Books On My Christmas List

First off; I’m basically married to a Christmas Elf. He has done a floor plan for decorations. He keeps adopting Christmas trees that people are replacing. And considering that we live in quite a small house, his desire to have a tree in every available space can be somewhat problematic. And yet – adorable.

We love to surprise each other with Christmas gifts that the other has had no input into, but equally both of us read a lot, so we also give one another a list of books to choose a few from, which still gives the element of surprise whilst knowing there are definitely books to be found.

Yesterday my husband asked me what books I had put on my list. At which point he was presented with a list that had already been written, waiting to be given to him. Bless. It’s almost as if I was thinking about books! So here’s a few of the books that I’ve written down in the hope that Santa might slip them under the tree

A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes
This year I’ve read a lot of women-focused books, and I can’t be the only one, as there are so many wonderful choices out there. This book looks at the perspectives of multiple women, from the mythical and the historical, impacted by the Trojan war. This year we have seen a brilliant increase in historical fiction told from the perspectives of women, and this is no different; once again, another male-focused event is being discussed by the people it impacted away from the battle front. I’m really hoping to read this on 25th December!

At The Edge of the Night by Friedo Lampe
Following on almost from my banned books post, this book was banned in Germany by the Nazis and has now been published in English for the first time. How can I possibly not read it? Having read a sample, it is beautiful, witty, and a brilliant addition to the literary world. It just feels like one of those books I need to read.

The Deathless Girls by Kiran M Hargrave
Very much on the list of “Bookstagram made me want it”, it has been the social media book world excitement of this book that has drawn me into it. The stunning cover can be beaten only by the story idea. My taste in books is quite eclectic, and whilst I don’t read much YA fiction, I have no rule against it, and this tale of the brides of Dracula sounds utterly fascinating. Whilst maybe I should have asked for it at Halloween instead, it would be delightful to read this on a cold night.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire – Illustrated edition
My husband and son have bought me the previous three books in the illustrated collection, and I’m hoping this might join them. “The Goblet of Fire” is probably my favourite of the series, and combined with stunning illustrations, this book will very much be on my shelf at some point, some how, some when. Hopefully in about nine weeks time.

Cilka’s Journey by Heather Morris
Like millions of other people around the world, I was captivated by “The Tattooist Of Auschwitz”. It broke my heart and made me cry so many times, but I couldn’t put it down. The idea of finding hope and love in the darkest of times, combined with the realities of what these people went through, is entrancing. Around the same time as I read this, I was reading “Reckonings”, my review for the Wolfson Prize, which gives so many harrowing details that “The Tattooist” broke me even more. And now, I need to hear from Cilka.

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
This book is another example of one of the many stunning covers that we have been blessed with this year, although I promise that’s not my only pull to this story. The book has been effectively sold to me by the reviews, comments and summaries I’ve seen regarding it, along with its blurb, and it is another one very much destined for my shelves. We’ll ignore the lack of space and just keep buying books.

Finally, a bit of an open comment is any cloth bound classic. I bought my first cloth bound (below) yesterday and I shared this picture on my instagram earlier as I want to show everyone. I’m hoping to expand on this first book to become a collection with good pace, and if some of this could happen at Christmas…