CHRISTMAS GIFTS - BOOK GUIDE | Lifestyle

If you're anything like me you may be a teeny tiny bit fed up of seeing Christmas Gift Guides on all the blogs at the moment - don't get me wrong I think it's great that people go to all that effort to help recommend gifts for people who are stuck but once I've seen 5 giftsets people have received free I've seen 'em all! So I told myself that I wasn't doing a gift guide but I've been reading a lot lately as I always do and I have about 4 books on my list of gifts yet to buy family members, I sometimes struggle picking a book for people so I thought I would give you the DL on some books I've read recently and loved and I've tried to pick a good range to suit all the family, so without further ado.... 

Harlan Coben - Drop Shot

I have read about a million Harlen Coben books and loved every single one. Coben is the #1 New York Times Best Selling Author and writes thriller/crime novels where usually something happens and it isn't worked out until the very end - keeping you in suspense the entire time! Drop Shot is from the Myron Bolitar series, most of these books are based around sport but are great for both Men & Women - so Mum, Dad, Grandad, Brother, Sister! I have read other books by Harlan Coben which have been outside of the Myron Bolitar range and these have been great too, my mum especially liked Play Dead! You can buy 7 Myron Bolitar Novels in one Christmassy Bundle on eBay (I got this for Xmas last year and loved working my way through it) for £18. Drop Shot is second in the Bolitar series with Deal Breaker being the first.

Who for? Any adults in the family

Type of Novel? Thriller/Mystery/Crime

Where to buy? Amazon - £5.59

An Idiot Abroad - The Travel Diaries of Karl Pilkington

Who doesn't love Karl Pilkington and who doesn't love Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant for putting him in stupid situations across the globe resulting in this completely dry and hilarious book. This is great for anybody who loves Karl and An Idiot Abroad as it's easy to read in short diary entries and is equally as funny as the TV Show. This would make a great stocking filler!

Who for? The whole family - especially Dads & Brothers

Type of Novel? Humour

Where to buy? Bookdepositry.co.uk £6.18

The Husbands Secret - Liane Moriarty 

I picked up this book in ASDA for £3, ASDA is great for cheap novels and this one was in the charts all over so I really couldn't believe ASDA was selling such popular books at such low prices. The Husband's Secret features in Richard & Judy's book club and has been in the top 10 paper back chart for a long while! This novel is a nice read which follows many characters which all have some kind of links together and it all comes together in the end. All of the characters it follows are women so having been written from a female point of view it's probably best for the ladies in the family! A note to bear in mind is I know some readers dislike constantly swapping between characters each chapter as it can be quite difficult to keep up with! 

Who for? The ladies in the family

Type of Novel? Modern Fiction

Where to buy? £3.99 ASDA/WHSmith 

Sing You Home - Jodi Picoult

I'm sure if you're someone who reads sometimes you will know who Jodi Picoult is as she is a very popular American Writer most famous for My Sister's Keeper which was made into a successful film. Like My Sister's Keeper all Jodi Picoult's novels tackle very real modern day issues such as Aspergers, Cancer, Sexuality, Death and Religion in a very sensitive way making her books mostly a very uplifting and compelling read. Sing You Home is tackles religion, sexuality and IVF and has been a brilliant read. I have read many of Jodi Picoult's novels and hope to read them all as they are all equally brilliant, some of my favourites are Handle With Care, Nineteen Minutes and Change of Heart. I could not recommend Picoult's novels enough - they are great for those who like a good read and like to invest a lot in the book, it's storyline and characters. 

Who for? Mum, Sisters, Aunts, Cousins, Nanas 

Type of Novel? Contemporary Fiction

Where to buy? Amazon - £5.59

The Shining Girls - Lauren Beukes

This is the first novel I have read by this author but discovered it via the Kindle chart and eventually picked it up in ASDA in paperback so I could read it at my desk in work at lunchtime. I picked it up as the storyline sounded a bit unusual and I'm always looking for something different to read. This book is like nothing I have ever read before, I haven't quite finished it yet but it has some interesting twists in it! It's mainly a crime/thriller book and can be a little bit gory so that's worth bearing in mind but it's not the worst I've ever read. I've been enjoying it and I'm really interested to see how it ends. I know sometimes men can be put off by reading books by female authors but I honestly think this is great for both men and women as it is written from a male & female point of view as it follows many characters around. It has been reviewed on The Guardian if you fancy a further sneaky peak.

Who for? Mum, Dad, Brother, Sister etc.

Type of Novel? Thriller

Where to buy? ASDA or Amazon - £3.80

I hope this helped recommend some authors if you were struggling to find the perfect book as a Christmas present. I for one love receiving books and exploring new authors so I'm sure whatever book you chose for a Christmas present, it will be loved! Many of these books can be found cheaper in ASDA or similar supermarkets but also most of the websites I have linked for you have free delivery which is great too! You can easily find out more about the books by clicking on the links and having a quick read of the descriptions of the books. 

What books will you be buying as presents this Christmas? Or what books would you like to receive, if any?