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Sparkle Books’ essential gift list

Posted on 03. Dec, 2009 by Rachael in Books

I think it is only fair to say that we are all feeling the financial pinch in one way or another this year. Books are a reasonably priced way to provide your loved ones with hours of entertainment.

Here are Sparkle Books’ recommendations for your nearest and dearest.

Mum, Gran, Aunt, Sister

The Brightest Star in the Sky – Marian Keyes
I love Marian Keyes and would recommend her books to everyone. A Waterstones reviewer had this to say about her “I had wrongly judged Marian Keyes as a ‘chicklit’ author – but having read a few of her books now I cannot put her in that category. Her books are not light and fluffy – each one has an element of seriousness about it that makes the story so much more powerful and unforgettable.” What isn’t mentioned here is just how hilarious a writer Marian is; she is a genius at taking an everyday event and telling it in such a way that will have you chuckling out loud. Her books really are Irish-wit at its very best.

That’s Another Story: The Autobiography – Julie Walters
Julie Walters is probably one of the nation’s best-loved actresses. The fact that this book will be funny, touching and warm goes without saying.

The Return – Victoria Hislop
This book is said to be a moving and tender “book with a heart” set in Spain during the civil war. I read Hislop’s The Island and I loved it, based on that I really hope that this novel ends up under the tree with my name on it.

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest – Stieg Larsson
There are rave reviews of this book right across the board, including the following:
“A cyclonic force of a story, I experienced the same happiness and feverish excitement with which I read Dumas’s Three Musketeers or the novels of Dickens… exceptional… I repeat, without any shame whatsoever: fantastic”.
“The pace rarely lets up … it’s an exhilarating read …”
“Complex, satisfying, clever, moral … a grown-up novel for grown-up readers”
I don’t know about you Sparklers, but I’m dying to read this book now.

Loose Women: Here Come the Girls
This funny book takes a comical and easy-going look at subjects such as: retox vs. detox; surviving heartbreak at Christmas; office party disasters and has lots of saucy confessions from the team.

Dad, Granddad, Uncle, Brother

Private Eye Annual 2009
This annual is full of laughs with its satirical articles on the past year’s news pieces, politics and celebrity gossip, but my favourite bits are the fabulously clever cartoons.

A Most Wanted Man – John Le Carre
John Le Carre is a legendary story-teller and by all accounts this book finds him at the top of his game. Here he tackles the huge subject of The War On Terror. Waterstones says: “A Most Wanted Man is alive with humour, yet prickles with tension until the last heart-stopping page. It is also a work of deep humanity, and uncommon relevance to our times.”

The Pub Landlord Says Think Yourself British – Al Murray
I’ll leave it up to him to tell you all about his latest books. It is said to be hilarious, a winner for chaps who are already fans.

Where’s Stig?
This is where Top Gear’s mysterious figure “The Stig” finally gets his own book. Here’s Amazon’s description: “….but you’ll have to work hard to find him, as he’s been cleverly concealed in a series of brilliantly drawn scenes. You might spot him getting down with the kids at a rock festival; or overseeing his workforce in his secret underground lair. He could be one of the spectators lining the route of Bonneville Salt Flats Speed Week; or soaking up the sun on the Costa del Stig. Filled with visual jokes and references to the TV series, and with extra credits for spotting his colleagues at “Top Gear” and a few other hidden gems, Where’s Stig? will give “Top Gear” fans hours of fun.”

My Sh*t Life So Far – Frankie Boyle
I don’t know anyone who doesn’t absolutely love Frankie Boyle. He’s the king of making jokes about things that are taboo and things you really shouldn’t laugh at, but do. Only buy this for your most open-minded relatives as it has been reviewed as “triumphantly, this is the most abusive, obscene, insulting memoir yet published…”

Teens

How To Date a Vampire – Sophie Collins
It’s about the Vampire at the minute for teens, so if they’ve completely exhausted everything by Stephenie Meyer this cute little magazine-style book could be just the ticket. It’s full of age-appropriate romance advice for young teens, including charts, quizzes and make-up tips.

Teenage Kicks: 101 Things to Do Before You’re 16 -Clive Gifford
Just the tonic for bored teenagers with too much time on their hands over the Christmas break…“a barmy, brilliant and hilarious odyssey of a book … the perfect companion to any bored teenager, and is just as fun, interesting and entertaining for the rest of society as well.”

The Teen Vogue Handbook: An Insider’s Guide to Careers in Fashion
This is a perfect gift to give whether your teen is experimenting with fashion to work out what their ‘look’ is, if they’re into photography or thinking that they might like to head into fashion as a career.

Up All Night: Seven Sunsets, Seven Stories – Peter Abrahams & Libba Bray
7 short-stories exploring the teen fascination about staying up all night. Including a brush with the supernatural, the need to know what’s up, the confessions of a friend and a rock concert.
Moonwalk / Thriller – Ed Roberts, a flickbook
Since the tragic death of Michael Jackson, today’s teens have embraced his music as their own. This book will provide entertainment and fun for the whole family. Here’s the synopsis: This is a flickbook of two of the most famous dances on the planet – Moonwalk and Thriller. Flick the pages to watch the late great King of Pop slide across the dance floor as he did in “Billie Jean”, then turn the book over and flick the other way to see MJ’s iconic zombie dance from “Thriller”.

Pop by next week when I will give you some great tips for inventive wrapping of gifts, brilliant book-buys for children (including how to turn a book into a childhood adventure) and how to create a wonderful gift experience when giving a book at Christmas.

Tags: Al Murray, Christmas, John Le Carre, Julie Walters, Marian Keyes, Michael Jackson, Stieg Larsson, Teens, Top Gear, Vampires, Victoria Hislop

Rachael Holden

Author for the online friendship and dating site Sparkle

Rachael - has written 29 posts on Sparkle in my life. Contact the author

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