The Best Books To Give The Readers In Your Life For Christmas 2024
As a voracious reader, I’ve devoured my fair share of books this year and compiled some of the best into this gift guide. There’s books for children, books for young adults and books to suit different genre readers from romance to thriller to fantasy. Gift any of these and you’re guaranteed to have a happy reader in your life.
Best Books For Children:
The Hollywood Kidnap Case by A. M. Howell
Seeking an Agatha Christie-esque historical adventure for children? Look no further than the third book in A. M. Howell’s Mysteries At Sea series. Set in the 1930’s, it invites readers into the lives of friends-turned-siblings Alice and Sonny as they investigate the kidnapping of famous Hollywood actress Estelle Fortune as she was preparing to set sail from Egypt to London. With a threatening note left in her room and a large ransom demand, it’s up to Alice, Sonny and their new friend Winnie to save Estelle before it’s too late. The Hollywood Kidnap is a fun and evocative cosy crime story for middle grade readers. (Usborne)
Ghostlines by Katya Balen
From Carnegie Medal-winning author Katya Balen comes this tender, sea-soaked tale of friendship, belonging and the meaning of home. On the Island of Ayrie, everybody knows everyone and nothing ever changes. It’s the only home Tilda has ever known and she wouldn’t have it any other way. When scowling newcomer Albie arrives, Tilda resolves to make him love Ayrie as much as she does. The two kayak out to an old island that’s rumoured to be haunted by ghosts, but their journey across the sea is just the start of their adventure. Lyrically written and full of genuine emotion, Ghostlines is another beautiful story from Balen. (Bloomsbury Children’s Books)
The Unadoptables by Hana Tooke
In the Autumn of 1880, five babies are discovered at the Little Tulip Orphanage in the strangest of circumstances. Branded ‘the unadotables’ by the horrible matron, the best friends know that it’s their individuality that makes them special. But when a sinister gentleman threatens to tear them apart, the gang embark on a daring escape across the frozen canals of Amsterdam. A thrilling Victorian setting, a menacing villain and a cast of unforgettable orphans combine to make this a darkly magical and wonderfully imaginative debut. (Puffin)
Best Books For Young Adults:
Death at Morning House by Maureen Johnson
After an accidental arson incident sends Marlowe Wexler’s house-sitting career up in flames, she takes on a summer job giving tours at Morning House, an abandoned mansion built on an island in the 1920s. But the house has a terrible secret that’s been buried for decades and when the person who brought Marlowe to the island goes missing, she finds herself dragged into the house’s dark and tragic past. A dual timeline novel that moves between the present and 1932, this suspenseful true crime inspired murder mystery is a must-read for fans of Johnson’s Truly Devious books. (HarperTeen)
Royal Scandal by Aimée Carter
When American teen Evan Bright came to live with her estranged father – the actual King of England – she instantly became the most-hated member of the royal family. The venomous clickbait articles and angry protestors are bad enough, but when an armed intruder tries to attack Evan and her boyfriend Kit, she starts to believe that someone within the palace is plotting her downfall. Packed with reluctant royals, society scandals and backstabbing rivals, the sequel to Aimée Carter’s Royal Blood is another addictive YA novel that’ll make you nostalgic for all those noughties gems like The Princess Diaries and Gossip Girl. (Usborne)
I Wish You Would by Eva Des Lauriers
I Wish You Would is a swoony, heart-warming rom-com told over the course of 24 hours. It alternates from the perspectives of Natalia and Ethan, who’ve been ghosting each other since the night they almost crossed the line from best friends to something more. Now it’s time for the senior class tradition of writing private letters to themselves and burning them on a bonfire. Natalia, Ethan and their entire class pour their hearts out on paper, only for the letters to escape the fire and take off with the wind, exposing seven of their deepest secrets and wildest dreams. But what initially seems like a disaster might just be the best thing that could have happened… (Hot Key Books)
Best Books For Romance Readers:
Daydream by Hannah Grace
Hannah Grace has become a go-to author when it comes to comforting contemporary romance featuring relatable characters dealing with real-life issues. That’s certainly true of Daydream, the latest book in the Maple Hills series, which follows ice hockey captain and chronic procrastinator Henry Turner as he embarks on his junior year in college. There he meets introverted people pleaser and aspiring novelist Halle, who agrees to help Henry pass his class. In return, he offers to help enrich her college experience – just the thing she needs to inspire her creativity. Shifting between Henry’s and Halle’s POVs, these characters will burrow their way into your heart. (Simon & Schuster)
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
Maggie Chase is the Queen of the Cosy Mystery. Ethan Wyatt is Mr Big-time Thriller Guy. He thinks her name is Marcie and she hates his guts. When they’re both invited to a Christmas house party at an English estate, they discover their host is the most powerful author in the world, Eleanor Ashley. As a blizzard blows in, Eleanor vanishes from a locked room, prompting Maggie and Ethan to investigate her mysterious disappearance. Is Eleanor in danger or is this an elaborate game? And who, aside from themselves, can Maggie and Ethan trust? Take the moneyed mystery of Knives Out but give it a festive rom-com twist and what you get is Ally Carter’s unputdownable rivals-to-lovers book. (Pan)
The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score
Fans of Emily Henry will adore this steamy yuletide romance centred on a grumpy manager struggling to save his Connecticut town and the reality TV home renovation expert determined to help him. Cat King has the splashy production budget to put the town back together again but Noah Yates doesn’t want a celebrity diva capitalising on their tragedy. The two of them can’t be in a room together without coming to blows, but the love-to-hate enemies will need to work together if they’re to pull off a Christmas miracle. This is the ultimate holiday read for spicy contemporary romance lovers. (Hodder)
Best Books For Fantasy Readers:
The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle
Enemies-to-lovers romantasy doesn’t get much better than The Dagger and the Flame. A sizzling, high-stakes novel set in the glittering Paris-inspired city of Fantome, it follows two rivals who are pitted against each other in a deadly cat-and-mouse game of revenge. When the two come face-to-face, something sparks between them. A kind of magic that will change Fantome forever. Featuring vengeful gangs, deadly assassins, deep secrets and forbidden love, Doyle’s novel is one of this year’s YA fantasy highlights. (Simon & Schuster)
The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door by H. G. Parry
Clover is a commoner with neither connections nor magical blood. She fought her way into Camford, England’s secret magical academy, but she doesn’t belong. Determined to find a cure for her brother, one of the few survivors of a faerie attack on the battlefields of WW1, Clover is drawn into the aristocratic orbit of golden boy Alden and his friends. Together they begin to unearth old secrets about the faerie magic and curses, a fateful discovery that will have repercussions years later. A richly-imagined blend of dark academia, fae fantasy and evocative historical fiction, H. G. Parry’s latest novel is the slow-building kind you can truly lose yourself in. (Orbit)
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
There’s one book that’s been on every romantic fantasy readers’ lips this month and it’s Callie Hart’s Quicksilver. The Booktok sensation centres around thief Saeris Fane, whose harsh life in the desert changes when she inadvertently opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a Fae land of ice and snow. Stumbling into the middle of a centuries-long conflict, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a Fae warrior with nefarious secrets and motives of his own. But he’s also the only way Saeris is going to make it home. If you love intriguing magic systems, strong-willed characters, steamy love-to-hate romance and found family, this is the book for you. (Hodderscape)
Best Books For Thriller Readers:
The Ice Retreat by Ruth Kelly
A suitably chilling book for these wintry months, Ruth Kelly’s latest thriller transports readers to a dubious retreat in the Swiss mountains as docu-series presenter Hollie Jenson tries to expose a wellness guru as a charlatan after a boy goes missing. As the dangerous isolation of the snowy valley sets in, Hollie must confront secrets from her own past if she’s to uncover the truth and make it out alive. With a remote location inspired by the famed Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps, The Ice Retreat is a sinister and suspenseful page-turner. (Pan)
The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
Eris is a tidal island unreachable from the Scottish mainland for half the day. It was once the hideaway of Vanessa, a famous artist whose husband disappeared twelve years ago. Now it’s home to Grace, a solitary woman content with her isolation. But when a small bone at the centre of Vanessa’s artwork is revealed to be human, Grace receives an unexpected visitor from London. Paula Hawkins’ psychological thrillers are always something to look forward to reading, and The Blue Hour is just as tense and unsettling as the author’s previous bestsellers. (Doubleday)
Still See You Everywhere by Lisa Gardner
Missing persons specialist Frankie Elkin is an expert at finding people the world has forgotten. Her latest case takes her to an isolated island off the coast of Hawaii where she must go undercover to search for the long-lost sister of a female serial killer facing execution in three weeks. But can Frankie really trust the word of the notorious ‘Beautiful Butcher’? With an incoming tropical storm cutting her off from the outside world, the clock is ticking for Frankie to solve the case. Another gripping and brilliantly twisty instalment in Gardner’s crime thriller series. (Penguin)
The Best of the Rest:
Januaries by Olivie Blake
Putting a fairytale spin on the themes of love, heartbreak, betrayal and death, Olivie Blake has once again worked her unique word magic with these short stories gathered by seasons – some of which are new, the others having previously featured in the author’s self-published Fairytale Collections. Fantasy lovers who enjoy strange and wondrous stories full of the whimsical and the mystical will devour this collection, which ranges from reflective to amusing to romantic and everything in-between. (Tor)
Death on Dartmoor Edge by Stephanie Austin
Amateur sleuth and antique dealer Juno Browne is feeling overworked and underpaid. But she’s not the only one with problems, with one friend being blackmailed and the errant nephew of another on the run from criminals. In typical Juno fashion, the self-proclaimed Domestic Goddess sets out to investigate the disturbances, taking her from an isolated manor house to London’s glam theatreland. The eighth book in Stephanie Austin’s pastoral Devon Mysteries series is a perfect piece of cosy crime. It feels like taking a trip to the West Country – only with a dash of undesirable murder! (Allison & Busby)
The Seventh Veil of Salome by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In the Golden Age of Hollywood, every actress wants to play Salome, a star-making role in the big-budget movie about the legendary temptress. When the film’s mercurial director casts unknown Mexican ingenue Vera Larios, she becomes the talk of the town. As she navigates the glitz and glamour, she becomes the envy of bit player Nancy Hartley, who wants to take everything Vera has. Moreno-Garcia’s historical tale of three women set against the backdrop of the 1950’s simmers with effortless atmosphere and a sense of impending tragedy. (Arcadia)
Return To The DallerGut Dream Department Store by Miye Lee
Penny is now an official employee of the DallerGut Dream Department Store, a magical place that specialises in selling dreams. Now she can take the express commuter train to the Company District, but it’s not quite what she expected. She discovers that people are filing complaints about their dreams and regular customers have stopped coming to the store. In order to understand why they’re losing custom, Penny must delve deeper into the dream industry. Heartwarming and utterly original, it’s a joy to return to this delightful world of Miye Lee’s creation. (Wildfire)
The Seamaiden’s Odyssey by Berlie Doherty & Tamsin Rosewell
Combining Berlie Doherty’s poignant and lyrical writing with Tamsin Rosewell’s enchanting ink and silhouette illustrations, this coming-of-age novella about a strange and beautiful sea-creature called Merryn feels like a fable of old. Drawing on nature and folklore, it’s a story of cruelty, grief, love and pride. More than that, it’s a story of sisterhood and empowerment. A treasure of a book that can be enjoyed by younger and older readers alike. (UCLan Publishing)
Faedom: Enter the World of Fairies by Agnes Monod-Gayraud, Lorna White & Nadzeya Makeyeva
They say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but one glance at Faedom and anyone interested in the fair folk will be instantly smitten. Inspired by cultural facts, literary references and age-old myths, this stunning compendium brings the fairy tales to life in bright and colourful detail. The pages are filled with folklore, poems and whimsical illustrations that cover not just elemental fairy titbits but also facts about astrology, herbology and lunar cycles. It will be an eye-catching addition to any fae fan’s bookshelf. (Big Picture Press)
