unique about this notebook,
is that on the blank pages, where you can jot down ideas, thoughts, drawings, whatever,
it always has a little saying.
And let me read you a few to give you a taste for this notebook.
"It ain't what you do, it's the grudging, half-hearted way you do it."
"The darkest part of night is just before the dawn of another pointless day."
"It's not the winning, it's the time that, in retrospect, you wasted taking part."
"Despair spring eternal."
So those are just a few samples of what's inside this book,
So definitely a humourous one for the right person this year.
So the final suggestion I have for this video is a double gift because
not only is it a gift to yourself, or the person you're buying it for,
but it's giving back to people in need as well.
And that is books that donate their profit to helping refugees.
Now, there are a few of these out on the market;
this is one that I picked up recently, which is Refugee Tales.
So this is a collection of shorts about refugee experiences,
and all of the profits go to Gatwick Detainees Welfare Group and Kent Refugee Help.
But there's also Oxfam's choice, which I don't have a copy of
but it's The Optician of Lampedusa by Emma Jane Kurby,
and you can buy this one in Watersons.
And for this one, every book that's bought, five pounds of that is donated to Oxfam's refugee campaign.
And this one's one long non-fiction book by a BBC journalist, about the rescue of the migrants
from a shipwrecked boat in the Mediterranean.
Uh, so both of those I think would make beautiful gifts.
Because when you gift it to somebody else, you've also, in a way, on their behalf, gifted something to somebody
else. And I think that's really wonderful.
And I don't know what more you could possibly want in a gift.
So, those are all of my suggestions this year, though.
Like I said, though, I do have other gift guide out there;
I'll link them all down below.
In fact, I can think of four off the top of my head, so there's plenty more suggestions for you if you're interested.
But I do hope you enjoyed this video,
do let me know if you have any thoughts on the things I mentioned in this video,
and I hope you're all having a wonderful holiday season regardless of weather you celebrate Christmas or not.
Until next time, happy reading, and I'll see you all again soon.
Bye!