Festive Gift Guide for the Bookish

Since 2020 has been such a horrendous year all round, so I think it's the perfect time of year to treat your bookish friends (or yourself) to a little something to say 'well done' for making it to December. Below are a few picks from my shelves - two fiction, two non-fiction - which I feel would be perfect gifts for this festive season.

The Mistletoe Murder and Other Stories

P D James

A wonderful collection of 4 seasonal, murderous stories from the late Queen of Crime herself, this one is the perfect little stocking filler.

At times intriguing, at others creepy and disturbing, this is ideal for those who love a crime story to curl up with during dark winter evenings. I loved it.

Available on BookshopOrg here and on Amazon here.

Eight Ghosts: The English Heritage Book of New Ghost Stories

Rowan Routh (ed.)

To me, the festive season is perfect for a ghost story. And if you enjoy historic places too, this is the perfect combination.

Eight authors (including the likes of Mark Haddon, Sarah Perry, Jeanette Winterson and Kamila Shamsie) were asked to write a ghost story based around an English Heritage property in the UK. For example, Max Porter writes about Eltham Palace; Stuart Evers about Dover Castle, and Kate Clanchy's spooky offering is inspired by Housesteads Roman Fort.

This collection is a great gift for anyone keen on spooky stories, history and heritage.

Available on BookshopOrg here and on Amazon here.

Christmas: A Biography

Judith Flanders

Since it's going to be a slightly quieter Christmas for everyone this year (stay safe, folks), why not take the opportunity to learn a little more about the history of the season itself? I regularly recommend Judith Flanders' books on Victorian history to others, and this one is a lovely, broader addition to her other works.

Taking us through the first origins of the festival in the Roman Empire, to the development of the 'traditional' Victorian Christmas and beyond, Flanders masterfully makes this topic really interesting and full of facts you can regale your family with throughout the season.

Available on BookshopOrg here and on Amazon here.

Treasure Palaces: Great Writers Visit Great Museums

Maggie Ferguson (ed.)

If, like me, you know someone missing the world's museums in the current lockdowns, then this is the book to buy them. In this essay collection, notable writers such as Jacqueline Wilson, Julian Barnes and Ann Patchett take us on a tour of some of their favourite museums and galleries around the world, talking about what they mean to them.

Michael Morpurgo goes to The Flanders Fields Museum in Ypres; Andres O'Hagan writes about the Kelvingrove in Glasgow; and Aminatta Forna takes a stroll around the Museum of Broken Relationships in Zagreb.

If nothing else, you'll come away with a desire to visit some amazing institutions and appreciate heritage and the arts in a different way.

Available on Amazon here and Waterstones here.

Disclaimer: this post may contain affiliate links.