The best books to buy for Christmas Gifts
This article includes advertising for brands however I do only recommend products I genuinely do think would make a great gift. I love giving books as a gift as you know it will last the recipient as long as it takes them to read it as well as it being easy to wrap and easy to post if needed! These books would all make great gifts if you are struggling with ideas.
Do check out my other gift guides for more ideas too!
Non-fiction books
If you are looking for a gift for a teen or a spiritual friend who is very interested in horoscopes then this 2023 horoscopes book could be perfect. It is written by Patsy Bennett, an Australian celebrity astrologer who has been doing this for over 24 years! This book is available from Amazon for around £14.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Nanny is a memoir from Sally Arnold about her career working with some of the most well-known celebrities in the UK. She shares insight, unseen images and photographs into her experiences with people such as The Rolling Stones, Peter Gabriel, The Who and Lynard Skynard. The book is £13.99 and you can find out more about it and buy it from Rock n roll nanny.
On her Majesty’s diplomatic service by Michael Burton is a memoir describing his work as British Ambassador and working with four British prime ministers, an American president, an Arab king and a Soviet spy. He shares all about facilitating royal visits to the places he was posted and talks about his job in a way we rarely hear about. The book is a great gift for a memoir lover and is available from Amazon for £13.75.
Up, up and away is a great book for someone who loves nature and viewing amazing photography. It is an insect-eye view of the world in a fantastic book helping the reader to think more about the importance of diversity in the natural environment and think more about how an insect lives and our impacts on that. Up, up and away is available from Amazon for £23.
A unique and lovely book about how the way you treat others and being positive in treating others how you would like to be treated affects you and the legacy you leave behind. The book discusses and provides research on how things would be different and historical events would have been different if only we all followed this one golden rule. It is available from Amazon for £13.99 or for £6.99 on Kindle.
A great gift for mums and mums-to-be, ‘This Mum Malarkey’ is a laugh-out-loud account of the highs and lows of raising under-fives. A great gift that will surely have her laughing so much she might wish she did her pelvic floor exercises (or as a mum-to-be might be reminded to do them!). The book is just £6.99 from Amazon.
A very funny political satire book that is sure to have the recipient giggling with a light-hearted take on the events of today’s world. A great read I am sure anyone who is always yelling at politicians decisions and has something to say on the matters will love. It is available from Amazon for £11.99 in paperback or free on Kindle Unlimited
Books for children
These books by Trinderella are great for youngsters. Firstly we have The Time My Grandma Accidentally Bought A Giraffe which is a hilarious book for kids of all ages but my thoughts are around age 7-8yrs would love it. Secondly, we have Nobby Nudd, another funny kids’ book, and finally, we have a book of funny children’s poems called I’ve Got 7 Dogs, 2 Cats and a Gorilla in My Back Garden
Uh Oh Milo, The Excited Elf is a great book in the Uh Oh Milo series perfect for children approximately under the age of 7. The excited elf is aimed at encouraging children to sleep early on Christmas eve as they hear all about an excited elf who is waiting for children to sleep to get busy! The book is £7.99 from Uh Oh Milo.
This is a great lift-the-flap board book about Christmas and the reindeer for babies and toddlers. The book is strong with sturdy flaps and is great to help little ones learn the stories of Santa and the reindeer as well as work on their hand-eye coordination. The book is available from Amazon for £6.99.
A year of nature poems is a lovely book for children to help them learn about the changes in nature throughout the year. This would not only be a great gift for a youngster but also possibly for a primary school teacher who likes to find new things to do with the children. The book is £6.99 on Amazon.
If you are buying for a child who loves to learn about different people and different places then this is the perfect gift. Africana is a book all about Africa written for children aged around 7-11 and is full of facts and gorgeous pictures. Africana is available from Amazon for £12.79.
Illumibugs is a great book about bugs and minibeasts that kids are always so interested in. Using the three-coloured lens brings the book to life and helps them to learn in a fun way. This book is aimed at children aged around 5-10 years old and is £19.80 from Amazon.
A book for children about the life and career of Coco Chanel perfect for young fashionistas or those interested in the history of fashion. It is a lovely book and suggested for ages 6+. Available from Amazon for £12.70.
This novel for youngsters is about a girl called Hannah who spends a lot of time with her beloved dog and is upset when she passes away. Her life carries on and she falls in love with another dog but the new dog can see the deceased dog. An entertaining book that youngsters will love aged around 7-11 especially if they have lost a pet. It is available from Amazon for £9.19.
A magical novel for children aged 9-12 this is a book of magic and mystery where youngsters have crept into a library in the palace of Kew Gardens and saw a painting, but who is that wearing an amulet? Then they need to find out why their friend Jess has disappeared! Is this all linked to the magical trees they saw in the local park a year earlier? A great book for young readers it is available from Amazon for £6.45.
Novels for adults
The Binding Room by Nadine Matheson sounds amazing and I can’t wait to read it. Written by a solicitor specialising in criminal law you know that it will be good. The blurb says:
In this room, no one can hear you scream…
The Serial Crimes Unit are called in to investigate when a local pastor is found stabbed to death. As DI Henley assesses the crime scene, she discovers a hidden door that conceals a room set up for torture – and bound to the bed in the middle of the room is the body of a man.
When another body is found, also tied down, Henley realises there’s someone out there torturing innocent people and leaving them for dead. But why?
There’s nothing that connects the victims. They didn’t know each other. Their paths never crossed. But someone has targeted them, and it’s up to Henley and the SCU to stop them before they find another binding room…
If this is the perfect gift for your book lover you can read more about it from Nadine Matheson’s website or buy it from Amazon.
A novel based in Nottinghamshire written by popular local author Katie Trinder. Stanley Thomas is a very bad man is about Stan who meets his fate in the gallows in 1953 for murder but 35 years later the hangman is writing a book about his job and everyone has moved on but the book reunites them and forces them to deal with secrets from their past. A great read at £8.99 on Amazon.
A modern gothic romance that is perfect for anyone who loves a book with a modern-day heroine and full of the paranormal. The Stealing is available online from The Stealing and will definitely leave the reader on the edge of their seat constantly wondering what will happen next!
Felix unbound is a great book for an avid reader who also loves cats. It is a fascinating story which makes you wonder what might happen if your cat turned human. It is a great read and definitely one that many readers would enjoy. It is available from Amazon for £10.99 in paperback.
If you are buying for an avid bookworm who loves crime stories then Countdown to a Killing is a great one. It is one they will definitely love if they have read The Appeal by Janice Hallett. It is written from multiple perspectives as the content is the correspondence of all the characters to tell the story in a unique and amazing way. Countdown to a Killing is available from Amazon for £8.99.
Activity books
Oaka books are educational packs perfect for children who are visual learners from age 5 to GCSE level. The above are Key Stage 3 (ages 11-14). They are £7.97 for each topic pack which includes a booklet, notes booklet and an active learning game, map or quiz. This is just a small selection of the range of packs available! Other products include pair games and board games.
The book of me and you is a perfect record book to do with a child or grandchild sharing memories and interests in a way that is recorded safely for years to come. It is designed to be filled out by a child with help from a special adult to them which could be a parent, grandparent or anyone else important to the child. I think this would be a great gift for a young child who loves to write and ask questions! It is £25 from Colour Chronicles.
The Book of you is similar to the book of me and you above but this is more like a childhood record book. It is an ideal gift for children of age 1+ or their parents and is designed to write together to record everything from their childhood to look back on. Every year it is written in to keep a record of how things are and what changes including questions for the child to answer! This is also available from Colour Chronicles for £25 and in a variety of colours.
The Working Day colouring book by Modern Toss is a great gift for someone who works hard. For £10.99 at Brain Box Candy, it provides them with a hilarious colouring book of typical work situations and stresses.
Health books
Simone Thomas is one of the UK’s leading hair and nutrition specialists and has written an amazing book to share how nutrition affects your hair and body. With her advice, your recipient could learn which nutrients could be having an impact on her dry hair for example and how simple changes could improve her wellness overall. The book is £15 directly from Simone Thomas Wellness. The Biotin brilliance capsules are described in my “for her” gift guide.
A diary
I love the Dairy Diary and have used it for a few years now. It is a gorgeous diary and also has recipes in it too for inspiration. A great mix between a recipe book and a diary. It gets bonus points for me as it has a great tit on the front which is one of my favourite birds and reminds me of my Grandma.
The Dairy Diary is £8.99 and is available from Dairy Diary.
Food Books
This book is a perfect gift for anyone looking to start a healthy diet but who loves to cook tasty amazing foods. It talks about what a Smorgasbowl is and how to create a perfect one using the right flavours, ingredients and methods including things not to do too. The ingredients included can be found at most supermarkets which is great for anyone who hates having to hunt down obscure ingredients they won’t use again! This book is available on Amazon with prices from £11 depending on the format.
From the makers of the Dairy Diary, we have a Healthier comfort food recipe book. A perfect gift for a foodie who tries to cook more healthy meals with the book also having advice on portion sizes. Each recipe includes tips, easy-to-follow instructions and space for notes too. The Healthier comfort foods recipe book is just £10.50 available directly from Dairy Diary.