5 Books to Gift this Christmas

Books are the perfect Christmas gift. I mean yes, you would expect me to say that. But who doesn’t love unwrapping a brand new book on Christmas Day? Even better if it’s so exquisite that you know you’ll add it to your keep-forever shelf or a non-fiction read you will dip into again and again.

That’s another bonus of gifting beautiful editions – the person will enjoy them whether they have read them or not, so it takes that tricky, ‘I don’t know if they’ve read this already’ part out of the gifting equation. So, need some ideas?

5 Books to Gift this Christmas

Gift a Beautiful Collection: Penguin Drop Caps

The Penguin Drop Caps collection are 26 works of literature – one for each letter of the alphabet – with truly beautiful drop cap illustrations by Jessica Hische on the covers. Even better – they are designed in a rainbow gradient, so when you have the full set, they will look stunning on your shelf.

Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen kicks off the collection but there are some more modern choices for other letters too – such as The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd and The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Start someone’s collection this year.

---

Non-Fiction to Dip Into

I love gifting books that I think people wouldn’t necessarily buy for themselves – such as these non-fiction gems. One to keep forever and great for adults and children to read, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy is a truly beautiful tale of friendship and hope. In pictures and words.

Speaking of words… Word Perfect by Susie Dent is a delightful foray into etymology. You might know her from dictionary corner on Countdown and she certainly does know her words. I love discovering why we use certain phrases or where words have come from. If you follow Susie on Twitter too, she is always revealing the meaning behind fascinating – and very topical – words.

---

Contemporary or Classic Fiction

If you like to gift fiction, there are two good ways to go: gift one of your recent favourite reads and share the book love, or go for a Christmas special edition of a classic novel or author.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett is most certainly one of my favourite 2020 reads, coupled with the fact it has an exquisite cover in hardback, makes it a must-gift.

Then I just love this new Agatha Christie edition: Midwinter Murder (this is on my Christmas list…), a collection of winter-themed stories from the Queen of Crime and featuring guest appearances from both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

---

I hope you’ve found a little inspiration here! What kind of books do you like to gift?