Pop into the shop and let us help you pick out the right books for your whole Christmas list!
In the meantime, here are our picks for
the best books for Christmas 2024
- non-fiction and fiction, adult and children
Happy Christmas!
Go mediaeval...
The Eagle and The Hart
Machinations, intrigue and tragedy in the rivalry between
cousins and kings
Henry V
Dan Jones deepens and broadens our understanding of the classic English hero-king
The Scapegoat
One of the most flamboyant and enigmatic men in seventeenth-century royal and political life
The sweep of History
Emperor of the Seas
From plains nomad to controlling the world's most powerful navy, Kublai Khan changed the world
The Golden Road
Re-establishing India as the beating heart of the ancient world radiating influence
The Ottomans
A unique overview of the cultural legacy one century after the dissolution of the great empire
Serious Thinking
May Contain Lies
A fascinating study of human propensity for bias - and how to avoid being taken in
Nexus
Yuval Harari turns his focus onto the "technology" of information through the ages
The Art of Uncertainty
Statistics guru David Spiegelhalter presents a very readable primer on how to understand risk better
Grown-up distractions
A Cheesemonger's Tour de France
A whimsical exploration of France through the mysteries behind its vast range of cheese
The Private Eye Annual 2024
A classic - packed, as always,
with the best satirical fun
and cartoons galore
Wadhurst Jigsaw
A limited edition 400-piece jigsaw of the map of Wadhurst and the surrounding villages (inc Bewl)
Christmas games
Prisoners of Geography Quiz Book
A challenging test of your knowledge of the world, based on the bestselling series
Parlour Games for Modern Families
An anthology of classic games to keep everybody busy in the days and nights over Christmas
Spydle
Puzzles from 500 years of British espionage from the National Archives - can you beat Bond?
Sporting Heroes
Danny Care - My Life in Rugby
Insights into the Eddie Jones era and beyond from one of the true characters of the game
Finding The Edge
One of the greatest bowlers of all time opens up on what drove his success - and retirement
The White Ladder
An astonishing history of the derring-do of the first mountaineers and their feats
Lives of
Note
Mishal Husain
A family memoir from the Radio 4 presenter, spanning the upheaval of partition and migration
Bill Bailey
The typically articulate and quirky memoirs of one of Britain's best loved comedians
Boris Johnson - Unleashed
Love or hate him, he's had a major impact on the UK in recent years and isn't shy about saying so!
Gardens of
delight
The Garden against Time
An investigation of ideas of paradise (in the garden) and the pleasure and possibilities it offers
A Year in Bloom
An essential guide to planting a garden for flowering bulbs
in every season
The RHS Garden Almanac
A comprehensive month-by-month guide to what you can do in your garden for success!
Musical
notes
And the Roots of Rhythm Remain
An encyclopaedic series of essays exploring the global influence of major musical traditions
I Hope I Get Old Before I Die
A look back at the first megastars of the music industry - and why they are still big names today
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
The story of one of the most popular, influential, complex and troubled, rock'n'roll bands.
Kitchen
secrets
Mediterra
Tasty recipes bringing the flavours and ingredients - and the healthy benefits - of the Mediterranean
The Food for Life Cookbook
Hitting the zeitgeist of healthy recipes designed to boost your microbiome while tasting great
Nigel Slater - A Thousand Feasts
A new collection of notes, memoirs, stories and moments of joy from beloved chef Nigel Slater
Global voices
Patriot
Alexei Navalny's excoriation of Putin's tyranny needs no introduction - a must read
We Will Not Be Saved
A unique voice and a unique perspective on the future for tribes of the Amazon
The Taiwan Story
A briefing on the importance of Taiwan to the global realpolitik in the decades to come
New fiction,
old friends
Precipice
A world on the brink of war and
a priapic Prime Minister
- Harris "faction" at its best!
Karla's Choice
Smiley is back at the Circus, and the Cold War rages on outside
- a new le Carre, from his son!
The Glass Maker
A historical novel of medieval Venice from the author of
Girl with a Pearl Earring
Comfortable reads
The Hotel Avocado
A shaggy-dog story like
no other in the inimitable
comic voice of Bob Mortimer
The Life Impossible
Grace arrives in Ibiza with a one-way ticket, no guidebook and no plan, other than to find the truth
Before we Forget Kindness
The latest instalment of the mega Before the Coffee Gets Cold series - gentle time travel for a better life
Fiction to relish
Shy creatures
A new novel about love, family and the joy of freedom from
the author of Small Pleasures
Tell Me Everything
Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge re-emerge, brimming with empathy and pathos
The Ministry of Time
A smart, witty novel as love triumphs over the strictures of history through time travel!
Crime thrillers
The Drowned
1950s rural Ireland evokes chilling mystery and suspense - a Strafford and Quirke story
The Blue Hour
An atmospheric and tense thriller from the author of the blockbuster The Girl on the Train
Midnight and Blue
Edinburgh's finest solves a "locked cell" mystery from behind bars. A new Rebus, as good as ever
Christmas is murder
Murder under the MIstletoe
Seasonal "cosy crime" from a national treasure - you can't go wrong
Dramatic Murder
A classic Christmas murder mystery from the
British Library archives
Murder by Candlelight
Ten crime stories, with poisoned mince pies, Christmas Eve ghosts and a clever locked-room puzzle
Prize-worthy winners
The Safe Keep
An exhilarating tale of twisted desire and the unexpected shape of revenge in WWII fallout
Creation Lake
A genuinely funny story of intrigue and a woman caught in the crossfire between past and future
James
An eye-opening retelling of the Huckleberry Finn story from the eyes of Huck's companion, Jim
Christmas
capers
Sprouts
In the year 4024, it's Christmas every day and that means... ...sprouts, all the time!
We're going on a Sleigh Ride
Find the hidden gifts under the flaps as four bunnies set off on a thrilling festive adventure
Listen to the Nutcracker
A bestselling boardbook with amazing real-life sounds from the beautiful Nutcracker ballet
More festive
frolics
How Winston Came Home for Xmas
An illustrated chapter book of a round-the-world adventure for Winston the mouse
Letters from the North Pole
Five ACTUAL letters from Santa Claus to pull out and read - plus how to build gifts like the elves
Classic Christmas Stories
A timeless collection of Christmas classics to read together at bedtime or round the tree
Great gifts
for children
100 things to know about sport
100 quirky and surprising facts about sports and
sporting achievements
A Midsummer Night's Dream
A new title in the beautiful "Story Orchestra" range, with wonderful illustrations and real music
The Ultimate Construction Site book
The activity of a construction site provides endless fascination, with 60+ tabbed moving parts
Fun reading
for children
Turtle Moon
Journey to the heart of the jungle in a beautifully illustrated adventure story from Hannah Gold
The Great Big Glitch
A Bunny vs Monkey graphic novel - where all existence is a virtual reality simulation!
Dog Man: Big Jim Begins
The Dog Man friends must stop the Space Cuties from destroying the city - a graphic novel
Novels
for children
The Majorly Awkward BFF Dramas
...of Lottie Brooks, who is back and as brilliant as ever - torn between new boyfriend, new dog and BFF
Seawitch
Cassie Morgan must train up a beginner witch - but her student is not what she expected!
The Reappearance of Rachel Price
A brilliant standalone thriller from the queen of YA crime - Rachel wasn't dead, so what did Bel see?
Stocking fillers
Cluedle - Rudolph's Revenge
80 cracking Christmas puzzles for skilful young super sleuths
- full of codes, maps, clues
Christmas Snap
26 pairs of cards featuring festive favourites such as snowmen, stockings and reindeer
Santa's Workshop - Fingerprint
Simple instructions to create Christmassy pictures of reindeer, elves, snowmen etc using the inkpads provided
