Best books to gift (and gift again) at Christmas: The Independent newsroom make their picks
Forget socks. Leave the Next voucher. Put the Terry’s Chocolate Orange down. If chosen wisely, a book is the very best present you can give to someone you love. As the festive season arrives, Indy writers share the literary gifts they like to place under the tree.
The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard
Perhaps annoyingly for them, I’m always trying to curate my friends’ bookshelves; if I find myself reading a good book, my brain starts to fill with the names of people I’d like to give it to. Of course, I’m aware that giving someone a book as a gift runs the risk of feeling like you’re actually giving them homework, so it’s important you get it right. What you want to give, really, are a few hours of unalloyed pleasure – anything more (“this book changed my life!” sort of experiences) would be a magical bonus.
Maybe because of my job, maybe because I once Christmas temped at Waterstones, I love choosing different books for different people each year. Short story collections are good, because you can dip in and out of them – I’ve given Katherine Heiny’s mordantly funny to friends I knew would get a kick out of it. Also, it’s hard to beat a really, really good novel – is my current tip for a read no, about his journey from St James’ Park midfielder to barrister, and it sits unread five years later (I guess Alan Shearer’s recommendation meant nothing).
