christmas sister help

[Fannycraddock79]

In my family we do secret Santa, so for the adults we spend £70 on one person instead of £20 on every adult. This year I have my sister. I know what she would love is books, purely and simply books. She even said "I don't want or need anything else, I JUST WANT BOOKS". She will give me a list of what she wants but what I also want to throw in there is some she hasn't heard of or read before. She devours books, she absolutely loves them. Can anyone recommend some obscure/unknown books that she would love that I can get her? She will read most things, although I think science fiction is most probably out. She loves mo hayder, jo nesbo etc but will also read novels that aren't thrillers or mysteries. She wouldn't appreciate 'chick-lit' or cheesy romance. Could anyone suggest any must reads I can get her? Thankyou

[magimedi]

Can't recommend but if you google - What book would I like next? there are loads of different sites that may help you. So if you put in Jo Nesbo it will come up with quite a few other authors.

[Blowninonabreeze]

Would she appreciate a kindle? I know they're very polarising amongst avid readers (although I love mine)

I imagine you'll fond it hard to buy £70 worth of books with duplicating something she's already read.

[Fannycraddock79]

Thankyou I will try the Google idea, I also love books and read a lot (as much as I can with a 3.5 yr old and 3 month old), but am out of the loop with what is good and end up reading her cast offs anyway!

Unfortunately we have had the kindle discussion and she just loves the feel of a real book. I have lent her my kindle to read everything off it but she prefers books-otherwise that would be a great idea.

Will try google and keep all receipts so she can take them back if I duplicate. I just don't want to only get ones on her list and want to add a few surprises in there too.

[KurriKurri]

If she's given you the names of authors/books she likes, this site might be helpful

literature map you just put in an author and you get similar authors in a sort of mind map - the nearer to the centre, the closer they are to the author you have named.

[Hygge]

I've been thinking of a few of my favourite books that are either 'love them or hate them' types.

Important Artifacts and Personal Property from the Collection of Lenore Doolan and Harold Morris: Including Books, Street Fashion and Jewelry by Leanne Shapton.

This one is set out like an auction catalogue and tells the story of a four year relationship, with the property of the couple being auctioned after they split up. It's an odd one, not for everyone, but if your sister is up for something a little bit different then this may be the book.

The End of Mr Y by Scarlett Thomas.

Ariel finds a rare book which is also rumoured to be cursed and (as it says on the amazon blurb) finds herself in an adventure of love, sex, death, and time travel. She also meets the god of mice. It's very difficult to describe this book and do it justice, but again it's an unusual one that your sister will either love or hate.

A slightly less hard going but still unusual one is Our Tragic Universe, also by Scarlett Thomas, which is my favourite of her books.

Antichrista by Amelie Nothomb

Is about a teenage girl named Blanche, who makes friends with Christa on her first day of college, but she soon learns that friends can make the worst enemies. It's not something I've found on sale easily here, amazon has copies.

Where were you Robert? by Hans Magnus Enzensberger

A teenage boy disappears through his TV screen and travels back through time, searching for a way to return to his home in the present.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

If you think she might like something a bit scary, this might be the book she'd like but hasn't heard of. Four men are lost hiking in the ancient forests of Sweden, and become aware of something stalking them through the woods, picking them off one by one.

A Kind of Intimacy by Jenn Ashworth

Annie moves to a new home, and becomes interested in her new neighbours, with terrible consequences. There's a slowly building awfulness in this one.

The House Next Door by Anne Rivers Siddons

Again, there's a slowly building awfulness (and some horrible, very well written scenes) and Colquit and Walter become aware that the newly build house next door to theirs hides a kind of evil that terrorises their neighbourhood.