The best books to buy for Christmas gifts in 2021
Some books to buy for Christmas in this gift guide I have been sent to have a read of and see if I can feature them as a gift suggestion. This is seen as advertising as they were sent to me for this purpose. However, I have only shared items with you I truly believe would be a great gift.
Buying a book for a gift is a great way of giving a present that will be used for days or even weeks or years to come. Generally, books are easy to post and this year that is likely to be important when choosing gifts, isn’t it? I have added prices for items at the time of writing but it is always worth checking yourself as these may change.
Here’s my list of the best books for Christmas gifts. These are perfect gift ideas for the book lover in your life.
Check out lots of other gift guides and my tips of what not to buy here.
Adult Non-fiction books to buy for Christmas for great gifts
Food and drink based books for gifts
A new recipe book can be a perfect gift. This More Taste & Less Waste book could be perfect to help them cook with things they might have thrown away otherwise, using healthy ingredients and having fun too. Pick it up for just £9.99 on Waterstones.
Or how about a different cookbook?
A cookbook to celebrate British farmers and their food with stunning recipes for all the family using ingredients grown and raised in the UK. Check out one of the recipes below.
This book is available from most bookshops such as Waterstones for £22.
Easy to make, deliciously decadent and using natural, easily available ingredients, Emma Hollingsworth’s amazing recipes will transform any plant-based diet. Satisfy every possible sweet tooth craving you could have while avoiding processed snacks and desserts. Available from Amazon for £9.
Health and self-care books as a gift
If you are buying a gift for someone who struggles to prioritise their own needs and always puts everyone else first then this could be the perfect gift. It is a book I recently bought and can personally recommend. Available for most bookshops and is £19.99 from W H Smiths.
This bundle of three A6 size little books is filled with 89 positive quotes, prayers, and inspiration. I believe that there is something for everyone contained in these little gems! Check them out here.
A diary gift
Diaries don’t need to be boring gifts and this Dairy Diary shows that. It is a perfect gift for someone who loves to cook with tasty weekly recipes throughout, one shown in the image below. It also includes kitchen tips, budgeting pages and inspirational articles to read so it is like a food magazine and diary in one!
At £8.99 it is a similar price to a more boring diary so I think it is a great choice. Check it out in more detail on the Dairy Diary website.
A book for a new dad
If you are looking for a book or gift for a new dad then I thoroughly recommend this one by Daddilife books. I reviewed it in more detail so do read my review of the book and see if it is the perfect gift for your recipient.
Interior design and style books
Do you need to buy someone who loves reading style magazines and is a little difficult to buy for? This small pink coffee table book is perfect for that lady who loves style. It recounts the story of Coco Chanel and her story as such an influential fashion designer. Check it out for £8 here.
A music book
If you are buying for a Beatles fan then this could be the perfect gift. The Beatles: Get Back is the official account of the creation of their final album, Let It Be, told in The Beatles’ own words, illustrated with hundreds of previously unpublished images. The book has an rrp of £40 but is currently £35 in Waterstones.
If you are looking for something to buy for an Elvis fan then this could be the perfect gift. Different from other Elvis books that all tell the same story this one is unique and full of an A to Z of Elvis researched the far-flung corners of Elvisology to dig out some of the more out-there theories and beliefs about the legendary singer.
It is a book that shines a spotlight on some of the most controversial and contradictory ‘facts’ floating around about The King, and in doing so investigates how these proclamations hold up to scrutiny. Available for £9.35 from Amazon.
Adults fiction books to buy for Christmas gifts
This entertaining collection of shaggy dog stories for adult readers is designed to amuse, frustrate and, perhaps, infuriate the reader. This would be a great book for someone hard to buy for as they are simple short stories that will make them smile.
As lockdown inspired Rufus, David has chosen to donate £1.50 from each copy sold to NHS Charities Together (registered charity no 1186569) NHS to support its extraordinary work, thus making the purchase of this book rewarding in more ways than one. Pop over to buy Rufus needs a haircut on Amazon.
One of my favourite authors at the moment is Clare Mackintosh and I thoroughly recommend her books to you. Ben bought me these for my birthday and I am yet to start them however highly recommend Hostage by her which I have already read! Check her books out on Waterstones.
Children’s books to buy for Christmas
The lovely book is a story about Danny, a young boy who dreams of being an Olympic Champion, when one day a dramatic incident changes his life forever, leaving him wheelchair-bound. He then goes on to win the Paralympics! It is the first book about a person with a disability to be illustrated by a disabled artist. check it out on the MFPA shop.
What better gift than a promise of your time? This Mother-Daughter Date Diary is a simple tool to boost your daughter’s self-esteem. It has inspired mothers and daughters to find new, fun and creative ways of enjoying each other’s company, even in the midst of lockdown. It can create space for deeper connections whilst journaling your moments into memories to look back at – anchoring self-esteem and inner strength. Prices are £14.95 for softback or £19.95 for hardback.
A great book to help youngsters know what is needed to own a dog and learn about caring for a dog. Jack the Dog Detective is on a mission to uncover the secret language of dogs! Join him as he explores the secret ways your dog tries to talk to you, and find out if you have what it takes to be a Dog Detective yourself.
Have you seen the Little Box of Books they are available as a subscription to keep your child recipient in books every month or as a one-off gift? These beautiful book boxes celebrate the representation of all races, cultures and families. They make an ideal Christmas present to diversify children’s bookshelves – so they truly reflect the society we live in. Prices start at £19.99 and this set is one for children aged 8-11.
This is a beautiful Christmas story about Santa making sure that each child has the right gift with some help from their toys. The book shares with children how their toys know them best so they will help Santa choose the best gifts even if they are not on their lists! Check it out for £11.99 on Waterstones.
A lovely children’s book about a fir tree deep in the forest that longs to see the world and how it is taken into town for Christmas. A modern retelling of the Hans Christian Anderson classic. Buy it from Waterstones for £6.99.
This is a great book perfect for under five-year-olds about a hungry crocodile having a very different 12 days of Christmas eating and eating! Buy it from Waterstones for £6.99.
Look up at the stars is a lovely heartfelt children’s book for the under five’s and is about a mother bear and her child leaving their house on an adventure in search of a star but will they reach their goal? Buy it from Waterstones for £12.99.
Joshua just loves unicorns! He has unicorn books, unicorn toys, unicorn ornaments; he even dreams of unicorns! Then one day, as Joshua is reading one of his books, he drifts off into a daydream. What happens next surprises Joshua. He can’t believe his eyes when he finds one of the unicorns from his book standing at the foot of his bed; a beautiful unicorn called Poppy. Excited to tell his best friend Lucia, who also loves unicorns, they both use their imagination and go off on a magical adventure together.
Check out lots of other gift guides and my tips of what not to buy here.