Looking for a gift this festive season? Here are our book recommendations for the ultimate Christmas present

Representation pic

Christmas won't be Christmas without any presents," cries Jo March in Little Women. Marmee, the mother, quietly tucks a copy of Pilgrim's Progress under each of the little women's pillows, bound in their favourite colours. There is no better present to give than books this time of the year; even better is a Christmas book. We bring you 10 such titles to gift to your loved ones:

For grown-ups

>> A Poem for Every Day of Christmas: From Benjamin Zephaniah's Talking Turkeys to EE Cummings's little tree and Christina Rossetti's A Christmas Carol, this book (Pan Macmillan) celebrates all that the season brings with it: hope, joy, peace, and love. Filled with 31 Christmas poems for each day of December, it is a part of Allie Esiri's A Poem for Every Day series.

Festive décor at a Crossword store

>> The Christmas Appeal: A murder strikes the town of Lockwood, where the Fairway Players theatre group lives. As the members busy themselves with their upcoming production, they get involved in solving the mystery, too. This fun Christmas novella (Viper) by Janice Hallet is written in the form of e-mails, text and audio messages, police transcripts, etc.

>> A Christmas Memory: Truman Capote writes about friendship in these short stories (Penguin Classics) that celebrate the spirit of Christmas. Seven-year-old Buddy finds a friend in his 60-something, older cousin Sook. Together they bake fruitcakes for Christmas and make kites for each other in the title story. It is a heartwarming collection that finds joy in simple living.

>> A Christmas Carol (A Search & Find Book): Charles Dickens's classic story comes to life, courtesy an inspired approach and gorgeous illustrations by Louise Pigott (Studio Press). This story has been reimagined by Sarah Powell. The reader must find and follow characters, objects, and sub-plots, from Scrooge's counting house to the arrival of Jacob Marley's ghost.

Pics Courtesy/Instagram

>> Small Things Like These: Claire Keegan's book (Grove Press), now a film adaptation, is set in 1985 Catholic Ireland. It follows the life of Bill Furlong, a coal and timber merchant, weeks before Christmas. On his delivery trips to a local training school, he begins to get suspicious of something untoward happening to the girls admitted in the institution.

Children's corner

One Christmas Wish: While his parents are out, Theo wishes Ms Goodyere were taking care of him, instead of his new babysitter. She would give him chocolate cake with cheese and sing him to sleep. He makes a wish: not to be alone on Christmas eve. Katherine Rundell spins a magical story about Theo's wish with illustrations by Emily Sutton (Simon and Schuster).

>> The Christmasaurus series: When the meteor shower destroys dinosaurs on the planet, including Mumosaurus and Dadlodocus, there is one that survives. Tom Fletcher's words, accompanied by illustrations from Shane Devries (Puffin UK), take readers on an adventure with Christmasaurus (the dinosaur who lives with Santa) and the Trundle family that loves dinos.

Gift the joy of reading to your loved ones. Representation pic

>> One-A-Day Christmas Stories: Enid Blyton's 25 warm tales are filled with Christmas treats, vanishing nuts, Santas stuck in chimneys, helpful goblins, magic stockings, and children spending their Christmas pennies wisely. Countdown to the festivities through these bite-sized stories, illustrated by Mark Beech (Hodder Children's Books).

>> A Bite before Christmas: Nandita da Cunha's desi tale around Christmastime is set in a typical Indian home. Artfully illustrated by Swarnavo Dutta (Karadi Tales), it follows Kyra's family around the hectic days that lead up to the festival, including the highlight for most children - the delicious sweets!

>> Charlie and the Christmas Factory: Inspired by Roald Dahl's classics and illustrated by Rikin Parekh (Penguin), this collection of tales by various authors brings back Dahl's characters with a Christmas-y spin. Matilda must do some thinking about naughty and nice lists, Charlie celebrates inside his factory, Frankie, the fantastic little fox, prepares a winter feast.

Inputs from Fiona Fernandez

Bookstore hop

>> The White Crow Books & Coffee, BKC
>> Crossword, Juhu and Kemps Corner
>> Kitab Khana, Fort
>> Trilogy Curated Bookshop and Library, Bandra
>> Title Waves, Bandra

Other must-reads

>> Everyone This Christmas has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson
>> The Secret Santa Project by Tracy Bloom
>> Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
>> Nut-Cracker and the Mouse King by ETA Hoffman
>> Sherlock Holmes and the Mystery of the Blue Carbuncle by AC Doyle

Sign up

>> Storytelling session by Apeksha Harsh
ON December 22; 11 am to 12 noon At Kitab Khana, Fort.
Entry Rs 500

>> Bandra Reads' Secret Santa
ON December 22; 9 am
At Jogger's Park, Bandra West.