In the words of Stephen King, “books are a uniquely portable magic,” and when that portable magic comes in Christmas wrapping and has your name written on the tag, it suddenly starts feeling a lot like Hogwarts. Books are always an immensely appreciated addition to the household, however, choosing the right book to give as a Christmas present can be quite tricky.
On one hand, you want them to realise that you did actually put some thought in the selection, and you would also want to congratulate your choice while watching delight blossoming on their face as they open your gift on the other. After years of being an active reader and some minutes staring at my book collection, I picked out six books I would’ve loved to receive and would also personally choose as a gift.
For the person who owns every book
This might be the one that people struggle most with, as one might think that having a bookworm in the family is the first one to cross under the ’People I need to buy a gift for’ list. You know they’ll be thrilled at receiving books fair enough, but what if they seem to be reading a new book every week? The last thing you want is to give them a book they already own. "The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern is the fantasy book that they probably haven’t heard about or didn’t give a second glance at. With a fascinating cover that would look stunning on their bookshelf and characters that feel as alive as the people sitting next to them on the dinner table while they secretly hope it is over quickly so that they can go back to reading it, bookworms will love you and hate you for giving them this book that they’ve become emotionally invested in.
For the Young Teen
The market for Young Adult/Teen books has expanded in the most recent years and it could be quite overwhelming. From vampires to fallen angles to having a celebrity fall in love with you…the choice is endless. And even though I gravitate towards books that are mostly targeted to adults, I do find young adult books to be somewhat of a guilty pleasure every once in a while. My recommendation for this one is "Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern’, also known by its movie adaptation, ’Love, Rosie’. This book is cleverly written, simply narrated by letters, emails and text messages, making it beginner and young teen friendly. Also, who doesn’t love a suspenseful love story?
For the writer
A writer looks for inspiration around all corners of a room, and also on all four corners of a page. They need a book that will flourish them with inspiration and have them enjoy and appreciate every word inked on the pages.
Two books that I would give to a writer this Christmas are "Love and Misadventure’ by Lang Leav, and "Dirty Pretty Things’ by Michael Faudet. Not only are the writers a juicy mystery themselves and their relationship with each other, their books are filled with words that will ponder on their brain throughout the day. While ’Memories’ and ’Dirty Pretty Things’ have very similar poetic writing styles, the latter has an erotic element to the subjects of relationships, love, loss, and lust, that both share.
For the one that’s missing out
Lastly, I shall be suggesting to you two books that I feel that every person needs to read to complete their human experience in this world. Firstly is "The Absolutist’ written by John Boyne, the author of "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, and as this would suggest, it is a historical fiction. Not only does it provide a captivating plot with an equally intriguing protagonist, but the novel also keeps surprising the reader up until the very last page.
Secondly, and the last book that I shall be suggesting to you in my mini Christmas Gift Guide, is "The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini. Words cannot simply recount what an experience reading this book was, always is, and will forever be. From the thought-provoking events to the journey of growing up with the protagonist, "The Kite Runner’ is a book that changes you and makes you feel a wiser person with every page turned and with every chapter concluded.
Selectively choosing books was a tough challenge but I feel confident in my choices. Likability of books is subjective, but I nonetheless hope that this helped you in your last minute Christmas gift shopping. Stay safe, and may you have a happy festive season!
