Christmas Reading

I find christmas so stressful. I don’t know why. I love guiltless shopping. It should be like heaven.

My preferred approach with family is to get one thing I know they like and one risky thing that they may hate or love. Like alcohol (a no brainer in my family) and a book (which could work or could be never opened).

With my daughter and husband, I go a bit more advanced. I try and do: a game/ something to occupy them on the day/ a gag gift, some food based treat, something on their list, a surprise.

So since noone in my family reads this blog, I thought I’d share with you the kind of things I’m getting this year, starting with…..

Books!

Everyone in my family, except my husband, are big readers. The only risk with books is that they’ve read it already. So I either go for very recent release or obscure books. Here are the ones on my list:

Us by David Nicolls.

I have read all his books and I love the way he combines gentle humour with a very British melancholy. I can’t wait to read this one. Before buying books now, I read the first few pages and I only buy them if I still want to read more. This had me hooked from the first page.

The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce.

I thought that The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry was my favourite book but Queenie, an accompaniment to Harold, is slightly better I think. Partly the appeal to me was the theme of dying, which I am drawn to since my father died. Partly I loved the bitter sweet tone. This is a book I want to give to everyone I know because I love it so much, because it expresses what I think, but in reality it is probably too sad for most people.

The Woman Who Stole My Life by Marian Keyes.

Marian Keyes has always been a favourite. I think she is like the Maeve Binchy for my generation. A bit more messed up, and modern, and cynical than Maeve. But still it all works out in the end. Which doesn’t sound too bad to me.