Entertainment

Christmas reads: Novel ideas for under the tree

So many books, so little time – but if you give the right book this Christmas, you can be guaranteed your loved ones will thank you for it because there's nothing like settling down to a good read. Here are some titles that might at least give you inspiration

Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode have written The Movie Doctors
Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode have written The Movie Doctors Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode have written The Movie Doctors

FOOD AND DRINK

The Oxford Companion To Wine, edited by Jancis Robinson and Julia Harding (Oxford University Press, £40): This giant tome is a must for wine aficionados, combining meticulously-researched fact with refreshing opinion and wit. It's the fourth edition, completely revised since its 2006 predecessor, presenting almost 4,000 entries on every wine-related topic imaginable, from regions and grape varieties to the owners, connoisseurs, growers, trends and tasters.

A Year Of Good Eating: The Kitchen Diaries III by Nigel Slater (Fourth Estate, £30): Mouthwatering dishes abound in the third instalment of this impressive almanac, featuring such delicious offerings as chicken, haricot beans and lemon, quick fish chowder or simple fare like baked eggs with tomatoes. There are more than 250 recipes, moments and ideas for good eating, with seasonal sections for quick, weeknight eats. It'll keep the taste buds tingling well into the New Year.

HISTORY

Centenary Classics Series: Civil War in Ulster; A Chronicle of Jails; Rising Out; Free State or Republic; Victory and Woe; The Victory of Sinn Fein, by various authors (UCD Press, £50 or £11 each): This series of six titles of eye-witness accounts gives voice to individuals involved in the Irish revolutionary period, 1913-1923. The titles include an analysis from an Ulster Protestant and supporter of Home Rule, Joseph Johnston, which looks at events surrounding the Third Home Rule Bill and the Ulster crisis, providing an outline of Irish history to Johnston's target Protestant readership. Also included is a jail journal by Dublin writer and republican Darrell Figgis after his arrest in the aftermath of the Easter Rising.

A Nation and not a Rabble: The Irish Revolution 1913-23 by Diarmaid Ferriter, (Profile Books, £12.99): Historian and commentator Diarmaid Ferriter's comprehensive account of the 'decade of revolution' draws on newly released archival material, witness statements and testimony from ordinary Irish people who lived through those extraordinary times. Ferriter also examines the conflicting interpretations of Irish history, highlighting the gulf between rhetoric and reality.

To Speak of Easter Week, Family Memories of the Irish Revolution by Helene O'Keeffe, (Mercier Press, £18.99): Based on the oral testimonies of the descendants and close relatives of those involved in the 1916 Rising – including James Connolly, Eamonn Ceannt, Kathleen Clarke and Con Colbert – this book by Cork-based historian Helen O'Keeffe provides a retelling of the combatants' stories and an insight into the impact of their participation on their families.

ROMANCE

Snowed In For Christmas by Claire Sandy (Pan, £7.99): A feel-good festive story about a woman who fled her village years ago, to return for Yuletide in Ireland with her eccentric family and her long-kept secret – a 16-year-old daughter keen to meet her relatives. And there's romance in the air when she meets a man in the snow.

The Christmas Surprise by Jenny Colgan (Sphere, £7.99): Centring on Rosie, a newly-engaged woman whose world is torn apart when fate strikes a terrible blow to her and her boyfriend, Stephen, threatening everything they hold dear. It's going to take all their strength and the support of their families and friends to hold them together.

HUMOUR

Ladybird Books For Grown-Ups by Jason Hazeley and Joel Morris (choice of eight, £6.99 each): These are ideal stocking-fillers from two successful radio and TV comedy writers, presented in the traditional Ladybird hardback format but taking an amusing look at adult subjects, including dating, mindfulness, the hangover, the mid-life crisis, the husband and the wife. Featuring original Ladybird artwork, they offer hilarious tongue-in-cheek advice on how to help grown-ups cope with the everyday stresses and strains of life.

TRAVEL

The Road To Little Dribbling: More Notes From A Small Island by Bill Bryson (Doubleday, £20): This amiable author guides us gently and humorously around his adopted country, some 20 years after his first trip around Britain led to his first bestseller. Travelling from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath, through places that many never get to at all, Bryson rediscovers the beautiful, eccentric and endearingly unique county. Uplifting and funny, it's perfect during an hour or two of peace and quiet.

FILM

The Movie Doctors by Simon Mayo and Mark Kermode (Canongate, £20): Movie buffs will love this light-hearted but knowledgeable collaboration between these two experts in their first book together. It collates their movie knowledge to give advice to anyone and everyone who watches films - prescribing movies for any ailments you may have, and dissecting 'sick' movies to see how they could be transformed with a little cosmetic surgery. The book also contains their trademark bickering and humour.

CRIME

Tennison by Lynda La Plante (Simon & Schuster, £20): This gritty prequel sees the young WPC Jane Tennison – brought to life by Helen Mirren in the Prime Suspect TV series – on her first murder case in the Seventies, when sexism was rife and the Met was dominated by males, political correctness was in short supply, and the fashions? Well, let's not go there. To be followed by a TV series next year.

ADULT COLOURING

As the trend continues, you have novelty books such as the mickey-taking Crap Colouring-In by Joe Summer (Boxtree, £5.99), or the more serious hit Millie Marotta books, including Tropical Wonderland and Animal Kingdom (Batsford, £9.99 each), vying against Johanna Basford's latest offering Lost Ocean (Laurence King, £12.99). If you're looking something really stylish, go for The Gift of Colouring For Grown-Ups collection, a slick limited edition three-book shrink-wrapped pack, featuring Creative Christmas, Winter Wonderland and Gold, available November 27 exclusively from Amazon (Michael O'Mara, £24).

CHILDREN

A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig (Canongate, £9.99): Brought to life with enchanting illustrations by Chris Mould, this story recalls the early life of Father Christmas. Set in 18th-century Finland, it features elves, reindeer, a kidnapping, and an 11-year-old boy called Nikolas, who isn't afraid to believe in magic. Just the job to get the kids into the festive mood.

The Chronicles Of Narnia Box Set by CS Lewis with original artwork by Pauline Baynes (HarperCollins, £90): This year marks the 65th anniversary of the publication of The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe, the first of Lewis's Chronicles Of Narnia. This impressive box set comprises all seven chronicles in a beautifully presented slipcase.

CLASSICS

The Folio Society has just launched a new series of books called 'Folio Collectables', featuring beautifully coloured soft-bound covers and bold new designs of best-loved classics. The first four titles are The Hound Of The Baskervilles, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Frankenstein and A Christmas Carol, with more to follow next year. Ideal for anyone starting a library of classics (£19.99 each from www.foliosociety.com).