Top 25 fiction & non-fiction reads to gift this Christmas
As Christmas draws near, finding the perfect gift can be a joyful yet daunting task. What better way to spread cheer than with the timeless gift of a great book? Whether you're shopping for a bookworm, a casual page-turner, or someone looking to reignite their love for reading, books offer a personal touch that lasts long after the festive season.
This Christmas, we've curated a gift guide to help you find the perfect story to suit every taste. From heartwarming tales and gripping thrillers to self-help treasures and non-fiction reads, we’ve found the top 25 ideas that cover a wide range of interests.
Check out our ideas below and prepare to spark joy on Christmas morning when your loved one unwraps the gift of a great book.
We Solve Murders by Richard Osman (Published by Viking) – RRP £22.00
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers his familiar habits and routines: the pub quiz, his favourite bench, his cat waiting for him when he comes home. His days of adventure are over: adrenaline is daughter-in-law Amy’s business now. Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul. As a private security officer, she doesn’t stay still long enough for habits or routines. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Which was meant to be an easy job… Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending an SOS to the only person she trusts. A breakneck race around the world begins, but can Amy and Steve stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy? Buy in any good bookshop or here
Good Sisters by Sinéad Moriarty (Published by Sandycove) – RRP £9.99
After losing their beloved mother, the Devlin sisters need each other more than ever. Single parent Louise is trying to help her fragile young daughter to navigate life. So, when the nine-year-old insists on finding out who her father is, Louise organizes a sisters’ outing to track down her Italian one-night stand. Meanwhile, due to her teenage sons’ sporting success, mother-of-four Julie is anointed Cook-Bottlewasher-and-Cheerleader-in-Chief for the rugby parents’ WhatsApp group. Worst. Job. Ever. Finally, glamorous Sophie is determined that her daughter Jess won’t be boy-crazy and image-obsessed like she was. But when things go horribly wrong at a teen party, Sophie and her sisters are forced to take drastic measures to protect Jess’s future. Squeezed from every side, Louise, Julie and Sophie want to be good sisters – but sometimes that’s easier said than done… Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
Dohva: The Land Within by Sophie Haeder (Published by Sophie Haeder) – RRP £18.99
In the isolated land of Dohva, where souls are trapped in an endless cycle of rebirth by an ancient elemental sphere, a malevolent force wields the forbidden dark magic of the demon prince Agthod. Avala, a rebellious air sorceress haunted by the loss of her closest friend, is driven to unravel the mysteries that have long plagued her world. She finds unlikely allies with three anti-heroes, a colourful and diverse cast who each struggle with their own demons and desires for redemption But as the shadows deepen and the threat grows, Avala and her newfound companions must set aside their differences and forge an uneasy bond. But can they confront this powerful enemy force that threatens to consume their world and change their destiny forever? Available to buy in all good bookshops.
Orbital by Samantha Harvey (Published by Vintage) – RRP £9.99
A team of astronauts in the International Space Station collect meteorological data, conduct scientific experiments and test the limits of the human body. But mostly they observe. Together they watch their silent blue planet, circling it sixteen times, spinning past continents and cycling through seasons, taking in glaciers and deserts, the peaks of mountains and the swells of oceans. Endless shows of spectacular beauty witnessed in a single day. Yet although separated from the world they cannot escape its constant pull. News reaches them of the death of a mother, and with it comes thoughts of returning home. They look on as a typhoon gathers over an island and people they love, in awe of its magnificence and fearful of its destruction. The fragility of human life fills their conversations, their fears, their dreams. So far from earth, they have never felt more part – or protective – of it. They begin to ask, what is life without earth? What is earth without humanity? Buy in any good bookshop or here
The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden (Published by Viking) – RRP £16.99
It is fifteen years after the Second World War, and Isabel has built herself a solitary life of discipline and strict routine in her late mother's country home, with not a fork or a word out of place. But all is upended when her brother Louis delivers his graceless new girlfriend, Eva, at Isabel's doorstep – as a guest, there to stay for the season… In the sweltering heat of summer, Isabel's desperate need for control reaches boiling point. What happens between the two women leads to a revelation which threatens to unravel all she has ever known. Buy in any good bookshop or here
Mad Dogs and Me by Saz Wilson (Published by Gentle Giant Press) – RRP £9.99
This is an hilarious and inspiring new comedy memoir, and the true story of how Saz adopted two giant, gorgeous – and very mischievous – Rhodesian Ridgeback sibling puppies, Kiara and Otis, who turned her life upside down. The book has been compared to Bridget Jones but with giant dogs. It's the perfect present for any doggie lover! Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
Snowed In by Catherine Walsh (Published by Little Brown) – RRP €10.99
Megan is dreading going home for the holidays. She's the village pariah, the she-devil who left local golden boy Isaac at the altar four years ago. But now he's engaged again, and she's just been dumped for the fourth time this year. Christian's fed up of being on his own every Christmas. He doesn't mind being alone, but he hates his family's sad eyes and soft tones as they sit around coupled up. Because he's actually, totally, fine. So when Megan literally bumps into Christian in a Dublin pub, they come up with a pact to see them through the holiday season. They're going to be the very best fake dates for each other, ever. But with everyone home for the holidays, two big families to deal with alongside old friends, old flames and old feelings, things are bound to get messy. And with a little Christmas magic, anything could happen. Available to buy in all good bookshops.
A Kennedy Affair by Emily Hourican (Published by Hachette Books Ireland) – RRP €15.99
When Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy left England to return to America, Europe was facing war and Billy Cavendish, future Duke of Devonshire and the man she loves, had told her he could never marry her. Now, in 1943, as London stands a shell of its former self, Kick returns hoping to reunite with Billy – but there are many obstacles ahead. Lady Brigid Guinness has swapped high fashion and exclusive dinner parties for long shifts as a nurse helping wounded soldiers, forming a close bond with one in particular. And yet the only person she can really talk to is a man shunned by her inner circle. Meanwhile, wide-eyed Sissy Maddington has arrived from Ireland under the care of the Guinness family. She's eager to explore everything London seems to offer – while she tries to forget where she came from. As the three women navigate a changed city, they each discover a capacity for love they never could have expected. But will they find the strength to stay true to themselves? Available to buy in all good bookshops.
Someone in the Attic by Andrea Mara (Published by Penguin) – RRP £9.99
No one suspects a thing. When your daughter shows you a video of a masked man climbing out of an attic, you initially ignore her. But then you recognise the carpet, the stairs and the paintings. Your heart skips a beat, because the footage was filmed inside your house… Someone wants revenge. You’re certain no one could access this luxury gated community, designed to keep intruders out. But then the second video arrives – the same as the first – and you really begin to panic. Everyone is hiding something. Could someone be living in your attic? Why would a stranger target you? And what if it’s not a stranger at all? Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
I Loved Him From The Day He Died by Michael P. Harding (Published by Hachette Books Ireland) – RPP €16.99
To mark his 70th birthday Michael Harding travelled to Spain and walked the Camino de Santiago. Yet, as he set off on his pilgrimage, he found he wasn’t alone. Accompanying him on his 126-kilometre walk in the heat of the Spanish sun was the ghost of his long-dead father, a distant and aloof figure whom he lost when he was only twenty-two years old. Here, with searing honesty and beautifully wrought prose, Harding examines how this man, who had died almost half a century ago, could have had such a profound effect on the writer’s life. From the Ireland of his youth, to the time of his father’s death, and to the holy wells and pubs he frequented in search of a connection with a man he never really knew, I Loved Him From The Day He Died is a heartfelt examination of love, forgiveness and letting go – told with simple vulnerability and profound insight. Available to buy in all good bookshops.
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney (Published by Faber & Faber) – RRP £20
Aside from the fact that they are brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek seem to have little in common. Peter is a Dublin lawyer in his thirties – successful, competent and apparently unassailable. But in the wake of their father’s death, he’s medicating himself to sleep and struggling to manage his relationships with two very different women – his enduring first love Sylvia, and Naomi, a college student for whom life is one long joke. Ivan is a twenty-two-year-old competitive chess player. He has always seen himself as socially awkward, a loner, the antithesis of his glib elder brother. Now, in the early weeks of his bereavement, Ivan meets Margaret, an older woman emerging from her own turbulent past, and their lives become rapidly and intensely intertwined. For two grieving brothers and the people they love, this is a new interlude – a period of desire, despair and possibility – a chance to find out how much one life might hold inside itself without breaking. Available to buy in all good bookshops and here
Want by Gillian Anderson (Published by Bloomsbury Publishing) – RRP £18.99
When we talk about sex, we talk about womanhood and motherhood, infidelity and exploitation, consent and respect, fairness and egalitarianism, love and hate, pleasure and pain. And yet so many of us don't talk about it at all. In this groundbreaking book, Gillian Anderson collects and introduces the anonymous sexual fantasies of women from around the world (along with her own anonymous submission). They are all extraordinary: full of desire, fear, intimacy, shame, satisfaction and, ultimately, liberation. From dreaming about someone off-limits to conjuring a scene with multiple partners, from sex that is gentle and tender to passionate and playful, from women who have never had sex to women who have had more sex than they can remember, these fantasies provide a window into the most secret part of our minds. Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
Everyone This Christmas Has A Secret by Benjamin Stevenson (Published by Michael Joseph) – RRP £12.99
My name is Ernest Cunningham. I’m not a detective. I just happen to have a knack for what makes mysteries – and murderers – tick. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any killers out there might be willing to take a break for the holidays. I was wrong. So here I am, backstage at the Christmas show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. From the magician’s assistant to the hypnotist, my suspects are all professional tricksters. Masters in the art of misdirection. My clues are even more of a mystery: A suspect covered in blood, with no memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know. It’s Christmas. Solving the murder is the only gift I want this year. But can I catch a killer, and make it home for Christmas alive? Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
Gaeilge i Mo Chroí: Your Guide to Loving and Living the Irish Language by Molly Nic Céile (Published by Hachette Books Ireland in Hardback) – RRP €15.99
How do you feel about embracing Ireland's native tongue? At odds after a tricky relationship at school? Maybe you've given up, or don't know where to start? Well, is fada an bóthar nach mbíonn casadh ann – long is the road that has no turn and, in this book, the road is about to turn. Molly Nic Céile – creator of social media sensation for Irish-language learners and lovers Gaeilge i Mo Chroí – invites us to connect with Irish in our hearts, as we set out on a journey of renewed pride sa Ghaeilge. Using seanfhocail agus scéalta, proverbs and stories, and with plenty of craic along the way, the book offers guidance on bringing Irish into our everyday lives, supported by useful word and phrase glossaries throughout. Available to buy in all good bookshops
Cook Once, Eat Twice by Nadiya Hussain (Published by Michael Joseph) – RPP £28.00
Pressed for time to cook in a busy week? Cook Once, Eat Twice is all about delicious convenience, showing how to get ahead in the kitchen by cooking more efficiently and economically. Nadiya shares a host of creative timesavers, including trusty batch-cooking and meal-prepping ideas, clever ways to spin leftovers into new meals, simple baked treats that are easy to store and eat later, and even recipes to use up your scraps. Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
The Getaway by Nicola Martin (Published by Bloomsbury Publishing) – RRP £16.99
Welcome to Keeper Island, the private Caribbean paradise where the cocktails are chilled, the guests are not, and new manager Lola is hoping nothing messes up her badly needed fresh start. Her previous job in Hong Kong ended in tears – and quite a lot of blood – so she's come to Keeper to lie low, as well as to provide the gold-star service the resort's spoiled one-percenters expect. Her only connection to her previous life now is her old mentor and new boss, Mike Moxham. But nothing is that simple, and no secret is truly safe forever. When Moxham is found dead less than a day after her arrival on the island, the rules Lola uses for working with the super-rich quickly become rules for survival: Be prepared for anything. Trust no one. Because she might be next… Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
Butter by Asako Yuzuki (Published by HarperCollins Publishers UK) – RRP £14.99
Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Centre convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back. Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought? Buy in all good bookshops or here
Think Again by Jacqueline Wilson (Published by Bantam)- RRP £22
Being an adult isn’t quite what Ellie Allard dreamed it would be when she was fourteen years old. Though she’s got her beautiful daughter Lottie, life-long best friends in Magda and Nadine and her trusty cat Stella, her love life is non-existent and she feels like she’s been living on auto-pilot, just grateful to be able to afford the rent on her pokey little flat. But this year on her birthday, the universe seems to decide it’s time for all that to change – whether Ellie wants it to or not. As she navigates new, exciting and often choppy waters, she’s about to discover that life will never stop surprising you – if only you let it. Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
The Home Sommelier: Your down to earth guide to choosing good wine by Brigid O’Hora (Published by Hachette Books Ireland) – RRP €17.99
Have you ever stood in the supermarket struggling to pick the right bottle of wine for the evening ahead, whether you're heading to a friend's birthday party or having a cosy night in with a bowl of pasta? Now, wine expert Brigid O'Hora (aka @brideys_wine_chats) is here to help with entertaining knowledge and advice to help you select the perfect wine to fit every occasion, no matter your budget. From how to tell good wine from bad and learning more about the regions and grapes you love, to tips on pairing the food you're eating – whether it's a special-occasion meal, everyday spaghetti Bolognese or a bag of crisps – with the perfect tipple, The Home Sommelier uncorks the secrets to getting the very best from your wine experience. Available to buy in all good bookshops
Long Island by Colm Tóibín (Published by Picador) – RRP £20
A man with an Irish accent knocks on Eilis Fiorello’s door on Long Island and in that moment everything changes. Eilis and Tony have built a secure, happy life here since leaving Brooklyn – perhaps a little stifled by the in-laws so close, but twenty years married and with two children looking towards a good future. And yet this stranger will reveal something that will make Eilis question the life she has created. For the first time in years she suddenly feels very far from home and the revelation will see her turn towards Ireland once again. Back to her mother. Back to the town and the people she had chosen to leave behind. Did she make the wrong choice marrying Tony all those years ago? Is it too late now to take a different path? Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
Precipice by Robert Harris (Published by Hutchinson Heinemann) – RRP £22.00
Summer 1914. A world on the brink of catastrophe. In London, 26-year-old Venetia Stanley – aristocratic, clever, bored, reckless – is having a love affair with the Prime Minister, H. H. Asquith, a man more than twice her age. He writes to her obsessively, sharing the most sensitive matters of state. As Asquith reluctantly leads the country into war with Germany, a young intelligence officer is assigned to investigate a leak of top secret documents – and suddenly what was a sexual intrigue becomes a matter of national security that will alter the course of political history. Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
Ottolenghi COMFORT by Yotam Ottolenghi & Helen Goh (Published by Ebury Press) – RRP £30
In his much-anticipated new book, Yotam Ottolenghi brings his inspiring, flavour-forward approach to comfort cooking, delivering new classics that taste of home. Roast chicken and other traybakes sit alongside vibrant curries and stews. A bowl of pasta becomes Caramelised Onion Orecchiette with Hazelnuts & Crispy Sage, a warming soup is Cheesy Bread Soup with Savoy Cabbage & Cavolo Nero, and a plate of mash is transformed into Garlicky Aligot Potato with Leeks & Thyme. Weaving memories of childhood and travel with over 100 irresistible recipes, Ottolenghi COMFORT is a celebration of food and home – of the connections we make as we cook, and pass on from generation to generation. Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
The City and Its Uncertain Walls by Haruki Murakami (Published by Harvill Secker) – RRP £25.00
A young man’s search for his missing girlfriend takes him to an imaginary city, where the line between reality and fantasy starts to blur. His search leads him to a remote library full of mysteries, and eventually to the walled city – a dreamlike place of horned beasts, shadowless streets, and willow trees. There, he discovers his beloved working in another library, but she has no memory of their life together. As the lines between fantasy and reality blur, he must make an impossible choice: what is he willing to lose to rekindle their love? Buy in any good bookshop or here
Happy Place by Emily Henry (Published by Penguin) – RRP £9.99
Harriet and Wyn are the perfect couple – they go together like bread and butter, gin and tonic, Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds. Every year, they take a holiday from their lives to drink far too much wine with their favourite people in the world. Except this year, they are lying through their teeth, because Harriet and Wyn broke up six months ago. And they still haven't told anyone. But the cottage is for sale, so this is the last time they'll all be here together. They can't bear to break their best friends' hearts so they'll fake it for one more week. But how can you pretend to be in love – and get away with it – in front of the people who know you best? Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
What I Ate in One Year (and related thoughts) by Stanley Tucci (Published by Fig Tree) – RRP £20
Food has always been an integral part of Stanley Tucci’s life: from stracciatella soup served in the shadow of the Pantheon, to marinara sauce cooked between rehearsals and costume fittings, to home-made pizza eaten with his children before bedtime. Now, in What I Ate in One Year, Tucci records twelve months of eating, in restaurants, kitchens, film sets, press junkets, at home and abroad, with friends, with family, with strangers, and occasionally just by himself. Whether it’s duck à l’orange eaten with fellow actors and cooked by singing Carmelite nuns, steaks barbecued at a gathering with friends, meatballs made by his mother and son and shared at the table with three generations of his family, these meals give shape and richness to his days. Available to buy in all good bookshops or here
