Books for Christmas

First, consider if your loved one enjoys a particular genre of book; if they love crime fiction or romance, for instance, check out this year’s bestsellers or the latest titles from their favourite authors. For the best literary fiction, browse this year’s winners of the Booker Prize, The Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Baillie Gifford Prize. Alternatively, any book lover would treasure a special hardback edition of their favourite novel.

If someone reads a lot, chances are they’ll have a favourite genre and/or author, so we’d recommend either buying them the next book in their favourite series, one of this year’s bestsellers, or a hidden gem that’s becoming increasingly popular. Alternatively, a classic book is always a safe gift option – especially a special edition of a favourite novel.

We recommend finding a book that matches the person’s interests: if they love football, for instance, they might enjoy Classic Football Shirts, a deep-dive into the most iconic footballers’ kits. Depending on their hobbies, they might alternatively enjoy a book on cookery, history, crafting or pop culture. If they admire a certain celebrity, from Jeremy Clarkson to Jo Brand, they might enjoy their new memoir. Or, if your loved one wants to get into reading fiction but feels short on time, we recommend short books that they can read in one sitting, from Samantha Harvey’s Orbital to Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s White Nights.

The most thoughtful gifts feel personal to the receiver, like a special edition of their all-time favourite novel, for instance; we recommend browsing the Vintage Collector’s Classics and Penguin Clothbound Classics series, and our article on the most beautiful books, for inspiration. It’s also a good idea to find a book that matches their hobbies – if they enjoy rambling, for instance, they’d love Quintin Lake’s The Perimeter; if they love cooking, we recommend Ottolenghi’s latest, Simple Too. Alternatively, choose a book that matches their life-stage: a coffee table book if they’ve just moved house, for instance, or an uplifting read like Charlie Mackesey’s Always Remember if they need the book equivalent of a warm hug.

To make a gift extra special, check out our guide on how to write the perfect book inscription.

If you’re looking for a nostalgic read, we recommend gifting one of the 52 books in the Puffin Clothbound Classics collection – a beautiful hardback series of beloved classics you might remember from childhood. Alternatively, you could find special editions of old favourites like Anne of Green Gables, Little Women and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Christmas is the ideal time to treat yourself to a special edition of a classic you’ve always loved (see: the Clothbound Classics for inspiration) or a deluxe version of a modern bestseller like Project Hail Mary. If you want to get into the Christmas mood, we recommend festive reads like The Penguin Book of Christmas Stories. And if you really want to kick off the holiday season in style, you might consider treating yourself to Vintage’s Twenty-Four Books of Advent: an advent calendar containing 24 miniature hardback books that double-up as Christmas tree decorations.