'Tis the season: our guide to book gifts
Inspired by our own wish lists
We’ll admit, books are a hard thing to gift unless you know someone well. You could take Gillian’s approach - she gifted me a Dolly Parton coffee table book completely out of left-field last year - which had the desired effect of making me laugh (It now sits on my table and makes people wonder whether they truly know me). Or, you could be a little more conventional and stick with someone’s more predictable interests.
We’ve largely focused on recent releases (they’re less likely to be part of someone’s collection already) and our own temptations!
The kid’s list is Gillian’s specialty - as an ex-children’s magazine editor she knows her kid lit and has pulled together a few picture books for cosy nights in.
Hope we inspire you with a few (we’ve included links to Bookshop.org to support local independent bookstores where possible).
Ho Ho Ho from us,
Yara & Gillian
Nora Ephron at the Movies, Ilana Kaplan
No rom-com fan should be without this illustrated book on writer, journalist, and director Nora Ephron, the visionary behind When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You’ve Got Mail.
Fashion First, Diane Keaton
A fashion icon in her own right, Keaton revisits and reflects on some of her favourite and not-so-favourite fashion moments over the decades with her trademark humour.
James Bond Style, Assouline
From sharp suits and cult watches to glamorous gowns and scene-stealing bathing suits, this stylish book explores the timeless fashion in all twenty-five Bond movies.
Buy at Bookshop.org US Buy at Bookshop.org UK
From Here to the Great Unknown, Lisa Marie Presley & Riley Keough
Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in this raw, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough. It sounds incredibly moving.
Cher: The Memoir (Part One), Cher
Cher’s remarkable career is unique and unparalleled (she’s the only woman to top Billboard charts in seven consecutive decades) and here she reveals her true story in intimate detail.
Don’t Look Back You’ll Trip Over, Michael Caine
In this part memoir, part personal development guide, Michael Caine presents a funny, wise, entertaining and eternally optimistic guide to life.
Sonny Boy: A Memoir, Al Pacino
He’s one of the most iconic actors in film having played some legendary roles. This book promises to feel like “hanging out within a history of American movies over the last 50 years”.
Buy at Bookshop.org US Buy at Bookshop.org UK
Steal Like An Artist, Show Your Work & Keep Going,
An inspiring trilogy of illustrated guides to creativity. They may be small but they are packed with insight. Find Austin Kleon here on Substack.
1000 Words: A Writer’s Guide to Staying Creative, Focused and Productive All Year Round, Jami Attenberg
Inspired by Jami Attenberg’s wildly popular bootcamp literary movement #1000WordsofSummer, this handbook includes essays on creativity, productivity, and writing from some of our favourite authors including Lauren Groff, Celeste Ng, Meg Wolitzer, and Carmen Maria Machado.
The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing, Adam Moss
The New York Times has called this “The gift book of the year”. Adam Moss traces the evolution of transcendent novels, paintings, jokes, movies, songs, and more. Think of it as a guided tour inside an artist’s head.
Buy at Bookshop.org US Buy at Bookshop.org UK
There are so many beautiful editions by The Folio Society that it was hard to choose which to feature. These are our picks but it’s worth a browse of their website.
I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou
Wolf Hall, Hilary Mantel
Slouching Towards Bethlehem, Joan Didion
The Nutcracker, Alexandre Dumas
The Lights that Dance in the Night, Yuval Zommer
With all these sightings of the Northern Lights, this festive book seemed very fitting! Illustrator and author Yuval Zommer imagines the Northern Lights' fleeting journey from space to Earth and how they weave a special magic for the animals and people living in the frozen lands below.
Sophie’s Stories, Devon Holzwarth
One for little book lovers, this is a lovely celebration of the magic of bedtime stories. A little girl, Sophie, needs one more bedtime story... and every time she opens a book, it transports her to a magical storybook land (with fun bookish references for the adults to spot!).
Today I Feel, Madalena Moniz
I think this is my favourite ever library discovery - a beautiful book with really clever illustrations that follows a child through a whole range of emotions through the letters of the alphabet, from adored to curious to strong.
You Choose Christmas, Nick Sharratt
It’s likely you’ve come across at least one of the ‘You Choose’ books, where you build a new story every time. This latest one brings all the Christmas cheer. Let your child create the story, from deciding between different elf jobs to selecting a treat from an array of holiday foods!
Wild Places: The Life of David Attenborough, Hayley Rocco and John Rocco
For the nature-lovers who enjoy real-life stories - I haven’t found this one to read yet, but I know it will appeal to many.
As a boy, David loved exploring the wild places near his home in England. But as he grew, he noticed the wild places he loved were shrinking. What could David do to help? What could we all do?
The Mermaid Moon, Bryony May Smith
And to finish… a little moonlight magic for young mermaid fans by the same author-illustrator as ‘Margaret’s Unicorn’.
Two best friends - one who lives on land, the other in the water - share an exciting adventure on the night of the Mermaid Moon: the one time each year that mermaids can leave the sea.
Buy at Bookshop.org US Buy at Bookshop.org UK
We couldn’t cover it all (Fiction is always tough to gift for example), but if there’s a category you need help with let us know in comments and we can put our heads together!
Think I NEED the Diane Keaton style book! Thanks for the list ladies....I love nothing more than getting a stack of books for the holidays. x
Great guide, now send this to my husband.