Seeing as I've been dedicating more of my time to reading over the past year, I couldn't do my gift guides without involving books.
I don't think I could tire of receiving books as gifts, and if you know someone who is exactly the same then hopefully this little collection I've put together might help you out.
I've also got an exciting giveaway at the end so don't forget to enter for your chance to win some of the books I'm talking about today.
I've also added all of these titles to my Amazon shop page so you can buy all of them in one place.
Be sure to check out my other gift guides for friends & sisters, fragrance lovers, and grandmas and mothers-in-law too.
For the lovers of crime thrillers, we have The Fourth Victim by John Mead. Set in Whitechapel this book tackles the budget cuts to the force, mental health and terrorism alongside the murder investigation, giving it a modern feel.
This follows the Murder Investigation Team East as they try to hunt down a serial killer targetting young girls in East London.
Like any good crime novel, it mixes the investigators lives with the case, giving them a personal feel where I found myself empathising and sometimes, even, getting annoyed with them.
It definitely has its twists and turns along the way in both the investigation and with the people working on them, but it's really easy to follow without giving too much away.
THE FOURTH VICTIM BY JOHN MEAD
I'm loving the fact that we're hearing more women's voices coming through in literature, and one of the latest books to be released focusing on this is Roar by Cecilia Ahern.
This collection of thirty short stories capture the highs and lows in women's lives and celebrate those who hold us up, encourage us and make us feel brave.
Each story is about a different woman realising her strength and is a truly inspirational read. The perfect gift for all ages, and it's one to keep on your bookshelf forever to look back on.
Carrying on with the theme of short stories, a great stocking filler book is The Little Snake by award-winning author A.L. Kennedy.
Another little book that has hooked me is Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere by Jeanette Winterson.
Now, if we're talking about books that change lives after you read them, then I couldn't do this guide without mentioning Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig.
Going back to fiction, I always love finding new authors that I become obsessed with, and after reading The Changeling by Victor LaValle I have completely fallen in love with his writing.
Lastly, this one isn't a book but I think it still counts!
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Each story is about a different woman realising her strength and is a truly inspirational read. The perfect gift for all ages, and it's one to keep on your bookshelf forever to look back on.
ROAR BY CECILIA AHERN
Carrying on with the theme of short stories, a great stocking filler book is The Little Snake by award-winning author A.L. Kennedy.
Written like a fairytale or fable, this tale is about Mary and her friendship with Lanmo the snake as she grows up and faces many of life's ups and downs.
This may seem like a lovely short story at first glance but deep underneath it pulls at your heart regardless of your age, as it covers everything from friendship to war, and poverty to greed.
Again, this is a book that I'll be keeping for a long while as it has such a huge impact on the way you see the world.
THE LITTLE SNAKE BY A.L. KENNEDY
Another little book that has hooked me is Courage Calls to Courage Everywhere by Jeanette Winterson.
As this year was the centenary of women first getting the right to vote, this little book celebrates how far we've come on the road of equality, and to encourage both men and women to continue the fight for equality for all.
I believe in true equality rather than just feminism, and so this book really appealed to the way I look on society today, and I think this would make another great stocking filler for anyone you know who feels the same.
The icing on the cake in this book is Emmeline Pankhurst's famous speech for the Suffragette's that she made in 1913, and truly shows how far we've come in that amount of time.
COURAGE CALLS TO COURAGE EVERYWHERE BY JEANNETTE WINTERSON
Now, if we're talking about books that change lives after you read them, then I couldn't do this guide without mentioning Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig.
Following on from Reasons To Stay Alive (another book I highly recommend, and suggest reading before picking this one up), this book focuses on learning to cope with the modern world, from social media and the insecurities they bring out in us, to world events and the rapid progression in technology.
These two books helped me through a rough patch I had this year, and after helping me back onto my feet set me on the right path so I wouldn't head right back to where I started again.
This is so beautifully and honestly written, and I (again) go back to it time and time again to remind me about not letting stress and anxiety get on top of me and to give myself time to look after myself.
NOTES ON A NERVOUS PLANET BY MATT HAIG
Going back to fiction, I always love finding new authors that I become obsessed with, and after reading The Changeling by Victor LaValle I have completely fallen in love with his writing.
This book is the perfect mix of fantasy set in the modern day, following the life of Apollo and his wife Emma who are blissfully happy with their new baby boy until suddenly Emma commits an unspeakable act that throws their life up in the air.
I was hooked on this story from start to finish and really invested in the characters. Because this is so fantastical, it makes the perfect 'escape-read' from your everyday life, a book you look forward to sitting down and reading.
THE CHANGELING BY VICTOR LAVALLE
Lastly, this one isn't a book but I think it still counts!
Over the past few years, I've found myself steering more towards learning or self-help magazines rather than the gossip and fashion magazines I used to reach for.
Happiful is the UK's only magazine solely dedicated to mental health and is a magazine I'll definitely be picking up myself in the future.
This magazine is a little monthly reminder to look after yourself as it's packed full of features, interviews, advice and true stories to keep you inspired.
They have 6-month and 12-month subscriptions available which I think would make a great gift this Christmas, especially for those maintaining their mental health.
They have very kindly given me a discount code to use on their 6-month subscription, so head over to their site and enter HAPPIXMAS at the checkout to get nearly £10 off the original price.
HAPPIFUL MAGAZINE
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Now onto the giveaway!!!
I've teamed up with the lovely people over at The Book Guild and HarperCollins to give away one copy of The Fourth Victim and one copy of Roar to two lucky winners! To enter, all you have to do is enter the Rafflecopter widget below for your chance to win.
Giveaway details:
The two winners will receive a copy of the book they chose when entering the giveaway.
The giveaway starts from the publication of this post and ends on 2/1/2019. The winners, chosen at random, will then be informed by the email they supplied.
This giveaway is open to UK residents only.
If entrants are disqualified for not following the rules and there no viable entrants left, this giveaway will be moved over to my social media channels to find a suitable winner.
Thanks as always to the PR's and brands who kindly gifted me these items for this gift guide, and best of luck in the giveaway! I'd love to hear if you've read any of these or if I've inspired you with some book gift ideas for this Christmas.
Check out my other gift guides below:
I would like Roar plz
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