Books thread - what are you giving/hoping for this year?

[SatsukiKusakabe]

I thought I’d start a thread for bookworms, so we can get some suggestions!

Dh - Munich and Dictator by Robert Harris, The Dry by Jane Harper, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Ds 6 - Usborne How to Draw Comics Book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Tom Gates 7, Beano annual, Where’s Wally Set (nearly twitching on a Star Wars Encyclopedia. We use the library a lot during the year so rarely buy books except at Christmas)

Dd 4 - Disney Princess Early Readers, Winnie the Pooh Storybook Collection, Disney Annual, 10 Little Princesses, Sticker Dolly dressing Fairies and The Ugly Five/Alfie Outdoors if I twitch

Pre-teen Nieces - Philip Pullman Trilogy, Women in Science, Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls

For myself I would like Hadley Freeman’s Life Moves Pretty Fast, Sylvia Plath’s Collected Letters, ...and any ideas I can steal from this thread

For my ds (6) - Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban and A History of Magic (illustrated) a collection of Lego Star Wars phonics books and a new dr Seuss book (don’t know which yet but trying to find a more obscure one that we don’t already have)
DD (2) - a collection of paw Patrol books, a collection of Disney princess books and a few busy books (trolls, paw Patrol, beauty and the beast) also looking to get some of the Winnie the witch books
DD (1) - that’s not my unicorn, thats not my kitten, that’s not my dinosaur, babies everywhere by Susan meyers and a teletubbies book

My OH doesn’t read (much to my annoyance)
I would love to get -
lullaby, Pygmy, rant, and damned by chuck palahnuik

Re: Dr Suess - have you seen What Pet Should I Get? Picked it up from the library recently and was a new one on us.

No I haven’t but it’s just been added to my amazon basket 🤣 we have almost 30 dr Seuss books. My ds has gotten them every Christmas and every birthday, so starting to struggle a wee bit now as we have most of the obvious ones. He has a speech disorder so the repetition works well for him. Thanks 😁

So far I've got a bit of a cookery theme going on. 15 y/o dd has How To Bake Pi by Eugenia Cheng, and The Geeky Chef Cookbook.
Ex-H (her dad) is getting Andina (book of Peruvian recipes).

BlueMeanies - do you have My Many Coloured Days? It's a bit different in that the text is by Dr Seuss, but the illustrations by a selection of artists, but it's absolutely gorgeous.

I'm hoping to get the New Fifty Shades Book Darker As Told By Christian

If your DH likes Robert Harris The Conclave is very good. I really enjoyed The Dry.

No one buys me books as I am 'too difficult' to buy for. If I was buying for myself 4321 by Paul Auster.

If you have someone who enjoys sports the William Hill sports book of the year is usually a good pick. Not the usual 'biography' of a twenty year old footballer, but far more interesting in depth look at sport. I used to buy my Dad the Prix winner most years.

DS (12) doesn't really like fiction, so has Guinness Book of Records, Ripley's believe it or not, Lies and mistakes on ancient maps and a new world atlas, which looks at maps of the world in different ways, e.g., climate change, pollution, internet connections.

For your DS6, he may like the Austrosaurs and Cows in Action, my DS loved those.

I would like the Book of Dust. I would also like Alan Bennett Keeping On. Recently bought Sweet by Ottolenghi and it's brilliant. There's loads of others but I need to be strict with myself.

Dd1(4) - Princess Smartypants and The Paperbag Princess in an effort to cure her of sappy Disney princesses

Dd2 (2) - I've totally forgotten. Good ones though.

Ds1 (3 months) - That's not my dinosaur and something else that I've forgotten.

Need suggestions for Dh so will keep an eye on this thread. Possibly something by Robert Macfarlane. He was muttering about Dasheil Hammett at one point.

Yes, I’m awkward too lemesmer have to pretty much say what I want. Thanks he’s read Conclave, but I will look up the William Hill book and Astrosaurs sounds right up ds’s street! 4321 should keep you going, it’s huge

Joskar Raymond Chandler a good bet too if he likes Dashiell Hammet. How could I forget the Book of Dust! I would like that but may need to reread the others first.

I think Disney is a phase they have to go through - just so many lead female characters compared to other mainstream stuff where they are to the side. I hope that changes as they grow up.

Dp got a new collected Chandler last Christmas. This year he wants books about the Holocaust plus some John Cheever stories.

Dad is getting The Dry and some Philip Kerr. Last year he got His Bloody Project.

Mum is getting The Essex Serpent. Last year she got 84 Charing Cross Road.

I'm hoping for several more of these excellent little books. Also The Book of Dust and Munich.

Hi remus I’ve completely dropped off the 50 books thread due to health stuff, I’ll have to check in again before the new one begins.

Yes I might try my dad on some Philip Kerr, I wasn’t that keen myself, but he is more into that genre than me. I forgot I’ve also got him Madam Will You Talk? after recommendation on the books thread (possibly you?)

I’m looking forward to stealing dh’s Munich as Fatherland was one f my best reads this year.

Hi.

*Madam Will You Talk" is a hoot. I nearly bought it for my mum - in fact, I may still do so!

I think I'll wait for Munich on Kindle, as I'm struggling with holding heavy hardbacks (weakling!).

DD1 (9) adventure time fiona and cake card wars graphic novel, Tom gates book, new David Walliams book, beano annual, captain underpants book, probably a couple more adventure time ones as she loves them! A hit on her birthday was a book about banksy.

DD2 (5) Paddington Book set, kipper book, my animal Friends Book collection, my little pony annual.

their tastes in books couldn't be more different 😂

I've bought a couple if new christmas books - santa selfie, aliens in underpants love panta claus, new Paddington one from m&s, winnie and Wilbur christmas book.

I would like harry potter prisoner of azkaban illustrated edition, book of dust, and a kindle voucher to buy books throughout the year 😂

Dr suess books - dd liked 'I don't want to get out of bed today'

also for girls I highly recommend the graphic novel dolltopia it's about not conforming to stereotypes. DD loved it and reading comics like that one really helped her start to read and enjoy books. Before that she refused to read. 😁

I seem to be giving more cookery ones than normal - Richard Bertinet's Dough for uncle, one of Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries for mum. (OK that's two, but still more than usual!)

Sarah Hall's latest collection Madame Zero for stepdad, along with a package of LRB/New Yorker/Granta etc & Jay Griffiths' Wild - An Elemental Journey.

Off to the lovely Toppings shop tomorrow to search for inspiration for something historical for aunt.

For me, I would like Tina Brown's Vanity Fair Diaries, the collected letters of Nancy Mitford & Evelyn Waugh, Paul Auster's 4321 and Ali Smith's Autumn.

I’m umming and ahhing about that - hardbacks never seem to get read as quickly, but they make such lovely presents

I have got the first illustrated Harry Potter for ds but was thinking of saving it for his birthday.

I will wish list Dolltopia for when dd is reading nocuts

This thread was possibly a bad idea, for my bank balance, I’m looking up all sorts now

I raid charity shops all year for books and some end up in stockings...so far:
DH: Eric by Terry Pratchet, a Lego design book.
DS1 (5): some ‘finding’ books (where you spot 6 squirrels or whatever), a set of children’s Shakespeare, Lego book, Lego annual, Star Wars book.
DS2 (20 months): that’s not my Santa, Reindeer and one other Xmas one, Dear Santa, set of six books about transport (the mini ones with one picture on each page).

What would I like...The Road to Somewhere, assorted Margery Allingham/PD James/Dorothy L Sayers to fill gaps in my collection.

For DD(10):
A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan
A Street Through Time
Cogheart by Peter Bunzl
The Charlie and the Chocolate Factory book by Wonderbly
The first three books in the treehouse series

I wouldn’t know where to start with what I want. There are too many.

mountsnowdon I understand, but that is not helpful

For DH;
Robert Webb "How Not to be a Boy", Goodbye Mr Chips, and some books by J L Carr from the Quince Tree Press

For DS 13:
Norse Myths by Kevin Crossley-Holland, The Book of Dust, Neurocomic, Thing Explainer, The Thrilling Adventures of Lovelace and Babbage, QI book,

For DD 16;
Tales of the City box set, Pride & Prejudice, The Dud Avocado, The Outsiders, The Virgin Suicides.

For DF and DM:
Meetings with Remarkable Manuscripts

For me:
books by Cordelia Fine, most of the Booker shortlist, books by Melissa Harrison and Deborah Levy, This Thing of Darkness from a thread on here.

Oh thanks for reminding me of Lovelace and Babbage, I quite fancied that last year and forgot it. Have added to my wish list along with the Robert Webb

Currently for DS (6):
Box set of How to Train your dragon
Match annual
A World of Information
Match joke book
Match incredible stats and facts

I'm not sure whether to swap the box set for the Enid Blyton box set about the far away tree. Any thoughts?

DD (4)
Little Miss box set
Annual but not sure which one. Any suggestions? She's not really into anything in particular.
Usborne sticker book

DH
None - he doesn't read 🤔

DM
National Trust scones book
From you to me - from the kids

DDad
Cycling book - can't remember the name
From you to me - also from kids

I’ve looked at How to Train Your Dragon for ds but came to the conclusion he’d get more out of them if a bit older, although he’s a good reader. He’s watched a bit of the tv series but not the films.

I haven’t tried him with Faraway Tree, but he likes The Secret Seven and me reading The Famous Five to him.

I’m getting my dd the Disney Princess Annual because she saw it in a shop and wanted that one. Last year she had Paw Patrol. If she hadn’t seen that I would have got her Rupert Bear as I saw that in the shop the other day and had a burst of nostalgia that they still did it!