The Books to Give as Gifts This Holiday Season

Books are such personal things, it can be hard to know what to buy even the most dedicated bookworm. Luckily, we’ve pulled together a list of ten books that will be perfect for any reader in your life. These are the books to give as gifts this holiday season.

For history buffs: 12 Years a Slave: A True Story of Betrayal, Kidnap and Slavery by Solomon Northup

This is a harrowing tale of Solomon Northup, who accepted a job as a musician in 1841. He was born a free man in New York, until his ‘employers’ drugged and kidnapped him and sold him into slavery in Louisiana. After 12 years in slavery, he was able to contact his family and mount a case against his kidnappers. In this book, he tells his story, sparing the audience no detail, however distressing it was. The book was heralded by antislavery activists and was a best-seller at the time of its release, but it eventually fell into obscurity. It was rediscovered and republished in the 1960s, and since then, it has built up a following that eventually saw it turned into the award-winning film. Every film fan, history buff and campaigner will want to read this book.

For pub grub addicts: Tom Kerridge’s Proper Pub Food by Tom Kerridge

Tom Kerridge almost single-handedly made pub dining fashionable again after he won two Michelin stars for his pub fare. His pub, The Hand & Flowers, is the first to win two stars, and he brings his attitude to food to this cook book. He believes that food should be unfussy but cooked with skill, and he shows home cooks how to do it. The book is an extension of his television programme of the same name, so it includes all the recipes from the show, as well as a great many others.

For the little ones: The Christmas Tale of Peter Rabbit by Emma Thompson

Emma Thompson returns to her tales of Peter Rabbit with this Christmas-themed story. In this adventure, Peter and his cousin Benjamin must save their friend from becoming the Christmas dinner of Mr and Mrs McGregor. The story is told with humour and warmth, making it a great gift for young children.

For hard rockers of all ages: Diableries: Stereoscopic Adventures in Hell by Brian May, Denis Pellerin and Paula Richardson Fleming

Brian May, legendary guitarist for Queen, is joined by experts on stereoscopy Denis Pellerin and Paula Richardson Fleming in this book dedicated to the beguiling art. The particular stereoscopic cards in this collection are quite specific: they are 3D images of devils and hellscapes that subversively parodied French society in the 1860s, when such criticisms could be – at best – censored. It is the first time all surviving cards have been collected together, and they have been restored so readers can enjoy them as the original viewers would have.

For the lovers of all things vintage: The Letters of John F. Kennedy by Martin W. Sandler

JFK was assassinated 50 years ago this year, and several histories, biographies and profiles have been released to commemorate this. He deserves such tributes, as he was undoubtedly an inspirational figure, both in America and around the world, as he fought resolutely for civil rights and freedom for all people. Still, this book looks at a more intimate side of Kennedy. These are letters to and from him, and they include simple responses to everyday citizens’ letters to an ongoing secret correspondence with Khrushchev as the Cold War was heating up.

For devotees of the TV show: Great British Bake Off: Winter Kitchen by Lizzie Kamenetzky

Perfect for foodies and fans of the show alike, Great British Bake Off: Winter Kitchen explores the heartier side of baking with recipes for breads, roasts, soups, pies and more. It even has recipes for the many autumn and winter holidays, so it can be used for more than just the darkest winter days.

For the football fanatics: Alex Ferguson: My Autobiography by Alex Ferguson

Widely considered the greatest British football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson is a living legend. In his autobiography, he writes about his phenomenal career: how he built a culture at Man U that made the most out of his talented players, how he led his various squads to an unrivalled number of victories and championships and how he turned a standard Premier League team into an international powerhouse.

For those who get lost in the story: The Lost Child of Philomena Lee: A Mother, Her Son, and a Fifty-Year Search by Martin Sixsmith

This biography was adapted into a major film by Steve Coogan which stars Judy Dench, but the book goes a lot deeper into the voyage of discovery. Philomena Lee fell pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, and she was forced into the convent at Roscrea. There, she worked and took care of her son for three years, until he was sold into adoption to an American couple. The book tells the tale of how she searched for her son, he searched for her, and author Martin Sixsmith accidentally found a new meaning for his life in the middle of it all.

For chick lit aficionados: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding

This follow-up to Bridget Jones: Edge of Reason made headlines when it was published, not least because everyone’s favourite modern romantic hero, Mark Darcy, is (kind of a spoiler, though you find out quite quickly in the book) absent from the story. Still, Bridget is as charming and clueless as ever as she tries to navigate the world of dating for over-50s, modern technology and dealing with life as a single mum.

For funny sci-fi and fantasy fans: Raising Steam (Discworld Novel 40) by Terry Pratchett

As the title suggests, this is the 40th novel in the long-running Discworld series. Raising Steam sees a new invention that can harness the power of the four elements – earth, water, fire and air – brought to Ankh-Morpork. Bureaucrat Moist von Lipwig unhappily gets caught up in the furore surrounding the invention, and he must find a way to get everything under control before the invention goes crazy and Lord Vetinari loses his patience with Moist.

 

These are just a handful of the great books you can give as gifts this year. So what are your recommendations for books to give as gifts, and who are they perfect for?