My party trick used to be standing splits in door ways, but funny enough, I’ve not done one since I quit boozing. Although kind of tempted now that I just typed that. But my real party trick is recommending books based on what you enjoy reading. Skincare maven Caroline Hirons said I am what she is to cleansers to books.
At my birthday party I brought books that were designated for each person that attended which was probably the most on brand thing I have ever done. I find pairing a book with someone who adores it incredibly romantic and personal. And am eternally grateful to people that have introduced me to an author or novel that becomes a favourite. Daisy Buchanan brought me the Mitfords, Sarra Manning has brought me the Cazalet Chronicles among others. Sharing books with my mom was one of my favourite things, and I will forever treasure taking turns reading chapters of Anne of Green Gables to each other.
I hope this piece is a little bit of elf help and Christmas love sprinkled under your trees.
Since I don’t know your relatives or their particular preferences, I will paint some broad strokes on genre and age. But if you want to comment with a book that they loved, I will share something along the same lines in feel, theme or just that reminds me of that book. My tastes run very much towards female authors which will be evident in the list below.
Support local book shops. Everything here will link back to uk.bookshop.org unless they don’t stock it. Also- for relatives that struggle with reading in hard copy, consider getting them audiobooks. I’m someone who reads everything someone has ever written and Ann Patchett and Bernice McFadden and Elif Shafak could all write grocery lists that I would read with relish.
Family gift:
Where The Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
The Indespensable Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson
Kids. I don’t have any, so don’t spend a huge amount of time in the younger kids section but adore YA fiction so have some thoughts here and love giving my favourite book worm Darcy my favourites.
Elle McNicoll has written some of my absolute favourites over the past few years. https://uk.bookshop.org/books?keywords=elle+mcnicoll
Her protagonists are neurodivergent and story telling skills are super engaging and every kid I have gifted them to has adored them. Ages 7-12 (these are my age ranges not necessarily what section they are stashed in.)
Louie Stowell’s Loki series are brilliant for boys that think they hate books and for kids that are full of mischief . Engaging, varied and hilarious. My godson liked that it wasn’t a “normal” book and didn’t feel like school. Drawings, diaries, and getting up to mischief Ages 6-10
Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery is my favourite book of all time. I still go back to it and find comfort in Ann with an E and Prince Edward Island. It is classic for a reason and is a wonderful intro to chapter books. I also read all of the Emily series and all 8 of the Anne books.
Pre-teen/Teen
The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by CS Lewis for those kids with wild imaginations and adventure.
The Trumpet of the Swan by EB White if your kid loved Charlotte’s Web, even as a child I always wanted to read everything anyone had ever written
Eleanor and Park and Landline- Rainbow Rowell nails teenage flirtation and love and being in that crazy stage where we are all looking for first loves, kisses and heartbreak
No Big Deal by Bethany Rutter– One of the only books I’ve seen where the protagonist is fat and not the sidekick. And celebrated for everything about her, not just her weight.
Diary of A Confused Feminist and the sequel Must Do Better by Kate Weston are brilliant. I gave them to the 12 year old girls in my life after inhaling them.
Toxic by Natasha Devon, the most important and intense relationships in our lives at that age are our friends. And delving into girls and toxicity and mental health and insecurities and anxiety whilst being really relatable and readable is not an easy thing to do, but this nails it. If you’ve got a child in your life changing schools or struggling with friends group and finding their self, this is a good pick.
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz is brilliant. Deals with race and sexuality and defining yourself and everything that goes with it, especially if you don’t feel you fit in. Really solidly addressed anger and violence and friendship and love in adolescent males. It’s a lyrical beauty of a book.
Wonderful and universal, can give to older relatives
The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer– was the best discussion we had in 7 years of book club
The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker
The Hearts Invisible Furies- John Boyne
The History of Love by Nicole Krauss
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert
Ask Again Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Non fiction:
Speaking and Being by Kübra Gümüşay
Emergency State by Adam Wagner
Empireland by Sathnam Sanghera
Lady in Waiting by Anne Glenconner
About a Son by David Whitehouse
Short & wonderful:
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walters
Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple
Love in Five Acts by Daniela Krien
Poetic or Plays with Language or Form
Milkman by Anna Burns
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safar Foer
Breasts and Eggs by Mieko Kawakami
For friends you used to really party with
Exciting Times by Naoise Dolan
Animals by Emma Jane Unsworth
Cleopatra and Frankenstein by Coco Mellors
The Wrong Knickers by Bryony Gordon
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Otessa Moshfegh
For bookworms:
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki Winner of Women’s Prize for Fiction
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Dear Reader by Cath Retzenbrink
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
The Giver of Stars- Jojo Moyes
Dog obsessed:
The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Crime and Pace: Books I read in one sitting
Praise Song for Butterflies by Bernice McFadden
Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
Through the Wall by Caroline Corcoran
Memoir:
Did Ye Hear That Mammy Died by Séamus O’Reilly— amazing as audio book and very funny despite the mammy dying
My Broken Language by Quiara Alegria Hudes
The Hungover Games by Sophie Heawood
If they are into birds or science:
Thank you so much, this must have been exhausting!